Breaking into larger organisations can be extremely frustrating as the question sent in by Tony Clarke, Fuel Dynamics Ltd indicated:
“I want to do business with every Housing Association in the UK. I somehow or other have to ‘get to’ their chief purchasing officers.
My experience is that because I’m only a small business they will not work with me. They will, it appears, only deal with ‘big’ companies who they know and have a strong market presence.
Letters do not work even to the right man. Phone calls are never put through. Faxes, which I’ve found effective in some situations, don’t get a response.
Maybe you have some tips for me and some of your other readers on how to deal with these very powerful people. They rule the roost and even their MD’s give them a free hand in terms of control.
It’s an interesting dilemma for me.”
A: Changing the perception your target prospect has of you is key to getting that door open. And it takes more than letters, emails or faxes that introduce your company and the service or products you offer.
Sometimes you have to approach it from a completely different angle. So let me start by asking you some questions; see if they give you any ideas…
- Do you give the impression of being a small company? Check your image, both in terms of presentation – from your business card up – and what happens if anyone does attempt to contact you. Do you have an answer phone or are calls always answered personally?
For example; many years ago when I was the sole representative of my company I made absolutely sure that anyone contacting me got a very favourable impression. I engaged a telephone answering service that offered a good personalised service; they didn’t have a lot of other calls being answered in the background and knew that they must never, under any circumstances let on that they were a telephone answering service.
It worked, because one of my clients who I had worked with for some years, expressed surprise when he discovered that I didn’t have an army of people behind me.
Now, the important thing is I did not deceive my client; he never asked about the size of my company – he just assumed that my company was large because the phone was always answered by a variety of different people whenever he rang; there was no voice mail or answerphone. And of course, he received superb service so had no reason to doubt my company’s ability to look after him.
- Who, in the organisation, uses what you offer? Does the person (or people) who would benefit most from your product or service have any influence on the CPO? Could you recruit them as ambassadors for you and your company?
- What challenges are the CPO’s facing that your product or service could help with?
- Do you have expert knowledge that would help him in his job, without actually selling him anything? Advice freely given makes you more memorable than competitors who are only looking for the sale.
- Do you have a valuable, content-rich report, booklet (or book) you can send as a gift. It would have to deliver exceptional value; not just mundane ‘facts & figures’ he can get from anywhere.
- Have you thought about writing and publishing a book? Doing so positions you as the expert. It adds gravitas to your reputation and when you send it as a gift it raises the barrier for you; makes you stand out from the competition. And crafting a book is not as difficult as it may first seem.
- Do you have case-studies from other organisations that demonstrate innovative approaches to solving the problems the Housing Associations CPO’s face? Collate them into a report; make sure you get permission to use the stories and check exactly how much detail your customers are happy for you to reveal.
- Do any of your present or past satisfied customers know the people you are trying to reach. Would they be prepared to recommend you, or write a letter of endorsement?
- Are you well known within your industry? If your prospect recognises your name as an industry expert he is more likely to give you time to talk. Apart from publishing a book you can achieve this by getting articles printed in the trade publications he is likely to read. Send letters to the editor with interesting ‘industry specific’ points. Do not make even the slightest attempt to advertise or sell your product or company. The editor is highly unlikely to print your letter if you do, which defeats the whole purpose of writing.
Enhancing your reputation within your industry works in your favour, even if you don’t own the company you work for.
If any of the writing activities phases you then hire a ghost writer to create the material for you.
Like any large organisation, selling to a Housing Association needs a different approach. Don’t ‘sell’ – offer powerful advice that the CPO appreciates and looks forward to receiving. Demonstrate your expertise; demonstrate the higher level of personal contact and customer service he (or she) gets from you compared to a larger organisation where he may not always be able to deal with the same person continuously.
But most of all, remember you are still selling to a person who has his own problems; his own challenges, his own stressful situations. Eliminate some of that stress for him, make life easier and you have a better chance of getting his attention.
I have recommended it before… and it is worth mentioning again because I think it would help you in this situation – Jill Konrath’s book Selling To Big Companies is worth getting. You can take a look at 2 chapters for free if you visit: http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com
~ Carol Bentley
technorati tags: marketing business tips selling to big companies Jill Konrath
It is inevitable that sometimes you have to leave a message when you’re trying to contact someone and your call goes through to voice mail. How effective, or annoying, is the message you leave?
SpinVox revealed the top 10 most annoying voicemails through their survey. Have you experienced any of these – or perhaps you’re guilty too? Check them out on www.modernselling.com
The one that really gels with me is number 2, The Death March.
At the moment everyone in my office knows to repeat that all important information – the number to call back on – at least twice. But I think I’m going to ask them to give the number earlier in the message as well as at the end. After all, we don’t want to annoy or frustrate the people we are trying to reach, do we?
