I’m Cheaper Is A Terrible Marketing Mantra
The previous post told you I’d do a more thorough post on price and since it didn’t garner much attention ( comments ), I guess I’ll have to do a real man-size post to try and woo you into commenting the hell out of it.
Price is the first thing a poor salesman tries to manipulate. It’s also the last thing a good salesman tries to manipulate.
Any sales manager worth a plate of Oysters Rockefeller can tell you this. Here’s what I hear every week from our sales people :
” If we had a lower price, I couldn’t find enough time to write orders. ”
” I talked with John Blogger and he said if we’d come down, he’d come over. “
” Can we cut ‘em a special deal, just this once ? They’ll give us all their business if we do. “
And a hundred more lines just like those.
The worst part is, they’ve actually deluded themselves into believing that crap.
Price lies and alibi’s are the most common threads in our everyday sales lives. It doesn’t go away and it never changes.
Every good Sales Manager or VP of Sales knows that service, quality and loyalty are more important, but not usually the focus of the buyer and his song-and-dance to your field-level salesperson.
Good salesmen overcome pricing issues and make sales in spite of them. Good ones. Not bad.
Most salesmen put price first and that starts their downfall. They jump to conclusions when they hear a buyer bring up price. A majority of the time, the buyer will let go of the pricing issues when you have more important things for him to think about.
Did price matter when you drove out to his jobsite at 11PM and showed his men the box that they swore wasn’t there ?
Did price matter when you brought in a crew to deliver his material on a Saturday, just to fix the mess he made by forgetting to order a Friday delivery ?
Did price matter when you personally drove 5 1/2 hours to pick up a box of material and got back with it at midnight, just so he could finish a job the next morning at 7AM for a 9AM ribbon cutting ?
You’ve got to remember those things and how price didn’t come into the equation then, if you want price to stay out of the equation now.
What else keeps price out of the equation ?
1) Quality does.
2) Service does.
3) Reliability does.
4) Experience does.
5) The salesman’s personality does.
Think about it. I don’t buy off-brand tires. I don’t ask price on the raw oysters I love. I don’t ask price when I buy my razor blades. I don’t price-shop for steak.
The list of things we don’t ask the price of is the same thing that our customers buy - things we want the best of and things we need.
I’m cheaper is a terrible marketing mantra.
If that’s all you got, you got nothing.
Ill try to do a few more posts, as I remember a few pricing stories over the next few days … or weeks. Depending on the response from - The Best Damn Blog Readers On The Planet !
Does Price Really Matter ?
I stopped by a local tire dealer today. I’ve got a lot of road trips coming up and don’t want to start my late summer/early fall golf and selling season with worn tires.
I told the guy at the desk that I needed tires for my ( made in Kentucky ) Camry. Our company gets great deals for the 20 + that we have on the road. We’ll also have new teams and cars to root for next year when the Camry hits NASCAR. Whooo-wheee !
I then walked over to the wall where tires from multiple manufacturers were hanging. He asked what size I needed and then started telling me about the cheapest set he had.
He never asked which brand I liked, he just started at the bottom out of habit, I guess.
I stopped him and said I wanted the best ( as I perceived them ) tires he had, not the cheapest. I’ve got 8 months left on my lease and expect to wear out these tires before or at the end of that lease.
Think about this, I’m gonna be riding across 3 states, at moderately high speeds at times, with only those tires between me and doom. And he starts at the bottom of the food chain, tire-wise. Uh-uh. No way.
He didn’t happen to remember that I was in a few months ago and bought the 4 best Goodyear tires he had for my wife’s soccer-Mom van. Again, they’re all that’s between her and a bad deal, so spend that extra $100 and get good tires is my philosphy.
Why would a salesman start low ?
Was he trained to start low or had he been broken down by the constant haggling and gotten tired of having to reprice tires for people who don’t care if they have good tread or not ?
Does his boss know he’s a low-ball kinda guy ?
Does the boss care ?
I’ll do a post about price in a day or so, but I’d like to see what you think is the reason before I write it.
BTW - I got 4 new Goodyear’s and they are suh-weet ! I worked with Goodyear in the past…and, uh …. no, not in a tire dealership.
It Was An Irresistable Offer
I’m just finishing reading The Irresistable Offer, written by Mark Joyner. It recently made the list of Copywriting Books You Should Buy, over at Copyblogger.com. That post, as of this writing had gathered in 21 comments, so it was a tremendous success in my book.
