Issue link: https://docs.hic.us/i/403552
What Every Salesman Needs To Know Selling! Does this word make you cringe every time you here it. Do you get all nervous when faced with the prospect of meeting a stranger face to face, then having to convince him to lay his hard-earned cash on the line and buy something from you? You're not alone. Sales can be overwhelming and discouraging. After a few bad experiences, most people are ready to throw in the towel and run for cover. After all, most of us got into this business because we liked the creative aspect of embroidery, not because we wanted to have doors slammed in our faces. But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, selling embroidered products can be a very rewarding experience, even fun. It all begins with getting into the right frame of mind. And that means understanding what you're selling. You're probably thinking embroidery, right? Wrong! What you're really selling is image, memories, brand awareness, souvenirs, advertisements, etc. You don't walk into the prospect's office and say "Hi I'm Jimmy and I'm selling embroidery, would you like to buy some?" You approach him this way "What would you say to a product that can enhance your company image, promote your business identity and advertise your name, all in one package and it never expires?" This may not be your exact script, but I think you get the picture. So let's apply this to developing a sales strategy. The process begins by carefully selecting your prospective client. By the way, that's one of the truly unique things about embroidery, everyone's a potential customer, so you have a huge selection of prospects to choose from. I suggest that you identify a group of related customers, rather than just one prospect at a time. For example, car dealers, landscapers, plumbers, etc. In this way, you will be spending your time developing a single sales presentation that can be used multiple times. Once you know whom you're going to pursue, it's time to do a bit of research, so that you can adequately plan your sales presentation. The 5 P's applies here: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. (Actually this was derived from the 6 P's, but it's a bit derogatory, so I won't go there.) Learn everything you can about the customer. Knowledge is power! Let's discuss a Marina as an example. Here is the customer data that I've already collected for you. The Seaport Marina caters to large yachts. They have 50 slips that are rented out year-round and 20 transient slips (short term). Many larger yachts stop here for fuel, provisions, laundry service and shore time. Typically they spend the night in one of the transient slips. The marina provides maintenance services and has a ships store. It's located in a historic fishing village, that is a major tourist attraction. www.hsi.us care@hsi.us 135