Here are 4 easy ways you
can boost your sales for little or no new expense... and without making major
changes in your selling process.
1. Focus on What Your
Customers Really Want
Your customers really
don't want your products or services. They don't even want what those products
or services do for them. What they really want is to gain the specific feeling
they get after buying and using your products or services.
Keep this in mind when
you create web pages, sales letters and other selling presentations. Emphasize
the feelings produced by using your product instead of talking about what your
product is -or how it works.
Tip: Convert the benefits delivered by your product
or service into vivid word pictures. Then put your prospect in the picture by
dramatizing what it feels like to be enjoying those benefits.
For example, if you sell financial products, describe what it feels like to
enjoy an affluent life style without debt.
2. Keep Communicating With Your Previous Non-Buyers
You've heard it before - but I'll say it here again. Most prospective
customers will not buy the first time they see or hear about your product or
service. You're losing a lot of sales if you do not persistently follow up with
those prospects.
Your follow up procedure can be as simple as periodically contacting them
with a new offer. Or it can be more complex like distributing a newsletter or
providing updated product information.
Tip:You cannot
follow up with prospects if you don't know how to reach them. Set up a system
for collecting the names and contact information of all prospects who do not
buy from you.
Example, offer a special report, a list of sources or some other valuable
information your prospects cannot get anywhere else. Deliver it only by email
or postal mail so you can get their contact address.
3. Encourage Questions
Questions from prospects may be a nuisance. But answering them can be very
profitable.
Prospective customers only take time to ask questions when they have a high
level of interest in your product or service. Providing a satisfactory answer
to a prospect's question often leads directly to a sale.
Invite prospects to ask questions when in live selling situations. And make
it easy for them to ask questions when they are not ...such as at your web
site. For example, list a phone number or email address where you or someone
else can answer their questions.
Tip: Include a
Questions and Answers page on your web site with answers to frequently asked questions.
It will reduce the number of questions you have to answer individually.
4. Make Buying Easier
Every non-essential
action in the buying process is an opportunity for the customer to reverse
their decision... causing you to lose the sale.
Look for ways you can
make your buying procedure easier and faster. For example, many marketers use a
multi-step shopping cart to get online orders when a simple online order form
would do the job with just 1 or 2 quick clicks.
Tip: Don't ask for unnecessary information during
the ordering process. Instead, send a personalized "thank you"
message after the sale and include a brief request for the information.
These 4 selling tactics
may not be new to you. But are you using all (or any) of them? If not, they can
easily boost your sales ...for little or no new expense - and without making
major changes in your sales process.
Copyright Bob Leduc
, Bob Leduc spent 20 years
helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just
released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast
With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help
small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods
at http://BobLeduc.com or call
702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/
The New
Psychology for Working Business Networking Events
Networking
The exchange of ideas, information
and resources.John Naisbitt, Megatrends
Most network
marketers make a huge mistake when trying to capitalize on the “gold” hidden at
business networking events.Regular
attendees at these events are there to build their own businesses, just like
you … and it’s important to keep that at the forefront of your mind as you’re
meeting new people.A “fatal” mistake
for network marketers in these situations is to initially promote your
opportunity …
OR
ask for
“business builders” as referrals. (You’re much better off focusing on THEM –
however, when they do ask what you do, use the second half of your “product/service”
focused Elevator Speech as your introduction.)
The Truth
About Networking Events, Plain and Simple …
Most people
attending business networking events have an invisible umbilical cord connected
to the people they came with. They sit together. They laugh together. They walk
together. Some go to the restroom together. And they go through chapter 11
together.
NOT YOU!
You have
about 30 minutes of social time before most events plus
30 minutes
more if there is a lunch or dinner served. You don’t want to do
any selling.
You’re there to network!
With only 30
minutes or so, you can’t possibly meet everyone at an event, so you must pick
and choose who to approach.The question
then becomes, “What kind of people do you want to meet at an event?” No, not prospects!
That’s prospecting!
REMEMBER,
We’re talking about a New Psychology …
a complete
180 degree turn!
Go into
these events with a Marketing Mind. Your goal is to meet people who have a
Rolodex or database of people who will be excellent prospects for you. Now
that’s leverage!
So, to
repeat, THE REASON YOU’LL BE ATTENDING THESE EVENTS IS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE
OF DISCOVERING “LINKS”.
Links
--
A Link is a person with a Rolodex or database of
people who are ideal prospects for your
products,
services and business programs.
