S&MM SoundOff

What's the Scariest Thing This Halloween? The Economy.

By Karen Yi

This Halloween season has people shaking in their suits, literally. But it's not the monsters of the night or the rising of the dead that's sending a ripple of goose bumps and shivers across America--it's the economy.

Frankly, the economy has everyone running scared. And this fear has possessed consumers into hiding under the covers and shutting the door on spending.

Like monsters under the bed, some marketers are creeping up on frightened consumers, and tailoring their strategies around anxieties. But during tough times, it's important to remain proactive and resilient; marketers are learning to step up the plate and contest the prevalent market jitters with its own contrivance--frightening frugality.

A Visa advertisement for example reads, "Don't be afraid to save this month! Even a haunted house full of ghosts and goblins can't match the thrills and chills of a great shopping deal!"

Wal-Mart's Halloween ad reads, "The real trick? Saving money on all their favorite treats."

"Deals so good, they're scary," has been picked up brands such as Techbargains, Priceline and Papa Johns.

Halloween is the third largest party occasion, after New Year's and the Super Bowl. However this year, a survey by TNS Retail Forward, reported that 29% of respondents said they planned to cut back on Halloween spending. But some marketers aren't getting cold feet;  instead, they are refocusing their marketing campaigns to ensure "Monster Savings" and "Frighteningly good deals."

Don't let Halloween pass you by. Take it as an opportunity in disguise to evaluate how you can use these specific circumstances to get creative. Halloween doesn't have to be your worst nightmare.

It's that time again...

By Mona Piontkowski, www.SeminarInformation.com

So where has the summer gone? The leaves are falling as the days shorten and the weather gets cooler. Now would be a good time to reflect on your career and evaluate your skills. Take the time to look around you at work and see how you can improve your position in the company: What added skills might get you that raise or promotion or assure your position should layoffs occur?

Have you addressed any problems that were pointed out on your last performance appraisal? Do you have a problem with delegation or dealing with difficult employees? Is time management a problem, or are you having difficulty moving from a supervisor to a manager?

Maybe some old skills need brushing up: Have you explored all the possibilities of your current software? Do you really understand Excel or even Access? Would a quick refresher seminar knock out those cobwebs?

Are you a sales professional who has fallen into a rut and could use a little bit of stimulation as you head into the fall selling season. Why not take a sales seminar and learn a few new tricks as well as revisiting
those tried and true old tricks?

The options for training both to refresh old skills and even learn new ones are endless. Most of the major seminar providers have websites that list their courses - no need for those bulky catalogues or myriad of brochures--it's all there for you to read online or download into print.

There is a wealth of possibilities out there just waiting for you to act--so don't let the end of summer doldrums get you down. Scrape off that suntan lotion and get moving; there are things to explore and learn.

If It Takes Forever

By Tom Richards

I'm from Chicago and have been a loyal fan of the Chicago Cubs since I was a little boy. We haven't won the World Series since 1908. It's been a bad century.  And it doesn't look like it's going to happen this year...

There are times, on my mystery shopper visits for clients, when I wear a baseball cap or a logo sweatshirt to see if the sales staff will comment on them.  My Mom sent me one that says, "Chicago Cubs--If it takes forever."  When I conduct my shopper tours, I like to give the staff some hints so they feel more comfortable starting a conversation with me. I want to see if there is an awareness there.  I know that in many of my past shopper visits you can walk around a store for hours without having anyone talk to you but, obviously, that's non-productive time.  Would you believe that no-one, I mean, no-one has ever asked me about what it says on the shirt?  In the words of Dave Berry, "I am not making this up!" 

Is anyone paying attention to those customers out there who want a great shopping experience?  All this writing about 'personalization' by the experts isn't getting through on the one-on-one level. These people you hire have limited abilities in social interaction. They really don't care. Or they are simply poorly-trained and don't know what to do.

If you would train your people to ask about the sentiment on my shirt and let me talk about my Cubs, I would feel more important because someone paid attention to me. I would like you better. I would feel more comfortable with you and may even feel that I could trust you. Most importantly, you get me talking! When I get to talk, I relax and will tell you more of what you need to know about me. I'll probably come back to see you and will certainly pay more attention to you than to a company whose staff ignores me.

