The Selling Newsletter
The Selling Quote for the Month
“When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he’s doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911.”
Erma Bombeck (U.S. humorist, 1927-1996)
If you’ve got kids (or been one), you understand that Bombeck did a great job of recognizing a red flag for parenting. Too often in sales, we’re so busy selling that we forget to pay attention to the red flags that warn us that there’s danger in our assumptions, our process or our communication. One red flag I like to pay attention to is one you see after the sale. Why after the sale? The easiest customers to sell to are the ones who are already buying. By that I mean, it’s easiest to sell to someone who knows you and likes your product. So what’s the red flag? It’s a customer who hasn’t experienced your product. Note, I didn’t say it’s a customer with a bad experience. Those customers are easy to spot and most talented professional salespeople will be quick to respond and change the negative experience to a positive one. That ensures that the customer will buy again. But, what about the customer without any experience with your product? He’s less likely to purchase again because he has no emotional connection to your product or service. It’s your job to create a positive customer experience. That means you must help your customer use your product as quickly as possible after he’s purchased. How can you help your customer use your product a week, 2 weeks, or a month after a purchase? Plan that now. You’ll be prepared to help create the positive experience you want your customer to have. Any delay works against you. Pay attention to the red flags in sales. After all, there’s no 911 you can call for help when you get into trouble.
I’m now a guest columnist for the Dallas, Austin and Houston Business Journals. My column is called “Customer Connections.” I’ll be answering readers’ questions about selling. Do you have any selling questions? Send them to info@bestatselling.com
THE BLOG S AND OTHER COLUMNS
I’m now writing The Real Deal, a column on women in business for Allbusiness.com
Here’s a preview:
Too Much At The Business Buffet
Business today is a buffet of projects, deadlines and activities. Sometimes the selection of obligations is overwhelming and demotivating. Are others giving you too much from the business buffet? Are you taking too much from the business buffet? Either way, it will give you heartburn. Forget the Tums. There’s a better way to get past the bloat.
I’m also writing for salesmecca.com
Here’s a preview:
Don’t Sell Pencils to the Mafia
Who knew that Woody Allen is a great business strategist? He is. How do I know? Here’s what he said. “Organized crime in America takes in over forty billion dollars a year and spends very little on office supplies.” That insightful observation makes perfect sense when you are thinking about selling. If you were working for Staples selling office supplies, would organized crime be a hot prospect? Based on Woody Allen’s observation, it surely would not.
If you want to read more.
Leave your comments and I would love to respond to you.
I’m now a guest columnist for the Dallas Business Journal. My column is called “Customer Connections.” I’ll be answering readers’ questions about selling. Do you have any selling questions? Send them to info@bestatselling.com
What’s sales tip has helped you be even more successful in sales?
Send your helpful tip to tip@bestatselling.com
The Selling Ideas for this Month
It is Better To Give
The old adage that says it’s better to give than to receive is true for selling. Why? Because what you give your customers can build your sales relationship and help you sell. Now it’s up to you to decide what to give. Here are some ideas to build your sales relationships and sell more.
Go low tech. Keith Einstein is president of Einstein Printing (www.Einsteinprinting.com.) It is an award winning company specializing in general printing for small and medium sized businesses. Einstein recommends giving away printed products that build strong customer relationships. These same products can create and maintain customer awareness of your business. Einstein has his clients printing their contact information on Rolodex cards. They give these cards to prospects and customers. Einstein estimates that at least 60% of businesspeople today still use Rolodexes—and that’s even with technology. He says, “Even with the computer age, people have had data crashes and lost information. Sometimes servers are down when you need information. It’s faster to find information in the Rolodex. Even I sometimes don’t want to close down programs to search for a customer’s name. I go to my Rolodex.”
Stuff it. Einstein likes to create customer awareness of products or services in companies of less than 100 people. He recommends including a statement stuffer. The statement stuffer should include information about just one product or item. When he includes statement stuffers he finds that even long time customers will say to him “I didn’t know you did that.” Einstein is often surprised that his customers don’t know about certain services he provides. He’s also delighted that the small piece of paper creates a fair amount of customer awareness of his services. Einstein recommends you select a new or different item for each statement stuffer. You want to keep it simple and uncluttered so it will be noticed. He finds that customers are interested in your products when they need them. If the stuffer hits when they are interested, you’ve just made a sale.
