Selling Intangibles: Marketing Tips

 

Tips for Marketing an Intangible Service 

Henry Devries  a self marketing specialist www.henrydevries.com wrote an article in the San Diego Transcript July  9th 2003 and here is a summary of the key points he sees on selling intangibles.

These steps come from  the office of Dr. ArLyne Diamond of Santa Clara, California.

A trained clinical psychologist.  www.diamondassociates.net

Before you read these tips I must say they are not about the Joe Factor but about good solid methodologies to use in getting candidates for your business.  I can provide the techniques and methodology to use when you are inside the candidates arena. These are the practical approaches that work.   Some of the ideas presented are a little to sales like for my taste.  However with right technique of questions they can be very useful.  That is just one of the many tactics  that the Joe Factor uses, how to ask the right questions that yield results.

So, what are some steps you can do to mitigate the risk for your prospects? Here are Diamond’s top 10 tactics for selling intangibles:

1. Get references and leads from people who have experienced your best work.

2. Ask satisfied customers if they will write you a letter of reference to use in part in your brochure to give to prospects.

3. Be visible — give speeches, write articles, attend functions.

4. Volunteer. There is no better way to establish a relationship with someone than through doing work together. Get involved and get known for being a competent, pleasant and intelligent worker.

5. If you get a foot in the door and prove yourself, offer one or two hours of your services for free.

6. Offer a “pilot project” which will enable your customer to determine how well you work and how much he needs what you have to offer.

7. Help smaller clients share expenses by suggesting a consortium to use your services. This is an especially good technique if you are offering information and/or training services for nonproprietary information.

8. If you are developing a new product for a client, offer generous support services.

9. Network with others and become part of their “virtual” organizations. Include them in yours as well. Remember, you have to give to get.

10. Above all else, be ethical, careful, competent, helpful, pleasant and fun to do business with. Being fun to do business with will result in doing more business.

I hope this produces some thought provoking ideas for you to take action on.  I am open to discuss any or all of these techniques and show you how to really leverage them using my technique and getting the outcomes you desire and have earned the right to.

Thanks

Joe”Factor” White

talktome@thejoefactor.com

Selling Intangibles… Involve Me and I Will Understand

 

Tell me, and I will forget…  Show me, and I might remember…  Involve me, and I will understand.  

This is a very famous quote that I am sure many of you have heard in your past.   I simply want today to break this down and demonstrate to you how this is the fundamentals of the Joe Factor approach to selling intangible products.

1. Tell me and I will forget….Interesting, because this is what most people in sales do and think they are selling.  These people get the results they deserve and never make the income they desire because they never get more than the low hanging fruit. You will be forgotten by your client as well as your service.  Ask yourself now, is this me?  How memorable are you or are you forgotten?

2. Show me and I might remember….The operative word is might.  Your product might be remembered and you might be remembered and if all things are the same you might get a commitment to buy.  You see this is called the produce demo stage and many believe that once you see the product or service in action you will buy.  No it is not enough!   But better than the first one and you may make and okay living just using this technique but you better hope your competition is a bunch of tell me type sales people

3. Involve me and I will understand….Now we are riding the winning horse.  Involve the client and educate and create understanding of your system and process.  Get the buy in both verbally and mentally and physically and you are on your way to being a success at selling intangibles.  Who does not want something that they have taken the time to learn about and are an expert on.  You follow this path and you will make an above average income.  You see the key is force the client to learn in your environment.  

That is what the Joe Factor technique is all about we create the environment were the client must learn and understand to buy.   

Now go backwards, Make your clients understand through involvement and demonstrate that it works and they can see it and then you tell them to buy.  It is so much more logical. RIGHT?If you want to learn more send me an email to talktome@thejoefactor.com

Thanks

Joe “Factor” White

Do vs Don’t: A Sales Success Secret

 

The Winner Is 

These two little words can change the way you communicate to your clients and prospects.  I was on a teleconference with Carl Gould (an exceptionally skilled communicator who has a great grasp of the the dynamics of human communication) he was talking about this topic.  I could not help but think that this is all part of the strategy around “The Joe Factor”.  It is using the right words to  to help and to facilitate learning while building relationships with our clients.  It is all about trust and rapport.

What is don’t?  It is do not  disguised under the apostrophe banner.  It sneaks into our conversations under this mask.

Here are some Don’t phrases to ponder.

Don’t care!

Don’t think so!

Don’t want to!

Don’t have an interest!

