Puhing their buttons

Some years ago, John T. Malloy (Author of the classic Dress for Success) conducted a research project with a group of purchasing agents. He gave them two buttons, one labeled positive, the other negative. The agents were instructed to press the appropriate button when they had formed an opinion of the salespeople who were calling on them. In 94% of the cases when they pressed the "negative" button, they did so before the rep had chance to say a single word. This study points out the importance of appearances. It is important to dress professionally, use good posture, to pay attenion to body language and most of all smile. If you approach a customer timidly, this may perceived like you're trying to hide something. Remember prospects and customers are always "judging your book by its cover."

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks

Jim Busch

Make your message stand-out

Ideally you always want to talk directly to a decision maker but sometimes you need to leave them a note or leave some information. It is important to make your message stand-out. Customers get a lot of sales people calling on them and a lot of them leave info. I like to carry a supply of clear plastic sheet protectors. I put the information in the sheet protector and clip my card to it. A sheet protector makes your materials stand out from the rest of the papers on their desk. People put important documents in sheet protectors to protect them, they will lend an appearance of value to your materials.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Naked or Armed for Bear?

I frequently get asked, "What should I carry on a sales call?" There are 2 schools of thought on this. Some salespeople believe in going in "naked" with nothing more than a business card. They believe that carrying a lot of sales materials intimidates the prospect and causes them to chase the sales person away.

Others believe in going in "armed for bear" with everything they have to present. I have even known reps who fill in an insertion order before going on a call. Their theory is that you should be prepared for anything just in case the customer is receptive to buying.

I prefer to take the middle path. I like to carry a small neat binder containing coverage maps, pricing and product samples. At the front of my binder I have several PowerPoint slides that talk about the key selling points of my product. This binder looks professional and contains everything I need to present my product to a customer and answer basic questions. I like to use the slides as a visual aid when describing my publication to the prospect. Research indicates that if your words are supported by a visual, the customer is more likely to retain the information. Visuals also enhance your credibility with the client. Everyone is different but this has worked for me for years.

Keep smiling, keep selling.

Thanks Jim Busch