Got to have. Every sales professional should be prepared to sell with a select group of printed materials. One item to include is a sheet of testimonials from clients. This sheet is perfect to give to prospects so they can see what other people think about your work. These testimonials will help reduce the perception of risk that prospects have when they are thinking of buying from you. He recommends that you include the person’s name and company in all testimonials. Without that information the testimonial is less powerful. He also advises that you get their approval to use their comments in your materials. Another useful paper item is a personalized pad. Einstein says that customers always appreciate note pads that are personalized with their name on it. Put your name, phone and website in small letters on the bottom of the pad so that your customer remembers you when he uses the pad. Just make sure you limit your information to one line.
It is better to give than to receive. When you spend more time thinking about what you can give your customers you’ll find that your customers are spending more time thinking about buying from you.
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Action Items
1. Gather a testimonial from a satisfied customer. Ask that customer how your work has impacted his business or staff. Write the comments and send them back to your customer. When you write your own testimonials, they’re more useful for selling.
2. Find out what is in your statements along with the invoice. Nothing? You may be missing a selling opportunity.
Upcoming Programs
When: June 18, June 25, July 2, July 9
Where: Brookhaven College
3939 Valley View Lane
Farmers Branch, TX
What: Communication for Leaders
For more information: 972-860-4574
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When: June 27
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Leadership Success: Styles that Empower and Motivate
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: July 11
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Serious Creativity: New Ideas for Business That Work
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: July 26
11.30 AM- 1:30 PM
Where: Small Business Development Center
4800 West Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
What: Power Persuasion: Unleash Your Hidden Influence Skills
For more information: 972-985-3749 or
972-985-3758
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When: August 7, 14, 21, 28
Where: Brookhaven College
3939 Valley View Lane
Farmers Branch, TX
What: Master Selling Series- Persuasion, Listening, Consultative Questioning, Strategy
For more information: 972-860-4574
Selling Tools
Selling Tips
Get more selling tips from Maura’s ebook: 97 Ways to Sell More Now E-Book
https://www.bestatselling.com/e-books.html
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Looking for new strategies to improve your persuasion skills? This easy to apply Audio CD will give you many new ideas to easily improve your persuasion skills so you can sell more and close business faster.
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I’m always looking for success stories and other tips from sales professionals. Please feel free to email me at info@bestatselling.com with ideas that have worked for you.
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Need an Article for Your Newsletter?
Articles from this newsletter may be used in your free publications or posted on your web when given the following credit:
Written by Maura Schreier-Fleming, Best@Selling (www.BestatSelling.com). Maura works with business and sales professionals who want to sell more and be more productive at work. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results.
For free articles, selling ideas and morale boosters
visit https://www.BestatSelling.com
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About Maura Schreier-Fleming
Invite Maura to speak at your next conference or sales meeting! Contact: info@bestatselling.com
Maura Schreier-Fleming works with business and sales professionals to make it easier to sell more and be more productive at work. Her Best@Selling clients want to create long-term client relationships. They include UPS, Fujitsu, Fannie Mae and Dr Pepper/7UP. She has an M.S. in Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech and was Mobil Oil’s first female lubrication engineer in the U.S. With over 20 years of sales experience, she teaches the art and science of selling with a unique hands-on perspective and a great deal of real-life insight. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results (a book filled with ideas to make selling easier and more productive. Her business column ‘Selling Strategies’ appears in the Insurance Record magazine and her column ‘Customer Connections’ appears in the Dallas, Austin and Houston Business Journals. You can contact her for seminars at company or trade association meetings at 972 380 0200 or info@BestatSelling.com
Privacy: At Best@Selling we take privacy issues very seriously. Your information remains with us and will never be sold, shared, or distributed in any manner, for any reason.
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Contact Information
1. Our Web site: www.BestatSelling.com
2. E-mail: info@bestatselling.com
3. Call: In Dallas 972 380 0200
4. Write us:
6757 Arapaho Rd., Suite 711-183
Dallas, TX 75248
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(c) Copyright 2008 Maura Schreier-Fleming. All rights reserved
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