When it is found necessary to sell a product there must be some definite series of plans by which sales are to be made. These plans make up what is commonly termed a sales campaign. Such plans may be made in outline; they may be worked out to the smallest detail. Obviously, where every possible means is to be used in making sales it will usually be preferable to make an outline of the scheme and fill in the details as far as possible. How far this will be possible will depend greatly upon the size and certainty of the plan which is to be pushed. A dealer with limited capital who wishes to exploit a new product will necessarily be unable to do much more than make a broad outline of the things he expects to do, and the general means by which he helps to accomplish them.
On the other hand, take the case of a large industrial in the jobbing trade. Suppose this to be a leading wholesaler of all kinds and grades of tobaccos. This huge industrial, having ample capital and far-reaching trade relations, decides to go into the retailing business. It is possible for such a concern to plan a campaign in detail for a year ahead. This campaign they can carry out as planned, for they have the trade experience from which to draw in making trade plans and the funds to put these plans in execution.
Trying Out. Business is uncertain. This uncertainty has brought about the use of methods the object of which is to determine whether or not a plan under consideration will pay. This is known as "trying out." The general scheme of try-outs is simplicity itself. Instead of risking a large sum on a venture of any kind, as small an amount as possible will be hazarded for the purpose of trying how the "paper plans" materialize. IT this test results favorably it is probable that the entire scheme may be made to go. If it fails it means that the plan must be remodeled.
Try-outs may be applied to schemes in general, but more commonly are used to determine the relative pulling powers of circulars, letters and advertisements.
Trying Out a Scheme. The ordinary method of trying out a scheme is as follows: A manufacturer may have a line of goods which he has never pushed, but for which he thinks there is a sale. He will make up enough of these goods to supply a small territory and then proceed to work that territory with the means that he has at hand. He is not able, of course, to do extensive publicity advertising or advertising for anything but direct sales in this territory, but he can use every other method of trade-getting that there is known. He may circularize the place, distributing samples, send out letters, co-operate with the dealer and use every means possible to work up a demand except conducting a general publicity campaign. Experience in the marketing of his regular product will help him in determining whether the results are such as to put his new product on a profitable basis.
Sure Schemes. This method of trying out a scheme is the opposite of that used by a large manufacturer or jobber, who has the money and who knows that his product will succeed. When the promoters of Uneeda Biscuit started out they did not need to make any try out, for they were satisfied that the scheme was all right and that it would pay. To quote a later example, when the same firm which had made such a success of a certain well known breakfast food decided to put out another similar product they did not need to make any try-out in a limited territory, for the experience of the promoters and the field for the product made it sure that the marketing would be a success.
For a large manufacturer or jobber there is one thing to be remembered, that the try-out does not get the impetus that a campaign does. As a general thing, a sales campaign will not reach its "gait" until everything has gotten to running smoothly. In a try-out campaign the employees who are handling it cannot become thoroughly accustomed to their work; then each may not have the faith in the product that the promoter does; finally, unforeseen obstacles are all the while coming up. This explains the reason why in marketing a product that so many times it is necessary to put a great deal more money and energy into a campaign than was originally planned.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Prejudging Your Customer
Yes I know this is something you never do & you've read it all before.
However when its blatant & it happens to me "to right" I'm going to share it...
Ive just spend the weekend in the Capital, here in New Zealand that is Wellington. My kids for the last few years have been hounding me to buy them a motor-bike to burn up and down the beach on. So we have sort of made a bit of a habit of stopping & browsing in motorbike shops & this weekend was no exception.
I had just started to gather a bit of speed after going thru an intersection when the voice from the back seat shouts bike shop - believe me it's better to stop than listen to the moaning for the rest of the day. So that's what we did.
With Harley's, Buell's & a number of others lined up on the street it created quite a first impression - When we walked thru the doors the place was bulging at the seams with stock - as you can imagine the kids were excited pulling me from one bike to the next.
In total we spend about 15 minutes in the store & in that time not one sales person approached us - I did a quick tally up & staff out numbered us 2-1. I guess we didn't look like bikers as while we were there a couple walked in dress in their leathers & were hit on before they time to catch a breath.
The opening line was so lame - CAN I HELP - the answer was always going to be no - I couldn't believe what happened next they were asked if they wanted a coffee - nice gesture however lousy timing as no relationship had been build.
I know what you are thinking we were not buyers & that is true on the occasion - as it turns out nor were the couple in leathers.
What was the difference between us & them? Only appearance & the salespersons perception - However the only thing they got right on this occasion is that we weren't buyers - but alas if we were buying the stage had been set & we would be spending elsewhere. The secondary damage that comes with the lack of customer service is my how fast word of mouth travels. This is something I will not do intentionally but I'm sure will come up in conversation from time to time.
I guess what I am alluring to is how many lost opportunities this firm & thousands of others miss out on each year due to prejudging their potential customers with poor customer service .
However when its blatant & it happens to me "to right" I'm going to share it...
Ive just spend the weekend in the Capital, here in New Zealand that is Wellington. My kids for the last few years have been hounding me to buy them a motor-bike to burn up and down the beach on. So we have sort of made a bit of a habit of stopping & browsing in motorbike shops & this weekend was no exception.
I had just started to gather a bit of speed after going thru an intersection when the voice from the back seat shouts bike shop - believe me it's better to stop than listen to the moaning for the rest of the day. So that's what we did.
With Harley's, Buell's & a number of others lined up on the street it created quite a first impression - When we walked thru the doors the place was bulging at the seams with stock - as you can imagine the kids were excited pulling me from one bike to the next.
