P21-24 BUSINESSxx passed copy:P21-23 BUSINESS 21/01/2009 14:52 Page 21
BUSINESS MONITOR
Being prepared is
vital for sales success
Despite Gordon Brown’s magic manoeuvres, 2009 may not be
showing any immediate financial upturn. So getting your sales
strategy right is more critical than ever. Paul Clapham
reports.
G
et out there and sell. If visits, so to fill that diary you have to contact more
there’s one message people than ever, plus the ratio of sales achieved to
that’s coming through visits made is likely to fall, making it tougher still.
more than any other in these Therefore, it’s essential to maximise not just
tough times it’s the need for your efforts but also your effectiveness. Get as
businesses to get back to some much help as you can. The whole sales chain
old fashioned selling. from factory in India through to the decorator is
The businesses that will overcome dependent upon the guy who sits in front of the
a recession and, indeed, thrive are customer and asks him to buy. So what are the
those which get in front of more suppliers to the industry doing to help advance
customers. It’s a tough ask sales and make each sales visit as effective as
because right now lots of possible?
customers will be But primarily this is down to the individual. The
refusing bottom line is that a lot of potential sales
sales disappear into the ether because of three basic
errors. First, the salesman doesn’t plan his time
effectively and as a consequence fails to see as
many customers as possible. Second he turns up
late, ill prepared and knowing virtually nothing
about the customer. Third, he doesn’t ask for the
sale! Put those three right and, with no extra
activity, your turnover would improve.
Graham Ridley at Top Banana has an
interesting take. He says that these days a lot of
sales activity isn’t really selling. Instead, you
present a product proposition(s) and a price point
and the customer buys it. Yes, you sell service,
and demonstrate it as tangibly as possible. Top
Banana’s factory is open 7am until midnight
because it’s necessary to achieve that service
promise.
Ridley says you have to be innovative to get
through the door in the first place. He prints a
customised letter on a t-shirt. Ideal! It uses the
medium to sell the idea and show that it works.
That’s an initial contact which would be oh so
comfortable to follow up. He also practises
“invisible marketing”. Especially on a first job,
each shirt is neatly folded, all the boxes are new,
all the sizes are together and labels are visible.
continued on page 22
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk February 2009 | 21 |
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