SALES TIP 1:Give Away Something to Make Money!

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Over the last few months I have been working with a number of clients and trying to help them get more people in the door. One of the clients was a bakery and the second client was a coffee shop/restaurant.  The challenge for both of them was that they had virtually no money because their advertising was bleeding them dry and it really wasn’t working.

So what to do?

I was really concerned for both owners cause their businesses were really in a lot of trouble and their cashflow was being hit badly, so my plan had to be revolutionary and I needed to have 100% confidence that what we do would work.

The Plan – Give Something Away For Free to Get People In The Door

For both businesses we hatched a plan to get people in the door and most importantly get a boost for their cashflow.  In both cases we developed a plan where they would give away a free item, in the case of the Bakery it was to be a Free Donut and in the Coffee shop a Free Anzac Biscuit.

We placed adverts in both the local papers and free buy and sell mags in the area they operated. There were no catches for the Free giveaway eg. the advert didn’t say buy a coffee and get a free Anzac Biscuit it was just a free give away.

Why did we do this?  We simply wanted to get people into the stores and then have the staff upsell to the clients. For example in the case of the bakery,  we trained the staff to ask them if they would like to buy a loaf of bread and in the case of the coffee shop the customers were asked did they want to buy a coffee to go with their Anzac Biscuit.

When the owners first heard of this plan they thought I was totally nuts. They fought me on it tooth and nail, so I made an offer to them. If more than ten people actually came in and didn’t buy something else then I would cover the cost of the items sold.   With that offer the owners were absolutely estatic with that could they wouldn’t be out of pocket.

We ran the advert on the Saturday and the coupon in the paper, prospect could cut out of the papers would run for 5 days and then expire.

The potential costs to our clients was in fact minimal…. the cost of each of the items to give away was about 5 cents and we made about 200 of the anzac biscuits for the coffee shop and 200 donuts for the bakery. We ensured that on the coupons we had the start times and address of both locations.

We opened both stores early to see how they would go……

THE RESULTS …….

Well they were truly remarkable, before either store was open we had people waiting to get their free items.  Here is the good news though, at both sites neither had more than 10 people actually just come for their free items.  Everybody purchased at least one additional item as well with their free items.

Both sites gave away their 200 items and had to bake more before the end of the day.  The sales results were that both stores had increased their sales between 50 to 80% for the first day of the campaign.

The long term objective of this campaign was to get people in these stores and to get them coming back.  The campaign worked in that it did get people short term into the store and we found that over a period of about 6 weeks they had a consistent growth of 30% of the daily turn-over.  This helped ensure in both cases that their cashflow was inline with their expenditure and they started to make money.

Whilst this campaign worked for these two clients, we can never guarantee it would work for everyone but at the least you should try it out to see if it will work in your business.

Chris Le Roy

How Do You Source Ideas For Sales Ads?

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Small business owners always struggle with ideas for advertising and very few can actually afford to hire an ad agency to help them develop a killer ad.  When I first start to think about designing an advert or campaign one of the things I do is to see what others have done in terms of adverts and marketing campaigns.

So where do we begin?????

One of the coolest places to begin is simply on the web.  Get started with Google or Bing and type in a search……for example….

     Australian TV Adverts
     UK TV Adverts
     USA TV Adverts

What will happen is that it will send you to sites with a library of adverts that you can browse through or in some cases even buy dvd’s of old adverts which can help you see what creative people have developed in the past.

One of the sites that I really like is called Visit4ads.com which allows you to search for adverts by specific brands.  For example if you search on the brand Virgin, you will get to see all the adverts for various Virgin subbrands such as Virgin music, Virgin Holidays etc

Being able to search and look at these ads you can see what works, what you can apply to your business and more. 

What are the key things to look at?

   1. What is the brands USP?
   2. Who are they targeting?
   3. What is the message for the Client?
   4. What are the price points?
   5. Was there an upsell?

Theses are just a few things you can look at and gather ideas on how to develop your ads for your business.

Another way to see sample ads is to search on sites such as Youtube and Vimeo.  Most large companies are using these sites to host their ads and their marketing material. The sites are an awesome place to steal ideas.

How else could you literally steal ideas?

Well another very simple way is to search for your competitors and see what turns up.  For example if you were search for banner ads that your competitors may be using, goto Google and then choose images and do a search on your competitors name and see what turns up.