In total we spend about 15 minutes in the store & in that time not one sales person approached us - I did a quick tally up & staff out numbered us 2-1. I guess we didn't look like bikers as while we were there a couple walked in dress in their leathers & were hit on before they time to catch a breath.
The opening line was so lame - CAN I HELP - the answer was always going to be no - I couldn't believe what happened next they were asked if they wanted a coffee - nice gesture however lousy timing as no relationship had been build.
I know what you are thinking we were not buyers & that is true on the occasion - as it turns out nor were the couple in leathers.
What was the difference between us & them? Only appearance & the salespersons perception - However the only thing they got right on this occasion is that we weren't buyers - but alas if we were buying the stage had been set & we would be spending elsewhere. The secondary damage that comes with the lack of customer service is my how fast word of mouth travels. This is something I will not do intentionally but I'm sure will come up in conversation from time to time.
I guess what I am alluring to is how many lost opportunities this firm & thousands of others miss out on each year due to prejudging their potential customers with poor customer service .
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Six Tips For Effective Selling In A Tough Economy
1). Begin your day in pursuit of written goals. Many people feel that they don't need to write out their goals. Taking the time to hand-write your goals is an exercise in purpose and intent. It is a physical transmission from your conscious mind to a piece of paper. When you read your written goals daily (at the beginning and the end of each day, and as many times as you wish throughout the day), you are imprinting them upon your subconscious mind. Doing so empowers you to achieve them. When you simply "commit your goals to memory," you are at the mercy of every doubt and distraction and setback you face each day.
2). Choose your traveling companions wisely. It is said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Do you surround yourself with positive, optimistic people? Once again, the conscious mind is the gateway to the subconscious mind. Positive people and positive thoughts result in positive reinforcement of what you hold in your subconscious mind.
3). Limit your exposure to newspapers, cable news, and Internet news. It is good to be up to date on current events. It provides you with a means to converse with friends, family, and business associates in a relaxed manner. However, when you immerse yourself in negative stories about where the economy might be headed, you are surrendering to the opinion of the person who wrote that story. The economy is in a constant state of flux. News stories on the state of the economy in a year, a month, or a week are nothing more than projections and educated guesses. Do not surrender your energy and enthusiasm to someone's opinion. Deal with the facts that you see before you, today, right now in this very minute. Stay focused on what you want to accomplish.
4). Spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day in "quiet time." Find a place where you can remove yourself from noise and distractions. Visualize the successful completion of each of your written goals. Refuse to allow any mental picture that does not energize you to keep moving forward.
5). Contact your current customers on a regular basis, even if they're not buying. Be respectful of their time. If you find an article that might be of interest to them, print a copy, attach a hand written note, and drop it in the mail. Find a "value-added" way to remind them on a regular basis that your relationship with them is a priority.
6). Read about men and women who achieved great success in the worst of times. In his book How To Sell Your Way Through Life, Napoleon Hill tells the story of how he secured newspaper advertising space for his talks at a time when he had no money. It was during the Great Depression, and Hill remained focused on his goals and decided that he was not going to wait for his situation to change. He changed it himself by taking purposeful, confident action.
By following each of these steps on a daily basis, you will distance yourself from the majority of your competitors. You will not refrain from taking action because of external circumstances. You will continue to move toward your goals in spite of the things you see on television and read in the newspapers or on the Web. Throughout history, success-driven men and women have prospered in tough economic times. Make the decision to become one of them.
2). Choose your traveling companions wisely. It is said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Do you surround yourself with positive, optimistic people? Once again, the conscious mind is the gateway to the subconscious mind. Positive people and positive thoughts result in positive reinforcement of what you hold in your subconscious mind.
3). Limit your exposure to newspapers, cable news, and Internet news. It is good to be up to date on current events. It provides you with a means to converse with friends, family, and business associates in a relaxed manner. However, when you immerse yourself in negative stories about where the economy might be headed, you are surrendering to the opinion of the person who wrote that story. The economy is in a constant state of flux. News stories on the state of the economy in a year, a month, or a week are nothing more than projections and educated guesses. Do not surrender your energy and enthusiasm to someone's opinion. Deal with the facts that you see before you, today, right now in this very minute. Stay focused on what you want to accomplish.
4). Spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day in "quiet time." Find a place where you can remove yourself from noise and distractions. Visualize the successful completion of each of your written goals. Refuse to allow any mental picture that does not energize you to keep moving forward.
5). Contact your current customers on a regular basis, even if they're not buying. Be respectful of their time. If you find an article that might be of interest to them, print a copy, attach a hand written note, and drop it in the mail. Find a "value-added" way to remind them on a regular basis that your relationship with them is a priority.
6). Read about men and women who achieved great success in the worst of times. In his book How To Sell Your Way Through Life, Napoleon Hill tells the story of how he secured newspaper advertising space for his talks at a time when he had no money. It was during the Great Depression, and Hill remained focused on his goals and decided that he was not going to wait for his situation to change. He changed it himself by taking purposeful, confident action.
By following each of these steps on a daily basis, you will distance yourself from the majority of your competitors. You will not refrain from taking action because of external circumstances. You will continue to move toward your goals in spite of the things you see on television and read in the newspapers or on the Web. Throughout history, success-driven men and women have prospered in tough economic times. Make the decision to become one of them.
Spare Parts - Segmenting Personality for Sales Persuasion
What is a part? If I say, a part of me wants this and a part of me wants that, what am I talking about? What are those things? Well, for one thing, it's a way of talking about our experience.