So, the message you leave – is it helpful, informative and designed to elicit the response you want? Or is it one of those most hated message types?
Constructing a well thought out message before you call – just in case the person you want to speak to isn’t available – is also a good use of your copywriting skills, don’t you think?
~ Carol Bentley
technorati tags: voicemail copywriting business tips
Most of the posts I’ve done so far have been on copywriting, marketing or business insights I wanted to share with you or topics that people have asked me about before.
As a regular visitor to this blog you possibly sit there thinking “I could do with knowing about this…” or “I wonder how I should do such and such?” Some of my visitors have already sent in questions, and you may be one of them. If not, now is your chance to ask your most burning question.
It can be on copywriting, marketing, business strategies or tips, the meaning of life and the universe… well maybe not the last one, I’m not a philosopher!
So ask away, using the comment link below or the blog question link in the right hand panel.
The questions and answers I believe would be the most valuable for you and my other readers will be shown in future postings.
And the best question is…
Oh – and the best question – gets a copy of the unabridged audio of my book I Want To Buy Your Product.. Have You Sent Me A Letter Yet, normal rrp £67.
In this set of 3 audio CDs you hear me sharing an abundance of copywriting and direct marketing insights.
You can listen whilst driving or at any time you want to check something. The audio tracks are split into chapters so you can easily skip to the chapter you want to listen to or continue from where you last left off.
Plus there is an A5 workbook accompanying the set to help you create your first compelling sales letter.
The valuable bonus data CD contains a printable version of the workbook, for your future projects, as well as additional material for you to study and adapt for your business. I’ve also included all my checklists and a searchable electronic version of the book.
Who chooses the best question? Not me! I might be slightly biased 
, so I’ve asked my good friend and internet marketing expert, Ed Rivis, to do the honours for me.
Any questions received by Friday 18th January will be considered for this prize.
Send in your question or questions now, whilst you think of it – but please keep to one question per submission. Thanks.
~ Carol Bentley
technorati tags: copywriting marketing Q&A
Many business people are good at putting pressure on themselves to succeed and beating themselves up when it doesn’t all go quite to plan. I know I am pretty good at doing that to myself
In spite of the fact I absolutely love what I do.
Then, whilst browsing the Internet I saw. . .
“One day as I was venting to a friend about a job I despised, she interrupted and grandly proclaimed, ‘I hereby give you permission to quit your job and do what you truly want!’ I had to laugh. Her words made me realize that the only thing keeping me stuck was that I hadn’t given myself permission to do otherwise.”
. . .that was the start of the blog post that caught my attention; enough to share with you.
You see, as well as sometimes being a little too hard on ourselves, I wondered how often do we do the opposite and shy away from success. Or avoid doing something because we feel silly about it; are scared of the consequences or nervous about what other people may think?
This post expanded on the idea of giving yourself permission to do or be something different; to – maybe – get outside your comfort zone and experiment.
And I thought… how about applying it to our business and career aspirations?
After all – if you own a business – why shouldn’t you give yourself permission to fail and learn by your mistakes; to relax and enjoy what you are creating and, ultimately, be outrageously successful?
You can read the original post here:http://mentalmosaic.com/blog
~ Carol Bentley
P.S. And how about giving yourself permission to relax and enjoy your family and friend’s company this weekend?
technorati tags: inspirational
How much do your customers or clients value you and what you do for them? Do they really appreciate all the trouble you take to deliver the best possible service or product?
I saw this letter, talking about the ‘Charlie the Plumber’ test, in an email sent through a Yahoo group I’m a member of. And although it is written to copywriters I think the essence of the letter and how you accept business is applicable to other companies, whether you are providing a service or a product.
It talks about choosing who you are prepared to do business with. Now I know a lot of business people believe they can’t be choosy about who they deal with; they need all the sales they can get!
The only way to get out of this situation is to make sure you position yourself – as Charlie has – as the ‘go to expert’ who is selective about who you will do business with; someone who doesn’t work with just anyone who might want to buy.
Here’s the letter, in it’s entirety, reprinted with permission from Doug D’Anna.
Dear Friend,
Last week, I was pitched three jobs by three different companies and I turned them all down. I don’t say this to be smug or arrogant; they simply didn’t pass my three-rule test.
And I can tell you this with all honesty, they weren’t right for you either, as I’ll explain in a moment.
So why did I turn down these three new assignments?
Because none of them passed my Charlie the Plumber test!
What, exactly, is my Charlie the Plumber test?
Frankly, it’s a simple test that every potential client I meet must past or I won’t work with that person. I named this test after none other than my own plumber, whom I affectionately refer to as Charlie the Plumber.
