|
|
Business, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurs,
Environment, Science and Technology
|
|
|
|
____________________
Morning Column
Six Reasons Why Face-to-Face Trumps Mass Marketing
By Alan Bayham
Turn on the TV or radio, surf the Internet, open your mail (or e-mail) -
what do you notice? You probably have a high volume of advertisements and
marketing campaigns targeting you, begging for your attention and your
business. But do you open every sales envelope or listen to every
commercial? No. Then, why would you think your customers would be any
different?
Spam e-mail, blogging, instant messaging, television, canned phone messages,
and other electronic methods of mass marketing have desensitized the
American buyer to these tactics of selling. Despite all the surveys and
studies into what buyers think, people don't make purchases rationally. They
make buying decisions based upon emotion. A product or service is either
going to make the buyer "feel" better, or rid him of "pain." Sometimes,
buyers aren't even aware of the need that is causing this pain, and this is
when face-to-face selling comes into play.
The necessity of "closing the deal" or "making the sale" is equally
important to various sales professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturer
representatives, bankers and small businesses owners. Regardless of who is
doing the selling or what the product and service is, face-to-face selling
is more effective than the mass marketing.
Still a nonbeliever? Then, consider the following six things that only
face-to-face communication can do:
Gain the buyer's attention - Overcome "Marketing Noise"
When you are in front of a prospect or client, you have the enviable
position of having his or her complete attention. However, just like TV
commercials, you still must get the buyer's attention immediately.
Therefore, enthusiasm and energy are just as important as the conviction
about the merits of your product or the advantages you have over your
competition. Selling face-to-face and gaining the attention of a venture
capitalist is much more powerful than being another envelope in a sea of
letters.
Tailor product benefits to specific needs of the buyer - Sell Shoes to the
Shoemaker
Your presentation to potential clients can vary based upon their specific
and individual needs. For example, a surgeon may need different results from
a particular drug than a primary care physician. And although the drug
you're promoting may work in both venues, face-to-face selling allows
specific product features to be linked to specific buyer needs. The surgeon
may like the fact that your sleeping pill causes "retrograde amnesia"
patients to forget the preparation for surgery, but primary care physicians
may find this undesirable in their patients. While ads can be customized to
specific perceived needs and placed in print media targeted to a specific
prospect, these ads may not be received the same by different buyer
behavioral types.
Tailor a presentation to a specific buyer type
You would not sell a widget to Donald Trump in the same manner you would to
Richard Simmons, as Mr. Simmons would not respond as favorably to direct
selling approach as "The Donald." While it is true that everyone is
different and unique, it's also true that people tend to fall into four
basic behavioral types when it comes to buying a service or product. The
success (or failure) of the sales call is dependent upon the sales
representative distinguishing the correct behavioral type of the prospect,
the sales message and also the appropriate communication style. The product
is the same in all sales calls, but in order to close the sale effectively,
the approach and the message should be different to each category.
Therefore, effective salespeople can tailor their face-to-face presentation
styles to their client's specific personality in order to gain their trust
and acceptance.
Allow the seller to view the non-verbal communications of the buyer - The
Original Instant Messaging
It's been said that 75 percent of communication is non-verbal. Selling
face-to-face allows you to better gauge how your client is accepting your
presentation and if additional probing is necessary. Facial expressions,
body posture and vocal tone and pitch, as well as other non-verbal
communications, can serve as instant feedback about the effectiveness and
relevancy of your presentation. This essential ability is non-existent in
mass marketing techniques; it's like paying a basketball game with the
scoreboard covered.
Provide instant answers to buyer questions
While buyers can always call an 800-number or log on to a FAQ Web page, the
time to answer questions is never more opportune than during the
presentation. This way, salespeople cannot only overcome objections, but
they can also determine if their assumptions about the buyer's needs are
correct. Then, the seller can instantaneously adjust the presentation to
address the buyer's unique needs.
Close the deal instead of waiting for buyer to make the move - Real-Time
Selling
Face-to-face selling allows you to control the buying process instead of
allowing the prospect to control the process. This allows you to control the
speed and direction of the product pitch. Also, the more time that passes
after the presentation, the less likely the sale will be made. The best time
to make the sale is when the buyer is ready and sitting in front of you -
not after the buying impulse has passed.
While mass marketing is an excellent tool to create awareness about your
product or service, it cannot compare to face-to-face communication when it
comes to making the sale or closing the deal. After all, do your profits
depend more upon "circulation," "calls," "exposures," and "hits" or upon
"units sold"?
About the Author:
Alan Bayham is a sought-after business consultant and trainer with a
master's degree in organizational management, combined with more than 30
years of experience in leadership, management, sales, and marketing
training. As the president of Bayham Consulting, LLC, he has consulted with
and developed customized training programs for companies ranging from small-
and mid-sized businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. For more information,
contact Alan at 504-259-8682 or visit www.bayhamconsulting.com.
|
|
|
| © Copyright 2008/Exchange Morning Post/Exchange Business Communications Inc. |
|
|
