5: Power Sales Tools
The notion that a salesman would need tools to do his job seems strange to many people. It even seems strange to many salesmen, who have never used any tools. But they do exist, and the salesman who avails himself of them is capable of doing more as a result.
The author gives the example of the fishing story about "the one that got away" - and the more insistent you are, the less credible you become. Nobody believes your wild claims ... until you show them a picture. A salesman's pitch is the tall tale he tells a prospect, with grandiose claims of what his product can do for him. If he has a tool - a testimonial, a newspaper clipping, something other than the smoke he's blowing - his best efforts at persuading are little use.
Sales Tool #1: Your Website
In the present day, a Web site is the most important sales tool a person or company has.
(EN: he provides some advice, but I'm skipping it. He doesn't follow some of his own advice: he suggests having a one or two page site while his own is hundreds of pages, and to hire a professional webmaster whereas his own site is cobbled together by an amateur using clip art and prefab templates - the rest is simply misguided, outdated, or poorly-informed. Seek better sources of advice on this topic.)
Sales Tool #2: A Fast Facts Profile
The next "tool" the author suggests is a Fast Facts Profile, though it's not entirely clear what he means by this, except that it should be "written professionally to speak to all four personality styles," fit on one side of a standard sheet of paper, and have two pictures of yourself. Whatever it is, he says it was helpful in getting one company grow its business 97% in a single year.
(EN: I did some digging about, and from what I could find, I think this is meant as a "fact sheet" like many companies use for products, or the profiles they provide for certain of their executives.)
Distinctive Sales Tools
One important thing about your sales tools is that they should be distinctive - if they blend in with the tools that other salesmen use, there's nothing memorable.
Specifically, the author has given up on conservative business cards that just give a person's name, job title, and contact information. It's typical, and it "goes directly from wallet to wastebasket." He's abandoned them, and gone with a "main point card" of his own design: about twice the size of a standard card, full color, printed on glossy cardstock, includes a picture, and reiterates some of the key sales points for his products.
(EN: I suspect this is like the "pink envelope" he mentioned earlier - it seems totally cheesy, but if it works, then you can't really argue with it. However, he presents only anecdotal evidence, an incident when it became a topic of conversation with a potential client who found it to be unusual.)
Sales Tools That Work for You
In addition to the items above, the author provides a list of tools that a salesman can use to be more effective:
- Standard Sales Pitch Sheet. This tool is a simple outline that highlights the three main points, each of which has three bulleted items in support of each point. (EN: He doesn't mention how to use it - a reference to have nearby when making calls and presentations, or a brochure you send to prospects. I suppose it could be used for either or both.)
- Overcoming Objections Sheet. This is a list of the reasons prospects might cite for not buying a product, and provides counterpoints for them. Having this information handy enables a salesman to address these issues expediently.
- Testimonials Sheet. Three of four client testimonials that endorse the product, the company, and yourself, lend credibility to your claims. You can ask clients to provide these, or ask for some bullet points that a professional writer can work into a statement. Naturally you should get permission to use them, and there may be instances (such as financial services) where it is forbidden to use them.
- Buyers' Remorse Protection Package. Even after the sale is made, a client may cancel the contract, or they may experience doubts that will make it difficult to retain their future business. The author uses this package to help reinforce their decision to buy during the critical period after the purchase has been made and doubt begins to set in as to whether they did the right thing.
- Promise Keepers Sales Sheet. One client views the sales staff of the company as "promise makers" and the service staff to be "promise keepers" - and one of their tools that has been highly effective in maintaining conversation is a sheet that contrasts the promises made by sales and the promises kept by service. Sending this to the client periodically reminds him that your company has kept its word.
- Referral Response Sales Sheet. This is a form (I think) provided to enable clients to pitch your product to others they know and collect information you will need to pursue the lead.
- Referral Response Card. This is described as separate from the sheet above, but seems like a miniature version of the same thing: a 3 x 5 index card that has a pitch on one site and a lead submission form on the other.
- Special Event Sheet. This is a page that contains information pertinent to a specific event. The author uses it to promote his seminars, but it could be used for a sale or promotional event.
Others are listed separately:
- A referral form should be on your Web site, along with a PDF of the referral response sales sheet in PDF format.
- The author also indicates he's had some success using "pink slips," the old (pink) form that was commonly used to take a message for someone. These can be sent via e-mail or s-mail as a way of making contact. The design of the form implies that they have missed an appointment, making them feel they "owe" you a call and putting them in an awkward position.
- He reiterates the value of using social media sites for sales purposes, provide that you use them as a salesman (to find prospects, sell them, and keep in touch with regular customers) instead of the way a normal person would (to interact with people socially, without a profit motive).
- In general, heed the advice that less is more. Good sales copy is very tight and focuses on the benefits. It doesn't list every product feature (that's what a manual is for) or loads of legal copy that qualify and contradict the few sentences that matter.
- Also, don't be too cheap. You can save money doing it yourself or getting someone without much skill to do the writing and design, but it shows, and it makes it harder for a prospect or client to regard you as a serious professional if your materials are kid-stuff.
A final note: the best sales tools in the world do no good if they're in a box in your desk drawer. You have to do the work to get them in the hands of clients and prospects in order for them to do any good at all.