Making a Sale is a Simple Process

To many businesses, the process of a sales campaign is still such a mystery. I thought I'd try to clarify it a bit in this post .

It's just a process, like building a house. You get an idea, design it, think through the details, price or budget, communicate it and then secure all the details--or 'close' the sale by making the actual transaction of payment. Here's a made up example, to show you how:

EXAMPLE OF A CAMPAIGN
A transcription service wants more business on longer term projects to become more profitable. That's the goal they've set for this campaign. They decide to target documentary and news television producers to outreach to a new market which typically has lengthier projects. They design a package of services, let's say 'transciption of one hour videotapes' and they price this at $80. They do some research to deduce that the Reel Directory (http://www.reeldirectory.com/about.asp) is a well-targeted and affordable resource for advertising these services. Research revealed this as the main resource guide for film and tv personnel seeking services in No Cal. They post a well designed ad with the right messages that their audience will respond to (yes, creating an effective ad is an art form a marketing consultant should help you with!) for outreach marketing and then the sales campaign begins.

A savvy transcription firm discovers that a mailing list of names can be purchased from the directory so an introductory letter can get sent to those who may require the transcription services. Follow up phone calls are made to ensure the letters were received or directed to the right person at each firm. If not, the database of names is updated and a second letter is sent. A pricing sheet or brochure should also obviously be sent with this mailing. Ah, but here's what separates the wheat from the chaff . . .

Someone who actually makes a sale differs from those who try because they keep calling back, following up via email, notating in a database when a future sales follow up should be made according to what that potential customer discussed with them, and doesn't give up until the sale is made and customers/clients are satisfied. Then, wash and repeat. That way, continuous sales are coming in so a company begins to level out those peaks and valleys in their business.

HOW DO YOU KEEP FOLLOWING UP?
That's the hardest part for many people. Most think they're annoying or pushy if they call more than once or twice. So let me give you the viewpoint from the other side. I've produced film & tv projects where we needed a transcription service and I was simply too busy to make calls to suss out the transcribers who had the skill, wouldn't send me transcripts that were phoenetic and not in proper English (making them impossible to decipher when preparing for an edit session), or those who could "time code" a project for me. I was ecstatic when I got a call from a service who could help. The price seemed reasonable, I tested them on a small project and voila they got all our work from then on--a sizable account.

WHAT DO YOU SAY?
First, you should realize that if you're "targeting" people who really might need your service (or product) then you're probably doing them a favor by calling to let them know how you can help. It's my belief that we all started our companies to help someone or we wouldn't work so hard and so long doing what we do. If you know you can help, then you just need to ask them how they're solving the problem for which you can help. If they have no solution (no transcription service, per the example above) then you can just ask if they'd like some information on how your company can help them. Offer to send information either via mail, fax or email, as they prefer, meet with them to give a presentation, invite them to a workshop where you're speaking about your topic, or you can post sales information online and send them a link. Choose whichever marketing communication tool works best for your specific market. And if you don't know, you should probably have a marketing consultation to help you define this.

THE PROCESS
Once you've sent materials explaining your services, you need to call them to see if they're ready now to get your help. If not now, ask them when they might like you to check back just in case they need your help at some other time. While you may feel pushy asking this, they will likely feel very grateful that you'll be in touch.

Then keep them on your stay-in-touch list until they allow you a chance to help or offer your services/product or meet with you in person. Really, they'll be grateful if you have a good solution for them, just as I was for our outstanding transcription service.

If you feel awkward calling, it just means you haven't been clear asking if they might need your help. So, ask if they want you to check back in 3 months, 6 months or not at all. If you've targeted your outreach efforts correctly you probably won't get many people who say; "please don't bother to call back at all". Talk to them about what they do, what issues or problems they have that you could solve.

In the example of our transcriber, we had a staff that was so tired of having to guess at the time code which our old transcriber mostly noted incorrectly, as well as the time it took to interpret the poorly translated grammar from the interview. I needed a new transciber who would ensure they'd do this correctly. When our new transcription service guaranteed that work, it was easy for me to hire them as soon as we had a project requiring their skills. But if they hadn't stayed in touch I may have forgotten how to reach them, what the name of their company was, or which city to find them in while I was overwhelmed with other project details, budgets or timelines, just as most people are in their jobs.

So, if you've found people who need the help you offer, they probably will not ask you not to ever contact them again. And if they do, they've just saved you a phone call. More typically, they may just not need your help that minute but will appreciate you staying in touch so they know how to find you when they do need your help.

HOW DO I KNOW THIS WORKS?
Because I've made over a million dollars in sales last few years for one of my clients doing just this. It's not a mystery, it's just disciplined work, good notations so you don't keep it all in your head, people skills on the phone (you get better with time, believe me!) and a great package priced fairly for the right market with outstanding promotional materials. It might take a week or 6 months, so start now and track your progress. I'd love to hear the techniques, ideas, helpful tips that you use for your particular market, too, since each market requires slightly different strategy.

THE TRICK I USE
If I know I need to get through a huge amount of sales calls a day I have to trick myself. I drink a huge cup of coffee to get me buzzed, drink my tall protein drink and then don't allow myself to go to the bathroom until I make it through 10 calls. While it sometimes is painful, it's a huge motivator to get me to meet my own goals. Some people prefer a rewards system than my pain system--such as taking a nice walk at lunch, taking a short nap, or breaking sales work into part during the morning, part in the afternoon. So, test out some ideas to see what works for you. And please share your tips to help others who may be as stuck as you once were! Remember, this shared knowledge is bliss!