On any given day, we are bombarded by messages. We don’t even need to leave the house. Radio. TV. Internet. Email. Telephone. Mobile phone. Voicemail. Faxes. Just a few of the countless ways advertisers can contact us.
But if we leave (the house), there is much more: Signs on the buses. Signs on buses. More signs at L stops, on banks, above taxis, billboards, at the checkout counter at the local grocery store.
Oh! Newspapers cannot be forgotten despite their lagging numbers. And of course there is still mail: US Mail, FedEx, UPS, DSL. The list is endless, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
So how does a small business, or for that matter, any business, break away from all the noise? What does it take to be heard when you’re competing for someone’s attention?
Peace of mind is the first thing that comes to mind. A place free of distractions where you can hear what the other person is saying. A restaurant where you can talk and network without shouting. Or an office or conference room where you can talk business and everyone can listen.
A minimum of interest is the next item. The person (or people) you are talking to must have an interest in what you have to say and sell. Does your service solve a problem for them? Can you communicate that in a clear and concise way? If so, you can probably get their attention. But to keep your interest, you need to dig deeper. You need to be able to answer objections, or “Why Should You” as I prefer to call them, which means you need to state your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
Why should I give you my business when my current provider is doing a decent job? Tell me how your service will make my job easier. Can you save me five hours a month of wasted time? Will that free me up to do an extra five hours of cold calling? Hit me up with figures on time saved and potential revenue, and I might be ready for a follow-up meeting.
Perhaps you prefer to make initial contacts by email. If so, you have different challenges. Now you need some plot. You need to create interest. And it must do so while maneuvering through mountains of spam.
How will you make sure your message is opened? Do you know how to write a short and clear subject line that does not contain any spam filter trigger words? And once it opens, how do you write short, catchy copy so that when you follow up on the phone, someone will actually hear your pitch, or better yet, pick up the phone first and call you?
This is where good sales skills come in so handy. Knowing how to write a strong sales pitch, whether by email or post, is crucial.
Think of all the lousy emails you get every day. Better yet, try this simple exercise for a few days. Pay attention to subject lines that you delete too quickly. Then look carefully at the ones you open and think about why you’re not throwing them away. You should see a pattern. The emails that are opened are from someone you know, contain information you requested, or have subject lines that are so intriguing that you can NOT NOT open them. That’s what you want to do to separate your emails from the ones about to be deleted.
Obviously, there is always more you can do to get your message heard. But if you start with the simple tactics outlined above, you’ll be off to a good start.
o Deliver your message in an environment free from distractions.
o Make sure the person you are talking to has some interest in what you are selling.
o Know your USP to be prepared for the “Why should I?”
o Create a small plot.
o Hone your sales skills, or written proposals as well as face-to-face presentations.
Clever marketing can eliminate the clutter and all the noise. You need to understand what your potential customers need and tell them how your company has the solution.