However, consider from here on out that words are things, they are real, they exist, as surely as the computer I'm looking at right now and the keyboard I am typing on and the books I can see in my peripheral vision.
Words are things and when someone says, 'A part of me. . . ' this or that, they are fragmenting/segmenting themselves, making a part, in other words, a fractionalized subsection of themselves, that has responsibilities for and energy to accomplish certain things, not the least of which is to tell you no, or object to you and the products or services you are selling.
Whenever I hear a person saying they have a 'part', I pretty well darn near jump for joy because I know that they are fractionated inside and I can seize control of one or many of those parts and make it do whatever I want for the most part.
The minute I hear part, or any reference to another name, an alternate name, my unconscious, a deeper part of who I am, my psyche, my ego, id, any words that indicate a part, I'm thrilled because immediately in my mind, I'm thinking, that part and I are going to be really good friends.
One of the nice things about parts is, they are very outside of people's awareness. When they do surface, it's only a bit of a surface of that part you can extend it, elaborate upon it, and give it more power, power that the person never intended for it to have, and maneuver it to your advantage.
To the same end, you must be careful that you don't split yourself into lots and lots of parts or you risk running the same things on yourself.
A part is really a frame, a frame that lives autonomously to the individual who calls it, who says it. So how can you create a part in someone? Well, by naming it and identifying it, you create it. Naming and identifying is key here. If we name a part, we give that part power. And if we frame that part through the way in which we talk about it, we're in control of that part to a large extent.
Parts give us leverage. We can assign an objection to a part and then we can assign another part to overcome it. We can assign a part that overcomes an objection with a part that objects, and we can blend the parts, watering down the part that has the objection.
We can pit parts against each other. We can have senior parts, we can have junior parts, we have an all knowing part, a part that connects directly to God, we can have parts that resolve things, we can have negotiator parts, we can have all kinds of parts, we can have persuader parts.
However, consider from here on out that words are things, they are real, they exist, as surely as the computer I'm looking at right now and the keyboard I am typing on and the books I can see in my peripheral vision.
Words are things and when someone says, 'A part of me. . . ' this or that, they are fragmenting/segmenting themselves, making a part, in other words, a fractionalized subsection of themselves, that has responsibilities for and energy to accomplish certain things, not the least of which is to tell you no, or object to you and the products or services you are selling.
Whenever I hear a person saying they have a 'part', I pretty well darn near jump for joy because I know that they are fractionated inside and I can seize control of one or many of those parts and make it do whatever I want for the most part.
The minute I hear part, or any reference to another name, an alternate name, my unconscious, a deeper part of who I am, my psyche, my ego, id, any words that indicate a part, I'm thrilled because immediately in my mind, I'm thinking, that part and I are going to be really good friends.
One of the nice things about parts is, they are very outside of people's awareness. When they do surface, it's only a bit of a surface of that part you can extend it, elaborate upon it, and give it more power, power that the person never intended for it to have, and maneuver it to your advantage.
To the same end, you must be careful that you don't split yourself into lots and lots of parts or you risk running the same things on yourself.
A part is really a frame, a frame that lives autonomously to the individual who calls it, who says it. So how can you create a part in someone? Well, by naming it and identifying it, you create it. Naming and identifying is key here. If we name a part, we give that part power. And if we frame that part through the way in which we talk about it, we're in control of that part to a large extent.
Parts give us leverage. We can assign an objection to a part and then we can assign another part to overcome it. We can assign a part that overcomes an objection with a part that objects, and we can blend the parts, watering down the part that has the objection.
We can pit parts against each other. We can have senior parts, we can have junior parts, we have an all knowing part, a part that connects directly to God, we can have parts that resolve things, we can have negotiator parts, we can have all kinds of parts, we can have persuader parts.
Monday, February 4, 2008
How to Make the Fee of Your Care Seem Cheap - Even If It's Not
One of the several great educational experiences I've had was studying sales and marketing in a wide range of industries and one industry that I studied was the aluminum-siding business. Today, I'm going to tell you something I learned from this industry --a secret you should be using every time you deliver your Results of Test Consultation.
The typical aluminum-siding "package" sold in the sixties, retailed at $2,600. That was a lot of money back in 1967, especially in the working-class neighborhoods that were targeted. Like all good selling pitches, the focus was on the benefits first. Salesmen did a very good job helping their prospex imagine how much better, easier, and fuller their lives would be once the asbestos shingles that covered their homes were hidden beneath a fine, shiny facade of bright, white aluminum.
It's what happened after they made those big promises that I want to talk about today -- what they used to do after the sale was made. By that, I mean after the prospect had emotionally committed to owning the aluminum siding but before he found out how expensive it was.
This is a critical part of any sales presentation, but it's especially sensitive when the potential customer has little or no idea of the product's price. The challenge: Now that you've lodged a hook deep into your prospex heart, how do you get his brain to interpret your price as a good deal?
An inexperienced salesperson might want to break the price to the prospect slowly -- by, for example, quoting first the cost of the gutters and leaders (say, $400), then the cost of the underhangs and fascia (another $400), then the windows and doors ($800), and finally the siding itself ($1,000). But, though logical, this method doesn't work very well.
"If you want to make a liverwurst look cheap," a sales trainer told me, "say it's pâté."
If I didn't understand what he meant when he first said that, the principle became clear when I saw the concept in action. After getting some young couple to "imagine" how much nicer their house would look clad in aluminum, how much the neighbors would admire them, and how generally happy they'd be, the salesman would ask them, "Now, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, tell me this --- how much would you guess it would cost you to cover your house in solid oak?"
