1. Settle On The Right Way Forward
The purpose of your promotions is to get more sales, not to soley enhance the image of you or your company. As a salesperson you must understand this right at the beginning or you will be wasting your's and every one else's time.
You must be enthusiastic about the product or service you are promoting. If you're not why should the customer be?
Communicate with the customer on their level and talk about what they want from your offering. Its a simple enough way forward. But how often do you not hear this being done?
2. Start To Target Your Customers
Not all customers will buy your product or service. The skill is in targetting those who are more likely to. The end result is more sales and reduced costs for contacting them. Amongst customers there are good ones and bad ones.
The good ones are repeat buyers; those who have bought before and are happy to use their favorite supplier. Unfortunately, this type of customer is least likely to be swayed by advertisers lile yourselves and therefore hardest to win over.
Conversely, the bad customers are far more likely to respond to advertisers, including you, then move on to another advertiser, leaving you behind...and they always complain and want more and more for less and less.
You want more business...the right sort of business... the profitable sort. To be as exact as possible is very important.
Finding the best ones for you; Apparently only the top 20% of potential customers are very profitable and the bottom 20% will lose you money.
Therefore, depending on where your company stands in relation to the above there are diferent strategies to use;
Finding repeat customers: Apart from new customers, the obvious source of more sales is existing customers. This is often forgotten and the costs are small in comparison to getting new customers. Customers who have bought before are less likely to be wooed by competitors, as long as they are happy. Or should I say, kept happy.
Some budget should be set aside for existing customers and establishing or reinforcing some 'Loyalty' strategies or scheme. You know the sort..Discounts for existing customers and repeat purchasers.
3. Supply Customer Satisfaction
If you can convince your customers that they will be more satisfied than with your competitors then you will win. But to do that you need to know;
a) what satisfaction they want
b) how you can provide it and
c) how to tell them.
Customers are satisfied when all their needs are fulfilled. But it would be practically impossible to satisfy everyone's needs in one communication...there will be so many. And mass marketing rarely hits on the most profitable segment.
That it why it is important to target specific groups who have similar needs with specific advertisement messages.
4. Identify Important Customer Groups
Large companies can afford to send out separate promotions to lots of different customer groups, addressing their specific needs exactly.
Smaller businesses can't do this but there may be common needs amongst their customer groups, albeit not primary ones for all of them, but enough commonality to be effective for one promotional publication.
This one publication should wherever possible combine the customer groups and their satisfied needs into its structure (story). e.g. Combining the primary manufacturer customer group and secondary retail customer group, the producer and the seller.
5. Use People Who Can Make Things Happen
Identify those who can help you in your promotions.
6. Find Out How Much Your Customers Know About You
You need to find out from your prospective or new customers what they know about you. This can done through surveys and questionnaires (with incentives to complete). After all they might never have heard of you and are hardly likely to buy from you.
They may be misinformed and have the totally wrong impresion of what you do or supply. Sales promotions can't be planned properly without this information.
(c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Wealth-Building-Secrets.com, providing strategies and advice for financial success, sales success and personal development success.
This article may be reproduced in its entirety provided the resource paragraph above is included and all urls kept active. A courtesy copy of your publication or web page URL would be appreciated.
Selling is a tough job, and sometimes you may need... Read More
1. Make telephone callsFew things are more terrifying than the... Read More
Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More
First, recognize that motivation is an inside job. The word... Read More
After completing a workshop on personal productivity or time management,... Read More
In my opinion, the most overrated topic in sales training... Read More
A key method of our survival in the business and... Read More
A lot of people are very intrigued by the idea... Read More
How do you get people's attention and build their interest... Read More
Have you ever sat through a movie and got to... Read More
Last minute discounting has become so prevalent that many companies... Read More
Do you clam up on the telephone? An advertising rep... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
Along with having an innovative supply chain, there's another reason... Read More
This is a stupid question but it has to be... Read More
Picture this scene from the 1984 smash comedy movie from... Read More
1. When you make your first sale, follow-up with the... Read More
An area that can become profitable for many businesses in... Read More
JOHN DI LEMME ON "5 + 5 = Your Dream"... Read More
How many of you made as much money as you... Read More
Selling With Purpose What is it about selling that makes... Read More
Who likes cold calling? Most salespeople don't like cold calling,... Read More
When you are in sales and you come across a... Read More
The other day, I received the last issue of a... Read More
Have you wasted valuable time and money on promotion that... Read More
You could just send out your brochure to potential customers... Read More
It's early January 2004. The Green Bay Packers are just... Read More
First - being before all others. Fast - moving or... Read More
Everyone wants the best possible value in every transaction, but... Read More
The best of all worlds is to have a product... Read More
A challenge facing many businesses is how to maintain a... Read More
On an introductory call, how do you gather all of... Read More
Many pressure washing companies try to stay away from the... Read More
Going into your workday and waiting for things to happen,... Read More
How do you respond when an absolute stranger calls, at... Read More
I've been using a technique that has helped me to... Read More
This is an important and potentially profitable piece of advice.... Read More
Last issue we talked about what motivates people to buy... Read More
Hello, do you have a website and sell something on... Read More
A few days ago, I was signing copies of my... Read More
A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all... Read More
Have you ever shopped at Walmart and thought... I need... Read More
(Objection handling tips excerpted from Objections! Objections! Objections!)People buy people.... Read More
Any selling approach that lacks a proven strategy, a practiced... Read More
1. When you make your first sale, follow-up with the... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
HANDLING OBJECTIONSSales presentation is not always going to be plain... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
You can make a difference in the second half! You... Read More
Use Bundling To Increase Your Profits And Sales An effective... Read More
I just bought six square pieces of spongy fabric for... Read More
The number one requirement, whether you are a business owner... Read More
This week's article is my response to a question by... Read More
A white paper supports PR, marketing and sales because it... Read More
We use this method to find new cleaningcustomers, and it... Read More
VOICEThe Image the customer has of the Salesperson is vital.... Read More
Over the years, many prospects have hidden behind their well-trained... Read More
The March, 2004, issue of Psychology Today reports on an... Read More
The need for good proposals - the business kind, not... Read More
Normally in this column I dispense highly-intelligent small business advice... Read More
Want to build a relationship -- sell yourself for a... Read More
Selling With Purpose What is it about selling that makes... Read More
Speak to almost any self employed professional and most of... Read More
I know, don't groan. You have to do them if... Read More
Imagine being in a crowded concert or bar. All of... Read More
Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults.... Read More
Sales |