This book was written for people getting to grips with social media. But the paragraph above should be in every marketing / advertising book. I am sharing it with you because I am writing a book on small business advertising or is it marketing. The aim is to help people stop trying to get the kiss on the first date when they advertise. The book is aimed at businesses who are not combining their off line advertising with online tools.

Posted via email from johan horak’s posterous

Image by Stitch via Flickr

So many people tell me that the hardest part of selling is encountering negativity and refusal.  So I want to share with you one of Stephan Schiffman’s “rules” for selling success from Make It Happen Before Lunch.  Here’s the rule – are you ready?  EXPECT negative initial responses!

Here’s a framework for thinking about that.  In Schiffman’s words, “Any time you suggest something new to someone you don’t know well yet, there’s going to be some initial resistance.  In your first call, set the goal of getting that negative response out in the open – not avoiding it!”

“In the initial call, you are not selling yourself, or selling Coffee News, or selling your services.  You’re selling an appointment.  You’re making the appointment the topic of conversation.” Bill Buckley President Coffee News USA.

This reminds me of expecting the kiss on the first date. If you go out to your appointment expecting to get the sale from someone you have never met you must prepare for the negative initial response.

When you go to an appointment to sell your services you should have different walk-away-success measures. Selling the service is not always possible at the first meeting. I prefer to use the first meeting to introduce myself and the product I am selling, the next objective is to get the person to like and trust me. And if you are a great salesperson you may get the order today.

But that’s not possible for all of us at the first meeting and here’s the procedure I propose:

• Get the appointment and confirm it before you leave your office.
• Introduce yourself and listen
• Introduce your services and try and show your product.
• Try and (a) close the sale
• If you cannot close the sale ask if you can continue with the education
• If the person agree get their (b) email address and add them to your online blog newsletter.

From (a) and (b) you’ll notice that we have two walk-away-success measures. If we get the deal then it means a success. But if we don’t get the deal then at least we have the email address and can follow up………until we have the deal.

Instead of getting 5 sales out of a hundred, we now have 5 sales out of a hundred and 95 emails out of a hundred.

Now you can use a blog/newsletter, like the one I am using to send you this educational stuff, to cultivate long-term relationships. And when they need your services you’ll  be the first one that comes to mind.

Regards