"Oak?" they would ask. "But we thought..."
"I'm serious," the salesman would insist. "How much would it cost?"
It was the husbands who always ventured the first guess. "I don't know. Maybe $5,000?"
"$5,000?" The salesman would look at the wife. "Do you think you could do it for $5,000?"
"Gee, I don't know. Probably not."
The number would go up. $6,000. $7,000. $8,000. To each new estimate, the salesman would shake his head sadly and say, "You should be so lucky."
Then, the salesman would pause for a good while, giving the frazzled customers a chance to imagine how they were going to come up with the $10,000 this was bound to cost, and then "hit them with the zinger" (as they liked to call it back then): "Let me give you 10 good reasons why aluminum siding is better than solid oak!"
It wasn't logical, but it was effective. By the time the salesman finished enumerating the 10 reasons aluminum was better than oak, they were mentally prepared to spend $10,000. When they were told they'd have to fork out only $2,800, they practically jumped with joy.
This trick has a long history in the business of selling. It's been a mainstay of many of the best salespeople I know. Yes, it's very powerful. It's also very effective and surprisingly adaptable. In fact, it should probably be a key part of every patient consultation that is made by you or your Associates.
In his book "The Psychology of Influence," Robert Cialdini puts a label to this technique. He calls it "the principal of contrast" and illustrates it with a story he heard from Leo Rosten about the Drubeck brothers, Sid and Harry, who owned a men's tailor shop in Rosten's neighborhood while he was growing up in the 1930s:
"Whenever the salesman, Sid, had a new customer trying on suits in front of the shop's three-sided mirror, he would admit to a hearing problem, and, as they talked, he would repeatedly request that the man speak more loudly to him. Once the customer had found a suit he liked and asked for the price, Sid would call to his brother, the head tailor, at the back of the room: 'Harry, how much for this suit?' Looking up from his work -- and greatly exaggerating the suit's true price -- Harry would call back: 'For that beautiful all-wool suit, $42.' Pretending not to have heard and cupping his hand to his ear, Sid would ask again. Once more, Harry would reply '$42.' At this point, Sid would turn to the customer and report: 'He says $22.' Many a man would hurry to buy the suit and scramble out of the shop with his 'bargain' before Poor Sid discovered the 'mistake.'"
It's not always true, but most people --- most of the time --- like a bargain. We not only want what we want and what we hope it will give us, we also want to pay the "right" price for it. The best way to make the price of your brand of chiropractic seem "right" is to contrast it to something similar that costs more. If you happen to sell inexpensive CZ diamonds, this isn't difficult. The stones you can sell for $5 or $10 apiece look every bit as good as the authentic ones going for 1,000 times that price.
But if the price you are asking isn't such an obvious bargain, you need to be more creative. Instead of comparing your brand of chiropractic to similar ones that cost the same, find (or create) something special about your brand that makes it unique. Focus on that unique selling proposition and you will be able to come up with a script allowing you to contrast your product or service with something much more valuable.
I did that early in my career when I compared subscribing to a $100 newsletter I was marketing to joining an expensive marketing club (which sounded as if it should cost $1,000). I've done it hundreds of times since in all sorts of creative ways. You can too.
The principle of contrast is sometimes used to create additional sales. It's done in direct marketing all the time by selling the main item first at one price and then additional similar items at a discount.
When I go to buy a new wardrobe at Armani every year, Carole, my "personal consultant", uses the principle of contrast to get me to spend a ton of money on "accessories." Here's how she does it:
First, she sells me on the suit. That is usually expensive -- sometimes $1,000 or more. After that's done, I'm feeling finished -- but Carole's not finished with me. She takes me over to the shirt counter to show me some shirts that "will go sensationally" with the suit I just bought. These shirts are expensive --- usually more than $200 each. I don't normally pay that much for shirts, but after laying out so much on the suit, they seem cheap. When Carole is done selling me two or three overpriced (but, by contrast, seemingly cheap) shirts, she hits me with the $170 ties. I'm lucky to get out of Carole's grasp at twice the price of the suit.
A real-estate broker I know, uses the principle of contrast to get his clients to buy more real estate. If I tell him I'm in the market for a two-bedroom house off Atlantic Avenue for about $250,000, he'll be sure to first show me at least one or two of the same size and description that are overpriced. After being disappointed to see a couple of so-so houses priced at $300,000 and $325,000, I'll be thrilled to find one at a mere $275,000 -- $25,000 more than I was prepared to pay, but a bargain in contrast to what I had just seen.
The typical aluminum-siding "package" sold in the sixties, retailed at $2,600. That was a lot of money back in 1967, especially in the working-class neighborhoods that were targeted. Like all good selling pitches, the focus was on the benefits first. Salesmen did a very good job helping their prospex imagine how much better, easier, and fuller their lives would be once the asbestos shingles that covered their homes were hidden beneath a fine, shiny facade of bright, white aluminum.
It's what happened after they made those big promises that I want to talk about today -- what they used to do after the sale was made. By that, I mean after the prospect had emotionally committed to owning the aluminum siding but before he found out how expensive it was.
This is a critical part of any sales presentation, but it's especially sensitive when the potential customer has little or no idea of the product's price. The challenge: Now that you've lodged a hook deep into your prospex heart, how do you get his brain to interpret your price as a good deal?
An inexperienced salesperson might want to break the price to the prospect slowly -- by, for example, quoting first the cost of the gutters and leaders (say, $400), then the cost of the underhangs and fascia (another $400), then the windows and doors ($800), and finally the siding itself ($1,000). But, though logical, this method doesn't work very well.
