Picking the competions pockets

These days, advertising budgets are tighter than ever. Sometimes it is impossible to get a customer to invest one cent more into marketing their business. If they are advertising with a competitor, all may not be lost. Look at their current program and think about ways to cut back the advertiser's program without making a major impact on their representation. Think about going to a smaller ad or cutting out editions in secondary areas. Another possibility is using a reverse to get attention without using color. You may even want to design and spec an ad for the competitor's product. The money they save can be reinvested with you. This is a much easier approach to take rather than trying to get them to drop the competitor and move 100% of their budget to you. Prospects are reluctant to do this because of the natural fear of loss. The plan above allows them to "have their cake and eat it too." You can open the call with something like "Mr./Ms. Customer, if you give me a few minutes of your time I can show you a way to expand your reach without increasing your advertising budget by one red cent."

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Selling gets easier after they say no!

No sanes sales person (and there are actually a few of them around) likes to hear a customer say "NO!" No good sales person ever accepts "NO" as a final answer. believe it or not, sometimes a call gets easier when you've been rejected. The trick is to acknowledge the rejection and accept it at face value. Saying something like "Thank you for letting me know how you feel about this without wasting my time." Once you've accepted their "NO" the pressure is off. You have defused the situation and you can ask a few questions about their business. This conversation may lead to a sale. When a customer says "NO," they expect an argument. If you surprise them by taking what they say at face value you can continue, if you contest the rejection, you will only harden their position. Remember they say "No" because they don't see the value in what you are offering. By keeping the discussion alive, you have a chance to educate them.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Seminar Marketing

As an alternative to cold calling, some companies are using seminars to attract new customers. Here's how it works--You secure a room and send out invitations to an educational seminar on a subject of interest to business owners. These sessions should also be promoted in your paper. You can draw on the expertise of your employees and do sessions on marketing, design or accounting. You can do research and do seminars on local demographics or the regional economy. Many outside speakers can be used for this at a minimal cost. Content is the key to making this work. Your seminar should be truly educational and not a sales pitch. You should not use these sessions to promote your products. The purpose of the seminar is to make contacts. As the "host" of the session you get to meet and greet local business people in a non-threatening environment. This would make these people more inclined to grant an appointment. This also positions you as a respected expert and a trusted source of information.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Win the new business lottery

Here is an off the wall idea for getting tough prospects to talk to you. When you can't get a meeting or get them to return try this. Take them a one dollar scratch off lottery ticket attached to a note saying: "Here are two chances for you to make some money: You may win big with this ticket or you can let show you how I can bring more paying customers to your business. The odds are 50,000 to 1 that you will win big with this ticket, but based on what I've accomplished for other local businesses the odds are very good that I can make you a lot of money." When you follow up with the customer say "I am the rep who left the lottery ticket, can I have a few minutes of your time." I have done this a number of times and it has opened some doors. This is sort of a last ditch effort but this technique differentiates you from the average sales person. The only thing you have to lose is a buck.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Shopping for sales leads

When I am out with reps I always ask them to stop at the supermarket in their territory. I am not craving a dozen of eggs or a box of Tide, but I am looking for leads. Most grocery stores have a bulletin board covered with cards from local contractors and businesses. You can also find these at building centers, hardware stores, small print shops and restaurants. I have made many sales over the years by calling on these cards. These places are a good way to find businesses that fly under the radar as they are not listed in the phone book and lack a web presence. Making the rounds of the bulletin boards as you work your territory can pay big dividends in the long run.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Let your fingers do the walking

The Yellow Pages are not what they used to be. The easy access to information on the web has hit the directory industry hard. That said, the Yellow Pages still contains a lot of information on the business community. I suggest that you carry a copy of the local directory in your car. When you call on a prospect a glance at their ad (if they have one) will tell you what they do and other information such as when they opened ("since 1975"). The phone book will also give you an idea of their competition. This information can help you to formulate good questions to start the sales conversation. The phone book is an easy to use data base and only takes a few seconds to consult prior to a call.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling

Thanks Jim Busch