Sell on every call

I was in the field with a rep who was responding to a phone in lead. The customer, a new florist shop, had called in to place "a grand opening ad." The rep went in sure of a sale so he decided to coast. After introducing himself he launched in to a discussion of what type of an ad they wanted and what they wanted to say. He bypassed the discovery phase of the call and asked no questions about their business. I believe this is bad practice as the call did not teach him anything about the customer's goals or plans. He also did nothing to build his relationship with the customer. He was functioning as an order taker rather than as a consultant. A good salesperson sells on every call. A good sales call leave the sales person and the prospect with a better understanding of what the other has to offer and builds their relationship. A "Kiss Me" lead is tempting but can lead to a quick sale instead of a long term business relationship.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

What do they expect to pay

One of the managers I work with recently traveled from Pittsburgh to Boston on the "Mega Bus." The Mega Bus is a low price inter city transit company that advertises prices as low as $1. My friend's wife waited too long to get his ticket so he had to pay the exorbitant price of $3 for the trip to New England. What I found interesting was that his wife was upset at having to pay $2 more than she expected. Two dollars is hardly worth complaining about but she had expected to pay only $1. This is why you should avoid giving a customer a price too early in the call or start with a small ad. You will never be able to get the customer to raise the price once they have a "set point" price in mind even if you can prove the value of your product is worth the expenditure. Hold off offering a price until you have identified the customer's needs and established the value of your product.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Consistant varety

Today I saw a piece on CBS Sunday morning about the team of artists would design the "Google Doodles." These are the creative treatments of the Google logo that they feature on their home page. This is a good illustration of what I call "consistent variety." We tell our customers about the benefits of consistency but the downside is that the ad can get boring. Like the billboards we pass everyday, after the first time or two they fade into the landscape. I like to use a standardized format for an ad using a logo and the same basic layout. This makes the ad easily recognizable to the regular reader. The key is to change our the offer to keep the ad fresh. Using this combination helps the reader to find the ad quickly and makes them to want to find it by offering them something new. If it is good enough for Google, it is good enough for your advertisers.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim B.

Quote of the week

"Discipline is remembering what you want" David Campbell

This quote is deceptively simple. It is about how we achieve our goals, one action at a time. Lots of people go to great pains to set goals but then file them away and never act on making them become reality. We must constantly remind ourselves of our goals and take myriad small steps toward them every hour of every day. As Mr. Campbell says we must discipline ourselves to keep our goals in sight.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Trivia Questions What business is the most profitable?

Here is a question. What small business is the most profitable? The answers--Dentists. Typically a dental practice brings in over a half million dollars per year and has a profit margin of 17 or 18%. While setting up a practice is an expensive undertaking, in the long run this is a very lucrative field. More and more dentists are promoting cosmetic services such as tooth whitening and enamels. Make sure you don't overlook dentists when working you're territory. Newer practices are particularly good prospects as they are building their patient base and sill paying for their overhead. Other good targets are pediatric dentists, cosmetic practices and orthodontists since they constantly need to replace the patients they have completed.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Happy Halloween

Halloween is just two months away. Halloween used to be a children's holiday but the grown-ups have taken it away for themselves. Halloween is the #2 adult party event just after New Years Eve (Taking the #2 spot away from St.Patrick's Day). Now is the time to get in front of party and costume store owners. You should also contact the bars and clubs in your area to talk about their plans for the holiday. Don't forget to talk to municipalities about community events, parades, costume contests etc. If you start working these accounts now, you'll beat the competition to the punch and get a head start on this lucrative business.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch

Start with a story

One of the best ways to break the ice and start a call is to use a testimonial story. This allows you to start with a benefit supported by a success story. I often start a call by saying "We work with a number of businesses just like yours and they've been getting great results. Can I ask you a few questions to see if we might be able to do the same for you." You can also use something like "I'd like to show you some examples of what's been working for them." Using a third party story at the beginning of a call is a great way to engage the customer in conversation.

Keep Smiling, Keep Selling!

Thanks Jim Busch