"If you want to make a liverwurst look cheap," a sales trainer told me, "say it's pâté."
If I didn't understand what he meant when he first said that, the principle became clear when I saw the concept in action. After getting some young couple to "imagine" how much nicer their house would look clad in aluminum, how much the neighbors would admire them, and how generally happy they'd be, the salesman would ask them, "Now, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, tell me this --- how much would you guess it would cost you to cover your house in solid oak?"
"Oak?" they would ask. "But we thought..."
"I'm serious," the salesman would insist. "How much would it cost?"
It was the husbands who always ventured the first guess. "I don't know. Maybe $5,000?"
"$5,000?" The salesman would look at the wife. "Do you think you could do it for $5,000?"
"Gee, I don't know. Probably not."
The number would go up. $6,000. $7,000. $8,000. To each new estimate, the salesman would shake his head sadly and say, "You should be so lucky."
Then, the salesman would pause for a good while, giving the frazzled customers a chance to imagine how they were going to come up with the $10,000 this was bound to cost, and then "hit them with the zinger" (as they liked to call it back then): "Let me give you 10 good reasons why aluminum siding is better than solid oak!"
It wasn't logical, but it was effective. By the time the salesman finished enumerating the 10 reasons aluminum was better than oak, they were mentally prepared to spend $10,000. When they were told they'd have to fork out only $2,800, they practically jumped with joy.
This trick has a long history in the business of selling. It's been a mainstay of many of the best salespeople I know. Yes, it's very powerful. It's also very effective and surprisingly adaptable. In fact, it should probably be a key part of every patient consultation that is made by you or your Associates.
In his book "The Psychology of Influence," Robert Cialdini puts a label to this technique. He calls it "the principal of contrast" and illustrates it with a story he heard from Leo Rosten about the Drubeck brothers, Sid and Harry, who owned a men's tailor shop in Rosten's neighborhood while he was growing up in the 1930s:
"Whenever the salesman, Sid, had a new customer trying on suits in front of the shop's three-sided mirror, he would admit to a hearing problem, and, as they talked, he would repeatedly request that the man speak more loudly to him. Once the customer had found a suit he liked and asked for the price, Sid would call to his brother, the head tailor, at the back of the room: 'Harry, how much for this suit?' Looking up from his work -- and greatly exaggerating the suit's true price -- Harry would call back: 'For that beautiful all-wool suit, $42.' Pretending not to have heard and cupping his hand to his ear, Sid would ask again. Once more, Harry would reply '$42.' At this point, Sid would turn to the customer and report: 'He says $22.' Many a man would hurry to buy the suit and scramble out of the shop with his 'bargain' before Poor Sid discovered the 'mistake.'"
It's not always true, but most people --- most of the time --- like a bargain. We not only want what we want and what we hope it will give us, we also want to pay the "right" price for it. The best way to make the price of your brand of chiropractic seem "right" is to contrast it to something similar that costs more. If you happen to sell inexpensive CZ diamonds, this isn't difficult. The stones you can sell for $5 or $10 apiece look every bit as good as the authentic ones going for 1,000 times that price.
But if the price you are asking isn't such an obvious bargain, you need to be more creative. Instead of comparing your brand of chiropractic to similar ones that cost the same, find (or create) something special about your brand that makes it unique. Focus on that unique selling proposition and you will be able to come up with a script allowing you to contrast your product or service with something much more valuable.
I did that early in my career when I compared subscribing to a $100 newsletter I was marketing to joining an expensive marketing club (which sounded as if it should cost $1,000). I've done it hundreds of times since in all sorts of creative ways. You can too.
The principle of contrast is sometimes used to create additional sales. It's done in direct marketing all the time by selling the main item first at one price and then additional similar items at a discount.
When I go to buy a new wardrobe at Armani every year, Carole, my "personal consultant", uses the principle of contrast to get me to spend a ton of money on "accessories." Here's how she does it:
First, she sells me on the suit. That is usually expensive -- sometimes $1,000 or more. After that's done, I'm feeling finished -- but Carole's not finished with me. She takes me over to the shirt counter to show me some shirts that "will go sensationally" with the suit I just bought. These shirts are expensive --- usually more than $200 each. I don't normally pay that much for shirts, but after laying out so much on the suit, they seem cheap. When Carole is done selling me two or three overpriced (but, by contrast, seemingly cheap) shirts, she hits me with the $170 ties. I'm lucky to get out of Carole's grasp at twice the price of the suit.
A real-estate broker I know, uses the principle of contrast to get his clients to buy more real estate. If I tell him I'm in the market for a two-bedroom house off Atlantic Avenue for about $250,000, he'll be sure to first show me at least one or two of the same size and description that are overpriced. After being disappointed to see a couple of so-so houses priced at $300,000 and $325,000, I'll be thrilled to find one at a mere $275,000 -- $25,000 more than I was prepared to pay, but a bargain in contrast to what I had just seen.
The Overlooked Sales Skill That Will Help You Close More Business
While at first the question as to whether you are hearing the words or are actually listening may seem a bit incongruous, the truth is that although hearing and listening may seem the same, they are definitely not synonymous. Just because you hear something, doesn't mean you are actually listening. And when it comes to being an excellent salesperson, being a good listener is primary to your success.
