If you want to be successful, spend less time calling competitive suppliers looking for a better price on orders. Many distributors waste hundreds of hours calling different vendors asking for a cheaper price on products that they have presented to a client. This practice of trying to make a few more pennies on every item is not only a tremendous waste of time, but a formula for disaster. The better use of your selling time is to be looking for new customers rather than beating suppliers to death over price.
Moral of the story: Keep your eye on the ball that makes the most sense!
The greatest way to increase orders and referrals from customers is to show them how much you appreciate their business. While we have used many different items to demonstrate our gratitude, we have just learned about a really great item that is a clear lunch box filled with lemon drops and would make a great item to show appreciation to anyone with whom you deal. In fact, we just ordered 24 pieces at the very reasonable price of $10.50 net per piece. If you would like order them or learn how they can help increase your business, please give us a shout by email.
Moral of the story: Saying “thank you” makes the long haul possible!
This summer we will take a well deserved vacation, compliments of the suppliers with whom we do business! Over the years, we have paid for many of our orders with credit cards. By doing so, we have built up quite a bank of frequent flyer miles. So we will happily use some of those miles to fly to Europe on first class tickets. The actual cost of the tickets, if we had been crazy enough to purchase them, would have been in excess of $20,000!
Moral of the story: Take advantage of all the perks available in the industry.
During our selling careers, we have lost hundreds of orders that we just knew were going to turn into sure sales. Losing an order tends to bump up one’s frustration level several notches. So when this happens, we take a walk as a way of keeping a good selling attitude. Not a slow walk, but a fast aerobic one that clears our minds and helps us to get back on track. By taking this step (or in this case many, many steps), not only are we getting some exercise, but we are making sure that our frustration over the lost order doesn’t lead to mistakes with other matters.
Moral of the story: Walk down your frustration.
Taking prospects and clients to social functions is an important part of relationship building. When you do, always make sure that your vehicle is in top condition; the interior especially should be clean and odor free. Here’s a handy tip for those times when you are too busy to get to the car wash. Uncap a small bottle of hand lotion, like the ones found in hotel rooms, and leave it overnight in a cup holder. In the morning, your car will smell fresher than it did the day before.
Moral of the story: Some impressions last forever.
Over the years numerous suppliers have been forced to close down or reduce their domestic production. It has simply become more cost-effective for them to carry products manufactured overseas. Not only does this eliminate jobs, but it drives down the profit that you can bring home on every order. We try to sell as many American-made products as possible and we urge you to do the same. For instance, most bags are made overseas today. As far as we know, the only supplier now capable of producing a small run of American-made bags is Neely Manufacturing. We urge you to support them and similar suppliers, so that they are not forced to close down their domestic production.
Moral of the story: Union is strength.
Many less fortunate children do not fully experience the joy of Valentine’s Day. In order to make sure that they do, browse through your older samples for items that children might enjoy, such as pens, pencils, key tags, squeeze balls, Frisbees, etc. Then donate the items to a local elementary school to use for Valentine’s Day activities. By doing so, you will be bring a smile to a young child’s face.
Moral of the story: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
When new supplier catalogs arrive in your office, you need to remove the older versions from the file cabinets.
In addition to recycling them, you could donate the clothing catalogs to a local kindergarten or pre-school for cut-and-paste projects.
Most of these catalogs reflect diversity and happily do not include advertisements for products such as Viagra that might require some uncomfortable explaining on the part of teachers!
Moral of the story: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Everyone must deal with unreasonable clients from time to time. When a person asks for special favors, he or shemay be doing so in an effort to test your resolve, or to see how far you can be pushed. By remembering to be fair, while always holding your ground, you can eventually bring around difficult clients to your way of thinking. If they do not want to be agreeable, it is probably best not to deal with them in the future.
Moral of the story: Few people respect a pushover.
From time to time, we have customers who either slow pay, or sometimes don’t pay at all. The easiest way to solve the “no pay” problem is by using the Small Claims Court to collect bad debts. In the last ten years, we have filed 29 different cases in our local court and have collected on 26 of them. In fact, in ten of the cases, we were paid as soon as the customer was served by the constable with the papers!
Moral of the story: Stand your ground.
