Back to School opportunities

Now that the 4th of July is past, can the back to school season be far behind. Obviously this is an opportunity for retailers who sell kid's shoes, clothes, school supplies etc. but don't limit your thinking there. The ringing of the 1st school bell in the fall marks a change in the seasons and in many peoples lives. This is a good time to promote ways for parents to use the time while the kids are in school. You can run ads for gyms, classes, craft stores etc. Home centers can promote supplies for the D-I-Y projects Mom and Dad have been putting off. Anything that involves a transition in consumer's lives makes them receptive to new products and services. Think creative and share ideas with your clients to take advantage of this change in their customer's lives.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

The testimonial opener

The most important part of any sales call is the first 15 to 30 seconds. In this short time we have to say something that will engage the customer and make them want to hear more of what we have to say. One of my favorite ways to do this is to use a third party testimonial story. "Mr/Ms Customer, I have have worked with a number of other (Plumbers, Pizza Shops or whatever their business happens to be) and I'd like to show you what they are doing to attract new customers." In just a few seconds this accomplishes several things. This opener tells them that other businesses like theirs has seen value in you product and it makes them curious about what you have to show them. The y may think "I'm not going to buy anything but it doesn't hurt to take a look." Once you have their attention you can proceed to uncover needs and prove value. Never under estimate the power of curiosity. I've have never met a business owner who didn't show interest in what similar businesses are doing.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Show and sell

Scientists have determined that 80% of the information that humans take in is visual. In spite of this fact, most sales people don't try to engage a prospects visual senses. Research has shown that using a presentation binder and sales collateral materials. If you show a customer a visual of what you are telling them about their retention of the material increases significantly. in my experience the reps I work with either do not take sales materials with them into a call or if they do have them, they do not open them. If you want to increase your sales effectiveness, assemble a well organized "pitch book" and use it on every call.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks,

Jim Busch

Economics of advertising

Here is something to discuss with those customers who are satisfied with their business and don't feel they need to advertise. This is simple economics--there are two kinds of costs in business, fixed and variable. The fixed costs include things like rent and insurance. The variable costs are related to sales, for example merchandise costs go up when sales increase--not a bad thing. This is where advertising can help, because fixed are "Duh"--fixed, they are not affected by sales volume. A business can not make a profit until the fixed costs are covered but once they are covered the business gets to keep a larger and larger share of each additional dollar they bring in. This is because the fixed costs become a smaller and smaller percentage of the business's sales. This means that if a business is already covering costs, increasing volume through advertising means a higher profit margin for you customers. For an example of using this on a sales call, go to the PaperChain website, click on the Link and Learn Tab and read "What does an empty table cost?"

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

The #1 cause of objections

I believe the leading cause of objections is bad timing on the part of the salesperson. When a sales person makes a recommendation before identifying the customer's problems and proving the value of his publication the customer is bound to object. They have no reason to buy because they don't see how buying an ad can benefit them. Closing becomes easy and objections rarely occur when the sales person asks good questions about the customers needs and then proposes a solution to the solve their problems. Making a recommendation before clearly identifying a customer's is setting yourself up for failure.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Sales Resolution #4

My 4th sales resolution is Use a presentation binder. A presentation binder (or pitch book) is an organized collection of sales materials. This should include any maps of your circulation, research statistics, testimonials etc. It is also a good idea to include samples of your products. Using these printed materials on a sales call lends power to your presentation. Many people are visual learners and using a presentation binder will make more of an impression than words alone. This also serves as a memory aid for the sales person and helps them to remember to present the full product line. Testimonials in print are much more believable than hearing the story from the sales person. Taking the effort to put together a sales binder will pay off in increased sales.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Foundation Questions

I have always believed that questions are the key component of any sales call. You should always plan your questions prior to the call. Progress from broad to more specific questions. Unlike many trainers, I like to ask a few close ended questions (Questions that can be answered with 1 word) at the beginning of the call. Asking these questions loosens up the customer and starts the conversation rolling. The longer you talk to the customer the more you tear down the natural wall that exists between a sales person and a prospect. These questions lay a foundation that you can use to build a solid relationship with the client. Don't waste any questions, make sure each question you ask uncovers information you can use to close a sale.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Power Phrases for Sales People

