This weeks
Article....
Strengthen Business Sales in a Tough
Market
Different thinking and solutions open doors and
lock out competitors
In several conversations these
past weeks have focused on how to
maintain good business in these
challenging times. Business and customers
are pulling in their spending and getting
existing much less new sales is getting
more challenging.
The first conclusion that most
come to is one must change their thinking
about how customers buy and business can
be conducted. From this new thinking
other ideas can spring forward and set
you apart from your
competition.
The challenge is that management
often times does not open up to different
thinking or the sales force gets stuck in
the old mode of doing
business.
Once this old thinking is broken
and the business is open to a different
approach the following ideas have made
the difference for others.
Many of these ideas are not
really new, so the question is how are
you using them? Some are being used
internally to save time and money for the
company, but what if you offered them to
your customers in some fashion as a
solution for them as well.
Social
Networks:
These are popping up on
the internet like an overpopulation of
Rabbits. There seems to be a new one
launched every day!
The reality is that more
upper level business people are using
this mode of communication and
connection.
Facebook, Twitter and Konnects
are just a few of the hundred sites out
there. These are great ways to build a
network, find experts and sell ideas and
services. Take one and figure out how you
can use it, and then help your customers
do the same!
Blogs:
There are more Blogs out
today than there are Rabbits I believe. What
if you had a blog about your product or
service then had your customers and
potential customers driven to it? What a
great way to educate them about the
solutions you can provide without pushing
product. Could your customers also benefit
from their own
Blog?
Websites:
Today if you business does
not have a web site you are behind the
curve! The next generation and even the
older generation of business and buyers
go to the Internet for information before
buying! If you're not there who
is?
Salespeople, do you have your
own website? I don't mean your companies,
I mean Joe Salesperson's personal site
with their own Blog and unique message
about the added value you provide. You
can tie all your Social Networks into
this as well.
Newsletters:
A Blog or website can be
an electronic newsletter, but does
everyone have access or use the Internet
in that way. A quarterly newsletter with
some real content that gives others value
and ideas can drive business your way and
build credibility as well as trust. By
real content we do not mean product
information, rather new ideas or
solutions that help the customers
survive! There are even online services
that will handle all the work, you just
supply the content and
list!
Articles:
If you’re an expert on
some area, why not share it though
articles. Editors both on the web and off
are looking for experts to provide
content. If you have solutions for
others, the Editors are looking for
you!
I know of several
"experts" that are now regulars on radio,
TV or print that started by doing
articles with real
value.
Once more, this is something
every salesperson could be doing, not
just the company! Do your customers have
some capability as well? Could it help
build their business and
yours?
Electronic
Meetings: With
gas and other travel costs going up have you
been using more electronic meetings? I know
many of my clients use teleconferences and even
live electronic meetings internally, but are
they using them externally as
well?
With services like Skype which
anyone can sign on to and utilize from
any internet connection, you can talk
face to face with customers and
demonstrate ideas as well. All that is
needed is a computer, an Internet
connection and a very inexpensive
computer cam. Might your customers also
be able to benefit from using this
technology?
Even live meetings with groups
do not require huge investments. One
company uses a service such as
"go-to-meeting" and a projector and
screen. They can have group meetings,
have designers and engineers or other
groups all involved in a live meeting at
one time! Their total investment, a few
hundred dollars!
What if you helped your clients
understand and use this technology? Might
it save them money and build their
business?
Brand
Yourself: No
you folks from Montana and Texas we are not
talking about Cattle type branding.
Marketing people talk about branding a
company. What about a salesperson branding
themselves!
So often people think branding
is a logo or tag line. No, branding is
what people think and say when they hear
your name! If I say Coke Cola or Kleenex
you immediately have an image or thought
of who and what they are. Those images
and thoughts are their brand! Yes this
might be different for different people
so marketing works to have the same image
and thinking occur the majority of the
time.
What image or thinking occurs
when your name as a salesperson, engineer
or consultant comes up? What could you be
doing to direct that image?
All of the items listed above
can be used to create your brand, your
companies brand and your client's
brand.
What if you were able to help
your customers build their business in a
different way? Would this set you apart
from others and build a stronger
relationship with them?
As I have always said, it is not
always about the product in sales, its
more about the trust and relationship
that sets you apart and binds you
together.
What are you doing for your
customers to help them build their
business? Or is it just about getting an
order for more products? Change that
thinking and it just may open up some new
doors and ways for you to provide that
extra that makes the extra
sales!
Take one of these ideas and work
on it for a month, then take another one
and see what happens to your business
over this next year! Nothing ventured,
nothing gained!
Till next week, to your
success!
Harlan Goerger
© Harlan Goerger 2-2009
Permission to reprint in entirety
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