Here’s the
“Step-by-Step” formula for you to follow so you’ll easily be able to approach
and attract the “links” who can greatly benefit your business.
Business
Networking, A “Step-by-Step” Plan:
1. Search
for events
Places to
look Calendar of events in local
periodicals, in a local business publication, contact
clubs and
associations and request a calendar. Go to http//www.google.com
and
search for
business
events in your area. Chamber of Commerce contacts are good resources for knowing
what’s going
on – even besides their own events. Be sure to ask …
Don’t
neglect organizations such as The American Heart Association, American Lung,
American
Cancer,
United Way, Girl and Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, etc. The Chamber of
Commerce (nationwide) sponsors breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, golf
tournaments, etc. (Los Angeles alone has over 1800 different civic
associations!)
Think any of
those would be fun for you OR are likely to attract the Links you want to meet?
Absolutely!
2. Find out
who’ll be attending the event and plan on meeting the people who could be LINKS
for you.Most calendars of events
include the name of the speaker, the sponsor and phone number to register.
Find out who
is coming to the event, and get a roster or registration list whenever
possible. (They
can email it
to you or you might have to go to their office to pick it up.)
Research
your audience. Select 6 associations and
VISIT
3. Pick the
people you want to meet (Think Link)Think….
what type of person would have a database or Rolodex filled with ideal customers
for you?Research the people you want to
meet and their firms (Check in the library, brochures, current customers. Get
familiar with their language/jargon. Learn the names and positions of upper management.
Be sure to subscribe to any local business journals to keep an eye out for
folks you’d like to meet.)
4. Have a
back-up plan in case the individuals you want to meet aren’t at the event … or
they
may have
brought their own guest, or were just too busy talking to other people.
5. Arrive
early. Don’t waste your time in the registration line.
SURE-FIRE
ICE-BREAKER TIP Shake hands with a
stranger within 60 seconds of entering a meeting! (And even better … follow by
introducing the stranger to someone else!)
6. Meet the
registrar, the speaker and the Executive director or the people sponsoring the
event. (They know lots of people who they can introduce you to)
7. Volunteer
your services.
Do this
right at the event! They may need help at the registration table, getting the
speaker set up,
working with
the hotel, OR better yet, greeting guests! (works like magic!)
8. Dance
around the event.
Never spend
more than 5 minutes with each person. (However, don’t be a tornado either!) Be
as
smooth as a
politician at a fund raiser. With practice you become subtle, smooth, succinct,
successful.
No matter what…move on.
9. Three
Keys to unlocking profitable information
a. Always
begin with a question
Bridge
Questions
“How did you
hear about the event?”
“Did you
have any problem finding a parking spot?”
“Have you
attended these meetings before?”
“What do you
know about the speaker?”
NOTE
No small talk after the Bridge question (“Did you
see the game last night? Where did
you go on
your vacation? How’s the wife and kids, etc.”)
b. Use
prepared questions
These are
the four Fabulous Link Questions
1. “What
does your firm do?”
2. “What is
your position with your firm?”
3. “What is
your target market?”
4. “How long
have you been with your firm?”
c. Apply
intelligent listening
10. Two
Possible Conversation Conclusions
(after
five-minutes max)
a. IF
THEY’RE A POTENTIAL LINK
“May I have
your card? I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Let’s get together and see if we can
help each
other develop some business. Does that sound good to you?”
b. IF
THEY’RE NOT AN OBVIOUS LINK
Terminate
the conversation (gracefully). Here are some options
** “I’ve
enjoyed meeting you. I know you have other people you would like to meet and
I’ve
others I’d
like to meet. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”
** “Where is
the restroom?”
** “Where is
the coffee?”
** Introduce
the person to someone else and make a graceful exit.
11. Where to
sit?
When the
“networking time” is over, take your seat and continue the process outlined
above with the people sitting around you, at your table, etc. (This usually
occurs when there’s a formal presentation or meal involved.)
Here are the
rules!
· Do not sit
with a friend
· Sit between
two people and get to meet both of them
· NEVER sit at
an empty table
YOUR
PERSONAL “NETWORKING” STRATEGY
· Develop at
least 12 key “LINKS”
· Become a key
resource for your Links, and they’ll do the same for you.
· Attend at
least one event each week
· Get
involved, volunteer for leadership positions. (membership committee,
fundraising
committee, etc.)
· Give 10% of
your time (6 minutes of each hour) providing some productive
information
to your Links.