Here are a couple of phrases to use on a sales call to give your message impact. I have used versions of these for years to good effect:

1. "If it were me"--This tells the customer that you identify with him and that you are interested in his/her welfare
2. "My customers tell me that"--Customers inherently distrust a sales person (They know why we're there!) Putting your words in someone else's mouth gives you added credibility.
3. "We don't want this to happen to you"--Fear is a strong motivator, relate a story about a business damaged by a poor advertising decision and then use this.
4. "This would be like"-- Nothing promotes understanding like the use of a good analogy. They are particularly powerful if you can relate your recommendation to the customer's business: "Mr. Customer not advertising would be like not replacing your merchandise, you need to replenish your stock and you need to replenish your customer base."

These phrases work on a customer's emotions and help them to see the value you offer.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

True But Useless

I am currently reading Chip and Dan Heath's "Switch." This is an excellent book on executing and motivating change. In their book they refer to the danger of focusing on things that are "TBU" True But Useless. TBU includes complaining about situations you can't change (i.e. complaining about the state of the national economy), it is true that the economy is a challenge but talking about it is useless. Talking about the economy will not make things better, planning to sell through this challenge will. You also want to avoid wasting time on a call talking about things that are TBU. An example of this would be explaining how ads are sent to the printer, this may interest you, but this information is useless to the prospect. They just want to know that their ad will appear in the paper and that it will be correct. You have limited time in front of a customer so you want to spend it talking about things that improve your chance of making a sale.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

A pictures worth a thousand sales

In school they called them visual aids, in sales they're called presentation binders or sales collateral. No matter what you call them they can help you make more sales. Most people are visual learners yet most sales people try to persuade them using words rather than pictures. Research has found that if you use a verbal argument in conjunction with a visual presentation tool the prospect is much more likely to make a purchase. If your company provides sales collateral use it, if not make your own. You should make specific sales aids for your territory, even for specific customers. Computers have made producing graphics quick and easy. You have no reason not to use this powerful tool of persuasion on every call.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

A penny's worth of persuasion

I was working with a rep today who was having trouble getting a customer to see the value in the program he was presenting. The cost of the program was a $1,000 but would reach some 600,000 homes. Do the math and this works out to slightly less that 2/10 of a cent per home delivered. This is a great value but the customer just didn't grasp it. I took a penny and used white out to cover all of it except a pie shaped wedge representing about 20% of the surface. I taped the coin to a piece of paper with an arrow pointing to the exposed wedge connected to a note that stated "Cost per home delivered." This was a way to graphically depict the value of the program. Sometimes this is all that's needed to get a customer's buy in to your recommendation.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thank you. Jim Busch

The 3 "V's"

As sales people we have 3 tools to use when persuading a customer. I call these tools the "3 V's". These stand for Visual, Verbal & Vocal and all three contribute to your success or failure. Visual is the message you send by your appearance, how you dress, your posture and body language and especially your facial expressions. A great smile is a worth a lot of money in increased sales. Verbal is the "V" that most people think about. These are the words you use. Think about what you are saying, keep your language simple and customer focused. The 3rd V is important to all sales people, but is critical to telephone reps. Vocal is how you use your voice. Do you sound confident and knowledgeable? Are you coming across loud and clear? Do you modulate your voice to hold the customer's interest? These all have an effect on the outcome of a sale. I suggest videotaping yourself role playing with a friend or coworker and then honestly critiquing how you appear on a call. I have even studied theater to learn how actors control the 3 "V's". The more you think about how you behave in these three areas, the more you will be able to control them and the more you will be able to control the outcome of the call.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Set the agenda

A good way to start off a call is to set an agenda. Starting off a call by telling the prospect what you intend to cover and ask them if they have anything they want to add. Here is an example:

"Mr. Customer, today I would like to ask you some questions about your business to determine if their is anyway my publication can help you build traffic. I also brought along some example of ads run by other businesses like yours that I would like to share with you. Of course I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about my company."

Setting the agenda shows the prospect that you have a plan and that respect their time. It sets you apart from the less professional sales people who call on them.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch