I returned from Nigeria, where the events described in this write-up took place, 14 hours ago. Sales leads “follow up” – when “over done” – can sometimes erode one’s “credibility”.
Potential buyers start thinking you need them more than they need you. Then insisting on your best fees/prices becomes difficult!
That’s why it’s wiser to make THEM chase YOU instead. This issue of my newsletter describes a subtle strategy you can adopt.
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Is this email not displaying correctly?View it in your browser. Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter Date: Monday 2nd August 2013 No:105 Title: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story) Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [Tel: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic) ] Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here Hi, Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
No. 105: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits (A True Story)**** ********** NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule ********** I returned from Nigeria (where events described in this write-up took place) 14 hours ago. Sales leads “follow up” – when “over done” – can sometimes erode one’s “credibility”. Potential buyers start thinking you need them more than they need you. Then insisting on your best fees/prices becomes difficult! That’s why it’s wiser to make THEM chase YOU instead. This issue of my newsletter describes a subtle strategy you can adopt. Use “Power Positioning” to Make Prospective Buyers Chase YOUBusiness owners who achieve more marketing success rarely chase prospects or clients around. Usually, they get called by prospective and existing clients. Their established reputations and brands makes those who want the solutions they offer, seek them out. Anyone can achieve this level of marketing competence, but s/he must be ready to develop and nurture it over time. It does NOT happen overnight. What you need is to carefully articulate the products and services you offer, and actively promote it to the right target audience. You will do this persistently, being sure to constantly specify what sets you apart (makes your solutions superior) to any others your audience may encounter. You will use an intelligent mix of promotional strategies to achieve this outcome over time. As Michel Fortin (whose Ten Commandments of Power Positioning FREE ebook I read, and incorporated into my Web Marketing System) says, Power Positioning enables you achieve Top of Mind Awareness. In other words, people who need what you offer, will believe only you can help them. And will often be very unwilling to look elsewhere! The obvious benefit to you is that selling to them then simply becomes a simple, stress-free process. You’re UN-likely to find yourself debating your fees or prices with such persons. More often than not, their conviction is so great they’ll pay whatever you ask them to pay. In fact, they’ll simply say “send me the payment details, and I’ll send the money now.” I’ve Had This Experience More Times Than I Can CountAnd today, the frequency of occurrence increases. Before the one below, just last Friday, I got a web form request titled “Poultry layers feed formulation” from a Ugandan working in Tunisia as a Caterer, regarding my Feed Formulation Handbook. It read as follows:
While I was still reading the message this person sent from my website, I got a Facebook friend request from him on my Blackberry! See how this works? REMEMBER: Selling is a process – and a key part of it is “pre-qualified leads generation”.Not every enquirer will buy at first contact. So make them “connect” with you (e.g. via giving you their email addresses, names, phone number and making friends with you on social media) for starters. Then over time, continuously expose them to your marketing information, until they move to “buy-mode”. In a past article I explained how a prospect (named Dipo) stayed on my mailing list for over 3 years, before eventually buying my handbook and software that he’d originally telephone me about. Today, we communicate like friends via email and phone, but have still NEVER met face to face, in the flesh! A Recent True Story That Illustrates The Benefits of Using Power PositioningOne morning, about a year ago, when I was still based in Lagos, Nigeria, a gentleman – Uche – called my mobile line to enquire about my Livestock Feed Formulation Handbook. I’d noticed two missed calls from him very late the night before (around 11.30p.m). We spoke for about 15 minutes. He had seen the video demonstration of (what is now the old version of) my Ration Formulation Software, and also read the article about the handbook I sold with it. Among other things’ he wanted to know what animals he could compound rations for using the handbook’s illustrated Pearson Square Computation method. As I gave answers to his questions, he would “grunt” at intervals and say “Hmm…okay…” – then ask another. Eventually, he told me he would get back to me. I encouraged him to take his time. And he did (or so I thought) – because I never heard from him again. I relocated to Benin Republic on April 1st 2013. Since then I’ve only visited Nigeria once i.e. between 3rd and 10th of August. While there, I was unable to use my Nigeria mobile line which Uche had called. My provider had disabled the line based on “inactivity”. So I used my wife’s phone line, till I managed to reactivate mine. But that did not happen until the Monday morning I was to return to Benin Republic Unknown to Me, Uche Had Been Trying to Reach Me for Months!I just returned from my second trip to Nigeria yester night (Sunday 1st September 2013) night, around 10pm, from a visit to a client’s farm in Ekiti state. He had his driver transport me down there on Friday night, and his farm manager put me up in the farm house. We spent the major part of Saturday going around the farm, as I asked questions to get details I needed to build a custom Excel-VB driven Farm Management application for him. That first night we arrived, I’d discussed with the farm manager until about 1.00a.m in the morning. Just as I was about to go to sleep, I noticed 4 missed calls – and one SMS – on my (now functional) mobile phone line. They were all from Uche! His text message simply read:
