Lincoln's Technique

Before he became president Abraham Lincoln was a very successful attorney. He would sit quietly and listen to his opponent's arguments. Lincoln would then rise and would concede to most of the the other attorney's arguments one by one. After covering most of the points, he would argue the final point. He would tell the jury that this was the one point they should ponder. He would tell them that if was the major issue in the case. He almost always won the day for his client. He understood that people are only able to entertain one or two ideas at a time. Because he argued only one point while his opponent made many points, the jury remembered Lincoln's argument and forgot the other lawyer's. The lesson for sales people is the value of streamlining and simplifying our presentations. It is better to make one key point than try to impress the client with multiple benefits.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Stuff that turkey

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big believer in proactively contacting prospects long before an event. Now is the time to start talking to prospects about Thanksgiving. In the past this meant contacting grocers but the market has greatly expanded in the past few years. The number of people who dine out on Thanksgiving or who have their dinner catered has grown in the last decade. With most women working outside the home they do not have the time or the desire to make a big meal. By talking to prospects early you will help them plan their promotions and preempt your competition. We are approximately 2 1/2 months out from Turkey Day but you will want to start promoting these events several weeks before the holiday. Starting now gives you a jump start on this revenue opportunity. Don't forget to reach out to appliance dealers, beer distributors and party stores as well.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling.

Thanks Jim Busch

"Everybody knows me"

One of the toughest objections to handle is "everybody knows me so I don't need to advertise." You usually hear this from businesses that have been in their market for a long time. They may have been in the same location for 50 years but their prospects haven't been. For years I worked for the yellow pages in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is one of the most stable markets in the US, but every week we received an updated white pages. In the course of a year every single page of the residential directory changed by about 20%. Even if a business does everything right they are going to lose customers. Customers die, move or their needs change. To remain solvent a business has to "keep their pipeline full" and attract a steady stream of new clients. Talk to your prospects about changes in their customer base and about the changes in their market. Remind them that old people move out and new people move in all the time. If they want to make sure that indeed everyone will know them--they need to advertise consistently.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Quote of the week

Here's a quote that I believe we can all agree upon:

"We find that advertising works the way that grass grows. You can never see it, but every week you have to mow it."--Andy Tarshis

This is a fun thing to share with your customer when they want to "Run an ad every now and then."

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Selling Shopping Centers

Many malls and large strip centers do group advertising. Some centers assess each merchant an advertising fee based on the square footage of their store. This money is used to pay for advertising which promotes the center and the merchants. To tap into this budget you need to identify who places the advertising. Some large centers actually have a marketing manager, some centers are handled by the general manager and many have a committee of store owners. You need to visit the stores and ask who handles the marketing for the center. If the advertising is handled by a group, try to attend their meeting. Often one merchant is the unofficial "leader of the pack" and has a strong influence over the group. Try to identify and sell this merchant and the others will fall into line.

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

Weekly Quote

Here's one from the queen of good advice, "Dear Abby."

"A bad habit never disappears miraculously; it's an undo-it-yourself project"--Abigail Van Buren

Along with being sound advice this offers a lesson in phrasing a concept. Playing on the common phrase "Do-it-yourself" makes this statement memorable. Simple yet interesting language is the best way to make your ideas stick.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch