|
OCTOBER
2000 ISSUE
Help Them To Feel The Pain
By Ann Barr
Psychologists tell us there is
a single driving force behind all human behavior. They say this
force impacts every facet of our lives. What is it that so strongly
influences us? Everything we do, we do either out of our need to
avoid pain or our desire to gain pleasure.
The Pain is Real
As one who has just experienced the pain of
learning that my laptop computer needs $900 worth of work, and who
was never notified that my warranty was about to run out, I can
testify that pain is a great motivator.
How can thoughts of avoiding pain influence a customer’s
purchasing decision? It depends on what you are selling. For
example:
l If you are marketing maintenance
agreements, and you meet with resistance, tell customers how
much a service call would cost, if they did not have a
maintenance agreement. (Use real numbers: the cost of just one or
two service calls versus the cost of a maintenance agreement.)
l Tell stories about real
people you know, who have let their warranties expire and then had
problems with equipment. Elaborate on the story and use real
dollar figures as to exactly how much
someone had to pay for a service call and the cost of
parts. (Ouch!)
Selling Consumables
l If you are selling consumable
products, and a customer orders just one of something – one
toner, for example - remind them of what will happen if they run out
of, let’s say a fax cartridge. All of a sudden they won’t be
able to receive faxes!
l If they have ever had that
experience, remind them of the pain of their
experience or tell a story about one of your other customers who had
a similar upsetting experience. Dramatize your story and express
empathy: "I would hate to see that happen to you!" Then
offer your solution.
l If they only order
one of an item, assume the customer wants a "back-up"
product. Say something like: "And you want a back-up cartridge,
right? To make sure you can continue to receive faxes when the first
cartridge runs out of ink?"
l Sell an Annual Supplies Agreement
with automatic shipping so the customer will never experience
the pain of running out of supplies.
What is an Annual Supplies Agreement? It is a written agreement
between you and a customer listing the type and amount of supplies
the customer will purchase from you for a full year. You guarantee
to supply specific products for a year at a set price or discount.
The customer promises to buy these supplies from you for a year and
you both sign an agreement stating product descriptions, prices or
discounts, quantities and delivery choices. Find out more about
marketing Annual Supplies Agreements and get a free Annual Agreement
letter at http://www.sellingsupplies.com click on "Sales
Tool."
Ann Barr is a consultant and sales
trainer with 19 years’ experience in Sales and marketing. ENX
readers can get a complimentary e-mailed copy of her report:
"64 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to Ann’s
free e-mailed newsletter "Weekly Sales Tips."E-mail your
request to: annbarr@sellingsupplies.com
with "Sales Tips" in the subject line, or visit Ann’s
web site: www.sellingsupplies.com
|
NOVEMBER 2000 ISSUE
Good Customer Service Can Increase Sales
By Ann Barr
Last month I received a call from a telephone sales rep
in Dallas, Texas who told me that her sales have increased in an
unexpected way. She said that in February a customer had called to
complain about the fact that the price of copier toner had increased
drastically. The way Amy (the sales rep) handled this - and similar
situations - has made a surprising difference in her sales.
Toner Pirates at Work
It took nearly five minutes of questioning for Amy to realize that
her customer had been taken in by a fraudulent telemarketer. It
seems that someone called this customer claiming to be calling
"from the warehouse" about her order for copier toner. The
customer was talked into believing that the call came from her
regular supplier and she was charged twice the retail price
for her copier toner.
Customers Do Buy From Pirates
While Amy knew about toner pirates, she didn't really believe
customers actually bought from them. Wrong. These fraudulent
telemarketers bilk consumers out of millions of dollars every year.
How They Operate
If you are new to this industry and are not familiar with toner
pirates, they are unscrupulous telemarketers who prey on businesses
everywhere and misrepresent themselves as being from the "local
warehouse" or "local supplier". They may even say
they are calling from Canon or Sharp or Panasonic or any other major
manufacturer. These fraudulent telemarketers will usually say
they are calling about an upcoming price increase and offer to sell
supplies (usually copier toner) at a "special"
price - which in reality is
usually two to four times
the retail price. Here is a sampling of scripts they use when
calling consumers:
l "Prices on products
are being raised, but valued customers can get a couple of cartons
at the old price."
l "A customer changed copiers and can’t
use the supplies."
l "There’s
a special close-out of soon-to-be - discontinued items."
l "We’re handling supplies distribution
for your dealer (manufacturer) and we’re offering a free gift if
you can confirm your order."
l "A delivery truck has been disabled
nearby and toner has to be sold at our cost."
Spreading The Word
Her customer's experience caused Amy to realize that she needed to
alert other customers about this illegal practice. She made hundreds
of copies of her Toner Pirate Warning and sent them out, along with
a letter of explanation, to everyone on her database. Amy told me
she sent out 30 each day and followed up a week later with a
telephone call to each account.
You can get a free "Toner Pirate Alert" letter on my web
site at http://www.sellingsupplies.com click
on fraud alert. Many manufacturers of consumable
products provide resellers with toner pirate warning flyers and
stickers to send to customers.
Good Customer Service Earns
Sales
What Amy found - when calling to follow up
with customers - surprised her. She realized – in addition to
providing good customer service - she had found a new marketing
tool. She said: "I learned that many of my customers had been
called by toner pirates and were eager to share their experiences.
My customers told me they appreciated learning more about how these
telemarketers operate and thanked me for sending them the
information – which they copied and distributed to other
employees. Nearly half of these customers placed an order
with me during my customer service calls!"
Keeping in Touch
Amy discovered that sending a personal letter with a toner pirate
warning was more than good customer service. It was a great way to
keep in touch with customers that she hadn't contacted recently.
Since March of this year, her sales have soared by 50%!
|