Google is such an awesome, FREE, research tool for looking for information to help you to grow your business and develop your adverts.  Take the time to search by various keywords. For example if you were a dog trainer looking for adverts for their business, I would search in Google images for terms like dog training adverts, learn to train my dog advert etc.

I would also recommend that when you search in Google goto the various different countries Google sites and see what other people in other countries are actually doing in your field.  See what their Unique Selling Points and see if you can harness what they are doing.

Some of the various Google sites you could try end with suffix’s like .co.uk for Google UK, .ca for Google Canada, .co.nz for Google New Zealand and so forth.  Bing also has other sites by country as well.  The reason I recommend to go to these countries is that you will get very different results compared to if you just simply go “New Zealand Newspaper Ads”.

You will be amazed at the variety of adverts that you will see and ideas that you maybe able to use to grow your own sales and marketing program.

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Chris Le Roy is the author and owner of eBusinessCoaching.com.au where you will find over 100 different companies types of marketing and advertising material that you can use to grow your own marketing campaign.  Chris also offers small business training courses through his company One-on-One Professional Business Training

Chris Le Roy

How Long Do Clients Keep Emails?

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I was sitting with my staff this afternoon talking about our marketing strategies for 2013 and the discussion came to a point where we argued whether we were wasting our time actually emailing our clients.  The common opinion was that maybe there is no reason to email our clients because most don’t read them or hold onto them…..

Whilst I totally disagreed, I needed to find evidence that there is still real power and money to be made in email!

I was having a look on the web and came across this website and webpage where they talk about this issue – http://www.businessknowhow.com/blog/2012/12/how_long_do_peo.php

Janet Attard brings up the point that one of her clients had kept an email from 2007 for some posters that they were selling and contacted her in 2012 to actually buy them.  This one example does demonstrate how important emailing clients are.  Sometimes it may take an extended period before a client is prepared to buy.  I will say that this is an extreme case but I know personally I have kept many emails in my inbox cause I will know that I need the details in the future.

From a sales point of view, you should always assume that a client will keep the email and as such ensure that the email is engaging.  I guess in the end, one of the most important lessons to learn in sales is that “NO”, just simply means not now.

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To book into a MYOB or Quickbooks Course visit our online booking site – http://booking.nqtraining.com
*Personal Results Vary depending on your business and commitment to following the training

 

Chris Le Roy

Five Key Sales Tips

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I have just been reading Ninemsn and read the article about the Iluka Boss who has just surprised the market by stating that he saw the Global Outlook as dire.  This wasn’t the first time that I have heard this in the last 72 hours.  There has been lots of noise coming out of countries such as China where they are talking about growth in that country slowing to under 7%.  The impact for Australia is going to be huge and that is why as business owners we need to be honing our sales skills now to deal with the challenges ahead.

Over the last few years in boom times, many companies have been sloppy in their handling of sales and in many cases people have done very little work to achieve their sales.  Now as the economy slows we really need to ensure that we take note of these 5 key sales tips:

Key Tip 1.  Make sure you get referrals from your clients
Key Tip 2.  Make sure you ask your clients for Testimonials on your products or services
Key Tip 3.  Make sure you use your Testimonials on all marketing material
Key Tip 4.  Make sure your staff are practicing their sales skills
Key Tip 5.  Monitor the performance of your sales staff

Many people around the world are stating how bad the economy is but sometimes half the problem with these companies is that they are not investing in training their staff to be more effective sales people.  It is crucial that you work with your staff so that you are not losing potential sales.

For the first time in a long time it is also going to be crucial that you prove to clients that you are the best company for the job. The days are over where you can be slack in your approach to sales.

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If you would like some assistance in developing a sales training program for your staff then I encourage you to contact Chris Le Roy and he will be able to work with you to implement a sales training and coaching program to enhance your teams sales.

One-on-One Professional Business Training also has sales courses available to help your staff develop. Click on the link to find out more information.

Chris Le Roy

How to Use Sales Games To Coach Your Sales Teams

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Most companies treat the sales process simply as a life and death moment or alternatively they do not put much time into it at all but the reality is that selling is like a sport. The more you practice the more you will learn about your craft and the better you will become at it.  If you are the companies organisational sales manager it is essential that you invest time with your sales team and to help them to develop their skills using sales games. In this article we will look at some simple sales games you can use with your sales teams to enhance their skills.