Hearing and Listening Are Not Synonymous
So, what is the difference between hearing and listening? By way of explanation, hearing involves sounds, while listening requires concentration. Hearing is involuntary, while listening is an option. In effect, hearing simply means you are gathering information from the world around you, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are listening. When someone is listening, they are paying attention. Top sales professionals are good at what they do because they know the difference. They are the ones who have mastered the art of sales techniques because they know how important it is to develop the skill of listening. In short, when used effectively, listening is a strategic sales tool that superior salespeople develop for maximum results.
Strategic Sales Techniques
In our every day activities, we hear sounds, and short of wearing earplugs, we have very little control over the sounds we hear. For those with good hearing, we don't simply turn off or turn on our hearing abilities; it's just there. As a result, when someone talks, you may hear their voice uttering sounds, but you may not be listening to what they actually say. By way of illustration, ask any married couple how they hear each other and you'll get very different and very interesting responses. When one doesn't want to hear what the other person is saying, they are really good at turning off their listening abilities. But when it comes to implementing professional selling skills, you cannot and should not turn off your listening abilities. Why? Because you will miss a lot of important clues regarding your potential client's needs. When you turn on your listening skills and truly understand what's being said, you've begun to understand the skill that has eluded the masses. You have in fact, begun mastering professional selling skills. Professional Selling Skills
To explain in a little more detail, think back to your days in school, when you were bombarded with all those reading comprehension tests. Do you remember how many times you might have read something, yet you didn't fully grasp what it said? Just because you read it over and over did not mean you fully understood it. Now, I'm all for "Comprehension" tests, but what we really need in our schools are listening tests. We were given a lot of comprehension and even hearing tests, but no one seems to be aware of the importance of listening. And throughout my years of sales training, I've observed that people who become top sales professionals are good at listening. They are the ones that ultimately make all the money in the marketplace.
Sales Skills Training
Having trained countless sales reps for the past 30 years, I will often ask participants in my sales training programs about their listening skills and whether they believe they are good at listening. More often than not, I hear them say, "I don't think it's a problem." Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. The reason? Most salespeople are not even aware of their listening skills. And because they are on the front line exchanging information daily with existing and potential clients, the information they harvest can and will have a tremendous effect on their sales skills. Consequently, it is critically important that salespeople learn how to listen correctly, although more often than not, they don't believe in its importance. Improving Our Listening Skills And Close More Sales Okay, now that we've defined the difference between hearing and listening, and their importance, let's see what we can do to fix the problem by improving on our listening skills. Let's start with the fact that for the most part, humans actually think faster than they listen and so in order to correct the problem a sales rep must find a way to improve the condition of his or her listening. But how? The answer is simple! A good salesperson will "decide" that they are going to develop good listening skills even if it takes some effort. And no matter how hard it may be, they will implement whatever tools get them there.
Taking the Necessary Steps to Improve Selling/Listening Skills
Since most of us were not taught how to listen, it takes some practice and determination to acquire the skills that make for a better listener. But it isn't all that difficult once you set your mind on it. There are actually several steps you can take that will quickly get you on the road to developing and improving selling/listening skills. And with practice and follow-though, you can become a much better listener and a much better salesperson.
1. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Intensity
While we all have a problem focusing, when speaking with a potential client it's important that you concentrate on the speaker and the speaker's message. If you're listening with interest, you won't be as concerned about selling, but will be more concerned with listening to your potential clients needs. Instead of thinking about what you'll say next, focus intensely on what your prospect is trying to tell you.
2. Validating What You Hear
If you're not sure about something the prospect has said, make it a point to confirm what you think you heard by asking questions. It's best to wait for a brief lull in the conversation rather than interrupting the person speaking, but simply paraphrase what you think you heard in a conversation. That way there are no misunderstandings.
3. Listening Actively During a Sales Appointment
Be more of an active listener. Active listening is a powerful communication tool that is used to improve your ability to understand and comprehend verbal information. The way it's achieved is by confirming major points that have been communicated by the prospect and by voicing your understanding of any points made. In other words, give feedback. In that way you add to your ability to develop rapport, you add to the amount of clarity gained and you add to the overall exchange between you and the potential client.
4. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Empathy
We all have a host of judgments and opinions, so it's pretty easy to pass judgment on others, particularly if we have a different opinion. But in order to be a good listener, you must put aside your opinions and listen with empathy. When listening with empathy you are putting yourself in the shoes of another person for a moment, which allows you to grasp the needs of the potential client more quickly. Your role is to become a Sales Super Star, not to approve or disapprove. In other words, even if you don't agree with the person, you want to help them find a solution.
5. Watch Your Own Body Language During A Sales Appointment
There is an old saying that says: "What you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying." We do in fact say so much with our body language, our eyes and the nonverbal movements that we make, so we are always sending out messages about what we really feel and think. When you're on the listening end with a potential client, don't fidget, look the person in the eye, and do whatever is necessary to pay attention. You want the person to feel comfortable with you and there is no better way than listening with interest. Great things happen when a prospect feels they are working with a sales rep that "gets it".
6. Encourage Communication
When you listen with interest, you encourage communication. This allows another person to open up to you. If they feel safe, they will trust you. When they trust you, they're interested in what you're selling. Encourage communication by showing interest in what someone shares with you by nodding when they speak. You don't have to agree. You're just showing that you're listening. Don't interrupt when someone is speaking just so that you can have your turn. Wait until there is a pause in the conversation to ask a question and ask only one question at a time.
You Sell More Than a Product or Service
As a salesperson, you are more than simply selling a product or service. You are actually selling a solution. If you keep that uppermost in your mind, you can help your potential client or customer by zeroing in on their needs simply because you're listening. Plus, developing the art of listening instills greater confidence as well as a depth of interest that can make any sales situation a success. After all, to achieve as a Sales Superstar, you must be on the lookout for various ways of making your sales techniques more effective, and one of the best and most important tools is learning to listen!
