| |
| |
|
Sales Information |
|
|
|
The Top 10 Ways to Add Extra Value
Everyone wants the best possible value in every transaction, but each of us defines "value" in different ways. Some customers want the lowest price, while others will place a higher value on reliability, convenience or things like color, popularity (think Pokeman cards!) or durability. The challenge for business is to provide extra value for every customer, at the lowest possible cost of doing business. The following "Top 10" suggestions are particularly suited to service businesses such as coaching or consulting, but can easily be adapted to other environments. 1. "Try before you buy." Give clients a free sample, taste or experience before asking them to commit. This can often be done in groups or teleclasses. Done correctly, it gives you a low-cost opportunity to expose large numbers of potential clients to the value of your service, while giving the potential client a safe, easy way to sample your work. 2. Follow-up after the sale. Much like allowing prospects to sample your work, groups or teleclasses allow you to follow-up, add extra value and potentially sell additional services after the original commitment is over. Many coaches combine these pre- and post- groups into weekly or monthly teleclasses that are open to past clients forever! 3. Client newsletters. Use a weekly newsletter to keep past and current clients informed, add extra insights, techniques, tips and solutions to common problems. Published by email, they are free, and very easy for clients to forward to friends and colleagues, providing you with potential additional marketing. Extra: Insert a quick 1-page newsletter with your monthly billing statement! 4. Let clients share their skills. Invite your clients to share their experiences, their own tips, discoveries and enthusiasm with each other. Host a monthly forum and invite guest speakers. Often a client will have particular expertise or a skill they are willing to share with your other clients either in person or in your newsletter. Everybody wins! 5. Public newsletters. In the "information age", the value of information is rapidly approaching zero, so capitalize on this trend and give away what you know! Display your skills, expertise and wisdom in either electronic form or on paper and invite past and present clients to participate, pass the information along, and provide a marketing forum for your business at the same time. Again, everybody wins! 6. Use your website. Ask your webmaster to add a newsgroup or set up a chat-room on your website. As you develop written material for your clients, post it on your website and make it available to other clients (you can password protect it) or to the general public. Let clients know that your information and experience are available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! 7. Celebrate with your clients. This ranges from sending flowers or champagne when they win the big contract, to sending birthday cards and holiday greetings. Everyone needs more hugs than we receive, so give your clients recognition whenever possible. Let them know you care. 8. Commiserate with your clients. Sometimes things don't work out well, they lose contracts or miss the big promotion. That's a great time to "gift" an extra session, to pay for the lunch or pick up the tab for the phone calls. Again, it's about caring and building personal relationships that add real value and go far beyond minimum expectations. 9. Use your network for your client's benefit. One of the most astonishing "extras" is to provide your client with the name of the perfect accountant, lawyer, chiropractor or web designer based on your rolodex of contacts. As your team of resources grows, use their combined talents and strengths to make appropriate referrals and put people in contact with each other. This is a huge extra that costs you nothing! 10. Ask your clients what they need. Routinely, ask your clients how you could go further, provide better service and be more effective with them. Almost always, they are delighted to be asked, they know the answer, and the request they make will typically cost you little or nothing to fulfill but will mean the world to that client. © Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Sales - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Youve Got a Great Business, but Nobody Cares! I would like to share a disturbing little secret with you. Almost 70% of the people you do face-to-face business, with will never speak to you again!It's not that they didn't like you or get value from your services, but they just don't care. How to Set Appointments The Importance of setting appointments is crucial to running a business. They are the key to a successful business. A Look at Store Fixture Parts Products for sale need to be displayed in a manner which best presents them in the customers' eyes. For example, clothing needs to be folded on shelves, hung from racks or displayed on mannequins. Lead Companies, Eight Features To Consider So now the time has come to invest in Lead companies, but how do you know which one is the right one for you?When I was a new loan officer, finding a lead company was not easy, I can remember logging onto Yahoo, typing in the key word "mortgage leads" and being bombarded with links leading me in the direction of lead companies all claiming to have the best leads and the best deal for me!But what was the best deal for me? That all depended on what I was looking for, so taking my time, I began to right down exactly what it was I was looking for, did I want refi's, purchases, or both. Did I want leads from several states or just one, how much could I afford? Etc. The Doors Of Opportunity Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes another opens; but we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that is opened for us." If you're in sales you gotta remember this one. How to Build A Steady Stream of Customers--Step One The success of a small business depends upon a steady stream of good customers. To build that stream of customer a business owner must examine five critical points in their business operations. The Never Ending Sale Once you have added a new customer to your book of business, plan on keeping that customer until you have all of their business, and the business of their family and friends.This way you can ensure having their business forever. Your Voice is Your Instrument On an introductory call, your voice is your instrument. During a face-to-face meeting, you have visual cues and body language available to add layers of meaning. Leveraging Yourself Up To Executives When Selling The fastest way to get a decision made is to speak directly with the decision-maker, right? OK, so you knew that. Often times, the decision-makers are not easy to get to. 10 Amazing Product Selling Formulas 1. Sell your products at a wholesale price to retail web sites. Why Should I Buy From You? Virtually every business you contact has this question in their mind. To truly maximize your revenues you need give people a reason to buy from you versus a competitor. Successfully Selling Your Professional Services As a professional service provider you face special challenges promoting yourself to potential clients. You may have certain restrictions on how you market or advertise. Sealing The Deal Over The Business Meal Doing business over meals is a ritual that has existed for centuries. Taking clients to breakfast, lunch or dinner has long been an effective way to build relationships, make the sale or seal the deal. Selling Services Selling a service isn't the same as selling a product. Your prospect is buying an intangible. How to Generate Leads on the Internet In the last decade, the Internet has become a major commercial force. Not only do online sellers like Amazon. Write On The Money: The Ten Commandments (Plus Five) Of Profitable Sales Letter Writing According to the Direct Marketing Association, in 2003 U.S. Interactive Sales Letter Skyrockets Conversions with 2 Simple Questions There are many tactics and techniques that go into converting visitors into buyers. However, this article will prove to you why creating an "interactive" sales letter will be the most critical weapon in your modern marketing arsenal to accomplish this. Don't Waste My Time! Many participants in my programs ask how to deal with people who appear to be seeking information and nothing more. In many environments these individual's are called time wasters. Letting Them Use Plastic Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers are becoming creatures of convenience; when dealing with businesses-large or small-they desire ease of transaction. Another Warm Lead Saturday morning, I sat in my pajamas, sipping strong, black coffee and petting Ms. Kitty Cat.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
