July 2008 Newsletter
Two Strategies for Finding New Business
It's getting close to our annual 3-day Boot Camp Sales Mastery program
and in reviewing the content we teach there, I felt moved to give you
a taste of it whether you are able to attend or not.
Since
the question of where to find new clients must be answered before you
can use any of the other training, we cover twelve such strategies
during our three days together. Some involve meeting new people.
Others center around working with existing clients. The key is to never
look at another person without thinking, "He or she is either a
potential client or knows someone who is." Make it your goal to
find out which is true. You will be delighted to learn in some cases
that the answer is two-fold. They can use your product or service AND
they know others who can as well.
1.
Networking in Social Situations
Before
you leave home for any social situation, assume you will meet someone
there who has a need for your product, your service or at the very least
for your card. NEVER BE CAUGHT WITHOUT BUSINESS CARDS! This goes back
to the old standard of always being prepared. The more prepared you
are, the more professional and competent you appear. And, competence
breeds confidence--yours and theirs in you.
At
the social event, be relaxed and casual. This is not a formal networking
opportunity where people are there just to find new clients. You are
there first to have fun socializing, but wise to keep your eyes and
ears open for potential business opportunities.
If
you don't know many of the other people at the gathering, introduce
yourself to someone and ask them some non-threatening questions to get
a conversation started. Here are a few sample questions:
How
do you know the hosts?
Do
you live around here?
What
type of work are you involved in?
You
would use our "piggybacking" questioning strategy to keep
the conversation going. It involves making a comment on the other person's
answers, then asking your next question based on what they just told
you. It's Conversation 101. We practice and drill it at the seminar
and it's quite fun...and enlightening for most. We do our best to make
Boot Camp attendees so comfortable with all of the training that they
turn right around and use it the rest of our time together. It becomes
natural to them by the time they reach new potential clients.
After
you learn what type of work your new acquaintance is in and have talked
a bit about it, you have the right to mention your line of work and
ask if they've ever thought about your product or service. This is where
you will begin a soft qualifiation process. If it appears they may be
a good candidate for you, ask if you can talk with them about it some
time after the event. You might say, "We're here to have fun, aren't
we? Why don't we exchange business cards and arrange to talk more another
time?" If they don't have cards, ask them what the best way is
for you to reach them. Write it down. Thank them and get back to socializing.
Ask
everyone you meet who else they know at the event. If they know someone
you haven't met yet, ask to be introduced and continue your search for
new potential clients, while having fun.
| The
best place to increase your selling skills
is at Tom Hopkins' 3-day Boot Camp Sales Mastery!
This
year's program is August 21, 22 & 23 at the fabulous Fairmont
Scottsdale Princess Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you want
to earn more, invest three days of your time with Tom Hopkins
and his incredible guest speakers to learn how.
View
details about Boot Camp 2008.
|
2.
The Itch Cycle
Whether
it's office equipment, consumer products or services, everything has
a life cycle. When old things begin to look and act like they're old,
we often get the itch to get a new one, don't we? With this in mind,
it's your job to determine the itch cycle (life span) for your product.
Check with a few of your repeat clients to determine your product's
average itch cycle.
Once
you determine the typical frequency of repeat buying, look at your existing
client list and find out who's past due, who's prime for upgrading or
replacing and who may begin itching within the next 30 days. Develop
a schedule for reaching out to all of them.
Here's
what you might say:
Good
morning, John. I hope you're doing well and still enjoying boating
as a hobby. I just wanted to contact you with some exciting news.
The company has come up with some great new features on our latest
models. Since you're such a boating enthusiast, we would like to ask
your opinion of these new features. Then, if you're interested in
upgrading, we'll be happy to do something for you as one of our valued
clients.
Of
course the wording and any offers would have to be fine-tuned to your
specific situation and with your company's approval, but you get the
idea. You're creating the itch and you're ready to scratch it.
After
you've begun this process, keep it going. One of the most important
benefits of staying in touch with your clients on a regular basis is
that you'll know almost immediately when they start to itch for something
new. You won't be likely to lose them to a competitor who just happens
to contact them when the itch is at its peak.
TIMELY
TIP
Listening
Cues
Learn
to listen for specific clues as to how to best present information
to new potential clients. By that I mean to listen for them to say,
“I see what you mean,” or, “We look for ____ in a supplier” which
usually means they relate best in a visual manner. Gear up your visual
aids or computer graphics presentation for this person. Use lots of
color, charts, photos, graphs, and diagrams.
For
those people who say, “I hear what you're saying,” you'd better gear
your presentation to be more of an oral report. Be sure to include
plenty of descriptive word pictures.
When
people ask about investment information before you cover all the benefits
they're looking for, they're probably “bottom-line” kind of people
and your dollars-and-cents information had better shine.
People
who like to “get a feel for” something will need to have something
to touch during your presentation.
Remember,
it's the little things that make the biggest difference!
CLOSE
OF THE MONTH
The
Increased Productivity Close
Oftentimes
when marketing to clients of a corporation, they aren't aware of how
much an increase in morale can add to the productivity of the entire
company. The productivity close brings that point home, so you're
not only educating your clients on the power of employee morale, but
also giving them something to prove it with. This close pours on value
for the benefits of your product.
Phraseology:
“What I'm offering is not just a good
health insurance program; it's a boost in employee morale. Have you
ever noticed how anything new increases job interest and excitement?
Excitement increases morale. Morale increases productivity, and what
is increased productivity worth?”
Point
it out to your clients that increased productivity can generate enough
increased income to more that make up for the increased investment.
On top of that, point out to the clients how investing in your product
can also increase loyalty and reduce turnover, thus saving them even
more money on advertising for new hires.
For
more closes, refer to:
Sales Closing for Dummies™, $16.99.