When you start out in the sales training process the first most important game or activity to play with your staff is to have them introduce themselves to each other.  The introduction process makes or breaks most sales processes. In fact research has shown that most sales will be achieved or lost in the first ten seconds of meeting with the client.

The first step in this game is to have each of your sales staff pair up with another member of the sales team.

Have each member of your team deliver their introduction that they would give when they meet a new client.  Once each person has done that, have the listening person give the introduction they have just heard.

Why would I want to have a sales person do that?

The key skill in sales is NOT talking, it is in fact listening.  This activity is as much about developing your listening skills as your speaking skills.

I am sure you have heard the old adage, god gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason, yet many sales people still believe that they have to be able to out talk the client.  This is a dangerous belief and that is why we need to educate our sales staff through this exercise on how important listening is.

The second sales game is to have your sales staff present a presentation on one of their products they sell.  Your team should listen to the presentation and look at whether the salesman has addressed the three key areas:

1. What are the Advantages of Your Products
2. What are the Benefits of your Products
3. What are the Features of your products

At the end of all the presentations, you then need to randomly select another staff member to give the presentation on the target product.

Why?

Once again to train the salesman to be listening to everything that goes on and not just focus on their own presentation or agenda.  Unless you are in an industry in which you are the only supplier, your staff will have to address from the customer why your product is better than your competitors. If you are focused on just your products then you are losing a great opportunity to know how to state why your products are better or maybe they aren’t.

Every week during your sales meeting you need to be investing in using sales games as part of you coaching plan and in doing this it will help your staff develop their sales skills and to be more effective in the sales process.

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If you would like some assistance in developing a sales training program then contact Chris Le Roy and he will be happy to come out and help you to develop a Free Sales Training and Coaching program for your staff. To make a free obligation meeting call 1800 66 00 00 or check out his sales courses available.

Chris Le Roy

Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts To Follow when Creating a Sales Flip Chart

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One of the really common tools that are available to sales people is the flip chart.  The flip chart is really awesome because they allow you to easily explain an issue for the client in a fluid manner compared to tools like a Microsoft Powerpoint Presentation however there are five key Do’s and Don’ts you should follow.

Top 5 Do’s

Top 1 Do: Always write your information in Bold, Capital Letters
Top 2 Do: Number Each point for Ease of Reading
Top 3 Do: Use Graphs and Drawings Where Possible
Top 4 Do: Use Different Colours on Your Flip Charts to Highlight Points
Top 5 Do: Keep One Idea or Point Per Page

Top 5 Don’ts

Top 1 Don’t: Don’t Talk to Your Flip Chart as you are Writing
Top 2 Don’t: Don’t Stand In Front of your Flip Char as you Write
Top 3 Don’t: Use Red and Green together as those people who are colour blind
will have trouble distinguishing what you are writing
Top 4 Don’t: Avoid markers that have strong chemicals or smells
Top 5 Don’t: Don’t use markers that will go through the paper onto the wall

Whilst these do’s and don’ts might seem simple, they are still common mistakes we see made by sales staff on a daily basis.

 

 

Chris Le Roy

Learn a Unique Way to Hold A Sales Meeting when Distance is a Problem

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Have you ever wanted to go after a whale only to be told that your company doesn’t have the money to fly you there?

Living in Australia one of the biggest challenges that I face is being able to get in front of every client I desire to go after.  There are many factors that affect my ability to target the whale client but the biggest challenge is distance.

Unfortunately our country is afflicted by the tyranny of distance, high airfares, expensive hotels and long travel times and for many managers, the option of sending staff on a jaunt of this nature is far to expensive but there is another way.

A website developed by Citrix called GotoMeeting.com has now given sales staff an opportunity to go after that whale without having to invest thousands to get there. Whilst the best way to build a relationship is always to do it face-to-face and in person, sometimes the only effective manner to get started is to use a tool like GotoMeeting.com.

The website allows you to setup a meeting with a client, video conference the call and communicate your sales message with a powerpoint presentation right on the clients computer screen.  Essentially the easiest way to describe this website is like video conferencing on the cheap.