That should be enough, but I am sure you can think of hundreds, but what are these phrases?  You are right! They are negative statements and that lead to dead end streets with no way out. 

Here is the most intriguing concept. We as professional sales talent will you use the word Don’t  and it leads us nowhere.  I will almost guarantee that in your conversations with your client you will use the Don’t word more than your client. I really believe that to be true.    A good example is “I don’t think you should go down that path.”  Now search how you felt or what you thought about when you read this phrase. What ever it was, it had a negative feel to it along with what ever action you would need to take to respond to it. Right!

Now think of the word DO

It is an action word to be taken very seriously. For example we seldom ask people what they don’t do but what they Do?

Do you care!

Do you think so!

Do you want to !

Do you have and interest!

Now look at the difference.  The  word Do is positive by its nature and it requires action or demands open response.   It begs the question why and a because response. 

Do you think you would learn more about your clients if you incorporated this word?  Why do you think so? What will it Do for you in your sales programs. 

I trust you get the point. It is so easy to change this habit just say the word Do instead of don’t and let the flow of the conversation happen.  As always I am here for you.

Talktome@thejoefactor.com

Joe “Factor” White    

Learning a New Sales Communication Technology

Committing to a Program Takes Courage and a Sincere Desire to be Better

Kelley Robertson has again addressed a key element of learning a new methodology and I want to go on record and say I fully agree with this quote from The Robertson Training Group. 
“Very few people who implement a new idea or strategy see great results immediately. That’s because it takes time to perfect that particular technique and most people simply don’t give the new technique enough time to work. In my workshops and presentations, I hear how most people usually experiment with new ideas on a regular basis. Then, I usually hear how quickly they discard them when they don’t generate the desired results. Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of people are looking for a quick fix. The difference between successful people in business (and sales) and everyone else is that they keep working with the new approach. They evaluate the results, modify and tweak their approach, and give it ample time before discarding that particular idea.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no quick fix or solution that will instantly generate great results. It takes time. It takes persistence. And above all, it takes patience.”
Thanks again Kelley. Please do you self a favor and subscribe to this newsletter at http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com
The
Joe Factor is a fully supported program and recognizes that change is tough. That is why the
Joe Factor is not just a sales course but a program of ongoing support and coaching.  This is a necessary method because we need to change an entrenched habit of conventional sales strategies engrained over the years. This is despite the fact that they no longer work. This is not easy and we can only work with a few.  But for those few they will change and achieve by learning and committing to this sales methodology called The
Joe Factor.  You must first want to change we can help you through the rough spots.  You can do it and we will show you how. Talktome@thejoefactor.com
Joe “Factor” White 

Gaining Personal Commitment! Just Ask

 Gaining Commitment when selling intangibles

One of the key components of the Joe Factor on selling intangible services is building trust and rapport.   It is critical to success.  The other day at the Franchise company I am working with I listened carefully to  a call being made.  It was very interesting and you could feel the rapport building and the trust.  The client was using all the tools in the program.  I was very proud of the individual until the end of the discussion.  We had missed the whole point.  We had worked hard.   We had the prospect enamoured with our program.   The consultant was sending out the information in the email and he thought the necessary response would magically appear and the process would continue. 

Oh boy!  No urgency no timelines but more importantly no expectations an no leveraging of the hard earned trust and rapport. 

If you have been reading my blog you know the phrase “let me ask you a question.” In this situation it was easy.  All the consultant had to say was based on our discussion and your interest are you prepared and interested to work with me on determing if franchising is a good fit for you?  This is the pay off for all the work and the test to see if you have built rapport and trust etc.  More importantly is this someone who is interested in following direction and working with you.  It the answer is yes then you can dictate the terms of the process and how it will move forward.   It is done!  It is over!  You now are in control of the sales cycle and process. 

How often as consultants or sales people do you fail to simply ask, are you interested in working with me?

In the Joe Factor we can get you to this stage but you have to ask.  You know, it is a pretty logical outcome is it not?  Oh! and by the way the next call the consultant got this agreement and dictated the terms of engagement.   Many great sales talents miss capitalising on their abilities to build straight, thoughtful and honest relationships with their clients.  Just ask if you want to deal with me.  It is pretty cut and dry.  Do not fear the NO!  We can help.  Contact me for a free consultation on your sales process.