· Be thinking
of other places to meet the professionals you want to connect with. Could be at
their
“Watering
Holes”, events they frequent, the charities they patronize, organizations where
they are
members,
after hours social affairs.
· Practice
Link questions with shoeshine boy, busboy, grocer, bellman and coach and
clients in
Business
Coaching.
· Be Prepared!
Prior to
attending your events,
· Identify all
possible events, and choose the best ones for you to attend.
· Know who
will be attending
· Know who you
want to know
· Research the
person you want to know
· Practice the
4 Key questions you will be asking
· Have half of
your product/service focused Elevator Speech prepared
(Then
quickly return to Link Questions)
How to
Become a Valuable Asset to your “Links”
Find out who
they’d like to meet. (The Elmer Letterman story). Bring a gift that will help
them prosper.Do whatever you can to
help them reach their dreams and goals. Find out what their professional goals are
for the next 5 years. (Don’t accept
I want to travel, retire, yacht, etc. Find out if they want to expand their
firm, open more offices, go into other industries or professions. Who would
they like to have a business relationship with, etc.)
Invite them
to lunch. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Perhaps we can get together for lunch
and you’ll allow me to send you some business.”
Assignments Attend one business event each week until you have
12 new Links established.
PLEASE NOTE Your coach
will be continually tracking your progress as you work to develop your 12
steps.
Wondering why your
marketing isn't working all that well? Never fear, help is here.
Fortunately
(or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) many marketing challenges
can be traced back to a handful of marketing mistakes. Today, I'll talk about
the top five marketing mistakes business owners make.
1. Too broad a target market (who you're selling your product or
service to). If I ask you who your customer is and you answer "anyone with
a pulse," then I'm talking to you.
Even if your product or service CAN help just about anyone on the planet,
not everyone is going to buy it. They don't have the money or the interest or
whatever. And when you try and target everyone, you really end up targeting no
one.
The way to start making money (not to mention getting better results with
your marketing) is to narrow your target market so you're only talking to one
specific group. However, there are pitfalls with that as well, as we see in the
next mistake.
2. The wrong target market. This happens when you've chosen the wrong
target market. What do I mean by wrong target market? They either aren't
interested in buying your product or service or they don't have the money.
Let's look at the first one, lack of interest. What happens here is the word
"need" is misused. "I know my target market needs this,
therefore they'll buy it." Not so.
This happens a lot with
people in the health and wellness field and it typically goes something like
this. You are passionate about teaching yoga and you want to reach committed
couch potatoes. Do committed couch potatoes need to be doing yoga? No question.
Do they want to be doing yoga? Probably not or they wouldn't be committed couch
potatoes.
So let's look at the second
one, lack of funds. This happens when you're going after a customer base that
desperately wants what you're selling but can't afford it. For instance, a
high-end spa targeting low-income single mothers. Would this target market
adore the stress relieving benefits of a day at a spa? No doubt. Can they
afford it? Probably not.
Now, that example is
obvious, but it's not always so cut and dried. Especially with service
professionals. Business and life coaches for instance. They're so passionate
about what they do and they want to see people succeed, they go after a target
market that may really want and need their services, but they can't afford
them. So these coaches lower their fees or coach for free or trade out (even if
they aren't interested in the trade) or something else that isn't terribly
helpful to their own business success.
Bottom line -- make sure
you choose a target market that not only can afford your product or service but
also want it. (Desperate for it is better yet.)
3. Looking for your
target market in all the wrong places. This is a situation where "build it and
they will come" doesn't work. Once you know who your target market is, you
need to go to them. And you shouldn't waste your time in places where you won't
find them.
Let's say your target
market is Fortune 500 companies. Is hobnobbing at your local Chamber of
Commerce going to pay off for you? Probably not. But buying a targeted list and
putting together a direct mail campaign? Much better idea.
Or, for instance, a
friend of mine just realized a new niche target market she was going after
doesn't spend much time online. And, you guessed it, she does most of her
marketing online. So, she either has to change her niche market or change how
she markets to them.
Once you've selected a
viable target market, make sure you're putting your marketing time and dollars
into places where they hang out.
4. Not a compelling
message. Okay,
you know you've got a good target market and you know how to reach them. But
you're still not getting any results. Now the problem might be your message.
People have a lot of
choices on where to spend their money. You have to give them a very compelling
reason why they should spend their hard earned money with you.
Here's where it makes
sense to brush up on your copywriting skills (writing promotional copy) or hire
someone to write your copy for you.
5. Not getting in front
of your target market often enough. So you've run one ad. Or mailed one postcard.
