Winston's e-Newsletter - 24 March 2009

How to Beef Up Sales in Times Like These!
How do you make them say "Wow!"?
Billboards Work!
The Secrets of Using Skype
The Most Important Book in My Marketing Library!
Another commercial

 

How to Beef Up Sales in Times Like These!

Right now most pundits are predicting tough times ahead and, in the current climate of doom and gloom, many people are starting to believe it. So it's a great time to take these easy steps to guarantee sales roll in for your business regardless of what economic climate prevails. Of course, if the recession doesn't transpire, you'll have boosted your sales so much that your competitors won't see you for dust.

1. Do what other businesses don't do - most businesses struggle with this one because there's something comfortable and reassuring about doing what everyone else does. Only trouble is it makes you "average' - somewhere between bottom of the best and best of the bottom. Sit down right now with your sales team and get them each to list out at least 5 things that they differently to their competitors. While you're at it, also come up with 5 things your company does differently compared to competitors. If you or your sales people can't rattle off these differences you are staring a sales famine in the face. You'd better make use of these ideas pronto.
2. Get yourself an endless supply of prospects - that's right you need to have a little black box that generates prospects for your business day after day. And any business can have such a black box --- it could be as simple as an advertisement that works every time or as sophisticated as an elaborately planned and carefully managed mailing campaign.
3. Get the best out of your sales people - and that's not meant to be a motivational platitude either. Ever wondered why some salespeople convert 8 out 10 prospects into sales and others only 2 out of 10? Although they all see the same type of prospects some outsell others by a factor of 4. Capitalise on this by getting your poorer salespeople to do what the good ones do and pretty soon they'll get the same great results.
4. Hang in until prospects buy or die - it is simply amazing how most salespeople give up if their first attempt to sell to someone doesn't produce the goods. If they get a knock back they get all hurt and precious and never go back. Statistics show that more sales are made on the second and third call than on the first. Give your salespeople more interesting ammunition for their follow-up calls and you'll dramatically increase their results.
5. Follow up unfailingly - If a prospect phones, mails a coupon, requests a brochure, wanders into your store or any way shows interest about your product they are telling you they want to buy. Always follow them up. If they phone, drop them a line that day; if they send in a coupon, respond that day; if they request a brochure, send it that day; if they wander in, mail them a note that day. And then follow up a few days later. Why? Simply because a staggering 96% of enquiries are never followed up. They'll be so impressed when you do that you'll boost your chances of getting the business.
6. Embrace the 3 magic questions - whenever you get a new prospect you must always ask them (1) "How did you find out about us?" so that you can keep on doing whatever motivated them to seek you out, helping you get that black box mentioned above (2) "What is your name, address and e-mail?" so that you can follow up unfailingly, and (3) "How much do you know about (whatever you sell)?" so that, when you correctly handle their answer, you are perceived as the expert- and people buy from experts whom they like, respect and trust.

Regrettably most sales teams pay scant attention to these and 7 other equally simple strategies that maximise sales in any climate. So, do what others don't do--- adopt them and laugh at the prospect of a sales slump in times like this!

 

How do you make them say "Wow!"?

My dogs went for their shower, shampoo and snip snip yesterday and, when I picked Millie and Sharnie up, I was reminded of how important it is to make the clients, patient or customer say "Wow!"

Sarah, the owner of Animal Mad Pet Grooming had added the final touch to my beautifully groomed, much loved dogs by tying a bandana around their necks. Now it, mightn't do much for you but I just loved that extra touch (then again dogs are like kids… you love your own but really can't stand anyone else's!). Here's a picture of the two of them when they got home. Sharnie is the Border Collie and Millie's the Groodle.

Last time they went she had tied little bows on their ears and once again I was rapt!

Each time, when I pick up the dogs, I say "Wow!"

I had coffee with a client at a local café the other day and when they brought the coffee to us, there was a mini muffin on the saucer. Oh sure, you sometimes get a biscotti or similar but this was a muffin, scrumptious real muffin… boy did that make us say 'Wow!"

After I've see my dentist, (the fabulous Dr Mark Hassed) at the end of my visit, his client care co-ordinator offers me my choice of a selection of sugar free gum and confectionery… not just a piece but a whole packet. That's another time I say "Wow!"

These are just small gestures that pack a big positive punch. They make me say "Wow!" and they make my visit memorable.

So what are you doing to make visiting your business or dealing with you memorable? What will make your clients, patients, or customers say "Wow!"?

Here's a tip with Easter coming up. You can offer them an Easter egg, but not one of those piddling little ones. Search out a supply of eggs that are unique, special or different. Maybe you could offer them a hot cross bun (or even two or more) to take home but make it a special bun, not just a run of the mill ordinary one from a supermarket that was made 12 months ago and frozen. For example, in Victoria we think Browns Bakery buns are pretty special.

Once you've found a way of making dealing with you memorable you'll be so pleased with people's reaction that you'll want to find other ways of doing it. It'll become part of "the way you do things around here".

 

Billboards Work!

I love outdoor advertising from the signs you have outside your business to the huge supersize billboards you see around town. Billboards can be very effective and, to really work, they have to get attention and get a message across in the fraction of a second people have to notice them. The colours, the print font, the message and graphics used must be carefully considered to get impact and, most importantly, to get the message through. This one is very risqué but I reckon it packs a great message. I just wonder what you'd say when you went to book a trip to this destination!

 

The Secrets of Using Skype

My American guru, Terry Brock, and I decided to record an article about the many uses of Skype for the March edition of my Business Marketing audio program. Skype is getting more and more reliable and has many uses for all of us in business. We did something else too! We made a video recording of us making the recording, Terry in Orlando and me in Melbourne.

Well, what a lesson it was for us both! You see originally we hadn't planned to make it available for general viewing… it was just to be between the two of us. But then we thought that it'd be a great one to demonstrate the litany of things we shouldn't have done, well at least things I shouldn't have done!

If you watch it, you'll see light bouncing off my glasses, nodding my head distractingly, drinking coffee, gazing off into space and generally doing a whole lot of bad things. Terry reckons he should have made sure he framed his face better and got our heads roughly the same size. (He was controlling the recording at his end.)

Anyway, it's an object lesson in what not to do and a primer for what to work on before you do something like that. It's a reminder of the importance of the 6 P's… proper preparation prevents pretty poor performance!

You can get to the video site here and then, under March 2009, go to track 5 and select "view video".

 

The Most Important Book in My Marketing Library!

You could take away lots of books, web sites, audio and video programs I use to write copy but the one I wouldn't let out of my iron grip is a book called "Words That Sell". It always on my desk or within arms reach coz it helps me get exactly the word I want when I can't think of the word I want! If you haven't invested in it yet then I strongly suggest that you do so. You can find out more here.

 

 

Another Commercial

Every edition of this e-zine I include a television or cyberspace commercial that's caught my eye. Sometimes they are just great; sometimes they're just plain funny (whether they get a message across is another thing); sometimes they're in another language but the message is clear; sometimes they're just bold or over the top; sometimes they're ones you just wouldn't see on our screens; and sometimes I reckon they're ones where the client or the agency is having a lend of themselves. Here's another one for you to make up your mind about. Note that it is Kiwi-made!

 

Business Growth Centre
ABN: 96 709 037 261
Postal: 903 High Street Road, Glen Waverley , Vic, 3150, Australia
Phone: +613 9803 7555   Fax: +613 9803 5755

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