AMiable Solution #184: Four Simple Sales Strategies that Still Work, Part 4

Call us old-fashioned, but we still believe in an important question that many marketers don’t ask their customers: do any other departments in your company or any of your colleagues have a similar problem that we might be able to help them with?

Asking for referrals is by no means out-of-style or out-of-date.  In fact, the practice yields some of the strongest leads for very little cost. 

What’s the best way to go about asking for referrals?

Since they come from existing customers, start by providing them with a great product or service.  Two kinds of customers talk to others about their experiences: happy ones and dissatisfied ones.  Keep your customers fall in the “happy” category by making their entire experience with you and your organization a fulfilling and productive one, beginning with the first contact and going beyond the sale.

Then, follow up with your customers.  Make sure that they’re still satisfied with their purchase and that it’s working for them the way they expected it to.  You may not be able to do this right away, depending on the product or service.  Some customers will see the benefit of their purchase immediately.  For others, it may take weeks or even months.  Time your follow-up accordingly, and then reach out to them.  If your customers are happy…

Ask for that referral.   

Don’t forget to get it in writing.  Even if a customer can’t provide you with a name, a satisfied customer can provide a written review of your product or service that can create similarly beneficial results.

AMiable Solution #183: Four Simple Sales Strategies that Still Work, Part 3

Is your idea of networking collecting a stack of business cards and throwing them in a desk drawer to look at “later”?  You could do better.

Networking is about more than collecting names.  It’s about creating relationships.  It’s about sharing ideas.  It’s about spending time with people you can learn from, work with, or help.  Networking is about opportunities.

None of these things will develop if you don’t do anything with the cards you’ve collected or the conversations you’ve started.  Networking requires an investment of time, interest, and consistency. 

How can you get started?  Follow up with each new contact as soon as you can after your initial meeting.  Whether you call or send an email, reach out to your new contact.  Remind him/her about the context in which you met and what you discussed, and start a dialog.  The more frequently you touch base with this new contact, the more you can develop a mutually beneficial relationship.

Also, make “networking” a regular practice, not just something you do once or twice a year at conventions and gatherings.  Incorporate a curiosity and a desire to meet more people and expand your professional community every chance you get.

Finally, remember that the time you spend cultivating relationships now, if maintained, will benefit you for many years.  Whether you network for new clients, new vendors, or new colleagues, when you need advice, help, or a trusted and reliable source for your jobs, you’ll have a strong network of people to turn to.

AMiable Solution #182: Four Simple Sales Strategies that Still Work, Part 2

Is cold calling dead?  Not in our opinion.  As a matter of fact, we’ve started at least three new client relationships this year this way.

How can you make it work for you? 

First, don’t think of it as a drag.  It may not be your favorite task, but if you approach it that way, your prospect will hear it in your voice.  Start with a good attitude and a smile on your face.  A sincere, friendly voice speaks volumes and will be more likely to engage the person on the other end of the phone.  In her November 19,2 012, Entrepreneur article, “Seven Secrets to Cold Calling Success,” Jane Porter even suggests talking in front of a mirror, which she says will naturally cause you to smile more.

Second, start with a conversation, not a sales pitch.  Offer a friendly greeting.  Try to make a personal connection based on something you know about the organization or the prospect, in particular.  Be sure to mention any common connections you have or the name of the person who referred you before launching into your sales pitch.

Finally, listen.  Listen not only to your prospect, but also to yourself.  Be sincere.  Don’t say things just because you think they’ll buy you points.  Learn from your prospect’ responses and your own.

Opportunity is ringing, and it’s for you.

AMiable Solution #181: Four Simple Sales Strategies that Still Work, Part 1

Quick: name your favorite way to communicate with prospects and clients. 

Does your answer involve some form of technology?  With so many high-tech options for creating, personalizing, targeting, and tracking sales campaigns these days, it would be hard not to pick one.  Although we love the efficiency and accessibility technology provides us, we can’t help but cling to some of our favorite old-school methods, including the good ol’ phone call.

Why are phone calls so great when you can just zip off an email?  After all, emails give us time to carefully craft what we want to say, and they let us say it any time we choose.

While we admit email correspondence does have its advantages (documenting agreements, detailing concerns, providing follow-up), relationships develop between people, not electronic files.  People connect with people.  They buy from people.  They put their trust in people. 

And there are times when you just can’t beat a real-time conversation.  Like when your client has a problem or complaint.  Or when your organization is planning to make a change to the way an account is handled.  When membership renewals go unanswered.  Or when you want to introduce your company to a prospect.

Phone calls give you the opportunity that no written correspondence can: to instantaneously interact.  Only with a phone call can you accurately express emotion: concern, interest, enthusiasm, empathy.  Only with a phone call can you immediately address a client’s concerns or questions.  Only with a phone call can you pick up on tone, silence, and hesitation.

Technology certainly has its place, but for cultivating and maintaining relationships with clients, members, and donors, no marketing speaks louder and more clearly than your own voice.

Want to learn about other traditional sales strategies that should still have a place in your sales and marketing efforts?  Check back next week--and all month--for more.

AMiable Solution #180: Celebrate You!

No matter how long your organization has been around, the fact that it’s alive and kickin’ is cause for celebration.  If you have a significant milestone coming up--say, a 10-, 25-, or 50-year anniversary, or the anniversary of a key product or service--that’s even more reason to mark and market the occasion.

There’s no ideal way to celebrate your organization’s anniversary.  Your celebration will depend on your market, your history, your budget, and your organization’s brand or personality.  Here, however, are a few tips and suggestions to help get you started:

·        For a relatively inexpensive and value-added announcement, create a tip sheet with helpful hints for your target market.  Match the number of tips to the number of years your organization is celebrating.

·        Create a special anniversary logo, and use it the entire year on stationary, in marketing, on your website, etc. 

·        Mark the occasion with an organization-wide day of service to local non-profits or other community groups.

·        Market a limited-time sale or develop a limited-edition product to mark the anniversary.

·        Create and post a video of your organization and its history.  Include old photos, old and new marketing, old and innovative products or services, and brief interviews with various personnel, past and present.

·        Issue a press release announcing your organization’s anniversary, its major accomplishments, and its plans for the future.

·        Sponsor a local event or make a major contribution to a local need.

·        If appropriate, consider using this opportunity to update your company’s image or to unveil new products, policies, or initiatives.

·        Include your employees!  No matter how you choose to celebrate--with a big, formal party or a simple banner on the building--let your employees be part of the celebration.  After all, they’re what keep the company going and growing.

Don’t limit your plans to one event or one promotion.  You have an entire year to celebrate, so make the most of it.  Highlighting your organization’s years of service to the industry reminds your customers, your donors, your members, your prospects, and your suppliers that your organization is successful and plans to remain so for years to come.