Brian and I debated the addition of the book to his list. Both of us had good points.
I still don’t think it belongs, but it’s up against classic books from marketing legends. Marketing mentors and sales legends, if you will.
Mark Joyner’s a great internet marketer, but I’m not sure he belongs with the others on the list.
The book mentions Domino’s Pizza ( are they still around ? ) WAY TOO many times. It’s full of one sentence paragraphs and double line spacing.
Looks like some of my blog posts !
However, the book definitely has some merits and is worth reading, if only for Appendix’s A & B, Selling Yourself In 3 Seconds Or Less and A Note To Salesmen.
The info contained there is some of the same keys that I’ve placed emphasis on in my soon to be released ebook that deals with getting people to say yes to your sales messages.
I’m in edit number two. One more after this, a little formatting and then an ecover and download page before I turn it loose on the world.
Mike’s 8 Simple Rules For Repeat Sales
I recently started training a new salesman for one of our larger offices.
It brought to mind the fact that I’ve seen a gazillion salesmen come and go thru the years.
The reasons that were given for all the ones that left were varied, but I believe it was because they never really caught on to the real function of their position.
To make repeat sales. You might get lucky and sell a customer once, but to sell him over and over takes a real salesman.
By taking better care of the customer than your competition does. The old adage is true, if you ain’t the lead-dog, the view never changes.
- Give them what they asked for - close doesn’t count, exact does. Not once, every time.
- Deliver quality - don’t bother delivering inferior product.
- Don’t oversell them - convincing them to take a chance on selling two years worth of product in one years time is the fast lane to being a one-time supplier.
- Become a valued team member - go above and beyond or don’t go.
- Keep them informed - let them know about delays, pricing issues and potential problems well in advance of the rumor mongers ( your competition ).
- Tell the truth - don’t become overly enthusiastic and stretch the truth. Even if it costs you the sale.
- Show appreciation for past sales - in my industry it’s nice golf courses, 2 hour lunches and leisurely steak dinners.
- Show interest - either you invest your time thinking about their company and how you can help them or your competitor will.
Looks like a daunting task, doesn’t it ? The truth is, it’s only about 1% more effort than you’re already giving.
Did You Quit Calling On Them Too Soon ?
That’s what a salesman I was training told me as he came out of a potential client’s office.
Ever feel that way ? Me too. But I don’t let it last as long as this guy did.
I’m still selling. He’s gone. Like the wind.
Whenever I get that feeling, I remember these figures I read and wrote down :
80% of all sales are made after the fifth call on a prospect.
48% of sales people make one call and quit.
25% make two calls before quitting.
12% make three calls before they quit.
10% keep calling … and make 80% of the sales !
Looking Better And Selling Better Go Together
Can you tell how fast a horse will run by looking at it ? If so, meet me at Churchill Downs tomorrow.
Can you tell how far a frog will jump by looking at it ? Me neither.
But I can promise you this - Better looking, better feeling sales people sell more than poorly dressed, ill-feeling sales people.
It’s a fact.
I spent about 3 ( of my 6) years in and out of Aberdeen Proving Grounds (MD), and we had a special inspection every Friday morning at Roll Call. The GI with the sharpest uniform, best haircut, shiniest boots and best shave always got out of guard duty for the weekend. I only pulled guard duty one time in 3 years for my company. Once.
I read about a sales manager that used to take his sales people and have them come to the front of the room during a monthly sales meeting. Every other sales person had to grade their appearance.
Those receiving the highest grade were always those that had the highest sales.
Without fail.
You can either believe it or be wrong. It’s true.
I’ve said it before - When I have a big meeting planeed, I plan it around a 2 hour drive to see the best barber in the Louisville Metro area. It costs me some time, but it makes me more money.
Whether it’s the lucky haircuts that Roger gives me or whether it just gives me enough confidence to do my best, it works.
When I was unlucky enough to wear a tie, instead of loafers and a golf shirt, I used to buy a new lucky tie. Now I just get a lucky haircut and tip extra big for the extra shot of confidence.
Want more sales ?
Iron your shirt. Get a haircut. Press your Dockers. Get a shoe shine ( another favorite of mine ).
They all work to help you exhude the air of confidence that you need to distinguish you from the competition.
PS - The photo above is courtesy of Hollywood Yesterday - A blog about the best years of Hollywood and a great place to get screensavers and wallpapers for you bad-ass PC !
Ideas For Sale - No Longer Free
I’m now up into double digits with the number of ideas that I’ve shared with bloggers that have been taken to fruition.
