How to Win New Customers Creatively

June 6, 2019 by Ann Barr

m0851-55542-unsplash On a beautiful summer day in June my Aunt Ginny found a marketing flyer on her front doorstep. It was from George Hill, a local handyman, plumber, electrician, painter; you name it.

This flyer won dozens of new customers for George and if you can write poetry, you can do the same for your business.

A Unique Approach

Have you ever read a flyer that made you smile? This one did just
that. And it got results. George acquired dozens of new customers quickly
with this attention-getting flyer– and still counting.

I needed some work done on my deck and after reading his flyer I
called George. He came to my house, gave me an estimate and I hired
him. He did a great job! I gave George’s flyer to my next-door
neighbor and George acquired another customer.

This one flyer made the rounds of my neighborhood and George was busy with work for the next three months.

George’s Creative Marketing Flyer

I enjoy working around the house

Building a shelf or catching that mouse

I can fix a leak or clean your garage

And by the way of introduction,

My name is George.

Electrical, painting, any chore at all

I will provide estimates and references . . .

Just give me a call.

You will be happy with my reasonable rates

So for all seasons, get your house and garden in shape.

Free Estimates

20 Years Experience

Licensed & Insured

Call me today (George’s name and cell phone number)

Then a list of his services: painting, licensed plumber, roofing, yard
work, etc.

and –

“Present this flyer for an easy 10% off”

How You Can Do the Same

Have you ever thought of writing a poem about your product or
services? It is a great way to create attention and interest.

Before writing any type of sales letter, email or marketing flyer, use
the tried and true copy-writing formula, AIDA:

A – Attract the reader’s attention

I – Arouse the reader’s Interest in the offer.

D – Stimulate the reader’s Desire to take the desired action.

A – Ask the reader to take the action requested.

You are invited to…

… get more good ideas and marketing tips when you sign up for my newsletter here!

And…

… You will get specific profit-producing strategies for your unique situation in my one-to-one 4 week once-a-week e-Course with personal coaching and sales training.

Interested? Use this registration form and email to me when completed.

Good news: You can apply your BTA Educational discount for this course!

Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you a creative day!

Ann
PS. If you know a friendly, positive person who feels s/he is not cut out for a sales position (but you disagree) please forward this post to her or him.

This 4-Letter Word Earned a Sale

June 3, 2019 by Ann Barr

william-iven-8515-unsplash This word is rarely used in a business setting.

But using it in the right situation and in a genuine way makes a big difference.

One example of how this 4-letter word earned a sale – true story:

I phoned the local newspaper to cancel my subscription.

The person I spoke with at the newspaper used all the right words – especially one compelling “positive power” word – to try and change my mind.

First she said, “I’m so sorry you have decided to cancel.”
(She sounded as though she meant it.)

Her important question:

“May I ask why you would like to cancel your subscription?”

I was truthful, and answered: “Because I get most news online and don’t usually have time to read the newspaper.”

Her response was to describe a new “special offer.”

After telling me about the offer she asked: “Would you like to try that for 14 weeks?”

I said “yes!”

It was an offer I couldn’t resist, especially when she used that persuasive 4-letter word.

What was that magic word – and how did she use it?

“We would LOVE to keep you as a subscriber.”

Three reasons she earned the sale:

(1.) I felt as though she really cared and didn’t want to lose me as a subscriber.
(Whether that was true or not, it was the impression she communicated.)

(2.) I didn’t want to say “no” because she used all the right words and – honestly – I felt she deserved the sale.

(3.) She asked for the sale!

If you have not been using the word love in your conversations with prospects and clients because you feel it is not professional…

… think again.

Because it works!

Get good ideas and marketing tips when you sign up for my newsletter here!

And…

… You will get more profit-producing ideas for your unique situation in my one-to-one 4 week once-a-week e-Course with personal coaching and sales training.

Interested? Use this registration form and email to me when completed.

Good news: You can apply your BTA Membership discount for this course!

Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you a beautiful day!

Ann
PS. If you know a friendly, positive person who feels s/he is not cut out for a sales position (but you disagree) please forward this post to her or him.

6 Essential Words

May 27, 2019 by Ann Barr

deleece-cook-1167525-unsplash 6 Essential Words Get Attention Fast.

Why do these words matter?

Because they MOTIVATE prospects to become mentally involved in the conversation.

When you use one or two of these words in your introductory statement or email, you will capture your prospect’s attention immediately.

What are these 6 words?

They are known as “Positive Power Words.”

When you fit one or two into your presentation (in a way that makes sense), something good happens – the prospect LISTENS to you and becomes interested in what you’re saying!

6 Positive Power Words

1.) Entitle

2.) Program

3.) Qualify

4.) Flexible

5.) Preferred

6.) Alert

Example

A great attention-getting subject line to use when emailing clients to warn them about fraudulent telemarketers:

“Consumer Alert”

This is from Week 2 of the one-to-one e-course – and that subject line can double your open rate!

You will get more attention when using one of the Positive Power Words in a “High-Impact-High-Gain” question (page 7 in Week 2 of the e-course.)

A request:

If you know someone who is starting out in sales or wants to improve closing rates, please forward this post to him or her.

Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you a beautiful day!

Ann

PS: The next one-to-one e-Course begins on Thursday.
You can get the (no obligation) registration form on this page.
Questions? Please Email to annbarr@annbarr.com

PPS: Good News – Your BTA educational discounts apply for this course!

PPPS: Positive feedback:

“Ann, during your e-Course I have gotten more confidence in speaking and relaying to people the information I need in order for me to help them. People seem to respond and open up to me with more information. Thank you!”