There are some key advantanges of using this style of technology:

1. You save time and money on travel
2. The Client isn’t sitting around waiting for you.
3. The client isn’t inconvenienced by having to come to a mutually acceptable location if they aren’t available
4. The technology is not limited by boundaries

I am a really big fan of this technology because you do not have any major outlays for technology like traditional video conferencing. In fact this morning I did a Web Training course for three hours with my counter parts in the United States on my laptop in my kitchen using a Telstra wireless connection.

The cool part about the technology is that there are no noticeable delays or interruptions even though you are using this technology over the web.

To be truly effective in this day and age, Sales staff have to master the new technology available and GotoMeeting.com is a great tool for getting in front of clients and getting your message out there without even leaving the office.

From your perspective as the salesman, being able to do the initial meetings in the office will allow you to identify whether investing in a face-to-face meeting is worthwhile.  This means that you can talk to more clients in the early stage and then invest the right amount of time with the right clients to make more money.

If you are in sales then I suggest you check GotoMeeting.com and learn how to use it and add it to your sales bag.

Chris Le Roy

Basic Sales Skills be a Good Listener

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I think over the last ten years, I have probably done a few thousand sales courses but it doesn’t matter how many times I say it, the number one thing sales people fail at, is to be a Good Listener.  The big problem with sales people is that they want to talk instead of listening.

Over the last few weeks I have been observing a number of Australian gyms selling their sites, putting off staff and generally going into a mass panic that their business is in trouble but do you know where most of their problems stem from…. and no its not from the economic climate.

Its quite simple, their sales staff don’t listen to what their customers are saying. 

The key to selling to a customer is to understand their problem, once you know what their problem is, you can tailor a response that will meet their needs and win their business.  However, if you don’t listen carefully to what the customers are saying you will miss key information they are sharing with you.

Let me give you an example in relation to the gyms.  I have been going to a gym in Brisbane for over 12 months.  My wife was a member so I joined and I wanted to undertake some Personal training sessions to get fit.  Now here is the problem, the only way the gym would allow me to do any PT sessions with their staff, was by me buying ten to fifteen training sessions in a pack for between $450 and $700.

Like most people that is a massive investment and I wasn’t prepared to do that. They relented and said, “Well you can buy a 5 pack for $250.”   I did that for a few times but as bills came in, I didn’t have the money to just go out and spend that amount money every week. 

I tried to explain to the sales staff that if I could pay for my PT sessions each week I would be happy to do that, but they told me that wasn’t acceptable to them. I was even prepared to pay a little more for the privilege, “The response was a resounding NO!” The result was that i walked away from the gym but guess what, their sales staff have hounded me to come back and get back into my PT sessions but I would still have to buy a  5 session pt pack.

You can imagine how exacerbated I am at this point, after explaining how they can solve my problem and they don’t listen.  I am now cancelling my membership and going elsewhere.  Here is the thing,  the gym involved is now struggling to keep their head above water, yet they are blaming everybody else, the economy etc when in fact,  they have not listened to their clients. 

How do I know…. I went and talk to others about how they feel about the situation and I listened to their responses.

Sometimes it is to easy for us to blame the economy, blame someone else when really its our own sales people who are letting us down, because we are not good listeners. It is really something we need to think about as business owners.

This gym, could have easily solved many of their problems by simply listening to their customers but their choice of not listening to what they were saying drove their customers away. 

Are you listening to your customers?

Chris Le Roy

Features, Benefits and Advantages

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Every buyer that buys from you will evaluate three key things about a product or service they are going to buy from you.  They are:

  1. Features
  2. Advantages
  3. Benefits

Understanding the difference between these three issues will help you address the buyers concerns. So let’s look at what each is:

1.  A feature is a fact about one of your products or services. It is generally an observable, tangible property or characteristic, and may involve the buyer’s sense of taste, touch, hearing, sight, or smell.

2. An advantage explains the function of the feature, a performance characteristic that has buyer appeal.

3. A benefit is the satisfaction that the buyer derives from a particular advantage or feature. It is an emotional or rational sense of value that the buyer receives from the product or service.

When you are dealing with the customer you need to address what each issue is.  Let me provide you with an example of the features, advantage and benefit of our First Aid Training.

Example Service: First Aid Training

  1. Feature: Course undertaken in One Day
  2. Advantage: We remind you each year when you need to renew your CPR Component
  3. Benefit: You will ensure that your certificate is up to date and your job as a first aid officer is not put at risk plus you will save time in doing the course in one day!
Chris Le Roy