Do you have any friends who phrase things this way: “I don’t suppose you’re interested in going to the movies with me on Friday night?”
The natural reflex is to say, “I don’t suppose I do”…even if you do. They’re leading you into a negative state of mind and toward a negative answer.
You might be surprised [...]
Tag Archive: sales
Selling and marketing: never lead with a negative
What those Super Bowl ads can teach us about selling
Now that Super Bowl 2011 is but a memory, it’s time to look back and assess what all those expensive ads–both the hits and the flops–can teach us about not only advertising but selling in general:
1. You can’t go wrong with dogs. The two that tied for first place both featured dogs. In one, a [...]
Are you using the most powerful marketing method on earth?
You probably already know what the most valuable marketing method on earth is: word of mouth. However, many businesspeople are shy about asking for referrals—it’s a variation of the fear of rejection. Even when a customer has expressed satisfaction with our business, it can be difficult to summon up the nerve to ask for names [...]
Use upsells to make more money
The most familiar version of the upsell probably is “would you like fries with that?” at McDonald’s, but it’s a strategy that can be used by almost any kind of business.
It does have to be handled with care—one example of a discredited upsell is offering a warranty extension at inflated prices.
It also can be resented [...]
Can you offer a less expensive alternative?
In this economic climate it’s natural for people to look for ways to save money without giving up the things they enjoy or value. Revenue is flowing to businesses that figure out how to offer a cheaper or scaled-down version of their product or service.
Example: a fitness trainer I know has started losing clients [...]
Make sales in unexpected places
Heinz has started finding new places to sell their food products. Naturally you’ll find their products at Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, etc. but now they’re also targeting garden centres and petrol station forecourts to sell their barbeque sauce, and Mothercare to sell baby foods.
Obviously Heinz are hoping to increase their sales considerably, but sometimes it’s not [...]