There was no name, but I knew it was him, because I ALWAYS “tag” my prospective buyers (by saving their phone numbers/other contact details with special acronyms). I’ve profited greatly doing this with every prospective buyer who actually gets to the point of discussing PRICE with me. It enables me recall what stage we’ve reached in our sales discussions when next we have to speak. Each specific acronyms indicates what “sales” stage each person is at. In Uche’s case, the acronym I saw his number saved under instantly reminded me of our long question and answer session. So, when I saw his message, I was almost 95% sure I knew why he’d made contact. I was also not surprised that his call/message came around the time of my return to the country. NB: You may wonder how he knew to call just as I arrived in the country. I’ve written about “strange coincidences” that happen, when people practice the science of getting rich diligently. Read my most recent article on that amazing principle here. “I’ve been calling your number for so long!” He ExclaimedI was too busy to get back to Uche due to the tasks I had to do for my visit. So it was only on Sunday morning, that I called him on phone. He immediately exclaimed “I’ve been calling your number for so long and never got through!” TIP: Think about the fixed determination he must have had, to keep trying – over months – to reach me. That’s the impact of Power Positioning. It makes them sure YOU have the solution they need.In Uche’s case, by the time we spoke, he simply said “I need your feed formulation software and handbook urgently. Send me your account number and email address. I want to make the payment first thing tomorrow morning.” I told him I would, and then went out to the farm to take photos and other notes on the farm prior to our departure. Due to some delays, it was only about 2p.m that we eventually began our return journey to Benin Republic. Uche called me at 3p.m to say he was still waiting for my text message. I explained that the needed information was on my blackberry line which would not be active until I returned to Cotonou. I eventually sent him the details just after midnight. And just this morning, I replied to the Ugandan as well. Now, I’ve left it to them to make the next move. Update (12.07p.m): Uche just called me from Nigeria, as I was proof-reading this article, to say he’s about to make payment. He made a special support request, which I’ve agreed to provide. Isn’t this a wonderful way to sell? I think it is! Final Words: Power Positioning Will Make More Buyers Choose You Over Competitors – Like THIS EXPERT!About 10 days ago, a Saudi Arabia based Nigerian (while visiting Nigeria) requested payment details, after watching the video of my upgraded Ration Formulator software. He then made the N20, 500 (about $136 US dollars) payment via bank transfer within 24 hours. 48 hours later, I’d sent him the “Feed Formulation Handbook PDF, along with the Ration Formulator Software Excel-VB workbook. This was in addition to the promised “FREE” copy of my 30 page PDF annotated pictorial introduction to livestock feed formulation ingredients. We’ve only spoken once since then, and he’s promised to let me know if he has any issue making use of it for his feed mill based in his home state. In all our interactions, I never had to chase any of them with emails or phone calls to take the next step (At the most, I could get in touch to ask “Did you get the xyz detail I sent at your request?”…but no more than that). They all simply acted based on their own convictions – derived from exposure to my Power Positioning. You, as an expert who also speaks to earn income, can attract more profitable clients by reading (and adhering to) the Ten Commandments of Power Positioning. THIS EXPERT has used Power Positioning to make himself a foremost provider of Speaker Mentoring products and services, over 3 decades (Learn more)!Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form – with “Re: Chasing Clients Will Cost You Profits” in the subject line.
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Have a lovely week!
Tayo K. Solagbade*
Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist
*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa
Mobile: +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic)
http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com
Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Entrepreneur.
He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide.
In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training & Technical Development Manager, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.
When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).
For a limited time, Tayo is available to speak to your group or organization for a moderate fee. Send e-mail to tayo at tksola dot com. You can also visit www.tksola.com to learn more.
Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook.
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