Your First Day Back...

I'm at the AAEX / SEMA tradeshows this week. If you were here, too, I
hope you had a great show.

Every year at this time I write the same basic tip. Hope it serves as a
reminder to not let all your hard work as an exhibitor go to waste ...

Your trade show or special event is over. Great! Time to breath a sigh
of relief and catch up on things.

Whoa! Not so fast.

Consider using your first day back like it's your last day at the event.

It's easy to get so swept away catching up that you put off following up.

But what's more important? The day-to-day grind -- or reminding that
hot prospect that you're the one exhibitor out of hundreds they met that
they want to buy from?

Take a moment to jot a quick thank you note, send a catalog, or ship
that sample you promised. Don't let your follow-up get fouled up by
competingpriorities. Set your priority on contacting the hottest
prospects  first and working your way down the list.

How do you know who's hottest? You should use a lead sheet that asks
questions that will help you, like:

When do you plan to buy?

How many do you plan to buy?

Are you considering any other brands?

This is also a good day to make notes on improvements for next year's
show while everything is still fresh in your mind.

But above all try to avoid calling anyone you met at the trade show
the first day you're back.  After all, they'll probably be as swamped
catching up that day as you'll be -- tomorrow.

BTW, If  I don't call you today please don't be offended, be inspired.

I'm Baaack....

I’ve been busy with lots of new projects, training and writing
assignments. That’s why you haven’t heard from me for weeks. Sorry.

But I’m back with lots of new tips, like this one...

Customers will not buy from you unless they trust you.

Sales trainer Orrin Rudolph points out that every relationship, be it
business or personal, has a trust bank account. For example, we trust
our best friends because they’ve proven trustworthy over time.

The same is true in personal selling and marketing relationships. Every
interaction with a customer builds a deeper trust. Every purchase a
customer makes that goes well puts more trust in that account.

One day, whether you like it or not, things will go wrong. An order will
be delayed, a product will break, you’ll make a mistake ... whatever.
And when that happens, if you’ve built a solid trust account with your
customer, they'll draw against that trust you've built. They’ll be
understanding, forgiving, and keep doing business with you.

But if you don’t have anything in your trust account, you risk losing
that customer.

So it’s best to practice integrity and good customer service every time
you interact with a customer or prospect.

Trust me on this.

Takeaway:  Keep making deposits in your customer’s trust bank.

Tooling Up....

Like most guys, I like tools.

In fact, judging from Beth's collection of kitchen gadgets and cookbooks, women like tools, also. But they don't call them "tools".  A tool is just an item that makes a job easier -- or in some cases possible. 

In sales and marketing, we have tools, too. Each tool has a unique purpose. But, sometimes we don't have all the tools we need. Or we use the wrong tool and complain it doesn't work.

The other day on a houshold project I didn't have my tin snips, so I used a hack saw to cut a piece of sheet metal. It took forever. It wasn't the tool's fault, it was mine for using the wrong tool.

Likewise: a flyer isn't a closing tool and a salesman isn't a lead generator. They may be able do the job, but they aren't the most efficient tool for the job.

Want to boost sales? Perhaps it's time to retool your marketing...

Takeaway: How many tools are in your marketing tool box? Are you using them properly?

Tell us what tools you're using.  Take our survey.

Connecting....

Do you only communicate with customers and prospects when you're
selling something?

Think about that.

How do you feel about people who only call you when they need
something.  Can't they call you to congratulate you, catch-up or connect?

Here's an example: I pulled up to the drive-up window at my bank
yesterday and was surprised (I promise this isn't another bank rant).
Actually,  I  was pleasantly surprised...

"Hi, this is Susan. I'll be right with you," came a voice over the speaker.

After a minute or two the voice returned.

"Sorry about the delay Mr. Sasso," said Susan.

After another moment her pleasant voice returned.

"Thank you Mr. Sasso. Anything else today?"

"Uh, no. Thanks," I stammered.

"Have a great day!"

I drove away stunned. Lately every bank visit has included a flier or
a verbal sales pitch for another bank service or to request a referral.
Susan was just ... nice.

Are you always pushing for more sales with every customer encounter
(both in print or in person)? Upselling, cross-selling, and asking for
referrals are all very important aspects of marketing. But they aren't
the end-all-be-all.

Sometimes it pays just to take a moment to be friendly and wish your
customer well. Never underestimate the power of a real, genuine
human connection.

Takeaway: Sometimes the best sales pitch is no sales pitch at all. What
have you done to connect with your customers today?