I don't give a damn if you like baseball. But, for heaven's sake, be curious! Curiosity is the first step towards becoming enthusiastic about something or someone.  And enthusiasm works.  People want to be with enthusiastic people.  They somehow feel that some of your enthusiasm will rub off onto them if they spend time with you and do business with you. When your staff becomes curious and enthusiastic, it increases your bottom-line. Train your staff, even if it takes forever.

Order-Taker or Sales-Maker?

“Hi, Mr. Customer. Just thought I’d drop by and see if you need anything this week. I notice that the white bell-hoppers haven’t been selling well but you’re low on blue widgets; do you want me to order some for you? Do you need anything else? No? Okay, see you in a few weeks.”

The process repeats itself with each account and when the sales person returns to his office, he is disappointed with his results. “If I just had some new products to show my customers, then things would be different,” he thinks to himself.

Consider the same scenario with a different rep.

“Hi, Mr. Customer. I noticed that your white bell-hoppers haven’t been selling through. One of my other accounts has bundled them with blue widgets and they have tripled their sales. The best thing about this approach is that it increases your average sale. I know that you’re busy so would it be helpful if I set up a display for you and reviewed the program with your staff?”

This rep is a sales-maker, not an order-taker. He takes a proactive approach and positions himself as a problem-solver. He looks for opportunities and ways to help his customers and increases his sales in the process.

Are you an order-taker or a sales-maker?

Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or by email.

The Grudge Purchase

Many people find themselves in a situation where they are required to make a purchase of some nature but they really don’t want to. Examples include; car and home repairs, replacing a piece of business equipment, etc. Case in point:

My wife and I need to replace the roof on our house. Our house is over 35 years old so a new roof is to be expected. However, what makes this purchase frustrating is that we actually had the roof done three ago. Unfortunately, we used the services of a “friend of a friend”, and like most things in life, you get what you pay for. So, we called two roofing companies and their approach could not have been more different.

The first person criticized everything that had been done and insinuated that we were stupid for using a non-professional. He gave us a quote but added, “Unless we find anything else wrong with it.”

The second person carefully inspected the roof, made notes, and presented a detailed quote in a highly professional manner. He was sensitive to our situation and did not criticize the quality of the previous work. The decision to use his company was a no-brainer.

Dealing with someone who is making a grudge purchase requires tact and a visible awareness of the customer’s emotions. Modifying your approach in these situations will make a tremendous difference in your results and separate you from your competition.

Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or by email.

Selling to Women in This Economy: 7 Things You Must Know

By Kelly McCormick

No one would blame you for hitting the snooze alarm button. The stock market report looks like a map of the Rocky Mountains. House prices are falling like autumn leaves. Women are saying “No” more often than they’re saying “Yes” when looking to buy. Our chaotic economy has sellers moaning, “It’s not even worth getting out of bed.”

Well, here’s your wake up call.

I just got off the phone with a very happy client. They report that their company has actually seen an increase in sales to women—even in this market. Somebody’s doing something right. Keep reading to find out what these sales reps know about selling to women.

You just read the opening of my recent online column for the Manage Smarter Web site. Read the full article to find out the seven vital things you need to know to sell to women in this economy. Go to ManageSmarter.com. © 2008 Kelly McCormick, All rights reserved.

About Kelly McCormick
Kelly McCormick, from OutSell Yourself™, is a sales expert.  She writes an online monthly column on women and sales for Sales & Marketing Management. Get Kelly's OutSell Yourself™ tips and information on her ‘Sell to Women’ and ‘Sell to All Buyers’ sessions and keynote talks at www.OutSellYourself.com. Kelly's book, OutSell Yourself™: How to Sell Without Selling, is soon to be released.  Kelly can be contacted by calling 800-889-9637 (PST).

Selling to Women in This Economy: 7 Things You Must Know

By Kelly McCormick

No one would blame you for hitting the snooze alarm button. The stock market report looks like a map of the Rocky Mountains. House prices are falling like autumn leaves. Women are saying “No” more often than they’re saying “Yes” when looking to buy. Our chaotic economy has sellers moaning, “It’s not even worth getting out of bed.” 

Well, here’s your wake up call.

I just got off the phone with a very happy client. They report that their company has actually seen an increase in sales to women—even in this market. Somebody’s doing something right. Keep reading to find out what these sales reps know about selling to women.

