Networking is one of the best ways to find new prospects. If done correctly, you can quickly increase your customer base by attending functions where like-minded people gather. Consider volunteering to work on a political campaign–a great place to meet people with whom you agree. Between now and November, spend a few hours each week working for your favorite candidate. There’s no telling how many new customers you will find among your peers!
Moral of the story: Birds of a feather flock together!
The best way to maximize profits is by selling products that people use on a daily basis. Customers tend to place more orders for frequently used items such as bags. Since most people carry something on a daily basis, a bag is a great item to show everyone with whom you do business. By offering them a full range of choices, you are sure to close a sale.
Moral of the story: Sell what people use.
Many distributors shy away from selling recognition programs, because they perceive them to be too complex or difficult to sell. One of the best ways to improve profitability is to overcome this reluctance and show award pins to your customers. Recognition programs, including custom lapel pins, not only offer you the chance for repeat orders,but also carry very nice margins. Emblem Marketing Team (EMT) has just developed a bounce-back card to help you effectively break into this highly profitable market.
Moral of the story: Knock at opportunity’s door!
Successful salespeople understand how to turn a negative response into a positive one by using a “release” selling phrase. For example, when a prospect states that she is happy with her current situation, we say, “If I cannot show you in five minutes time how I can do a better job than the person you are currently using, I will never call you again.” Most people are so disarmed by this approach that they are willing to hear our “pitch.”
Moral of the story: If at first you don’t succeed, try again!
When we discover great offers from our supplier sponsors, we pass them along to you. With the Fourth of July fast approaching, think about offering balloons to your customers. Not only are they cost-effective, but they can be printed with numerous patriotic slogans and images. Anyone you are calling on would be hard-pressed not to think that balloons imprinted with their logo would not be a hit at any Fourth of July celebration.
Moral of the story: If the shoe fits, wear it.
To remain a successful distributor, you must continually look for new accounts. One of the most effective ways to do this is by sending direct mail pieces with bounce-back cards to new companies. For years we have used card programs that offer gifts for a returned card. By utilizing a marketing program similar to ours, you will always have a fresh supply of new leads in hand. You can learn more about this type of program in the “How to Get New Customers” section of our site within Materials & Resources.
Moral of the story: Prospecting means profit!
To succeed in this industry, you need to set limits on your customers and prospects. That means you must always serve them in an efficient and respectful manner but not allow them to make unreasonable sample requests on a frequent basis. Tip: If someone asks you for more than two samples of a particular product, tell them that in order to keep things simple, you will bring the first two to see if that is what they had in mind. If either one of these is not what they are looking for, then you are happy to obtain the rest. Never take a boatload of samples into a presentation. Not only does the quantity confuse the customer, but it unnecessarily costs you valuable time and money.
Moral of the story: Keep things simple for success.
Add profitability to your business by effectively using supplier coupons. Many suppliers offer specials from time to time. Usually there is only one “catch;” the coupon offers have short expiration dates. By keeping track of due dates, you can add 2-3 percent profit to most orders. To give you a jump start on some current supplier offers, we will send coupons from 13 suppliers worth more than $500 to the first 100 people who respond to this tip. Remember, profitablity is in the details!
Moral of the story: Paying attention to details reaps rewards.
Do so by using one of the salesperson’s greatest weapons–the presumptive close. It is a way of determining if the person you are dealing with is a true prospect or just a “tire kicker.” There are ways to use this long-standing sales technique, but the following one is an effective example: “Would it be all right if I placed the order for you on Friday?” If you ask your prospect that question, you will definitely get an answer. And it might just be “yes”!
Moral of the story: Those who do not ask, do not get!
You never know where you will find a new prospect. It could be the person seated next to you on the airplane when you are returning home from a trade show, like the recent ASI Las Vegas Show. Simply introduce yourself to your seat mate, and talk with him or her about their interests. Your new acquaintance might just end up being the marketing director for a major company, and is responsible for purchasing its promotional products. This casual “meeting” does not guarantee a sale, but it at least gets you in the door. By the end of the next week, you should feel comfortable calling on this prospect either in person or on the telephone.
Moral of the story: Opportunity knocks when you least expect it.
Be different from your competitors by recording a message in a prospect’s voice mailbox immediately after you leave selling materials at his or her front desk. Do this with existing customers, as well. This attention to detail and care and concern not only makes you unique, but it also gives people twice as many opportunities by which to remember you.
Moral of the story: Familiarity can be a good thing.
