Sales by 5 Blog

Give 'Em Something to Talk About

Yesterday we said that People Talk, today were are giving you an example to help sell more!

One of our clients, Zap! Cars, sells electric vehicles.  He has a car, truck, ATV and motorcycle that are for sale. I have been able to try this electric ATV in my neighborhood with my kids and it is a great, quiet and compliant toy. The rules say no motor vehicles, but electric is okay, so that has become a new trend. Parents Dads are consistently asking me about this quiet ATV that I've been driving around with two kids. It has towing power and can climb anything in our off road trails we have thrown at it.

If you have something dramatically different and then you have a father and son go for a ride together on it, what happens the next 24 hours is incredible. See, feel, touch, experience just happened. It is sold in the mind of the child and the dad is looking for ways to un-sell it.

The point: If you have salt and pepper, forget it! If you have dramatic difference, show me, tell me, but most of all, let me see, feel, touch, experience what your product or service has that I can benefit from.

Tell us what you have!

People Talk

Employers have tried to control what you cannot talk about for years, but what about giving you something to talk about?

People, bosses, employees and friends are going to talk! What if you could give them something to talk about versus let them assume or find something that could be negative. Here’s a great opportunity for you to either control or be controlled by what gets talked about.  Jeff Taylor, the founder and CEO of Monster.com, considers this his #1 priority as it is what people think about and talk about each day. Branding, advertising, word of mouth all begin with a thought and work to convey them. How can you change moral and problems or give hope and inspire?

What Do You Do?

"What do you do?" Many people have asked me this question over the years and I'm sure they've asked you too.

If I answered "I own Salesby5" or "I am a teacher" or "I am a CIO of Blah Blah Company" you aren't telling anyone what you do.  That's only your title!  What you do is actually what you do, so if someone asks me what I do, my reply is "I dramatically increase sales for companies and organizations."  My title is CEO - Chief Energy Officer because my role is to provide energy to my employees, vendors, customers and friends.

So, what do you do?

Remember, Let a customer say NO because what you offer doesn't apply to them.  Never let a customer say NO because they don't understand what you are offering! - Doug Hall

How Are You Branding Yourself?

We all have a personal brand. Using you natural strengths is the best branding message you can convey!

I love it when I meet people and they own a BlackBerry.  I never let them walk away without offering to install Viigo (a fantastic Mobile RSS reader), Google Maps and Beyond 411.  Typically, they are shocked that these amazing applications are free.  I've often received emails a few days later thanking me!  I don't charge for this service, it's a free prize inside for knowing Salesby5.  It brands me and our company as tech-savvy and high value. 

The value I give is not forced, it is something I must do. It's received as a gift, but really it is my gift to be able to share. What are you doing to share your strengths, your brand, your value?

Tell us in the comments what you do to gain mindshare as high value.

The Value of One Improvement a Day

What if you decided to make one improvement a day in your life?  Maybe you compliment a co-worker for looking great when they do or inspire someone to make a positive change in their life when they think no one cares.  If you spend 4 minutes a day doing this, you will have spent a full 24 hours inspiring people in one year.  YOU be the one who starts the snowball of great things for yourself and others.  See how the world changes around you, then come back to tell us in the comments.

Check out a great video called 212 – the extra degree for more.

Does Your Website Sell?

The future of websites that sell is now! They have videos that show real see, feel, touch experience and instead of actors, the videos have your people in them. This builds real credibility and real reason to believe that you can do what you say you can do!

Too many words is clutter. Making it as close to a warm experience where you feel great and truly understand the benefit you will receive for your time, effort and money is key. How is your site? What video or presentation do you have that truly sells your staff, company, and brand?  Send us a link and we will give you a SalesBy5 evaluation at no charge if you get 3 people signed up on this blog!

How Did You Measure Up Today?

I focus and judge myself on how many people I inspired that day. Some people think I sell. How do you measure yourself?

A Restaurant that Sells!

Last night, my wife and kids went to a good friend's restaurant for the first time, Tiago’s. I had heard great things about the food. Here is what I did not expect, at the end of the meal, after very good food and excellent salsa we came to the end of the evening. The waiter brought my kids push pops right before the bill arrived. The kids (5 and 7) were ecstatic and both loudly said "this is the best restaurant ever!" They actually kept saying it and began to disturb others until we calmed them down. The push pops were devoured. We brought food home and had some of it for breakfast. Today, we almost went out for lunch and all my son and daughter could say is Tiago's! I asked my daughter why and she gave me the following reasons exactly in order:

1. Great food
2. Great restrooms, she love the purple tile in the restroom. (she is 7 and very much a designer).
3. Great dessert (the push pops)
4. Cool coloring book that was part of the menu that came with crayons.

We had an experience, not a meal. My food was fine, the salsa (I love salsas) was incredible/remarkable. The kids, do not understand why we do not just move in and eat there. That is an experience that sells. That push pop probably cost about 30 to 50 cents. How much does advertising cost versus making a visitor's first impression amazing?

The tip was big, the bill was not. What can you do to get people to talk about your service, your restrooms and your product?

Soon to come, my friend who owns Mercedes-Benz of Bourne and how he proves that your restrooms tell how you take care of and feel about your guests and customers.

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You Are Creative!

If you ask a child in 1st grade if they are an artist, most if not all of the class will raise their hand that they are. If you ask 5th graders the same question, less than ½ will raise their hand. It gets worse the older you ask.  When my wife was in 1st grade the teacher had everyone draw a person.  The teacher held up everyone’s drawing and when she held up my wife’s, everyone laughed. That memory stuck with her and caused an element of shyness. Today, her drawings are excellent and I wish I could do as well, but that one experience was able to change her and have a lasting impression for life.

I spent my college years designing and selling T-shirts that would make companies a huge amount of money due to them being the best selling shirts they had. I had artists draw my ideas; drawing was not one of my strengths. The concept, the idea, the element that stimulated the artist was my strength. When I co-founded a design firm, my ideas did not stop, but as more of my job became hire, fire, collect money, invoice and logistics, my natural creative strength was not used.  Then, a normal element of corporate life happened - the title.  You are a salesman or the CEO, we are the designers. Complete segregation as to who has talent in what areas. Today, I am creative 90% of the day and my clients dominate their market because of it, my team loves their job and I do not allow anyone to de-motivate anyone, even a client or vendor.  I know I cannot control the world but I can control the use of natural talents and strengths to be used.

You were born creative! You either use the muscle to make it stronger or allow it to become weak.

Choose strong! If someone weakens you, find them a new friend, employer, or client!