Most people feel that promotional products are sold only as commodity items. Because of this attitude, it is imperative that you help customers realize the value of paying a higher price in order to get better service. Stand out from your competitors by providing faster responses to questions or more thorough follow-up on orders or both. Develop a selling style that shows you are different by adding a personal touch.
Moral of the story: Treat others the way you want to be treated!
One of the biggest wastes of time is having to delete unwanted e-mails from your computer that result from viruses. To protect yourself and others, try to avoid sending a single mail to your entire address book. The reason that the Sobig6 virus spread so quickly is because thousands of people inadvertently did just that. In addition, please make sure that you have the latest virus protection software installed on your machine. Also be sure to take advantage of frequent updates that are offered by your provider.
Moral of the story: You can never be too careful!
With the start of another new school year about to begin, many of your customers who are parents are facing very stressful schedules. As a result, you may need to temporarily adjust your approach when calling on them. Try not to take rejection personally during this hectic time, or be too
concerned if the sales you have been working on are not closing on schedule. If you do encounter rejection, remember to empathize with your customers. When problems arise, ask them what they want you to do; ask how you can help. Finally, make small talk when dealing with difficult clients, because a friendly banter eases the pressure and makes the client more open to possible solutions. You will be a lot calmer as a result!
Moral of the story: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Getting new people to like you is critical when making a new presentation. Several easy ways to accomplish this is by mirroring the other person’s body language, smiling, making comfortable eye contact (not staring), and by asking open-ended questions (who, what, when, where, why and how questions). Most people will approve of you instantly if you can mimic their body movements. If you meet someone who is loud, raise your voice to the same level. If your new contact has a meek personality, try not to overpower him or her. If youremember to do these things, you will make a favorable impression on all you meet.
Moral of the story: A bit of thoughtful effort can reap a huge reward.
Does the thought of being stuck in traffic or having to stand in long lines make you unduly edgy? If so, then it’s time for some self-assessment. Just possibly, you have formed an impatient attitude that could affect your selling ability. When such an attitude becomes too apparent to others in a negative way, you may face disaster when calling on customers. Your impatience may put you in situations that cause you to make crucial mistakes; your impulsive actions may cause you to do things that you later regret. The better approach is to “go with the flow,”– to take things as they come (without being run over by pushier types). A more relaxed attitude will frequently allow you to solve problems that may be blocking a sale.
Moral of the story: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Reach a higher level of success by making one sale each day. To make sure you attain that goal, have your boss make frequent calls with you. Having someone ride with you will keep you sharp, as well as forceyou to be even more prepared. The boss may have helpful suggestions that can improve your performance. If you are not comfortable having him or her along, then perhaps you have the wrong boss. You should welcome the opportunityto show him or her how lucky they are to have you as a salesperson.
Moral of the story: Pressure peaks performance!
Everyone experiences times when things don’t go exactly as planned. Promotional products distributors seem to have more than their fair share of foul-ups associated with orders. Usually when something bad happens (missed ship date, bad imprint, etc.), your immediate reaction is to either blame others, complain, or be critical of someone (usually the supplier). Before you overreact and lose your temper, pick the better course of action of remaining as calm as possible with both your customer and the offending supplier (if the company is the cause). The animosity created by a “hot head” response is something that is hard to take back and often burns bridges that can never be rebuilt.
Moral of the story: Still waters run deep.
Here’s a way to save money from the “junk” faxes you receive. To prevent them from wasting paper, use the other side of the sheet for your own faxes. Simply turn over the side with the unwanted message and put the sheet of paper back in the machine face up. The next fax that prints will be on the clean side, thus doubling your paper supply. Regardless of the size of the expense, you increase your profits by working “smart,” even when it comes to the small things.
Moral of the story: Double up and save!
Increase your bottom line by selling supplier close-outs. During presentations to new prospects, show items in regular supplier catalogs that you know are currently being offered to the industry at reduced prices. For example, we recently sold 500 pens to a customer at the regular catalog price of $2.70 (C), but only had to pay $1.13 (C) in a supplier’s close-out sale. In the event that one of our competitors had previously shown our customer the close-out price, we, of course, would have honored the cheaper price. But this time it worked out for us to make that tidy profit, which sure helps make up for a few of the slim margins we have been forced to take on some other orders!
Moral of the story: Never turn away from opportunity.
