The following are a number of questions, talking points and suggestions which you may find helpful in management discussions. Use this outline as a framework for your own ideas. Print it and write notes in the margin.
I. Designing a marketing program: What is the Market?
1. Describe what is being sold
• What is the product?
• What are the value added services?
• What is the guarantee?
• What differentiates you from your competition?
2. Identify the target client
• Who are they?
• Where are they?
• What kind of person are they?
• What are they motivated by?
• What are their fears?
• Where can they be reached the easiest?
• Radio
• Direct mail
• Networking
• Client referral
• Professional referral
• Other
3. Design experiments and test the results
• Who is not the client?
4. The office environment
• Neatness counts
• Creating a comfortable conference center
• Using photos to sell satisfaction
• Training for client satisfaction
5. Building a reputation
• Describe it
• Speak it
• Train employees
• Advertise it
• Make it true
6. Creating customer satisfaction
• Neatness counts
• Employees matter
• Contact the neighbors
• Communication, communication
• Dot the i’s and cross the t’s
• Get the job done on time
• Bill early, bill often
• Handling complaints
• Slow down
• Ask for more
• Thank them
• Have a plan
• Keep your promises
• Guarantee your work
• Give a gift of appreciation
II. The sales process:
1. The first contact
• What do they hear, see and feel?
• Where do you go from here?
• What to say?
• What not to say?
• Educating the client
• Using language to your advantage
2. The presentation
• Dress the part
• The presentation folder
• Liking your clients
• Professional proposals
• Schedules and other documents
• Taking on the consultant role
• Using language to your advantage
• Key words and phrases
• Asking questions
• Selling success
• Empathy for the client
• Added value
• Financing
• Insurance
• Others
• Creating urgency
• Closing the sale
3. Selling change work
• Who is the competition?
• The price must be right
4. Negotiations
• Active listening
• Asserting your value
• Understanding your costs
• Standing your ground
• Negotiating the terms
• Negotiating away risk
Please contact us if you would like to learn more about instituting a comprehensive training process. Thank you.