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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.

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.

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.

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.”

Success Is A Marathon

Seth Godin posted
a timely reminder that
success takes time.

Very few businesses, products, people
are successful
right away.
Success takes months, years, decades.

This is beneficial
as every rung on the ladder of success
comes with its own challenges.
It would be difficult to tackle them
all at once.

Be patient.
Concentrate on
delivering a consistently great product,
marketing, promoting, and selling daily.

The Cost Of TV

I don’t watch much television.

I get my news from the internet,
including the latest commercials,
local or global
(thank you YouTube).

I’ll watch an episode or two
of the hottest shows
to stay current
(crucial in new business development)
but other than that,
I’m too busy doing other things.

What other things?

Well, Seth Godin and Clay Shirky
have a theory
that the building of sites
such as Wikipedia
corresponds directly to
the decrease in television viewing.

What could you be doing
with your television time?

Include A Flyer

Duct Tape Marketing has a post
on upselling to current customers.
It can be as easy as
including a flyer with additional
products or services
in with a delivery or mailing.

I do this with my private mailings also.
Whenever I send a letter,
I’ll enclose a couple of
business cards with my novel cover
and website information.

I’ll also put a sticker
with my cover and website
on the envelope.

My mom says she gets
at least one comment
every time there’s a letter
from me in her mail.
She happily gives the person
the enclosed business card.

Provide Alterations

What is one way to differentiate
your business?

Provide alterations.

Sure, sell the product everyone else is
but make it easy for the customer,
for an additional charge,
to alter the product.

Consulting companies do this with software.
Authors do this at booksignings.
You can do it with your product also.

The Value Of Creating

Info Marketing Blog has a great post
on Paul Michael,
the mail order tycoon.

All of it is worth reading
but my favorite part is his quote
“I am only valuable when I am creating.”

Why is that?
Because he outsourced
almost everything else,
including the writing of his books.

It allowed him to build wealth
and his business quickly.

Spend time creating.