Or attended one networking event. And the work isn't pouring in the door.
Hmmm...It's a sad fact
that you need to consistently get in front of your target market time and time
again. Unfortunately, for the most part, your target market won't wake up and
say "Gee, I have to give so-and-so some money today" without some
encouragement on your part. Remember, it's not your target market's job to
remember you. It's your job to remind them you're here and would love to have
their business.
Michele Pariza Wacek is
the author of "Got Ideas? Unleash Your Creativity and Make More
Money." She offers two free e-zines that help subscribers combine their
creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become
more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and
boosting business. She can be reached at http://www.TheArtistSoul.com.
Marketing in a Tough Economy
==========================================
I'm taking a break from my Persuasion Series to discuss an issue that's on everyone's mind right now. "What is going to happen to my business if the economy keeps spiraling downwards?"
There's a lot of shocking financial news recently. The two major mortgage lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were just taken over by the federal government, the brokerage Lehman Brothers is in bankruptcy, foreclosures are at an all-time high, the stock market is plummeting and consumer prices are up all around.
Add to that a couple of major hurricanes and the uncertainty of the presidential elections, and a lot of people are reacting with fear, uncertainty and hesitation.
Are you finding that your clients are reluctant to pay for professional services right now? Are contracts not being renewed? Are referrals drying up?
Perhaps it's not that dire for you right now, but when the economy tanks, professional service businesses are often hit hard.
Are there specific things you can do to market yourself in a down economy? Yes there are. Let me share a few with you.
1. Have an actual marketing plan. That is, a plan to carry out specific marketing activities. Most professionals have no plan at all. Nothing! We wait for referrals and perhaps call up past clients to see if the have any work. A plan is a definite strategy developed for the purpose of connecting with new prospects and converting them into clients. What's your plan? This will help:
http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html
2. Accelerate and multiply your marketing. Most businesses cut back on marketing when the economy slows. If you accelerate your marketing, you will be more visible than ever. You don't have to do expensive activities, you just need to be out there more. Networking, speaking, events and teleclasses are all relatively inexpensive. Get out there, don't hide!
3. Deliver programs, not services. The best way to market and sell an intangible service is to make it tangible. Don't just sell "management consulting services." That's too vague. Create programs that have very defined parameters and promised outcomes. Sell this program at a fixed price with clear deliverables and guarantees. Increase your perception of value.
4. Be willing to negotiate. It's always better to sell "something for less than nothing for more." Your clients are going to be looking for deals as well as great value. For instance, let them know that you've re-structured your services so that they will need to invest less if they are willing to do more of the implementation.
5. Go to the bottom line. All professional services need to be seen as an investment, not an expense. But that needs to be more than a cliché. How exactly will your services pay for themselves?
If you can document increases in revenue or decreases in costs, you'll get the attention of prospects. But you need to prove it. Do some case studies of past clients showing the bottom-line value of your work.
6. Work on your mindset. This might be the most important of all. Negative external circumstances tend to trigger "Constrictive Marketing Mindsets." That is, you start buying into the bad news and you start to panic, avoid taking action, and retreat to a place of worry and paralysis. Question those negative mindsets and find your place of power and innovation. I invite you to download this "Getting Unstuck With the Work Worksheet" below:
http://www.actionplan.com/pdf/getunstuck.pdf
These are just a beginning. Above all else, don't stick your head in the sand and hope the economy will change. Things may get worse before they get better, and those who are proactive about their marketing (and their thinking) will do better in both good times and bad.
Robert Milleton
The first rule of effective marketing is to know your customers. You need to know them better than they know themselves. What do they like and dislike? What do they believe? What are their dreams? What are their thrills and their disappointments? Why do they buy and how do they buy?
Every business has an ideal customer, someone who is perfect for our business. If you have not completed a written description of your ideal customer, take 15 minutes today and complete it. Then keep it in a place where you will see it often to remind yourself this is the type of customer you want coming to your business.
You need to do this for your business. You also need to do this for your network group. You need to teach them who is your ideal customer. Knowing who you want us to refer to your business is more important than telling us the details about your business. If we do not know your ideal customer we cannot refer anyone to you. Worst yet, we can refer the wrong person and then you waste your time.
May I make a suggestion? Instead of a business commercial at a networking meeting, take the same time to with the group a picture of your ideal customer. It could be a description of them from your mind, a composite of a number of customers, or a story of an actual customer. Tell them exactly who you want referred to your business. With this in hand, they will give each other better referrals.
Recent Comments