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.

AMiable Solution #179: Don’t Forget Your Staff

Celebrating your clients, members, or donors helps develop and grow relationships.  It shows them that you recognize their value and worth to you and your organization.  But they aren’t the only ones worthy of saluting.

Celebrating employee anniversaries (hire dates) is just as important.  Even taking just a few minutes to say, “Thank you for working here,” can boost not only the recognized employee’s morale, but also the morale of everyone else in the group.  Who doesn’t want to feel appreciated?

So what’s the best way to honor employees on their anniversaries? 

·        Keep it simple but sincere.  A half-hearted or “check-the-box” attempt could actually create hurt feelings, not feelings of appreciation.  Whatever you do, mean it.

·        Keep it personal.  Depending on the size of your organization, you could be recognizing employee anniversaries frequently.  To keep them from becoming monotonous, and to maintain their value, be sure to personalize each recognition.  Think about what the individual has done to change or improve the dynamics of the group, the way things get done, or the effectiveness of your work.  Make each individual feel special, not like the next name on the list. 

·        Keep it appropriate.  Of course, there are some occasions that just beg for more than a card or a speech.  Employees with long lengths of service deserve a little more hype, whether that means a special party in the break room or a small, personalized gift.  Just make sure you establish a policy regarding such occasions ahead of time and stick with it. 

Whether you present the celebrated employee with a card signed by management or the whole department or you devote 5 or 10 minutes of your department meeting to highlighting the impact the employee has had on the organization or department, taking the time to recognize an individual’s commitment to the company will make your work environment stronger and your organization greater.

AMiable Solution #178: More Reasons to Celebrate

If you have a good relationship with your significant other (and want to keep it that way), you remember your anniversary.  Doing so tells your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, or husband, “You’re important to me.”

You can apply that same sentiment to your customers, members, and donors.  By taking the time to say, “We recognize and appreciate you,” you’re not only creating a memorable customer experience, but you’re also improving your relationship.

Celebrating your customers’ anniversaries doesn’t have to be involved or expensive.  All you need is the date your customer first ordered from your organization, signed up for a service, became a member, or supported your cause and a sincere desire to thank them.

We have a few suggestions for marking the special occasion, but feel free to use your imagination to surprise and delight your clients:

·        Email a short but sincere message. 

·        Offer a special (and free-of-charge) upgrade to a service or product.

·        Mail a card by your entire staff (if small) or the head of your organization.  This could be particularly suitable for special anniversaries such as 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, etc.

·        Create a place of honor on your website for identifying companies or individuals celebrating milestone anniversaries.

No matter what you say--whether it’s anything from “You’ve been a member of our organization for eight years, and we want you to know that we appreciate you.  Best wishes for a successful year ahead,” to, “One year ago today you made your first purchase with us.  We hope you have gotten great value from .  Thank you, and we look forward to providing you with many more years of excellent service”--be sure to change your message every year to maintain the integrity and authenticity of your appreciation.

AMiable Solution #177: Looking for the Perfect Gift?

You want to build long-lasting relationships with your clients, right?  Have you ever sent them a birthday card?

Incorporating a birthday email program into your marketing is an easy, relatively inexpensive, and potentially very profitable way to show your clients you care about them.  Birthday emails have higher unique click rates than regular promotional emails (179% higher, according to a February 2014 study by Experian Marketing Services), and they help you build a rapport with clients that can open opportunities for business later.

To maximize your impact, keep the following tips in mind:

1.      Personalize your subject line.  According to Experian Marketing Services, emails with subject lines that include first-name personalization have 17% higher unique open rates than emails with subject lines that don’t include personalization.

2.      Personalize your message.  Your clients trusted you enough to give you their birth date.  Don’t disappoint them.  Make sure your message includes something special: a free product or service relevant to their prior purchases, or a special discount or price you don’t generally offer.  The email should feel like a gift, not an advertisement.

3.      Send a reminder email. Whether you send out your birthday email one month early or on the client’s big day, sending a reminder increases open rates by 20%, according to Experian.  Only 12% of brands, however, send them.

If you don’t have customer birth dates as part of your database, consider running a promotional campaign to collect them.  Let customers know you want to help them celebrate their birthdays with a special treat.  Or, make it part of your email sign-up page or online order form.  Be sure to explain why you want the information to encourage participation and diffuse hesitation.