If as a salesperson you, or as a sales manager, the sales team didn’t have to spend so much time scouring the ‘cold’ market place for willing buyers. How much time could be saved if they spent more of their time communicating with hot prospects? Here two ideas on how to “attract” rather than “hunt” buyers. It is important to remember that when a potential customer seeks us out they are actually asking for our help and they are likely to think of us as potential problem solvers (or even quasi business partners) rather than “sellers”. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the critical ingredient of doing business, “trust” is more likely to be present when a buyer approaches us rather than when we intrude in an attempt to ‘flog our wares’.
Sales Idea 1. Newsletters
A periodical ‘Newsletter’ is a great way to generate interest. Most of our customers need information on our industry at least once a year. For example, if you are in the hotel business, financial controllers, training managers and sales conference organisers need to estimate accommodation costs at budget time. Why not become their expert help by providing market trends, pricing and available ancillary facilities in our region. If we’re in the automobile industry how about providing a guide to used car prices so fleet managers can see if they will be better to trade their old cars this year or next year. If we can become (what all good salespeople should be)… an authority in our field and if we can establish ourselves as a useful information resource, prospective customers will seek us out. Now you may think that newsletters are an old fashioned and an outdated method of reaching your potential customers however here are four good reasons the are still important:
i) They maintain top of mind awareness, important for all sales success.
ii) They build the sense of a relationship between the sender and the reader.
iii) They establish, if well written, the sender as an expert in his/her field.
iv) The are (unlike a blog) a proactive form of communication.
A GREAT THING ABOUT NEWSLETTERS, AS THE READERSHIP TENDS TO GROW SO DOES THE BUSINESS.
Sales Idea 2. Seminars
Seminars are a great way to attract interested buyers. Obviously anytime we can get in front of a large group of people (on a reasonably regular basis) some of the audience will be naturally attracted to either us or our product and services. Business talks and Industry events (even Rotary clubs and the like) often provide a great way for us to subtly sell our organisation and ourselves. When you get the chance to speak to a group you are given a great deal of power. Most audiences when they focus on our message (and us) will tend to believe what is said. You must only talk on topics in which you have some genuine expertise. I am assuming of course that as a professional sales person you do know a great deal about your industry…YES! Undoubtedly you are the expert, you must be because you are the writer of the speech and you are the only one who knows what you are going to say. This is especially true when you are talking about your products and services and you are talking on a topic about which most of the listeners will have little or no knowledge. If you are giving presentations in an attempt to prove your expertise to a bunch of other experts in your field it is a waste of time, find opportunities to give talks to potential customers instead.
I KNOW YOU’RE BUSY AND WRITING SPEECHES IS TIME CONSUMING, HOWEVER… DO IT ANYWAY!
refs: http://www.salesuniversity.com and http://www.smithfam.com/news/s11.html
6 comments
Michael Allton says:
November 2, 2011 at 2:34 am (UTC 0)
You’re absolutely right. When I was in IT sales, I used to schedule regular seminars on topics like viruses, disaster planning, and so on. I’m now doing website design and internet consulting and need to find a local venue to get back into this habit. Thanks for the nudge!
rictownsend says:
November 2, 2011 at 5:01 am (UTC 0)
Thank you Michael! Ric
Tori Hawthorne says:
November 2, 2011 at 8:39 am (UTC 0)
Great post Richard,
The “cold” market is a large one and many businesses think they can throw Sales Agents out there and ‘get sales’ I spend so much time trying to explaine they need to ‘warm’ their market. The fear they have is the spending of money. I have come across so many businesses that want Comm only Sales Agents because they think it answers their Sales need. I recently suggested a Seminar type event to a client as his business would suit that kind of environment and he looked at me as if I had 2 heads…
Trust and relationship building is key, something I love doing.
I love this post Richard.. A great read to start my day…
rictownsend says:
November 2, 2011 at 10:17 am (UTC 0)
Thank you Tori, I have had similar experiences,,, very frustrating Ric
Mike Robinson says:
November 5, 2011 at 7:03 pm (UTC 0)
Hey Ric, great post.
I have spent a career in sales, starting off calling from a list with a sales floor “ring the bell” type environment. Loved it then, however it was 15 years ago and I did not know any better!
These days I definitely prefer other ways to attract business, interestingly your two suggestions above are two that we promote very heavily in our company. I’d rather our team spent time encouraging people to attend one of our seminars than try to sell them something. We prove every time that presenting to many and providing a culture of learning and sharing at our events, increases our sales pipeline and business.
Great post.
Mike
rictownsend says:
November 5, 2011 at 9:31 pm (UTC 0)
Thank you Mike. Ric