(By Loyd Ford) If you’re responsible for revenue now and in the looming 2023 coming soon, two key issues – once sharpened – can result in YOU selling more advertising:
- Always recognizing that people want to be heard when you have contact with them
- Salespeople need to see more people, listen and react
Most salespeople do not have enough contact with a potential buyer today. In fact, most buyers likely need about 7 to 11 contacts with a seller on average before purchasing. Yet the average seller sees a potential client or has contact….just once.
Most sellers are worried about or afraid of rejection.
Rejection is a temporary noise that leads to the real reasons clients will buy.
On nationwide after nationwide research study over the last 10 years, the number one issue that has shown up with business owners is…..
- “I wish I had an expert I could talk to that would help me with my marketing.”
This is actually a secret you can take with you in your pocket as you see more local business owners. However, it’s important how you do this.
A great CNA question is: “Would you like to know more about your ideal customer?”
Asking this one question represents an epic moment in your relationship with a business owner because almost all business owners want to know more about their customers.
If YOU can prove that YOU know more, and you communicate this correctly, you will identify that you have knowledge they want. This is the build-up of powerful trust. You become the expert they seek.
Follow up on this and grow that relationship.
Remember: “I wish I had an expert I could talk to that would help me with my marketing.”
Your purpose is to connect businesses with more customers and help local business owners communicate there’s value in visiting their business.
Today, we have a lot of intel resources:
- Research your client or potential client REGULARLY (not just once) and keep up with their personal social media, including family, business and personal interests; know a lot and be updated every time you have contact with them
- Research their industry regularly, especially before you have planned contact with them
- Research their business regularly
Once you are in front of or in contact with a potential client, continue to develop deeper knowledge about what is important to them – not just the first things they say. That’s almost never as important as what is said when they begin trusting you.
- Always strengthen your skills as an active listener
- Learn to be an excellent reactor when reacting is most important
- Always have a planned story about their success and make sure that story includes in at least some small part your radio properties or products
We know that people want to be heard more than ever. And people want help. They just can’t get people to really listen to them, and they cannot get help.
Business owners often feel isolated and alone. YOU can fix this and do it without the pressure to feel perfect. The most important points for you to focus on as we roll toward 2023:
- Become an active listener with your clients – make this your #1 priority
- Focus on learning to be a better and better reactor while listening to clients
- Once you hear something important that indicates you can help, your most important skill is getting clients to seize the day with your products, your solutions
We have a free quarterly radio sales event that focuses helping you learn ways to boost your sales for the coming quarter. Here is a link to all of our events from last year.
The next quarterly sales event is set for the evening of January 12, 2023, and this episode of The Encourager™ The Radio Rally™ podcast (Apple, Audible, Spotify) will be available on-demand later that night.
This event will include experts talking about real world experience right now and how to help your sales in Q1 and all of 2023. We’re calling it “Leveraging Radio’s Relationship With Consumers – Radio’s Real Value Story.” Join us.
No one complains about costs when they see or believe they are getting more value than what they are paying you. If they are complaining about costs, they don’t see the value. Focus on value and tell your value story wisely.
Every smart businessperson knows they have a choice:
- Close their business and get out
- OR find ways to grow more customers for their business and move the business ahead
Anything else you hear is noise. You must push through to find out what is really going on with them because the above 2 are the only real choices business owners have in any economy.
Great sellers find a way to tell the story of their potential client having success, using the customer’s words, showing you are listening to them and that you have more knowledge to help them and great sellers put their products into the story of bigger success for their clients.
The really great sellers also make that story simple.
The more activity you generate, the more you listen to clients talk about their business and what frustrates them and what they need, the more you will find success. Always be willing to learn and do the prep work to be the best. It really pays off.
Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at the branding consulting practice Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). Reach him anytime at 864-448-4169 or [email protected].
