The Edge by Mark Dresner

I think you’d agree that all businesses want more sales (if they hope to STAY in business)?

Because the more sales you make … the more money you earn. Simple math, right?

Yet many companies ignore some of the most responsive sources of new sales. (Even though two of these sources sit right under their nose).

And these two sources generally:

• Buy more than normal prospects (which reduces the overall cost of sales)
• Are reachable at lower costs than normal prospects (which extends your marketing budget)
• Require much less “selling” than normal prospects. (because your credibility has already been established)

Okay, enough teasing.

I’m sure you’re aching to know … where DO you fish …

When you’re looking to hook more customers
with less bait and without leaving the comfort of your swivel chair

There are countless ways to attract prospects that you hope will turn into customers.

And I won’t go into any of them here today.

Instead I’d like to point out the two most productive sources of new business for you to tap. And the good news is BOTH these “wells of new business” should be instantly available for you to use.

(Drum roll please)…

They are: Current customers and “Ex” customers.

Does it surprise you that

Lost (or past) customers may be
your best source of New sales

Think about it and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Just because a customer leaves doesn’t mean you have to write them off for good. In fact, the reason they left could be something very fixable …

• Perhaps you didn’t stay in touch enough, or …
• Maybe you didn’t have anything new to sell them (after they bought the first time), or …
• What if a salesperson or customer service rep was rude, unresponsive or non-existent! (Yes it COULD happen in your business!)

But gone for now does NOT mean gone forever. And you have a high probability of reclaiming a customer by just reengaging with them.

Of course you’ve gotta have a good (and valuable) REASON to contact your “ex”. Otherwise nothing will come of it.

But let me suggest you

Give it a try and see for yourself whether …

Some of your best new customers are … your previously lost (or forgotten) customers.

One more thing.

Now that you know this incredible source of new customers … make sure you ALWAYS think of ex-customers as future new customers.

Doing so may cause you to do a complete turn-about in how you treat people when they cancel your service, return a product … or even lodge a complaint.

About eleven years ago, as co-owner of a computer services company on Long Island, I made a very costly marketing mistake.

What was this mistake?

I forgot (or chose to ignore) the REASON that advertising and marketing exists … at all.

• It’s NOT about image

• It’s NOT about feeling good when you see your company up in lights

• And it’s certainly NOT about being artsy or creative or winning some meaningless award

The ONLY goal of advertising is to make sales.

And the only type of advertising that can truly address, support and achieve this goal is direct response.

I had help with my blunder

I had accomplices in my personal advertising folly.

One was our highly regarded advertising agency (I think they actually called themselves “consultants”).

The creative folks and account people were quite happy to implement my “brilliant” advertising vision. So we plastered a stack of 4-color posters across billboards throughout platforms of the New York City Subway System.

The posters were gorgeous – very “hip” and arty. They were so nice we even hung one on a wall in our office.

The result: No new business.

Or more correctly … no business we could TRACK.

As I recollect, we had no specific call to action. No direct customer benefits. And the “Big Idea” (if you can call it that) was way too subtle.

In short, it was a complete waste of time, energy and money.

Except for the Ad Agency, that is.

3 Immutable goals for EVERY marketing campaign

Advertising and marketing campaigns should:

Be targeted to reach your ideal client - so you don’t waste your efforts reaching people that don’t give a rat’s behind about your product or service.

Have a call to action that drives people to actually DO something. Remember the goal is to ultimately get a sale – so you must turn targets into prospects (leads) and prospects into clients.

Measure results. Without accurate results of your marketing there’s no accountability. You’ll have no idea what’s working and what needs to be tweaked or trashed entirely.

The bottom line:

After my blunder I discovered that direct response marketing is the best and most cost effective way to achieve these three immutable goals.

This is true because direct response techniques and strategies work in ANY media. It works on the Internet and in broadcast, print, direct mail … or any media that may pop up in the future.

Direct response marketing never goes out of style … and is proven to always deliver the goods.

Start using direct response marketing and you’ll drive more – measurable sales – to your business.

Treasure trove of recession-defying selling secrets
discovered in Saturday morning cartoon show

As a kid Saturday mornings had a very strict ritual – a cartoon ritual.