Hearing and Listening Are Not Synonymous
So, what is the difference between hearing and listening? By way of explanation, hearing involves sounds, while listening requires concentration. Hearing is involuntary, while listening is an option. In effect, hearing simply means you are gathering information from the world around you, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are listening. When someone is listening, they are paying attention. Top sales professionals are good at what they do because they know the difference. They are the ones who have mastered the art of sales techniques because they know how important it is to develop the skill of listening. In short, when used effectively, listening is a strategic sales tool that superior salespeople develop for maximum results.
Strategic Sales Techniques
In our every day activities, we hear sounds, and short of wearing earplugs, we have very little control over the sounds we hear. For those with good hearing, we don't simply turn off or turn on our hearing abilities; it's just there. As a result, when someone talks, you may hear their voice uttering sounds, but you may not be listening to what they actually say. By way of illustration, ask any married couple how they hear each other and you'll get very different and very interesting responses. When one doesn't want to hear what the other person is saying, they are really good at turning off their listening abilities. But when it comes to implementing professional selling skills, you cannot and should not turn off your listening abilities. Why? Because you will miss a lot of important clues regarding your potential client's needs. When you turn on your listening skills and truly understand what's being said, you've begun to understand the skill that has eluded the masses. You have in fact, begun mastering professional selling skills. Professional Selling Skills
To explain in a little more detail, think back to your days in school, when you were bombarded with all those reading comprehension tests. Do you remember how many times you might have read something, yet you didn't fully grasp what it said? Just because you read it over and over did not mean you fully understood it. Now, I'm all for "Comprehension" tests, but what we really need in our schools are listening tests. We were given a lot of comprehension and even hearing tests, but no one seems to be aware of the importance of listening. And throughout my years of sales training, I've observed that people who become top sales professionals are good at listening. They are the ones that ultimately make all the money in the marketplace.
Sales Skills Training
Having trained countless sales reps for the past 30 years, I will often ask participants in my sales training programs about their listening skills and whether they believe they are good at listening. More often than not, I hear them say, "I don't think it's a problem." Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. The reason? Most salespeople are not even aware of their listening skills. And because they are on the front line exchanging information daily with existing and potential clients, the information they harvest can and will have a tremendous effect on their sales skills. Consequently, it is critically important that salespeople learn how to listen correctly, although more often than not, they don't believe in its importance. Improving Our Listening Skills And Close More Sales Okay, now that we've defined the difference between hearing and listening, and their importance, let's see what we can do to fix the problem by improving on our listening skills. Let's start with the fact that for the most part, humans actually think faster than they listen and so in order to correct the problem a sales rep must find a way to improve the condition of his or her listening. But how? The answer is simple! A good salesperson will "decide" that they are going to develop good listening skills even if it takes some effort. And no matter how hard it may be, they will implement whatever tools get them there.
Taking the Necessary Steps to Improve Selling/Listening Skills
Since most of us were not taught how to listen, it takes some practice and determination to acquire the skills that make for a better listener. But it isn't all that difficult once you set your mind on it. There are actually several steps you can take that will quickly get you on the road to developing and improving selling/listening skills. And with practice and follow-though, you can become a much better listener and a much better salesperson.
1. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Intensity
While we all have a problem focusing, when speaking with a potential client it's important that you concentrate on the speaker and the speaker's message. If you're listening with interest, you won't be as concerned about selling, but will be more concerned with listening to your potential clients needs. Instead of thinking about what you'll say next, focus intensely on what your prospect is trying to tell you.
2. Validating What You Hear
If you're not sure about something the prospect has said, make it a point to confirm what you think you heard by asking questions. It's best to wait for a brief lull in the conversation rather than interrupting the person speaking, but simply paraphrase what you think you heard in a conversation. That way there are no misunderstandings.
3. Listening Actively During a Sales Appointment
Be more of an active listener. Active listening is a powerful communication tool that is used to improve your ability to understand and comprehend verbal information. The way it's achieved is by confirming major points that have been communicated by the prospect and by voicing your understanding of any points made. In other words, give feedback. In that way you add to your ability to develop rapport, you add to the amount of clarity gained and you add to the overall exchange between you and the potential client.
4. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Empathy
We all have a host of judgments and opinions, so it's pretty easy to pass judgment on others, particularly if we have a different opinion. But in order to be a good listener, you must put aside your opinions and listen with empathy. When listening with empathy you are putting yourself in the shoes of another person for a moment, which allows you to grasp the needs of the potential client more quickly. Your role is to become a Sales Super Star, not to approve or disapprove. In other words, even if you don't agree with the person, you want to help them find a solution.
5. Watch Your Own Body Language During A Sales Appointment
There is an old saying that says: "What you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying." We do in fact say so much with our body language, our eyes and the nonverbal movements that we make, so we are always sending out messages about what we really feel and think. When you're on the listening end with a potential client, don't fidget, look the person in the eye, and do whatever is necessary to pay attention. You want the person to feel comfortable with you and there is no better way than listening with interest. Great things happen when a prospect feels they are working with a sales rep that "gets it".
6. Encourage Communication
When you listen with interest, you encourage communication. This allows another person to open up to you. If they feel safe, they will trust you. When they trust you, they're interested in what you're selling. Encourage communication by showing interest in what someone shares with you by nodding when they speak. You don't have to agree. You're just showing that you're listening. Don't interrupt when someone is speaking just so that you can have your turn. Wait until there is a pause in the conversation to ask a question and ask only one question at a time.