Charlie, by the way, is a great guy who has been doing work for me for nearly 10 years. He’s an honest guy who charges an honest price for his work and whom I trust 100%. He never overcharges, never tries to sells you something you don’t need, and always bends over backwards for me.
What I love most about Charlie (other than that he’s a big talker like me) is the fact that he not only treats me like royalty but also has come to a point in his life where he picks his clients.
You see, unlike most plumbers, who have full Yellow Page ads that scream discount, Charlie doesn’t advertise. He works by referral only, and he’s very choosy about whom he takes on.
As a client, I feel blessed that I have Charlie working for me!
Are Your Clients Lucky to Have You Working for Them?
If not, maybe it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Because having clients who value you for your knowledge and your experience is where you want to be.
And if you don’t start picking your clients on that basis now, you could find yourself working with a demanding group of unappreciative people who see you only as a vendor at a price and not as the business builder that you are.
That’s why before you accept any new work, I highly suggest that you put your prospects through my Charlie the Plumber test.
My Three Rules for Picking Clients Who Will Pay You What You’re Worth
1. Got to Have Fun.
As I learned from Charlie, life’s too short to work with a bunch of demanding jerks. You want to work with people who love their work and love life. When you find these people, as I have, you’ll get up every day inspired to do your best to meet deadlines and exceed expectations, because you’re having too much of a good time to do otherwise.
2. Got to Make Money.
Let’s face it, copywriting is hard work. So there has to be an upside to bleeding all over the page. That upside in our society is known as money. Why bust your butt if the person only wants to pay you peanuts? No — you want to work with people who are fun and who will pay you what you are worth and then some.
3. Got to Be Appreciated.
Believe it or not, this is actually my first rule. I never work for people who are looking for just another copywriter. If the first question they ask is what do I charge, then it is clear to me that they are looking for another copywriter and not for the special something that I bring to the table.
Anyone who wants to hire me has to want me, Doug D’Anna, and have me working on his or her behalf. I say this not to be smug or arrogant, but only to drive home the point that you, too, are a unique individual worthy of the same appreciation.
When you think about it, why would you ever want to work for someone who doesn’t appreciate you?
My Fourth Rule
4. Got to Learn Something.
Over the years, I have found that only half of my successes came from me. The other half came directly from the fine group of publishers, product managers, and business owners that I worked with–individuals whose knowledge was superior to my own and whom I could learn from.
That’s why after a new client passes my first three hurdles, I always put them to this fourth and crucial test – especially when I have two or three projects to choose from at any one time.
You’ll be surprised to know that I’ve chosen projects with far less immediate financial potential, simply because I would be working with an A-list marketer who could take my skills to the next level.
This fourth rule has not only allowed me to work with the top direct marketing talent in the country but also has resulted in much greater financial success as well.
Please Make Them Your Rules Too
When I started the A-list in 2007, I did it with one goal in mind: to bring you the NO BS, wealth-creating copywriting knowledge and marketing strategies you’ve been looking for.
Specifically, the knowledge to create more powerful, effective, and lucrative advertisements, e-mails, and Web pages that could multiply your income exponentially – and without spending a dime.
These rules have worked for me. That’s why I want you to make them your rules as well. I guarantee that if you follow them, you’ll find yourself working with people who not only value and appreciate your knowledge and talent but just as important – pay you for it.
All good wishes for a successful and healthy 2008,
Doug D’Anna
PS If you haven’t yet joined the A-list, go to http://www.dougdanna.com/joinmyalist.html and you’ll receive my best ideas on building your business in 2008 without a bunch of sales pitches or spam.
Doug has also generously offered a free copy of his 7 Proven Profit Triggers for Email Copywriters
Remember, you can position yourself or your company so you can be selective about who you work with. Simply demonstrate your expertise in articles, reports, presentations, audio programmes – oh, and of course – books.
And when you do refuse to do business with someone, for whatever reason, remember it can be done courteously. And if you can point them in the direction of a company that is a better fit for them, then they are still going to feel happy about their relationship with you.
~ Carol Bentley
technorati tags: business tips marketing Doug D’Anna
You wouldn’t expect the layout of your letterhead to cost you extra every time you send a sales letter to your prospects or customers, would you? But it can.
I was talking with Phil Hutchinson, Managing Director of 1Vision, whose direct mailing services I frequently use for my clients’ and my own mailshots. We were discussing some of the mistakes people make with their sales letters and specifically the problems they create for themselves when they don’t think to ask his advice before preparing their direct mailing material.
Even something as simple as the layout design of a letterhead can have a significant impact on the costs of a mailshot.
A bad design loses money…
How so?
