Remember the good old days when getting a first appointment with your new prospects was relatively easy, and only a matter of math where more calls meant more appointments?

You simply picked up the phone and said things like;

• I’ve got a great idea I want to share with you.
• I’d like to learn more about your business so I can find a great idea for you.
• I have a new station package or special offer I’d like to drop off.

In the new math, quality of calls multiplies the effect of quantity of calls.
Today, your prospects are bombarded with a long list of new media and traditional media sales amateurs claiming they want to learn more about their business or they have a great idea, even though they know nothing about the prospect‘s goals. And with staff cut backs, more competition and way too many sales people calling them, they certainly don’t have time to teach you about their business. Business owners today want to work with sales people who have put in the extra effort to learn about their business BEFORE they call.
And as for your big idea, the skeptical business owner is saying to herself; "I don’t know you, I don’t know what you stand for, I don’t know your company, and what do you know about my business that makes you believe you have an idea that fits my objectives?
The number of ‘special offers’ managers receive by email, snail mail, drop-offs and over the phone, is mind boggling.
To secure an appointment today, you have to prove you have put in a lot of effort for each prospect. Advertisers assume that if you haven’t put a lot of effort into learning about their industry, their specific business, and branding yourself as a credible marketing consultant, you certainly aren’t going to put in a lot of effort on their behalf once you’ve secured the coveted broadcast order.
Effort breeds psychological reciprocity; that deep-rooted subconscious need to do something for someone who has done something for you.
You can begin building your brand and demonstrating your knowledge and effort by sending a few helpful marketing tips like those in our SoundADvice e-marketing system, before you ask for the appointment.
Once you have presold who you are, what company you are with and what you stand for, you can take the next step in securing an appointment; do something specific and relevant to the prospect’s business.
You might talk to a few customers, or the prospect‘s competitors‘ customers, to capture their perceptions of the prospect and offer to share that information.
You might search their website for inconsistencies or improvements you can offer to share in a first appointment. Talking to their staff, their suppliers or reading their industry association website, can also prepare you to share what you’ve learned about their business.
The bottom line? The most important thing you have to sell is trust. And trust is seldom built in one phone call or without time, pre-sell and effort.
Busy decision makers today don’t have time for typical sales people or old school sales tactics. But they will make time to talk to professionals who have branded themselves as marketing experts who obviously understand their industry, know something about their particular business and marketplace, and are willing to apply that expertise to helping them grow their business.
Want to learn more about how the SoundADvice e-marketing system can pre-sell your qualifications? Email [email protected] for a no-obligation online demo.