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A Unique Approach to Increase Sales
| Guest post by: Gordon O'Neill |
Article Overview: How do I increase sales? That's number the one question I get asked. You must attract a customer, create interest, build rapport and be memorable. This formula will naturally result in customer retention, customer generated referrals and undoubtedly more sales. How do I go about this you ask? Be Unique.
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Free Download - How to Sell to the Price Driven Customer By Gordon O'Neill |
A Unique Approach to Increase Sales
In today's competitive market you need to find a way to set yourself apart, rise above the crowd and be unique.
Today's customer is sophisticated; they've heard the shifty sales pitch and lost leaders one too many times.
So, the question you should be asking yourself is, what can I do to make a long lasting POSITIVE impression on my customers? The answer is simple, step away from the crowd and find a way to set yourself apart... be unique.
Take some time and think about what makes you unique to the competition; identify your strengths, your interests and what makes you memorable. Keep in mind that you want to highlight something that will create a link between you and your customer, a way in which you can relate.
To increase sales, you must attract a customer, create interest, build rapport and be memorable. This formula will naturally result in customer retention, customer generated referrals and undoubtedly more sales.
When I started my sales career I was quite young and frankly I did not have a whole lot in common with most of my customers. I couldn't relate to needing a minivan to drive the kids to school and baseball practice. I couldn't relate to people that had children; I was barely an adult myself. And I definitely wasn't concerned with fuel economy; I just wanted to drive something fast that made me look cool.
A big part of sales is relationship building in a small period of time.
Picture a sale like speed dating. You have a short amount if time to make a lasting good impression before your customer moves on to the next best thing.
I sat down and asked myself, what will set me apart? What can I do that is different than any other sales strategy I have seen on the sales floor?
My secret sales weapon... a fish.
I went to the local pet store and bought a Japanese fighting fish (Betta) for $4.99. I then went to a home decor store and purchased a glass pitcher and some plastic lemons. I placed the lemons in the bottom of the pitcher, filled it full of water and instantly had an ice breaker/customer magnet on my desk.
For under $30 dollars, I had the world's cheapest assistant.
Instantly I started to see the results. Children would come running to my desk and would ask me if my fish was real and what his name was. I called him Sushi. Sushi and I won over more children than you could shake a fist at and guess what? Win over a child and their parents will follow.
I would even have customers that would stop by my desk to see the fish when they came in for service work.
Sushi, my fish gave me a starting point, a way to break the ice; something of interest and most importantly something unique.
Soon I noticed that a few of the other sales reps would take my fish from my desk and put it on their desk on my days off.
My sales manager was a smart man. He realized that the only way that my fish would continue to be an effective sales tool, was if it was unique to me. He quickly put a stop to any other salesperson taking my fish or even getting their own.
When I moved on from the automotive industry and went into banking, I did the same thing; "Sushi the fourth" and I would entertain our customers.
Once you find a way to break the ice, you're easy to approach, making relationship building a simple task. When you become unique, you become memorable. Being approachable, unique and memorable effortlessly leads to customer retention, customer referrals and ultimately an increase in sales.
So find a way to be unique and take the results straight to the bank.
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Article Tags: attract customers, build rapport, building rapport, customer retention, increase sales, referral generated customers, referrals, sales, sales career, sales strategy
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About the Author: Gordon O'Neill RSS for Gordon's articles - Visit Gordon's website He is one of Canada's leading sales and marketing experts in the financial services, insurance, and commissioned sales fields. Through speaking engagements, Gordon has captivated thousands of sales professionals in these fields. Audiences find Gordon to be motivating, inspirational, and thought provoking. By drawing lessons from fascinating real-world examples, he educates and empowers decision makers. As a certified life coach and expert in neuro-linguistics programming, Gordon easily provides the necessary knowledge to make the best business decisions, utilizing his proven sales strategies. Gordon was born into business and started his sales career at a very young age. When he was only 18, he started a career in automotive sales at a large Chrysler dealership in Toronto, where he joined a team of more than 20 salespeople and quickly went from young upstart to top salesperson after just one month. Gordon maintained top status until moving into management. Gordon's unique career achievements include automotive sales and leasing, business management, financial services, insurance, tool and die making, construction, wholesale manufacturing, retail, and landscaping. His background has provided him with the rare opportunity to relate to many different business fields. Gordon also holds certifications in Project Management, Lean Management, and Six Sigma (Black Belt). Gordon's background and career experiences have moulded him into the sales expert that he is today, and he has helped transform the careers of many very successful salespeople. His book Sales Survival is coming out this fall. Sales Survival is a complete guide to a career in sales, including effective communication, sales techniques, customer retention, marketing strategies, and becoming the professional salesperson. Click here to visit Gordon's website   How to Increase Your Sales in Insurance A Unique Approach to Increase Sales Sales Training Tip of the Day Focus on the Deal in Front of You The 3 Step Sales Process Feature Function Benefit Sales Techniques for the Telephone |
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