From 6 o’clock in the morning to noon, my brother and I sat hypnotized in front of the TV. And we were only barely aware that anything existed beyond the glow of the gigantic 19-inch black and white tube.

Of course we each had our favorites. Mine were Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody and Sherman and – my most favorite – Aesop and Son.

Little did I know that I was actually getting sales training each Saturday morning throughout these formative years.

Subliminal sales training?

I mention one of my favorites cartoons was Aesop and Son. It was an adaptation of classic Aesop’s Fables except it always had a comical twist.

Each story takes a kids-eye view of one of Aesop’s famous fables, including the moral at the end. What a sneaky way for our parents to tech us values!

Much later in life I rediscovered these lost classics (the fables, not the cartoons) and recognized their value in selling.

Here’s what I mean.

The Fable Factor: Become a philosopher salesman

Aesop is about as deep into philosophy as I can go. Each of his fables is pretty short with a really hard-hitting moral at the end.

My most valuable discovery was the realization that Aesop’s fables could actually improve my selling. Dramatically!

These are just a few of the selling benefits bestowed upon me:

Five specific examples of Aesop’s selling genius

Aesop compiled hundreds of fables. I’ll spare the actual fable and pick a few morals and show how I’ve applied them to my selling.

Of course you may take away something different for a given moral – and that is okay.

1.  A person is known by the company he keeps, or - (Birds of a feather flock together). It’s important to work for a company with integrity and a good reputation – and to maintain your own good reputation. Do not compromise yourself for any one sale – it’s not worth it in the long run.

2.  Promises may get friends, but it’s performances that keep them. Aesop said this in a couple of different ways. Essentially I take this to mean “Talk is Cheap, Walk the Walk, etc).Often we want please a client and so we tell him/her what we think they want to hear. However, if we can’t deliver the client becomes angry or disappointed and we become just another salesperson.Don’t unrealistically oversell yourself, your product or your company – ever.

3.  Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. It’s not a sale until you get an order AND the client has paid his bill. Do not ever let up on the project or the client until the project is over.Meaning, make sure that the customer is delighted and the bills get paid. After all, you do earn a commission, right?

4.  We may view ourselves of more consequence than others view us. Loving your product is a must – if you don’t believe in what you’re selling it’s really hard – to be successful.But remember to sell the benefits of the product in terms of the customers’ needs. It’s gotta pass the “so what” test. After you’re done presenting, if the customer says (out loud or to himself) “so what” – you’re sunk.This may mean you’ve sold features rather than the benefits. So get back in there!

5.  Those who seek to please everybody please nobody. Figure out your niche or specialization – for yourself and your product – and become an expert. Niche specialists and niche product (the more tightly focused the better) sell for higher margins and have less price sensitivity.

The moral of THIS Story …

There are valuable sales, business and life lessons to be learned in unexpected places. All that is required is an open mind and a desire to learn.

In a recession businesspeople still NEED to buy things. Though WHAT and HOW they buy changes.

Here’s what I mean.

Throughout the recession of the 1980′s I was a salesperson at the #2 computer maker in the world. It was a time when businesses were buying fewer large computer systems.

One day the VP of Sales revealed the secret to beating the sales doldrums in a recession. He told us to start selling our customers belts and ties.

Belts and ties?

He went on to explain…

In lean times people cut back on spending for business wardrobes. Instead of buying new suits they’re forced to make do with what they already owned.

But they still had to look good when they calling on customers.

The solution: buy new belts and ties (or scarves). These accessories make their older suits appear like completely new outfits.

This story is just a metaphor of course.

He went on to explain that “belt and ties” in the technology industry were add-ons and upgrades.

Can’t sell a new computer system? Then sell more memory, a CPU upgrade or additional storage. Or better yet, offer new services to ease the burden of reduced staff and increased workloads.

The point our Sales VP was making, the world doesn’t stop completely – even in a recession. It does require that we work hard solve the customers problems more creatively.

Helping your clients NOW – in every way possible – will earn you their undisputed loyalty.

And who do you think they’re gonna call when things return to normal?

So what are the belts and ties in your industry? Figure this out and you and your customers will do just fine – even in the downturn.

Happy selling.