- Grace Dace,
Maunakea Integrated Solutions
Honolulu, Hawaii

“After taking part in Ann Barr’s four-week e-Course, I’ve been more comfortable making calls and I’m getting better response from prospects during the calls. Thank you, Ann!”

- Jonathan Thacker,
Indiana Business Equipment

“Everything I have learned in this course, I have been using now on a daily basis. I have been able to have better conversations with prospects and customers because of changing the way I phrase questions. Also, using the cold call email you helped me with, I have gotten more responses. Thank you, Ann!”

- Jessica Whittle, The Fax and Printer Guy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

“Ann, Your e-Course helped me become more successful as a sales rep because I now know how to acquire the information needed to develop a relationship with potential customers and how to be successful in increase my personal sales.”

- Christina Tolea, First Phase Data
Winnipeg, Manitoba

“This whole course has been a HUGE help to me because I started off not wanting to do this job. I have since been working on this more and really enjoy what I have learnt and seeing the results and rewards pay off. Thanks Ann!!”

– Kevin Norton, Allvan Equip
Seatac, Washington

Your Clients are Waiting for You

October 10, 2018 by Ann Barr

woman-sitting-at-table-chin-in-hand And they are waiting to buy from you.

Really.

Why?

Because they know you – or your company, they like you – or your company and they trust you – or your company.

But… since they haven’t heard from you in a while, your client may get a phone call from a friendly competitor (of yours) offering the same products you sell.

Your client might even say “yes” to your competitor.

Yikes!!

How could this happen?

Maybe, because your client hasn’t heard from you or anyone at your company for a while. And they feel neglected.

Three reasons why they have not heard from you:

1. A sales rep (not you) abruptly left your company and no one notified clients.

or:

2. You have been too busy finding and contacting new businesses because you (or your manager) decided it’s time to increase the customer base.

or:

3. It was assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that this client would continually buy from you, without any reminders or follow-up calls.

An Unexpected Email

This was a surprising email I received last year, from someone I had never met – who took the place of a sales rep who left her company:

“When I took this job I didn’t realized at the beginning but it turns out that to be successful at this I need to do a lot of cold calling. It also turns out I suck at it. Maybe it’s because of my fear of rejection.”

But…

…as I told this new sales rep:

In this situation, it would not really be cold calling, if the accounts being called have previously done business with your company.

Banish the Fear

Almost like magic, the fear will disappear when you begin making those warm (not cold) calls to accounts that have purchased from your company in the past.

Results

To her astonishment, clients were happy to hear from her!

And most bought products as a result of her call. Yay!!

Not specifically mentioning her name, but here are four lovely emails from reps who happily discovered cold (warm) calling works!

Feedback

“After taking part in Ann Barr’s four-week e-Course, I’ve been more comfortable making calls and I’m getting better response from prospects during the calls. Thank you, Ann!”

- Jonathan Thacker, Indiana Business Equipment

- Jessica Whittle, The Fax and Printer Guy

- Grace Dace, Account Executive, Maunakea Integrated Solutions

“Your e-Course was clear and easy to understand. The course motivated me to focus on my goals and I’ve had a tremendous improvement in technique and confidence. Thank you, Ann!”

- Paul Cleveland, Business Development Manager, Repro Products
.
Congratulations to Jonathan, Jessica, Grace and Paul – your dedication and success is exciting!

.
Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you a beautiful day!!

- Ann

PS – The next one-to-one private e-Course begins a week from today. Interested?
Send me a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

PPS – Your BTA educational discount applies to this course!

PPPS – If you enjoyed this post and want to pass it along to a friend, here’s a link you can share.

What Happened to Voicemail?

September 9, 2018 by Ann Barr

woman-wearing-beanie-with-cell-phone Most sales people I talk with say they NEVER leave voice mail messages.

But here’s a question for you:

How many callbacks do you get if you DON’T leave a voicemail?

Answer: Zero.

You CAN get your message across, despite voice mail roadblocks.

First of all, think of the person listening to your voice mail message.

Think about ways you can make your message not only interesting, but motivational.

True Fact:

You CAN motivate the listener to be curious or interested enough to want to return your call.

How?

Get their attention immediately – within the first 14 seconds, according to research by martechzone.com

4 best attention-getting voicemail tactics

Make your introductory statement short and to the point. See example below.
Talk about something new.
Explain how it benefits the listener.
Use one or two positive power words with a time-sensitive message.

Example: Mortgage company employee calling a homeowner

“Hi [prospect’s name]. This is [sales rep’s name] calling from [name of mortgage company] at [sales rep’s telephone number].”

“I’m calling you tonight to alert you about some new refinancing options that are available for your mortgage loan. Our records show that we can save you several thousand dollars by lowering your interest rate and if you would like to learn more, please call us at [telephone number]. We don’t know how long this low rate will last, so please call me back as soon as possible. That’s [telephone number]. I look forward to talking with you soon.”

Why would this message prompt a call back?

Because the caller used a benefit statement for the listener with three Positive Power words: “new,” “your”and “alert.” And the message is time sensitive.

If you are brave enough to make an hour’s worth of phone calls for three days each week – with 50 to 80 percent going to voice mail – do this:

Give the prospect a good reason to call you back.
Make notes and keep track of all voice mail messages you leave.
Post your notes in a prominent place where you can easily see them.
Next to each name on your list, write the reason for the call, so you won’t be shocked and speechless when they DO return your call.

Do not be disappointed if you don’t get a call back the same day or the next day or the next. You will see a good reason to be patient on this page – based on my personal experience.

Why bother to leave a voicemail message?

and

Three reasons why it is important to leave a voicemail message

Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you a beautiful day!

-Ann

PS: Want help leaving effective voicemail messages and writing attention-getting emails?
Join my next e-Course! Send me a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP (unless Hurricane Florence gets in the way!)

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