Selfish Networking

I’m organizing a promotion
for fiction authors
(romance heavy).
I have 61 spots to fill.

I know many, many authors,
most of them very nice people.
The authors I’m asking though,
are also promo bunnies.

They have helped me with promos
or I’ve seen them working the promos hard.
I know they will do the same
to make this promotion a success.

Brian Tracy posts
“One of the biggest mistakes
people make when they begin networking
is scattering their time and energy indiscriminately,
and spending their time
with people who can be of no help at all.”

If you want to be in
a quality network,
be helpful.

If you want success,
fill your network
with people who can help you.

Published
Categorized as Marketing

How To Find Experienced Salespeople

It always amazes me
when companies advertise
for ‘experienced salespeople.’

Experienced salespeople have both
initiative
and
connections.
They don’t wait for job postings.

How to find a great salesperson?
Allow them to pitch to you.
Take sales calls.
Speak with telemarketers.
Allow yourself to be stopped in shopping malls.

Counter-offer the best
with an interview.

Published
Categorized as Sales

Conflicts Of Interest

Seth Godin had a great post
about only linking to good ideas.
He admits to minor conflicts of interest.

I’ll admit to major conflicts of interest.
I link and promote people and products
I know and like.

I’ll read a great book
but before I mention that book to others,
I’ll contact the author.
If the author responses nicely,
I’ll promote her.
If she is nasty or doesn’t respond,
I won’t
(unless she is dead).

Does her response change the book?
No
but there are plenty of great books out there,
I want to like the people or businesses
I promote.

Published
Categorized as Marketing

Offensive Marketing

An author cautioned
loop members
that using humor in marketing
can offend people.

Okay.

All marketing offends someone,
especially marketing that gets remembered.

Your business is not to make
everyone happy.
Your business is to make
your customer happy.

If your customer is everyone,
THEN you have a challenge.

Published
Categorized as Marketing

Sales Bait

Duct Tape Marketer John Jantsch
explains in Entrepreneur
how to never cold call again.

He suggests using free reports or articles
as ‘bait.’
The equivalent of product sampling
for professionals,
free reports are
a non-threatening first prospect contact.
It eases them into
a relationship.

Published
Categorized as Sales

Selling Physically

Watching the criminal defense lawyer present,
I noticed how physical he was.
He was constantly moving,
hands, feet, eyebrows, leaning forward,
turning away.

Selling is a physical job
and, if the salesperson is great,
so is being sold to.

In The Certifiable Salesperson
authors Tom Hopkins and Laura Laaman,
suggest
“If we were selling cars,
we should open doors and
gesture for clients to get in
so they can experience owning the vehicle.
Stand back slightly from your office machines
or other similar products
while motioning and verbally encouraging
your clients to
step up and push buttons.
Hand them things:
brochures, samples, color charts, and so on…”

Get physical with your prospects.

Published
Categorized as Sales

Asking A Cow To Moo

Preparing for the next contract gig,
I’m enjoying rounds of interviews.
One question is repeating
“How are you at handling change?”

I’m a project person
preferring short contract gigs,
does this really need to be asked?
Of course, I like change.
I love change.
I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t.

It DOES send a red flag
that lay offs are likely on the horizon
for existing staff
however.

Not-So-Healthy

I got a good laugh
at an announcement
for the deli in
Fry’s Electronics.
They announced
“A healthy sandwich,
a bag of chips,
and a beverage
for $5.99.”

Healthy Sandwich + Bag Of Chips = Mixed Message
Mixed messages are a waste of advertising.
Either a lunch is healthy
(a powerless word)
or it is not.
Take a stand.

Published
Categorized as Marketing

Sales Secrets From A Criminal Defense Lawyer

I had the good fortune
to sit in on a presentation by
a top criminal defense lawyer.
He was talking law,
I was hearing sales.

All great lawyers are also great salespeople.
They sell juries and judges
on their clients’ stance.

When cross-examining a witness,
the lawyer advised
it was often better to arrive
at the key question in a round-about way.

Why?
Because witnesses are always prepped
for brutal cross-examinations.
They expect that.
No new information will surface.

Also true with sales.
Prospects automatically expect
the hard sell.
They are prepared to reject it.

Consider the soft sell.

Published
Categorized as Sales

What Drives Entrepreneurs

According to serial entrepreneur
James Caan
in an interview for My First Million

“Every entrepreneur I know
is driven by the fear of failure.”

This makes sense as
“you are surrounded by people who fail.”

And it is healthy.
Why?
Because fear eliminates complacency
and complacency kills businesses.

As Caan states
“In business,
you must never believe it will last forever.”