Because when bulk mail outs are sent (and when I say ‘bulk’ it can be any quantity between 500 and 500,000 or more with Phil’s services) you can enjoy a welcome saving on postage costs. But only if your packages comply with certain standards.
And that’s where a letterhead design can create problems – as happened for one company.
You see, a vast number of letters sent to businesses use window envelopes. And Phil explained that postal companies are able to offer discounts because they use OCR (optical character recognition) systems to automate and speed up the sorting process.
But in order to do this it is crucial that nothing appears through the envelope’s window, other than the recipient address. Showing any additional, unrelated text or graphics can cause the letters to be rejected, which means you lose your postage discount. That could be an expensive £300 or more loss on a mailshot of 15,000 items. Imagine the cost for larger numbers!!
Even if you’ve not yet reached these larger mailshot numbers, there are other important marketing reasons for keeping that address area as clean as possible.
An ‘Aha!’ moment
As Phil and I chatted I realised this was just one of the crucial aspects that need considering when you are creating your mailing campaign. Phil has a deep well of knowledge when it comes to direct mailing. And it occurred to me drawing on that knowledge could have immeasurable benefits for you.
So I’m going to twist Phil’s arm and get him to spill the beans. I intend to draw these professional secrets out of him and share them with you. Each gem I weasel out of him will give you extra, powerful knowledge you can use to make your mailings even more successful. (By the way, we will be discussing specifics for the UK postal services but the vast majority of the topics we touch on apply to mailings in other countries too).
The telephone interview will be recorded and posted on this blog sometime in the future.
~ Carol Bentley
technorati tags: direct mail marketing business tips
If the thought of writing a whole business book is something you just can’t see yourself doing, but you want the kudos of being a published author then there is a way you can start on a smaller scale.
Your published book can contain as few as 20 pages; the important thing is to make the content useful to the reader. One way to do that is to produce a tips booklet.
What to include in and how to write your tips booklet
The good news is you probably already have all the material you need to create your tips booklet. Here’s a few things to keep in mind…
Structure your tips booklet as a series of useful hints and advice in an easy to read format.
Keep your tips interesting; not a boring ‘you should do this or you should do that‘ type of monologue. Do this by writing in active language – you’ll discover exactly how in a moment.
4 Easy Steps…
1] Gather all the questions you’ve been asked about your products or services and the answers you’ve given. How many of them are generic? Which ones are questions that would be asked of anyone in your line of business?
2] Turn each answer into an action statement that introduces a topic you can give expert advice on. Do this by starting your sentence with a verb. Here are some examples:
(i) Realise it’s the process not the price (taken from 117 Handy Haggling Hints published by Derek Arden)
(ii) Avoid backache when driving – take a break every 20 minutes
(iii) Write about benefits and results, not features, in your sales letters
(iv) Listen carefully to what your prospect is saying when you meet
(v) Consider the cost savings when you use…
(vi) Plan your business strategy to gain the highest success
3] Follow each introductory sentence with a more detailed explanation; it could be just one paragraph or more if needed.
4] Choose a compelling title for your booklet that appeals to your prospect (it’s the same process as creating a headline for your sales letter).
Once you’ve got the content organised you can get your manuscript ready for printing.
Tips Booklet Format
Ideally your tips booklet should be small enough for your reader to carry with him/her in a pocket or handbag. Most tips booklets are 21cm x 10 cm, which fits neatly into a DL envelope and makes it a perfect size for sending out in the post.
Alternatively you could create an A6 size booklet (half of A5). Talk to your printer to find out which size is the most economical for printing.
Start off with a brief introduction to what the booklet is about. If your tips fall into different categories you might want to include a table of contents listing the categories.
Number your tips.
Show the first few words; the action sentence, in bold so it stands out.
At the back of the booklet include information on how your reader can get more copies of the booklet.
If you publish a series of booklets list your other titles in the series.
Your new marketing tool
Your intention is to use this booklet as a marketing tool. You can sell it on your website for visitors who come across your site through search engines or other incoming links.
Or you can give it away to targeted prospects. Like a book, it is far more powerful than a business card and, because it contains valuable information, it won’t be thrown away.
It achieves two benefits for you:
- It demonstrates your expertise.
- It keeps your name fresh in your prospect / customer’s mind.
So, make sure you include a page at the back with details of what you offer, your contact information and an invitation to use it.
You can also show your contact details on the back cover.
OK – what’s the name of your tips booklet? Do let me know.. it’s your first step towards publishing a book!
~ Carol Bentley
P.S. If you’ve already created an informative report or have a set of Q&A pages or handouts, you have the foundation of your tips booklet. All you need to do is rewrite it in the style I’ve described in this post.
technorati tags: tips booklets marketing business author
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