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How Not To Impress A Prospective Client
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It's one thing to conduct business with a
current client on your cell phone while you are driving, but
quite another when you are talking with a prospective client.
I recently received a phone call from a sales person who is
trying to get my business. He began his phone call by
immediately talking about his product without asking me if
this was a good time to talk.
Suddenly he beings talking with someone else
after he has asked me a question. Then he laughs about
how he is at a toll booth. I was already irritated
because he interrupted my day, and didn't ask if it was a
good time to talk with him (which it wasn't). Needless
to say I was not impressed with this person. All I
wanted to do was get off the phone.
I'm not sure that we should be making sales
calls while we are driving, (it's probably not the safest
thing to do), but if the call is necessary, it would be a good
idea to time the call so that you aren't interrupted at the
toll booth.
Before you make your next phone call to a
prospective3 client, or meet with that person, think about how
you feel about a sales person contacting you and how you
prefer to be treated. What goes around really does come
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Who Wants To Be The Low Priced
Leader?
Too many of us in small
business think we must sell on price in order to capture a new
client, or customer. Why do we think we must be the
“low-priced" provider? In a word, the answer is confidence. We
don’t have confidence in what we have to offer. Many sales
people believe they must have the "lowest price in town" to
close a sale. However, if your thinking is like that, you
should ask yourself, “How do my customers perceive my
services?”
If they choose you only because you are the cheapest, you may
find that you are getting a customer that you don’t want. A
customer who makes a decision based on price and no other
reason, often turns out to be the “Customer From Hell.”
There are many people who choose a vendor or service provider
with price as a consideration, but they are also willing to
select a higher-priced option when they are shown the value
they are getting. Value is the key word here. Like all of us,
our customers want value for their money. Show value and you
will succeed in getting a higher price for your product or
services.
We all say we want to get the best price, but what we are
really saying is that we want the best price possible for the
best value possible. Present options to your customer, and
when you present those options show them the value they
receive for each choice. That value is what is important to
your customer. Show value, and your business will grow in
value as well.
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Getting Ahead Of
Yourself
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As I am putting the finishing
touches on this newsletter, I am reminded that every time I
make an assumption about something based on past history,
another event occurs that throws the proverbial monkey wrench
into the works.
I am talking about the fact
that it is late September in Maine, and we have had some
rather cool days. Not thinking clearly, I put away our
window air conditioners a few weeks ago. After all, air
conditioning in my home shouldn't be necessary in September!
Well, It's 88 degrees
Fahrenheit outside my window, and it's 80 degrees in my
office! So much for assumptions and planning ahead.
I will leave you now as I plan to sit in my car for the
afternoon with the windows rolled up and the air conditioning
on high.
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Don Speaks |
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Relationship
Sales, Time Management and Consultative Selling, just some
of the areas where we can help you with your business. To
help your team become more productive Call Don toll free at
877-DON-Zihlman |
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How to
Reach Us
(and all that other stuff) |
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web
www.streetsmartselling.com
e-mail
don@streetsmartselling.com
telephone
877-Don-Zihlman
(877-366-9445)
DRZ Marketing Inc
42 Tall Pines Road
Scarborough, Maine 04074 |
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Member of the
Maine Association of
Professional Consultants
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