Sales Secret #3: Someone Else’s Business
December 23rd, 2008 by Cristina Favreau
In continuing my interview with Kevin Boyle, he gave us the cold truth about sales — a reality that no one else wanted to hear, but needed to be said.
Sales Mastery Secret #3 is: Your best clients are using someone else right now!
Ouch! Does that sting? It hurt me.
He drilled the point home with these simple illustrations:
If someone prefers drinking bottled water, are you going to spend tens of thousands of dollars in advertising, trying to convince them to drink pop?
If someone needs a courier service and you are in the courier business, chances are your very best clients, and the ones who are going to generate the most revenue for you, are already using someone else right now.
Simply put, that means you need to sell and market to people who are already known to be buyers of your product or service.
This is where people struggle, because it’s easy to sell to someone who needs what you’re offering. These are the people that fall into your lap — Don’t we love those?
But the truth is, someone who needs your product or service is most likely using someone else right now.
Check out this number: 90% of your future business is somebody else’s business right now.
Pause right here and let that number sink in a little. 90%!!!
…
That means the business you have now only represents 10% of your potential. Could you do with 90% more business? What about just 30%, 40% or 50% more? I know I could!!
Therein lies the challenge for business owners. THAT is why we call it selling.
Enter the Compelling Offer. You know your competitors are doing it. It’s also known as a sample …, free …, introductory …, no-charge …, complimentary … (enter one of these words):
- session
- assessment
- orientation
- consultation
- evaluation
- appraisal
- interview
- etc.
That’s when you use the “Your supplier must be doing a really good job for you,” statement and listen for the dissatisfaction (see Sales Secret #2 for more on this method).
Tomorrow, I’ll share with you Sales Mastery Secret #4.
Until then, have a great one!