The best way to set yourself apart from your competitors is by having the ability to process your clients’ rush orders. Since you must rely on your suppliers to do this, you need to have a good working relationship with each of them. By paying promptly, most suppliers will go overboard for you during the times when you need them the most–like when you have a short due date. Never tell a supplier that you cannot pay them until you are paid by your customer. You certainly do not want to ask a supplier to process expedited orders if you owe them money beyond terms!
Moral of the story: Paying promptly makes you more money in the long run.
Everyone has an occasional bad day; but in order to be successful at selling, you must keep them to a minimum. Staying motivated is the best way to overcome bad days. How do you do that? One way is to repeat an inspirational phrase. One of the best ever penned was by the visionary Kemmons Wilson, founder of Holiday Inns, when he wrote, “A successful person realizes his personal responsibility for self motivation. He starts himself because he possesses the key to his own ignition switch.”
Moral of the story: Everyone is the master of his or her own fate.
You have the ability to get paid faster if your customers open your bill the day it arrives. Entice them to do so by making your invoices look like special packages. Instead of sending out bills in standard business-size envelopes, mail them in 8 1/2″ x 11″ manila or white folders. Use a Sharpie pen to inscribe the customer’s name address in large letters directly onto the envelope or onto your company mailing label, if you have one. By combining a larger envelope with bold printing, you are creating mail which stands out. This larger size envelope also affords you the opportunity to send catalogs or other collateral materials, which sets up even more chances for selling.
Moral of the Story: Sometimes it’s O.K. for appearances to be a little bit deceiving!
One of the fastest ways to improve sales is to use your body the way it was meant to be used. In other words, put the most emphasis on the parts that come in pairs–use your feet to get in the door, your hands to show your product, your ears to listen, and your eyes to observe everything around you. The one part you should use on a judicious basis is your mouth. There must be a good reason that you only have one!
Moral of the story: Sometimes silence can be golden.
End of year selling tip! As the end of the year approaches, that is the perfect time to get a fresh start on the coming year.
Most customers will not be placing orders in the next few days, so take advantage of this time to get organized for the new year.
Call and visit with your customers to find out about their projects for the new year. They will appreciate your interest and will be more likely to share relevant information with you. Use that information to order samples from suppliers now so that you can hit the ground running immediately after the holidays. We predict that your diligent efforts will be richly rewarded in sales!
Moral of the story: The memory of a good deed lives.
Shaking hands with people is usually the first and most important thing you do at business gatherings. It’s scientific fact that people’s body gestures give away their true intentions. So if you want to send the right signals, here’s how to shake hands correctly. First, extend your hand with the thumb up, clasp the other person’s hand, and then give two or three pumps from the elbow. Avoid both the painful “bone crusher” and the off-putting “wet noodle” handshakes, and be sure to look directly into the person’s eyes–not below his or her chin.
Moral of the story: Always put your best hand forward!
Always ask permission when calling prospects. Here is what to say when calling someone you do not know. Ask them, “Can I talk to you for a second?” In our twenty years in the industry, we have asked that question at least 10,000 times. I don’ think anyone has ever said “no.” How could they?
To be successful at selling, make sure every conversation starts off on the right foot. Remember, there is no better way to close a sale than by beginning with a positive reaction!
Moral to the story: Courtesy is always appreciated!
If you work out of your home (as we have for more than twenty years), you must keep current on the insurance associated with doing business at home. Having just purchased a laptop and two new computers, we found out that none of the them were fully covered under our homeowners policy. To make sure that they are protected, we had to buy a separate small business policy. Depending on the type of equipment in your home office, always be aware of the cost associated with replacement.
Moral to the story: Remember the Boy Scout slogan–be prepared!
With the flu season upon us, make sure to put extra attention on personal hygiene. Handshakes are always an important part of introductions at business and holiday gatherings, so get in the habit of washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing two renditions of “Happy Birthday”) after exchanging handshakes. Effective hand washing is the best thing you can do to help prevent the spread of germs to you and others. It should be an essential part of your daily selling routine.
Moral of the story: Good health is a top selling priority.
Need help getting an ASI or PPAI number?
It’s a proven fact that distributors who use industry number identifiers sell more orders at higher profits.
We’ve been members of both ASI and PPAI for 28 years.
If you’ve been wondering what you must do to become a member of either organization, then we are here to help.
To learn more, send your reply and contact information to
don@sellpromoproducts.com
