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SAVVY
SELLING - OCTOBER
21, 2005
Cultivating
Your Turf
By Michelle Nichols
EXECUTIVE
OVERVIEW
Regardless of whether you sell a unique
or common product, the grass will
often look greener on the other side
of the sales fence. Here's how to
sell more of what you're already offering.
Both mainstream
and niche businesses share the problem
of making themselves distinct in customers'
minds. Here's how to do it
Businesses can be like teenagers
-- they want to simultaneously fit
in and stand out. When I consult with
clients that naturally stand out,
because they sell something really
unique, they complain that their prospective
customers aren't clear on exactly
what they sell. On the other hand,
when I consult with clients that fit
in, because they sell something common,
they grumble that it's hard to differentiate
their businesses from the competition.
It's like the grass is always greener
on the other side of the sales fence.
However, to be successful, you need
to market your own yard. Rather than
bemoaning the advantages of having
something different to sell, both
situations can benefit from taking
a page out of the other side's playbook.
For those sales reps who have unusual
offerings -- like golf tournament
consulting services or a medical data-collection
system using headsets and the Web
-- it's a challenge to show the value
of your proposition when the customer
doesn't get why they need something
that does X but not Y.
KNOWN QUANTITIES. What to do? Find
ways to pitch your idea so it fits
into what's already in the customer's
mind. One way is to brainstorm for
analogies and metaphors. Remember,
automobiles were originally known
as "horseless carriages."
Customers already knew what a carriage
was and what it could do for them.
They imagined they could have the
benefits of a carriage without the
disadvantages of a horse.
You can also borrow a well-known
brand and apply it to your enterprise.
Perhaps you are "the Wal-Mart
of golf" or "the Brookstone
of dog-training supplies." Since
your customers are probably familiar
with these vendors, they'll better
understand your market positioning
and more quickly decide if that's
what they need or want to buy.
By the way, just because no one else
sells exactly what you do doesn't
mean you're without competitors. For
example, if you sell shoes with wheels
in them, you're fighting for funds
from those who sell regular shoes,
in-line skates, scooters, skateboards,
and bicycles. In the bigger picture,
you're competing with all forms of
exercise and entertainment equipment.
GET TO THE POINT. Just remember,
the more unusual your offering, the
more important it is to keep the sales
message simple. A rule of thumb is
to double your focus on the results
you deliver -- faster turnaround,
clearer drawings, or measurably lower
costs -- and halve your descriptions
on exactly how you get these results.
Customers won't accept a fuzzy "just
trust us, we really can do this,"
but they don't need a detailed explanation
of every minute step you perform either
-- at least not in the early stages
of the sale. Too much detail can reduce
your sales momentum, which can ultimately
kill a sale. It can also educate your
client on how they could do your job
in-house. Ouch.
For those whose sales propositions
are more easily understood, like dry-cleaning
services or women's shoes, it's difficult
to show your value when the customer
thinks they can buy the same thing
down the street for less money.
JUICED. I recommend you find ways
to sell so you stand out from those
who sell similar products and services.
As in the prior situation, invest
the time to do some creative thinking
about what's special or unique about
what you sell, how you sell it, or
the entire sales experience.
Say you're introducing some Mexican
fruit-juice drinks to the American
marketplace. Your customers assume
they know what fruit juice is, so
your product's message could easily
be drowned out by those of traditional
orange juice and other juice products.
You might want to pitch that these
products will help the drinker appear
more successful to their peers, bring
special health benefits, or add variety
to the menus of people on strict diets.
Maybe they come in interesting containers,
like Coca-Cola's (KO ) original curvy
glass bottles or perhaps one that's
square or in the shape of a fish.
GOTHIC LETTERS. If you sell a service
such as printing, maybe you're open
later or earlier, offer guaranteed
translations, or provide unusual paper
stock. You might want to make a list
of 10 ways you could differentiate
your company and then survey your
potential customers to see which ones
they would pay more for. Give them
the opportunity to tell you what twists
would give them added benefit too.
One word of advice in finding ways
to be unique -- make sure it's something
your customers directly benefit from
and will pay extra or drive farther
to receive. If your printing operation
decides to be different by having
all the employees dress in Goth or
speak only in French, it could backfire.
Another idea is to consider flipping
a disadvantage to your favor. Business
writer W. Clement Stone once wrote:
To every disadvantage, there is a
corresponding advantage. His peer,
Napoleon Hill, added: Your big opportunity
may be right where you are now. Perhaps
your out-of-the-way location can add
cachet to your business, or maybe
the unusual color combinations on
your products make you more desirable
to certain ethnic groups. This is
another great application for creative
thinking, brainstorming, and research.
Humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote
a book called The Grass Is Always
Greener Over the Septic Tank, which
speaks to a truth in selling too.
The real secret to increasing your
sales is to sell something people
want to buy and are able to buy now.
Stop thinking about how much easier
it would be to sell a different product
or service. Help more clients buy
more of what you're selling right
now, and your sales volumes will soar.
Happy selling!
Michelle Nichols is a professional
sales speaker and consultant based
in Reno, NV. She welcomes your questions
and comments. You can visit her web
site at www.savvyselling.com
or contact her at michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com.
Her direct line is (775) 303-8201
and her
toll-free number is (877) 352-9684.
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