I don’t mind sharing, well I didn’t, but am starting to, BUT I see now that the blogosphere is a populated by a different kind of person.
In the internet marketing world, where I started, when we sat down with someone, especially over a meal, and gave freely of our ideas, if you took an idea and ran with it, you invited the originator of the idea to participate. That’s basically what a “joint venture’ is. Basically, not entirely.
What I wasn’t sure of, but am now, was if the new breed of internet marketer, known as bloggers, was the type to use an idea and not even invite participation or if they, as bloggers would seem to be, would be sharers.
Most bloggers are not sharers. Most are users and takers. They take your time and use your idea. They run away to a dark corner and code like hell til they have a new service, project or blog.
That’s just wrong.
From now on, I will be more careful with my sharing, whether it’s in private, on the phone or over a meal. There may only be paid consultations.
I’ve got plenty of ideas left and they’ll pay more than the ones I’ve shared, so it’s not a big loss.
I might have taught you all you know, but I didn’t teach you all I know.
Peace.
PS - I’m taking the day off to go play golf. I will not expand on this post. No names. No fingers to be pointed at a specific site.
You have no idea who these bloggers are. If you think you do, you’re wrong.
EDIT - Notice the phrase ‘double digits’ - this isn’t a specific or one-time thing. It’s over a period of a year. It does not point specifically to anything new, just released or current.
The photo used is to point you to a way to work with bright ideas.
EDIT #2 - This does in no way, shape or form refer to Brian Clark or Chris Pearson and their soon to be launched service.
Hell, I know where Pearson lives and will be in Louisville tomorrow. If I had a beef with him, I’d go by and eat lunch with him at Q’doba and talk it over like adults.
Chris has, thru his Blog Louisville site, made me thousands of dollars by selling ads. Why in the hell would I bite the hand that fed me ?
I’m dumb, but I ain’t that dumb.
How To NOT Make A Sales Call
Over at Flyte Blog, my blog buddy Rich Brooks outlines a recent sales call by a complete fool of a salesman.
Obviously, there’s more stuff to sell than there is good sales people available or we wouldn’t have to be subjected to this kind of idiocy.
I can’t even imagine telling a potential client that most people want to know more about me.
It’s almost like he’s saying he’s put off because we don’t even know just how good he is.
I try my damndest to not reveal anything personal to a potential client.
I’m way too big of a doofus and don’t want them to know it until I have processed the order and have their money !
Click thru and let ol’ Rich know you care !
Say ! That’s basically a link leak, isn’t it !?
SalesTeamTools Starting To Review Sales Books
Just in case you missed it, over at SalesTeamTools, Brandon’s starting a weekly review of sales oriented books.
I’m really looking forward to some of these, as I haven’t read them and this will be a little Cliff Note-ish for me. I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two and so will you if you’ll follow along.
Click thru and subscribe to his RSS feed, so you don’t miss the one that you need the most.
How To Create A ‘Problem Book’
The first time I rode with him, I thought he was the be-all and end-all of salesmen.
A “natural born” salesman.
Smart. Poised. Quick wit. He had it all.
There was nothing a prospect could throw at him that rattled him. Nothing.
He personifed sales. He oozed it. Could have even smelled like it, but I can’t really remember.
I put him up on a pedestal and figured he must be a myth. A dream.
One day I worked up the courage to ask him about all of it.
I’m just like you, he said. Except, I have a book. The Book of Problems.
I got all my skills the hard way. I earned them. Like you’ll have to do.
I started with no more skills that the average salesman, maybe less.
But I kept a record of every problem a client threw at me. And now I have The Book of Problems.
Mine won’t do you any good, you’ll have to create your own, as you go. The way I work around all of their excuses won’t work for you. Each person has to get around them as suits his personality, his nature and his temperment.
Is that all there is to that book, I asked ?
That’s all you need in your book, son. Solutions to problems. Find enough solutions to enough problems and you’ll never have to look for a job.
I did. I don’t.
The corporation of which I own a small percentage is hiring a new salesman for one of our locations in a city I’m tired of visiting. Tired of that particular Hampton Inn. Tired of the restaurants. Tired of the traffic.
I’ve known this guy for well over a decade. I recommended him for the job.
I have 2 proprietary systems that I use. Both are the reasons I’ve been so fortunate in my industry.
Should I reveal both to him the week he starts ?
One month in ?
One year ?
Never ?
Or do I let him find his own way ?
