GBJ Staff

Why HAYT crimes are sales abuse

by Al Simon

“How are you today?” We hear this or a variation on the theme every day – an inane and meaningless greeting we’re all guilty of using. Salespeople are particularly guilty of this HAYT crime (How Are You Today – get it?) because they haven’t given much thought to better ways to open conversations with prospects and clients.

We are in Georgia, after all, where HAYT speech is a social norm. Consequently, though, this causes prospects to go into ‘APM’ – Automatic Prospect Mode – tuning out a call because it’s obviously a salesperson on the line. Meanwhile, that salesperson probably thinks the call is going well. Probably not.

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GBJ Staff

Catering to complainers?

Listening to a disgruntled customer can often times seem like hearing fingernails scratching a chalkboard. You flinch and cringe in anticipation of the fallout – they trash your product, service or how your company handles customer issues. And thanks to social media, it’s not long before these unhappy souls have trumpeted their dislike far and wide. But have you ever considered they just might be doing you a favor?

Customer complaints highlight areas of vulnerability. No, you don’t have to agree with their methods, isn’t it worth finding out if there is a genuine grievance driving their angst?

Silence, on the other hand, is more deadly because you may never know what caused your loyal customer to walk away. When you take stock of your customer activity and examine customer lists, what always jumps out are those clients you haven’t seen or heard from in a while. That’s a red flag that the relationship derailed somewhere along the track, but you didn’t realize it.

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GBJ Staff

Do you have leverage?

by Al Simon

“Wow, that’s high!” If you were the salesperson, how would you respond? At some point, most sales situations come down to two people trying to hammer out a deal and gain situational advantage. Relationship selling means both parties are ultimately looking for the win-win scenario. That means they will each be either using leverage or succumbing to it.

Gain leverage by fully understanding these sales conditions:

  1. Belief – Believe your products and/or services are as valuable as the price tag they carry and you will be hesitant to discount when the prospect suggests someone else will sell it for less.

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GBJ Staff

10 small business trends for 2012

Before putting the finishing touches on your 2012 strategic plans, consider these trends that in some way, shape or form, have an online component.

Listen to customers differently. Learn to use all avenues of communication available to you from face to face feedback to a myriad of digital options. If necessary, pull in an expert to help you figure out what convergent technologies will work for your business.

Offer bigger value propositions. Personally interact with a client or prospect prior to a sale. Consumers are more discerning and better informed than ever before. You need to quantify your value to them. If you don’t, your competitors will.

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GBJ Staff

Consistently contagious content

Every marketer’s dream is to deliver information that will attract the right audience for your company or product with content that is so contagious that it gets shared far beyond its original audience.

One tip from The Distributed Marketing Blog’s editor Deb McAlister-Holland is to generate five things for each piece of content you create, in this specific order:

Write a short, catchy headline. This is the “bait” that attracts the audience and is the most important part.

Draft a comprehensive outline. Include the target audience, the key take-away points, a unique selling proposition and what part of the overall sales and marketing plan the content should support.

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GBJ Staff

Keep customers coming back

Woo a target market that is already convinced – your clients. Retaining customers takes thoughtful planning and deliberate actions in good times and when business is slow.

Of the key services you routinely purchase, how many are with vendors you’ve used for years? What compels you to stick around? Examine your business practices as measured by your own yardstick to find ways to earn your customers’ continued loyalty. Consider these tips:

Earn additional business by offering something extra. High value add-on’s that are relevant and complement your main product/service lines will save your clients time and hassle.

Wow them with superior levels of service. Make your customers feel as though meeting their needs is your top priority. Quality, personalized service inspires brand loyalty.

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GBJ Staff

Ask for a personal introduction

by Al Simon

Ask business executives how they garner new business and the odds are you will hear them say, “by word of mouth,” and/or, “referrals.” These are companies that hope the phone rings. However, the savvy businessperson knows new business opportunities increase dramatically when you ask for a personal introduction. Although this practice yields consistent results, most people who rely on referrals never think to ask.

Generally speaking, you have a 25 percent chance of obtaining an appointment from a straight referral when you can refer to a common acquaintance. For example: “Al, you should call my friend Nancy. Here is her number and email address. I think she can use what you sell.” That means you will need four referrals for every appointment.

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GBJ Staff

Five ways to boost referrals

Your money will only go so far. There is no room for a costly mistake, but you need to take action that will generate new business. According to Entrepreneur.com, referrals tend to offer the lowest cost per lead and the highest customer retention rates. Add these tactics to your customer-finding strategy:

1. Focus – define your ideal customer and let others know the type referral you want.
2. Ask – consistently remind your customers to share positive experiences with others.
3. Thank – show customers appreciation for their advocacy of your company.
4. Partner – team up with another complementary business with the same target market.
5. Promote –cross sell with other businesses using gift vouchers or discounted deals.

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GBJ Staff

Five signs your prices need to change

Settling on the right pricing structure for your products and services is critical for any business owner. Are your prices driving away customers or creating unrealistic demand? How do you know when your prices are wrong?

  1. Your competitors are cashing in with inferior products. Price sets the perceived value. If you offer a superior product, price it accordingly. Consider a lower price only when production costs and profit margins match your goals.
  2. SALE! signs dominate your storefront or marketing tools. Weigh the benefits of increased foot traffic over the type of customers you want to have. Your company will perform better when serving customers who value what you offer and when you avoid those who don’t.

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GBJ Staff

Ten consumer-driven trends that motivate today’s purchasing behaviors

Consumers are firmly in the driver’s seat, taking control of their shopping experiences. Savvy merchants need to anticipate, adapt to and accommodate what motivates today’s purchasers.

Expected discounts – the glut of sales in recent years compels shoppers to require markdowns of at least 30 percent or they will walk away.

Cashless payments – in the current “swipe and go” world, many Americans buy with debit and credit cards versus cash.

Social-likes – younger shoppers get the word out about recent purchases, meals or entertainment experiences via Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube.

Membership privileges – consumers want special offers from merchants and many create separate emails to receive promos like coupons and daily deals.

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