You Sell More Than a Product or Service
As a salesperson, you are more than simply selling a product or service. You are actually selling a solution. If you keep that uppermost in your mind, you can help your potential client or customer by zeroing in on their needs simply because you're listening. Plus, developing the art of listening instills greater confidence as well as a depth of interest that can make any sales situation a success. After all, to achieve as a Sales Superstar, you must be on the lookout for various ways of making your sales techniques more effective, and one of the best and most important tools is learning to listen!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Truth About Emotions - A Soft Sell Confirmation
Antonio Damasio, a world renowned neuro-scientist, argues that we use emotion to assign value to people, things, and events. And it is as a result of assigning value that we make decisions. Emotion first, reason second. Sound familiar? It should.
There's an old adage that's taken as gospel by marketers of all stripes. People buy emotionally and justify logically. In other words, heart first, head second.
So why do we say this is a Soft Sell Confirmation? Because soft sell is heart-based - not in a sentimental, gushy way - like a drunk who hangs all over you telling how much you are loved, emotions pouring out all over the place. That exhibits a lack of emotional value because it's not considered. And very often, once the hangover has subsided, not even remembered.
Soft sell, and the purchase that follows, is very considered, but considered upon a valuation based in emotion. Typically, we learned that decision making is a rational process.
For example, you make a list of the expected positive outcomes and balance that against a list of possible negative repercussions and, on the basis of that risk-reward assessment, you make a choice and go forward. But that's a leap to faith!
Why? Because reason, by its very nature, has no final authority. Using reason you can always create a logical, even compelling argument for the opposite of any choice you make.
So there you are, standing on the "ground" of a very logically developed point of view. But how can you be sure that the choice you've rationally made is ultimately the right choice? That fact is you can't . . . not with reason alone . . . because reason can't assign value, it can only be used to support the value you already feel. You stand on a mountain of facts and then leap to faith. And faith is a value choice grounded in emotion.
So what does this have to do with soft sell marketing?
1) Soft sell is about creating and maintaining relationships and real relationships are not static. They are living, and dynamic, and evolving. They are sustained through the feeling(s) between the people involved.
You've seen emotionally empty relationships. They are hollow, creaky, and surely not rewarding. They've dried up.
Your success as a soft sell marketer is to keep your relationships with your customers/clients as rich, moist, and fertile as you can. That requires sincerity, authenticity, and emotional availability.
Don't be afraid to let your customers feel you - not just know you but feel you. Let them into your life. Telling your story is one way to open that door.
2) You've heard people say, "Trust your gut." Your gut really does have a brain that feeds information to the brain in your cranium.
And so does your heart.
According to seventeenth century French philosopher Blaise Pascal - "The heart has its ways of reasoning of which reason has no knowledge." And according to recent research, there is a "heart brain" - an elaborate processing system that acts independently of the cranial brain. It has it's own way of learning, remembering, feeling and sensing.
So.. "Trust your heart." The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing, followed by logical proof. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith.
There's an old adage that's taken as gospel by marketers of all stripes. People buy emotionally and justify logically. In other words, heart first, head second.
So why do we say this is a Soft Sell Confirmation? Because soft sell is heart-based - not in a sentimental, gushy way - like a drunk who hangs all over you telling how much you are loved, emotions pouring out all over the place. That exhibits a lack of emotional value because it's not considered. And very often, once the hangover has subsided, not even remembered.
Soft sell, and the purchase that follows, is very considered, but considered upon a valuation based in emotion. Typically, we learned that decision making is a rational process.
For example, you make a list of the expected positive outcomes and balance that against a list of possible negative repercussions and, on the basis of that risk-reward assessment, you make a choice and go forward. But that's a leap to faith!
Why? Because reason, by its very nature, has no final authority. Using reason you can always create a logical, even compelling argument for the opposite of any choice you make.
So there you are, standing on the "ground" of a very logically developed point of view. But how can you be sure that the choice you've rationally made is ultimately the right choice? That fact is you can't . . . not with reason alone . . . because reason can't assign value, it can only be used to support the value you already feel. You stand on a mountain of facts and then leap to faith. And faith is a value choice grounded in emotion.
So what does this have to do with soft sell marketing?
1) Soft sell is about creating and maintaining relationships and real relationships are not static. They are living, and dynamic, and evolving. They are sustained through the feeling(s) between the people involved.
You've seen emotionally empty relationships. They are hollow, creaky, and surely not rewarding. They've dried up.
Your success as a soft sell marketer is to keep your relationships with your customers/clients as rich, moist, and fertile as you can. That requires sincerity, authenticity, and emotional availability.
Don't be afraid to let your customers feel you - not just know you but feel you. Let them into your life. Telling your story is one way to open that door.
2) You've heard people say, "Trust your gut." Your gut really does have a brain that feeds information to the brain in your cranium.
And so does your heart.
According to seventeenth century French philosopher Blaise Pascal - "The heart has its ways of reasoning of which reason has no knowledge." And according to recent research, there is a "heart brain" - an elaborate processing system that acts independently of the cranial brain. It has it's own way of learning, remembering, feeling and sensing.
So.. "Trust your heart." The heart is an evaluation center, based in feeling. It's the center of connection, emotional connection. Heart-based marketing is emotion-based marketing, followed by logical proof. You can collect a mountain of facts and statistics about your product, and you need to, so you can assure your customer you know what you're talking about, but then your customer must still leap to faith.
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