Brigantine Media

WHEN H.L. HUNT, the oil billionaire, was once interviewed, he was asked for the secret of success. Here was his answer:

1. Decide what you want to do.

What are your personal goals as a salesperson?

What do you want to sell? To whom?

Where do you want to be a year from now? Five years from now?

2. Decide what you’ll give up to do it.

You mean it’s not a 40 hour a week job? (That’s right!) You mean I have to constantly be aware of the competition and the buyer and any changes they make? (That’s right!) You mean I have to give up some of my hobbies or free time activity to concentrate more on selling? (That’s right!)

Here’s why: When other salespeople take off time for a coffee break during the day, make another appointment for that time instead. You’ll gain an hour a day or nearly one extra day in every week!

3. Decide your priorities.

What comes first on your To-Do list? Then second. Then third. Don’t pick out number eight or nine because they’re easier to do. First things first. Then number two becomes number one, etc…

4. Decide to… do it!

When you decide what you want to do. And decide what you’ll give up to get to do it. And decide your priorities – none of them mean anything unless you make the last decision: To do it!

Well, yes, there is another way. This was oil baron’s John Paul Getty’s three secrets of his success:

1. I got up early.

2. I worked hard.

3. My father struck oil.

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Murray Raphel travels the world speaking about marketing for retailing, direct marketing, financial/insurance groups and the food industry. He is the author of several books including “Selling Rules!”, “Speaking Rules!”, and “Tough Selling for Tough Times.”

For more information about Murray and his books, visit www.brigantinemedia.com.

WHEN FACED WITH A CHOICE between reducing prices and giving away something free… give something away free.

Here’s why: Your cost is less.

If you sell widgets for $50 each and put them on sale for $35, you reduce your profit by $15. Instead, give your customer a gift/supplement/auxiliary item that ties in with their purchase — free. If this free item has a retail value of $10, your cost is only $5 and you’re ahead $10!

Example: You sell jackets in your clothing store for $300. You put them on sale for $240 or 20% off (not a deep markdown in today’s retail environment) but you lose $60 profit.

BUT IF, instead, you give the customer a $25 shirt and a $15 tie — free, your cost is only $20 (half the retail price). You made an extra $40 on the transaction. And made the customer happier because of the free gifts he received.

We know a dry cleaner who never runs sales. But, every once in a while, to increase business, he “gives away” some dry cleaning. Bring in a suit to have cleaned and pressed and he’ll clean and press another pair of pants… free. His actual cost of cleaning and pressing the one pair of pants is far less than if he reduced the price of dry cleaning the suit.

Figure it out. Add up the difference between the money you lose in a having a “sale” against what you lose in giving away something free.

The “free” item maintains a good profit. The “sale” item doesn’t.

Murray Raphel travels the world speaking about marketing for retailing, direct marketing, financial/insurance groups and the food industry. He is the author of several books including “Selling Rules!”, “Speaking Rules!”, and “Tough Selling for Tough Times.”

For more information about Murray and his books, visit www.brigantinemedia.com.

WHEN SOMEONE COMPLAINS ABOUT a product they bought from you, the first rule is to “listen.”

They’ve rehearsed what they’re going to say, they expect negative feedback from you. They are ready to fight. So don’t interrupt them. Listen.

Don’t comment, don’t look around, don’t adopt the “I’ve heard all this before” exasperated look. Listen. And look at them while they’re talking.

Then, when their conversation stops, wait a second and carefully, softly say these ten words: “Tell me what you want and the answer is yes.”

If the color in the shirt ran in the washing, if they were forced to go through a telephone drill of “Push 1 for… push 2 for…” and were not taken care of, if the book they ordered was not what they thought it would be – whatever the merchandise or complaint – simply say, “Tell me what you want and the answer is yes.” They can have a replacement of merchandise, their money back, money for gas for driving to your place of business — whatever they want. And it is offered with your apologies and thanks.

Here’s what happens: the customer is at first confused, then bewildered, then amazed and then, often, apologetic.

They are conditioned for confrontation. What they receive instead is kindness.

It works.

Murray Raphel travels the world speaking about marketing for retailing, direct marketing, financial/insurance groups and the food industry. He is the author of several books including “Selling Rules!”, “Speaking Rules!”, and “Tough Selling for Tough Times.”

For more information about Murray and his books, visit www.brigantinemedia.com.

THIS IDEA ALWAYS WORKS!

Make four phone calls a day to customers telling them of new merchandise just received you know they usually buy. Or of a special sale on their most liked items. Or any reason that gives them a personal benefit.

OR: Write four letters a day. One idea: Thank customers for their recent purchase from you.

OR: Give out four calling cards a day. You meet new people every day. A waiter or waitress. A fellow Rotarian. The person next to you on the plane. We believe calling cards are “miniature billboards.” They tell who you are and what you do and if you give enough away you’re practicing the Fuller Brush theory of knocking on enough doors and one will open.

OR: AFTO four times a day. Which is shorthand for Ask For The Order. Too many salespeople present their case and wait for the customer to say “OK, I’ll buy it.” Rarely happens. Ask For The Order.

Do one of each or four of one of these techniques every day! That’s more than 1,200 contacts a year. If only 10% respond, you have more than 100 extra sales you would not have had.

Murray Raphel travels the world speaking about marketing for retailing, direct marketing, financial/insurance groups and the food industry. He is the author of several books including “Selling Rules!”, “Speaking Rules!”, and “Tough Selling for Tough Times.”

For more information about Murray and his books, visit www.brigantinemedia.com.

ADVERTISING GURU DAVID OGILVY had his copywriters create as many as 100 headlines for the same ad, seeking the mysterious words to increase sales. He told his staff when they had written an effective headline, they had spent 70% of their clients’ money.

Here’s why: seven out of 10 people read the headline of an ad. Only three out of 10 keep on reading.

During my 40 years in retailing, I wrote at least 15,000 headlines. Less than a handful worked every time they were used. Here are two:

“Would You Buy A $50 Yves St. Laurent Shirt On Sale for $29?”

You can substitute the original price, the name and the sale price for whatever you want to sell and it will bring in customers as long as the name is recognizable and the value is great.

We’ve successfully adopted and adapted this headline for clothing, stationery shops, supermarkets and a dozen other businesses. It works every time.

“The name is Mañana. But at $25 you’d better buy it today.”

The product was a woman’s jacket made in Mexico. We sold the entire stock of 48 pieces the same day the ad ran. We reordered and ran the exact same ad ten days later. And sold out again in 48 hours. We reordered again and sold out again.

If a headline works, repeat it. There are those who never saw it the first time. There are those who saw it and are reminded. There are those who will tell others.

Murray Raphel travels the world speaking about marketing for retailing, direct marketing, financial/insurance groups and the food industry. He is the author of several books including “Selling Rules!”, “Speaking Rules!”, and “Tough Selling for Tough Times.”

For more information about Murray and his books, visit www.brigantinemedia.com.