Joe “Factor” White

taktome@thejoefactor.com

Sales Success Revelation

Sometimes it is the Simple Things

 In the last while I have been assisting an organization in the franchise world.   One of the problems they were confronted with was the need to get confidential information from the client before they could proceed with the sales cycle.   Well like most situation this becomes a roadblock for a number of consultants because they apply their values of not providing information up against the client’s values.  Sure enough the information does not come in and the process never starts.   Does that sound familiar to you?   If it does the answer is simple do not apply your values to the prospect.  Listen and learn his and apply.  Get it!  When we removed this thinking from the process the confidential information started to flow and success is now only a short few days away. Look at yourself and your roadblocks and ask, “Am I the one that is stopping my pipeline to fill up with prospects?”  If yes then change your thinking. This is not hard it is only a commitment you need to make. If you need coaching or to identify this in your sales cycle send me and email.  I am sure I can pinpoint the concern for you. 

Joe “Factor” White

talketome@thejoefactor.com

Selling Intangibles-Training Professionals Don’t Get It!

Talk about being overwhelmed and put through the emotional wringer.  We as sales types are in a lot of trouble particularily those of us who sell intangible products.

Yesterday I was invited to speak at event that included a number of training professionals.   My first thought was that this would be a wonderful expierence.  However I came away feeling saddened by the lack of understanding about incorporating the emotional sale process into conventional sales methodology.  

What I did was this.  I  decided that I would  speak about “The Joe Factor” process. 

 I was excited, these are professional trainers sponsored by a professional training organization how could I miss.   These people are the nurturing souls of the business community. These are the people destined to help people be better at what they do.  On top of that they sell intangibles.   I mean, what could be  more  intangible than a training course on business skills.

Much to my chagrin after my presentation the look on the faces of this esteemed group was one I have never witnessed before.   It was than that I realised that my task is much bigger then I had imagined.  These people had no idea how to link the sales process to emotions.   One person rose from her seat and said I would deal with that guy referring to me.   Oh well!  So it looks like we have found a number of unconcious incompetents. (They just do no know they do not know.)

If the trainig profession cannot provide this kind of program, who will?

 I asked the organizer of the event that sells training and training books for a living, and  by the way  is a large provider of training programs  throughout English speaking countries and he said: “we do not sell sale programs it s to hard to get the people to attend.”  I bit my tongue and thought, maybe you should offer something different instead of the same rehashed old material.  They have seen it all before.

So who is going to change this lack of understanding?  Who is going to recognize as a sales person that there is a huge void to be filled in professional selling techniques.   It is an easy answer; the winners step up and do it and seize the opportunity and take the market share that others miss.  Are you the one to  do that?   Do you want to be different and memorable? 

 Keep this in mind, you will not get this in any normal sales training course.  There are a  few exceptions.  Most sales training programs are stuck in a rut taking your money for the same old thing and teaching the same tired old story about how to be a succesful sales professional.   You know what I mean!!

The good news is I am here and I am looking for leaders.  I do not believe  “the customer is number one.” I believe as my friend Harish Chauhan says in his book Unconventional Business www.unconventionalbusiness.com/  you need  to have number one customers. 

That is what I am looking for,  people who want to be part of something and to grow

So much for my rant!

talktome@thejoefactor.com

Joe”Factor”White

Rolls Royce or Volkswagen Bug

 

Riddle me this Batman!  For all you great sales people selling the best and only unique product in the world, why do you let people touch your Rolls Royce as if it is a Volkswagen Bug.  What does this do to your offering?  Let me tell you what it does.

1. Demystifies your offering and everybody needs mystery especially to buy
2. Lowers the value of the service
3. Sets up the dreaded negotiations cycle
4. Lowers the excitement surrounding the service

I could go on but you get the point.  If you do not get the point, then think about the excitement of opening a present just for you.  Does that help?

The point is this, do not let people touch or get near your offering unless they are serious and excited about what it can do for them.   It is up to you to make sure you qualify them and they earn the right to experience the offering.  Make sure they are committed to purchase if they like what they see.

I recently listened to an on line coaching session and the instructor offered thirty minutes free coaching.  Of course everybody wants the free but what she did was so unique that she got business.  She gave the 30 minute presentation and the prospect got very excited about her lesson which predominately was about the benefits and need for and effective coach or business mentor.   After 30 minutes she stops and says, “time’s up.”  The prospect said, “wow! that was great” and she says,  “are you ready to commit to my service?”   80% of the time the answer is yes.   So you see they now can ride in her Rolls Royce.   They are committed.  It is up to you to gain the Commitment to touch your Rolls Royce.  You can learn this technique from “the Joe Factor.”

Joe “Factor” White
talktome@thejoefactor.com