City Salesmen's Club of Louisville 

     Newsletter      

January 2007 

Welcome New Member!

On December 12^th. we inducted Rita Gordon into the Club under the classification of Copiers.  Rita is with Better Quality Business Systems in New Albany.  Be sure to introduce yourself to her at an upcoming meeting.

And Now a Word From Amy

Hello Everyone!!!  It's Amy from City Sales.  Check out my Website http://www.lookingloudbyamy.com/home.html and send it to anyone with any events coming up.  For example; brides, seniors in high school getting pictures made, anyone needing to look great for a holiday event.

Thank you so much!

In Christ's name,                                                              Amy Blanchard

Not Overwhelmed with CSC Referrals?

Maybe the membership is not clear on what you sell or provide.  An easy way to rectify this is by scheduling a Member Focus presentation at an upcoming meeting. 

The Member Focus was created as a way for all members to periodically showcase their businesses and products/services to the Club.  How long has it been since YOU presented a Member Focus?  Contact Barb Rogers barb@barbrogers.com to schedule your opportunity early in 2007.

I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.   Christopher Reeve

Avoid the Biggest Sales Mistakes

No business can survive without people who sell the companys product or service, and no salesperson survives long making the same mistakes over and over again.  Here are some of the most common and damaging mistakes a salesperson can make:

      Lack of preparation.  What do you plan to tell your prospect about your product or service?  Develop a working outline that highlights all the benefits you offer.  Then do some research on the prospect: Look at the annual reports, and check the trade journals for helpful information.

      Not listening.  Dont fall into the trap of thinking that your job is to talk and the prospects role is to sit silently and listen to your presentation.  Let the prospect tell you what his or her needs are, then look for ways to meet those requirements.

      Not asking for the order.  Many salespeople forget this simple step.  Nothing is wrong with asking the prospect to take you up on your offer as long as youre not too pushy about it.

      Moving too quickly.  Instant rapport is difficult to achieve.  Instead of trying to turn the prospect into a "buddy" right away, concentrate on maintaining a professional attitude.  Let any relationship develop naturally.

      Not customizing the presentation to the prospects needs.  A generic presentation isnt as convincing as one personally tailored to your prospects business.

      Poor follow-up.  Too many salespeople close one deal and go on to the next without ever talking to the prospect again. Keep track of your sales, and call prospects back to make sure theyre satisfied and to see if you can help them with other products or services from your company.

- Sales Management Report

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.   Douglas Adams

Wrap Yourself Around the Customer

Its just this simple: You need to get in front of your clients.  If you dont, well, the consequences are obvious.  So look around and see whats standing in the way.  Then figure how you can free up more time for face-to-face selling.  Here are some tips from the field.  These folks know just how you feel.

Brian Ivey is a sales representative for Patterson Dental Supply in Seattle, WA. A big challenge for Ivey had been trying to visit many dental offices spread out over a wide geographic area in a limited amount of time.  Now he groups his customers into categories based on profitability: As are present clients, Bs are potential clients who are likely to become paying customers, and Cs are cold calls and prospects with little chance of becoming customers.  "This helps me schedule my time more effectively," says Ivey.  "I used to give equal priority to all three groups.  Now, I plan around A and B accounts and only schedule C visits if I have extra time."

Shelley Collins, sales manager for ValPak of Central Maryland, agrees that trying to cover too large a geographic area in one day makes it difficult to see enough people.  ValPak sends coupons in the mail to all households within designated geographic areas, offering advertising exposure to any area business trying to reach consumers.  A face-to-face meeting with an existing or potential client is the primary method ValPak reps use to make sales.  "I advise our reps to plan each day so they can stay in the same geographic area.  That way, they can see more prospects in less time, because there is a shorter time between visits." 

Filling out paperwork and other necessary forms can consume a lot of time that could otherwise be used to get in front of prospects.  Collins coaches her reps to do their paperwork in the mornings and evenings times that arent usually good for meeting with clients.  Bad weather is another good time for paperwork.  "9:30 4:30 is the best time for selling," says Collins. 

Advance planning is important.  Iveys clients are busy dental practices.   If he doesnt plan ahead, a visit could be wasted, since nobody would see him.  "I leave a note or flyer for dentists two weeks before my next visit saying Id like to talk about a new product next time I call.  Then, they can plan to see me without disrupting their schedules.  I ask a support person to remind the dentist about my note.  If they are interested, theyll make time."

"Know the peak business hours of your clients when customers are there," says Collins.  "Then, visit them during their slow times."  Most businesses slow times are early mornings: 10-11 a.m. is generally best for retail stores; 2-4:30 p.m. (between lunch and dinner), for restaurants.  Another way to make more time for face-to-face selling is networking to get referrals.  A referral from someone a prospect knows will often get you an appointment, so you save the time you would ordinarily waste trying to get past the gatekeeper.  Common courtesy is important.  Ivey calls his clients whenever he is running late to either allow the flexibility to reschedule or to make sure the dentist will be available when he arrives. 

Ivey offers these three tips to help you find more time for face-to-face selling:

1.     Prioritize customers by how likely they are to purchase your products or services.  Arrange your schedule around those most likely to buy from you.

2.     When possible, schedule appointments in advance so that your clients will set aside time for you.

3.     Use a personal planner such as ACT, to schedule appointments and keep track of important client information. 

Collins adds these three suggestions:

1.     Reserve paperwork for early mornings, evenings and bad weather slow times for face-to-face sales.

2.     Focus on a single geographic area each day.  This means shorter driving times between visits and a better chance to see more prospects.

3.     Learn the peak business periods for clients, and plan visits for other times.

Plan you time well, and youll discover more time for face-to-face sales than you thought possible. 

-         Steve Atlas

        Happy Birthday

Marge Brown                                    January 13

Terri Lee                                            January 20

Gerard Senn                                     January 23

                        

 

 City Salesmens Club Inc.

P. O. Box 5494

Louisville, Kentucky 40255-0494

 

Our 75^th Anniversary Year Founded 1930

President: Mark Dobbins

Vice President: Jay Wathen

Secretary: Wayne McKinley

Treasurer: Gerard Senn

Directors:

David Cooper, Past President

Lynn Rhodea, Mary Craig Czerwonka,

Kevin Roppel, Leon Duke

  " The best way to help myself is by helping the other fellow."

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All requests for excused absences should go to Greg Austin!

The City Salesmens Club meets every Tuesday, 12:15 p.m. at the

 Kosair Shrine Temple, 812 S. 2nd St., Louisville KY 40202