Can you face some real TRUTH about your customers?

You may think you know why your customers buy from you, but there's a good chance they buy for reasons other than the reasons you think. Or they don't buy for reasons that may escape you.

People seek a wide array of benefits when they're in a buying mindset. If you are communicating any one of those benefits to the people who want them this very instant, you've virtually made the sale. People do not buy because marketing is clever, but because marketing strikes a responsive chord in the mind of the prospect, and its resonance makes that person want the advantages of what you are selling.

Your customers do not buy because they're being marketed to or sold to. Instead, they buy because you help them realize the merits of owning what you offer.

They often buy because you offer them instant gratification -- such as I sought when El Nino flexed his muscles and my roof began to leak. Sprinting to the yellow pages, I called the one roof repair company that offered emergency service, for there I was, smack dab in the middle of an emergency.

It was an easy decision for me. The company offered just the benefit I needed. I was in the market for a specific benefit and there it was, grinning up at me from the directory. If the company's ad heralded their new roofing materials, I would have ignored it.

Like most people, I was looking to buy a benefit, not a feature. Everybody knows that. But the truth is that people don't always buy benefits. They buy a whole lot more:

• They buy promises you make. So make them with care.
• They buy the promises they want personally fulfilled.
• They buy your credibility or don't buy if you lack it.
• They buy solutions to their problems.
• They buy you, your employees, your service department.
• They buy wealth, safety, success, security, love and acceptance.
• They buy your guarantee, reputation and good name.
• They buy other people's opinions of your business.
• They buy expectations based upon your marketing.
• They buy believable claims, not simply honest claims.
• They buy hope for their own and their company's future.
• They buy brand names over strange names.
• They buy the consistency they've seen you exhibit.
• They buy the stature of the media in which you market.
• They buy the professionalism of your marketing materials.
• They buy value, which is not the same as price.
• They buy selection and often the best of your selection.
• They buy freedom from risk, granted by your warranty.
• They buy acceptance by others of your goods or services.
• They buy certainty.
• They buy convenience in buying, paying and lots more.
• They buy respect for their own ideas and personality.
• They buy your identity as conveyed by your marketing.
• They buy style -- just the kind that fits their own style.
• They buy neatness and assume that's how you do business.
• They buy easy access to information about you, offered by your website.
• They buy honesty for one dishonest word means no sale.
• They buy comfort, offerings that fit their comfort zone.
• They buy success; your success can fit with theirs.
• They buy good taste and know it from bad taste.
• They buy the confidence you display in your own business.

It's also important to know what customers do not buy: fancy adjectives, exaggerated claims, clever headlines, special effects, marketing that screams, marketing that even hints at amateurishness, the lowest price anything (though 14 percent do), unproved items, or gorgeous graphics that get in the way of the message.

Telling Stories During a Sales Call

A sales call is a valuable opportunity to build rapport with a prospective client. This is just as true for phone calls as it is for face to face meetings. One of the best ways to make a point during a sales call is to tell a story. Facts can get boring after awhile. But a good story can motivate and inspire.

To be effective, a good story should be true and should illustrate a point. You (the sales rep) should practice stories, particularly where you were not specifically involved. Stories should not sound scripted and should have a certain amount of drama. Be specific and allow the listener to invest themselves into the characters. Then, they will better appreciate the outcome of the story.

This is a great exercise for your sales muscles. It's also a great buddy prospecting exercise. Team up in groups of two or more to share stories. Sales reps should critique each other and the best stories should be shared with the group. Sales reps should be prepared to answer questions about the story or provide a reference if asked.

When you start using stories effectively, you'll persuade more prospects to understand your value proposition -- and ACT on that inspiration!

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a good story is priceless.

Note: one of the most convenient ways to have good stories ready for a prospect is to use a prospecting management tool like LMS. You can keep several stories ready for quick reference by pasting them into one of the ten interview screens that can then be instantly displayed while you're on a sales call. Note to team leaders and sales managers: this kind of feature is very useful for your new agents.

Soon, I'll post some good sales stories that can be adapted to several different sales scenarios.

How Do I Generate More Online Leads For My Direct Sales Business?

Here's a question I recently received from a member who was looking for more leads for his direct sales business. He wrote:

Question: My wife and I have been an associate for a particular company for several months now and we are indeed very happy with the products and support training. Our problem is getting other people to view our link or getting them to open it at all, I suppose. We need to expand our effort to new associate recruiting and would like your input as to how we might do this. Thank you for reply to this letter.

Answer: Thanks for the question. I know that the problem you face is what many direct sales reps face as well. Right now, you are using the website that the company provided to you. It's the same site that the other reps are using and it really doesn't say much about the two of you as unique people.

Your site also makes people enter a code before even viewing it. I understand that this is so you can get credit for any referrals, but you're creating an extra step for your users. People have to remember the code, type it in or even copy and paste it, which unfortunately, is something a lot of people won't bother to do.

People use the Internet because it's easy and they want to surf around quickly, without having to jump through hoops. You want your information right in front of your prospect when they get to the site.

Obviously, this is the way the company has set up the website and they probably aren't going to change that...but honestly...I don't think that matters. The two of you need your own unique online presence and need to generate your own leads.

Here's why:

Who knows what will happen with your relationship with your company. They are a highly reputable company that's been around for well over 100 years, but you have no idea what the future holds. If the company decided to no longer offer the direct sales opportunity or one day, the two of you decide you just don't want to work with the company...what happens? Your business is gone! That's no good.

I recommend that you keep your online presence separate from the company you are working with, so it really is your OWN business and you can maximize your income. You can generate leads that might be interested in your opportunity and you can make them other offers through affiliate programs or you might even want to create your own information products down the line.

Think of what unique perspective you give to your business. Are you great cooks who can show people how to make delicious meals with those products? From the recruiting side, you can also figure out a unique perspective, but make it a product focused one. Your best recruits will be people who have the same interests as you...not just people who want to make money online.

You can start by creating a list to promote your products and another to find recruits. I'd create two separate websites for this because some of your best customers will never be interested in the opportunity, so don't confuse your visitors. For the product list, you can share recipes, information about using the right herbs and spices, etc. For the recruiting one, you can give information about starting a home business, show how fun it is to sell these types of products, etc....all from your own perspective.

All these subscribers you gather now belong to you. If you decide to move in a new direction with your business, you still have these subscribers and you can continue to deliver quality information to them...and earn an income too.

Just remember, this is your business and you want to have complete control AND maximize your income.

Greetings Folks! Welcome to our Blog!

Your host name is Mike. Mike is a 28 year veteran of the IT industry with experience in design, development and deployment of systems intended to empower maximum efficiency in home-based and small office marketing of almost any kind of product or service.

The goal of this blog is to provide education on the subjects of acquiring, managing and using sales leads for you business. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments or advice you have about these OR related subjects.

Thanks for visiting.

-- Mike