If you understand selling, then you know your actions are similar to those of a doctor. Day in and day out, people making sales calls deal with people with all types of emotional levels and personalities. Being able to close a sale requires determining a prospect’s personality type and product needs, then applying the “cure” to make a sale happen. Each situation is different, because you never know what unique set of factors is influencing the decision of the person you are dealing with. You must be able to adjust your approach and prescribe the right “cure” for each individual.
Moral of the story: Find the right action to insure success.
New customers are out there waiting for you right now! The most efficient way to identify them and where they are located is by reading the local newspaper and business press. Both sources publish frequent lists of executive changes at local companies. These listings usually include most of the information you need to know, such as each contact’s name, his or her new title, and the company each has joined. Companies are often eager and willing to give new employees the opportunity to try new vendors, so don’t miss this chance. They are awaiting your call!
Moral of the story: Carpe diem (Seize the day).
We get new business by offering rewards! The latest one is a free Howard Miller clock. Using our computer, we design a one-piece, three-part mailer, which we have printed, folded, and scored by a local printer. The cost is around $500.00 for a quantity of 2500. We hire interns from the local college to call the 300 largest companies in the Metroplex to find out the names of their marketing directors. The cards are mailed four times to each name, usually getting back a return of 6-7 cards. We personally call whoever sends back a card. During the conversation, or in voice mail message, we say that we need to present the clock in person. Over the years we have developed some very nice long-term client relationships using this technique. If you would like a sample of one of these cards, just send us your address or fax number.
Moral of the Story: Design your own promotions!
Selling in a down economy: When the economy changes, successful sales people adjust their approach. With salary cuts and layoffs affecting employee morale, motivation at companies becomes a problem. The best way to help your customers during difficult times is to sell them products that boost morale, such as recognition awards for employees. By showing appreciation to their employees during tough times, your customers will instill loyalty and inspire renewed commitment in their respective workplaces.
Moral of the story: A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down!
One issue that comes up from time to time with new customers is the price of products. When we have left catalogs with first-time customers, they will frequently ask what we are going to charge them at the time they place an order. Obviously, we want them to pay what is shown in the catalog, so we have developed a clever reply to this price-oriented question. We say, and I am not kidding, ” What would you like to pay?” Nine times out of ten, their reply is, “A fair price.” With that response, the door is now open to tell them why we need to get the price shown in the catalog.
Moral of the story: Quality and service always have value!
August is only four months away from the December holidays, which means now is the time to pitch that special holiday campaign to your clients. You should be setting up your sales for December now.
The fact is, people always think they have more time than they actually do. This belief usually leads to headaches on our part when clients have to rush an order since they didn’t place the order well enough in advance. Mistakes and misunderstandings often happen in these instances–and we are often the ones who have to absorb the costs of waste incurred by our clients’ haste.
That is why it is important to create a sense of urgency among your clients. Help them see they must begin planning now for the gift-giving season. One way to do this is to pitch custom-made products.
For example, we are talking to one of our customers about buying custom-made leather note pads. To create a sense of urgency, and to get her to buy now, we told her that the leather used in the product must be special-ordered. We even painted a longer lead-time than is actually needed in order to book the sale now. This proved to be an excellent way to get a jump on holiday sales!
Moral of the story: Create a sense of urgency to get clients to buy now.
The fastest way to increase sales is by calling on markets that you may have previously overlooked.
Awards (Spanish version)
Corporate Awards Spanish
Here are the same presentations in English:
The Power of Food Gifts
Awards (English version)
Corporate Awards
If you have any questions about these presentations, contact don@sellpromoproducts.com.
Be sure to visit www.sellpromoproducts.com for the best online sales training in the promotional products industry.
Most of us look forward to vacation as a time to “kick back and relax” and it should be. But it can also be time to make a sale, if you’re open-minded and curious. Just by making pleasant conversation and sharing the nature of your business with other tourists, shopkeepers, and lodging staff, you may discover that they need to purchase promotional products.
We strongly believe in having an unusual business card and it proved to be quite beneficial recently when we were on vacation. We had purchased a memento at an antique shop and struck up a nice conversation with the owner. When we offered him our business card, he asked if we could produce some like it for him and his business. He liked the fact that it was made of plastic, like a credit card, and had a write-on panel on the back of the card. As soon as we returned home, we sent him a price and sold him 2000 cards! It was the perfect ending to a great vacation.
If you’d like to see a sample of our card, which is made by Teraco, just send an email to don@sellpromoproducts.com and we’ll make sure you get a sample.
