The Selling Sherpa

ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

We’ve come to the time of year when successful sales professionals (that's you, I hope!) get to take a break and enjoy time spent with family and friends. I’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree myself for the next few days.

The Sales Tip of the Day will be on hiatus until Wednesday, January 2, but I am still available via email should you wish to contact me.

I sincerely appreciate the privilege of being a resource for you during the past year, and eagerly look forward to continuing that role in 2008.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Kwanzaa Greetings!
Pat

(If you are atheist, Have A Nice Day!)

JUST LIKE STARTING OVER

12 days after being shot, John Lennon finally had his first UK #1 single with “Just Like Starting Over” from the Double Fantasy album.

I remember that sad time, when music stores all over the world were suddenly sold out of records and tapes from the former Beatle. It was as if everyone was trying to grab onto anything they could in a vain attempt to bring back what was gone forever.

Many of us on the airwaves wondered aloud where all this love was before the tragedy.

I’ve seen the same thing happen when sales reps lose long-standing accounts, then try to shower love and attention on departed clients in a desperate attempt to win them back.

Show customers some love now and they’ll be less likely to look elsewhere for the attention they need.

After all, keeping an existing client happy is much easier than starting over with them.

ALWAYS ON MY MIND

Back in 1987, Pet Shop Boys hit #1 with their version of “Always On My Mind”, but it was also a hit for Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, and Willie Nelson.

That song has been recorded by artists in all genres and generations, and virtually everyone on the planet has heard at least one version of it.

“Always on my mind” is also a great feeling to impart to your customers.

When you do the countless little things that remind them you are thinking about their needs, you create a strong bond that helps them resist competitors who will try to steal their loyalty.

So, how do you show they are always on your mind?

Give them referrals. Host them to a networking event. Drop by when you are in the area just to say hello and see how they are doing. Send them a card. Forward useful and relevant information (but not chain letters and rebate schemes) via email. Ask about their family and really listen to their response. Send cards on appropriate dates. Remember their children’s names. Or, their pet’s names. (Trust me, to those without children, their pets are just as precious to them!)

In short, be their friend instead of just a vendor, because people always prefer doing business with their friends.

Funny thing is, when they are always on your mind, you will always be on theirs, too.

And that comes in handy with the competition comes calling.

SLOW RIDE

A lot of people are planning for the week between Christmas and New Year’s to be a slow ride when nothing much will get done. In my experience, that week will only be as slow as you let it be.

Sure, some people will be on vacation, but a lot of business leaders are actually catching up and wrapping up the year during that week. They are also thinking about next year and making decisions about new solutions.

So keep selling. Chances are you will be one of the few who out there and it will be easier to reach decision-makers and help them make the right decision.

PIANO MAN

Over the weekend, I noticed the anniversary of Billy Joel’s album ‘Storm Front’ hitting #1 on the US album charts back in 1989.

I loved that album and recall getting tickets for the concert when the tour rolled through my hometown of Houston, Texas. I saw the show a few days after Thanksgiving and it was rockin’!

As a matter of fact, it was so good that when they announced they were coming back in a couple of weeks to do a second show, I got tickets for that one too.

One of the highlights of the show is when Billy Joel plays his signature hit, “Piano Man.” At both concerts, when he came around to the chorus, the audience would almost drown out the singers on stage. Toward the end of the song, the band stopped completely and let the audience sing the entire final chorus.

It must have be a great feeling to be on stage hearing 15,000 people sing your song back to you. When that happens, you know the crowd is with you.

Guess what? When you are with a prospect and they start repeating your sales story back to you, you know they are with you and ready to make a purchase. But if you don’t take a break from your performance, they will never have a chance to “sing” back to you.

Take a tip from The Piano Man and pause during your ‘performance’ so your audience can participate. When you hear them telling you the reasons they should buy from you, it’s time to close the sale and take a bow.

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

Every business owner knows the best advertising in the world is the evangelism of their top customers.

Nothing is more effective than loyal, sometimes fanatical, customers telling friends, family, and colleagues about their experience and encouraging others to become customers.

The same thing applies for sales professionals.

When prospects come to you saying, “I heard it through the grapevine that you are the person to call about (fill in the blank),” the sale has already been made and the only thing you have to do is help the customer makes decisions about quantity, size, and color.

Your challenge is to find new and exciting ways to “wow” your customers every day.

Become the salesperson that every customer talks about to their friends, family, and colleagues, and you will be #1 in your market.

RETURN TO SENDER

Return To Sender was a great song that hit #1 on this date in 1962. But ‘return to sender’ or, worse yet, ‘postage due’ is not music to your ears or those of your recipient when they happen to your direct mail campaign.

Last year, one of my clients faced the awful situation of having a prospect call him to complain because she had to stand in line and pay $.24 to receive his selling correspondence. Ouch!

This week, I actually received a birthday card that was delivered with $.97 postage due. (Hey, I still appreciate the thought and the card, so I will never tell the sender about it.)

If you are sending anything to a customer or a prospect, be sure to double-check the weight and apply postage that will more than cover the delivery so you will never deal with ‘postage due’ or ‘return to sender issues.

THE COLOR PURPLE

My honey took me to Vegas for my birthday. What a treat!

We saw a couple of shows (one I will be telling you more about in a future Sales Tip), enjoyed wonderful dining experiences, met up with some great friends, and did a little shopping.

One of the “must visit” stops is the Vosges Boutique in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. You’ve heard me talk about Vosges before and how they are all about overwhelming their customers with endless “wow” experiences. This time was no exception.

But I really noticed something about how unified their “look” is.

If you visit the shop (and I hope you do!), you will notice the color purple dominates everything they do, from the packaging to the décor.

Jenna, the delightful young lady who took care of arranging shipping on a very special gift, even had a large but tasteful purple bangle on her left wrist which I saw when she handed me the purple pen to use filling out the paperwork.

Guess what color ink was in the pen? Yes, it was purple too!

All of this is done in a very classy way, and you can see the same theme on their website and in all of their mailings.

Unified marketing creates impact. It is memorable and it is buzz-worthy.

If you have a product or service of the highest quality (like Vosges does), what could you do to unify your marketing?

What could be your purple?

GETTING TO THE POINT

40% of the executives surveyed indicate they will allow a sales professional about 5 minutes to establish some credibility and demonstrate some understanding of their business; otherwise, they’ll be shown the door.

And over 82% of those surveyed expect sales professionals to already have a thorough understanding of what drives their business before they ever meet.

Getting to the point is essential when dealing with top level executives. So give them a legitimate reason why they should buy your product or service as quickly as you can and you stand a much better chance of actually getting the business.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Have you ever gotten a bad feeling about a prospect? Have you ever ignored that feeling and regretted it later?

Start paying attention when your instincts send you a warning signal that something is not quite right. When you do, you will make a better decision about what business is worth pursuing and which will lead you to more problems than profit.

If you feel good vibrations about a prospect, go for it! But if your gut tells you a prospect is wrong, walk away.