You just read the opening of my recent online column for the Manage Smarter Web site. Read the full article to find out the seven vital things you need to know to sell to women in this economy. Go to ManageSmarter.com. © 2008 Kelly McCormick, All rights reserved.

About Kelly McCormick
Kelly McCormick writes an online monthly column on women and sales for Sales & Marketing Management. Get Kelly's OutSell Yourself™ tips and information on her ‘Sell to Women’ and ‘Sell to All Buyers’ sessions and keynote talks at www.OutSellYourself.com. Kelly's book, OutSell Yourself™: How to Sell Without Selling, is soon to be released.  Kelly can be contacted by calling 800-889-9637 (PST).

The Best Get Better

I recently spoke to a salesperson told me that he had made hundreds of cold calls in the last several years. He was proud of the fact that he was comfortable making these calls and I certainly understand his pride. However, he then added that no one ever returned his calls and went on to say that he had never invested in sales training because he had a good closing ratio once he got in front of a prospect. I couldn’t help but smile because I hear similar comments all the time.

I find that the majority of top performers invest in themselves. They attend training programs, listen to teleseminars, CDs or MP3 downloads, read books and industry magazines, and attend conferences. They know that regular and consistent development helps them hone their skill and maintain their competitive advantage. These individuals look at a learning opportunity and say, “If I learn one technique or strategy today, it will be worth my time.”

If you are not achieving the results you want, look at what you are doing to improve your skills. As Stephen Covey says, “You need to sharpen the saw.”

What are you doing to sharpen YOUR saw and fine-tune your skills? Remember the best get better by working at it.

Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or by email.

Fresher Burgers, Fresher Ideas

In the midst of the frightening economic plunge, (the DOW dropped 400 points in five minutes the other day…) businesses are being squeezed to the limit, gasping for one last breath. Take for instance, The New York Sun, who announced its closure after its final Tuesday paper hit the stands. Or once prominent banks, ahem, Washington Mutual, that are free falling off the market.



But for some warriors, at least the well-fed ones, the battle is far from over. Wendy's, the third largest hamburger chain, is revamping its marketing strategies. After Triarc bought Wendy’s for $2 billion, closing the deal on Monday, the new management went straight to work. 



Roland Smith, the new president and chief executive of Wendy's is jumping off the corporate train wreck, redesigning Wendy's marketing campaigns. Wendy's will try to re-engage old consumers, improve the quality of food products and will even throw in extra incentives – such as a breakfast menu. And all this redirection is coming at a time when budgets are spread thin and consumers are monetarily hesitant.



According to The New York Times, the Commerce Department reported that for the month of August, consumer spending has been at its lowest in six months, even though personal incomes were up. What's really behind the weak performance of spending is fear. A sweating fit is trickling down from top dog investors to individual consumers. So consumers need marketers to yank them out of their cowering holes and motivate them to once again hit the streets – a feat that will not only help the market, but will reward companies that are the first to market. 



The "red-wigs" at Wendy's are busy at work, adding value to their products improving the quality of its french fries, sandwich buns, and bacon. They are even beginning to sell espresso! They’ve got me sold!



Wendy's is re-targeting its consumer base, and expanding its products to include breakfast items. The new Wendy's is all about freshness and quality, a sure value to customers increasingly obsessed with healthy eating and doing it the low-cal way.



So as banks continue to fail, stocks continue to pummel and customers keep pocketing their bills, Wendy's is taking the initiative. Let's see if their fresh juicy burgers can lure the American public out of their money hoarding caves.

Call to Action

Last week I gave a keynote presentation for a group of meeting planners and suppliers to the meetings industry and the day after the event I received an email from someone I had been speaking with prior to my presentation. The last sentence in his email was, “So... if you want to know more pick up the phone right now and let's talk.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I read this and here’s why. He had the courage to end his email with a strong call to action.

Any communication with prospects should always conclude with some form of call to action. Unfortunately, many people in sales either neglect this final step or don’t know exactly how to phrase it. Some people feel that a direct question or statement like the one above is too pushy and usually conclude with something that is weak and feeble.

However, if you have demonstrated value in your correspondence or conversation, then you have earned the right to ask your prospect to take action. How you phrase it is entirely up to you, but the more compelling and stronger you make this call-to-action, the greater the likelihood your prospect will actually get moving.

Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals and businesses discover new techniques to improve their sales and profits. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.kelleyrobertson.com. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or by email.