Archive for the ‘Local Sales’ Category

Ajax Ontario is a small community between Canada’s largest city, Toronto, and Oshawa headquarters for GM (General Motors) of Canada.  This community typically has feed these two markets and has done very well for itself.  The Town of Ajax has an eclectic collection of business and industry.  Local expertise can succeed in the global market and do so very well.

How can local business in Ajax, Ontario reach global markets?

Many countries around the world look toward Canada and the USA for high quality advanced products and services.  Canada has an advantage in that it is seen more broadly as a friendly country with a highly skilled labour force.  Local businesses must take advantage of this and their own skills to move in to new markets.  Having a well thought out marketing plan that accounts for targeting growth markets (relative to your products) is fundamental to realizing true growth.

AMR Media has helped businesses facing tough hurdles in the Ontario manufacturing sector.  Businesses that have primarily focused on the USA market have had to react quickly and with focus to keep their doors open.

To do this a well thought-out marketing strategy and execution was needed.  As an example AMR Media in conjunction with online services such as Industrial Machinery News (http://www.industrial-machinery-news.com) built a program to attack specific markets with specific products.  This focused approach took advantage of SEM techniques, flexible website design and strong knowledge of international business to business (B2B) sales.  The net outcome was a 300% growth in inbound lead generation and more importantly almost 100% of these leads were pre-qualified.

Today’s business climate demands that we think more strategically and more globally.  Having people that have the knowledge and practical experience of being located in these markets is crucial to the success of your company.  AMR Media has this knowledge and has travelled the world over selling and marketing Canadian products to a global customer base.

Contact us today to find out how we can help your business grow.

 Has this ever happened to you?

• You’re in an elevator. The CEO of your hottest prospect is also in the elevator and realizes that he recognizes you. He says, "I was curious, tell me what you do again. I can’t remember." What do you say?
• You’re at a party. You just happen to run into the VP of the company you want to work for. You mention that you’re looking for a job, and then the VP says, "Glad to meet you. Tell me more about yourself!" How do you respond?

1. What does your company do? (For example, begin your answer with "We provide.")
2. Whom does your company do it for? (For example, begin your answer with "For small and midsized healthcare providers.")
3. Why do they care? Or, What’s in it for them? (For example, include in your answer "so that they can," "who can no longer afford," or "who are tired of.")
4. Why is your company different? (For example, begin your answer with "As opposed to" or "Unlike.")
5. What is your company? (For example, begin your answer with "My company is an insurance.")

• What environment is your company operating in? (For example, begin your answer with "My company’s industry is challenged to implement Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.")
• What single thing does your company do better than anyone else? (For example, begin your answer with "My company is recognized as the leading provider of.")

Selling 101

When selling, you have one minute to pique your prospect’s interest. Here are some tips to make the most of your time.

Q: I’ve always equated selling with telling, and lately I’ve noticed that my prospects cut me off when I am giving them my pitch. What’s the best way to get my point across and win the sale?

A: I would imagine that this month’s question has value to all of us in sales and marketing. Let’s face it: Buyers are more educated than ever before. What we sales and marketing types need to focus more on is understanding our prospect’s world–and the best way I know of to do just that is to ask intelligent questions. Here’s a rundown of the best questions to use and when to use them. My strong suggestion is that each and every one of us should ask a whole lot more questions and speak a whole lot less.

When interacting with a prospect, you must first seek to understand what’s going on in the other person’s world. Then and only then will your ideas be accepted and understood by the prospect.

The best way to do this is to set strict limits on your own "talk time." Keep it under 60 seconds. Yes, you read right: You must never, ever speak for more than 60 seconds without asking for approval to continue. This approval comes when you ask open-ended "prompting" questions. Generally speaking, these questions:

    * Cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.
    * Do not lead, control or try to manipulate the other person.
    * Enable dialoging.
    * Begin with the words "when," "what," "how," "why" or "where."
    * Require thought to be answered.
    * Encourage the other person to reveal feelings.
    * Build rapport.

The opposite of an open-ended question is a closed-ended question. Closed-ended questions, unlike the kind we’ve just examined, put an end to effective dialoging and will not get you any closer to a second appointment. Therefore, you should totally avoid this type of questioning as a means of getting approval to win another 60 seconds.

Example of closed ended questions

One example of a closed-ended question might be, "You’re interested in attracting new customers, right?" The best place to use the closed-ended question is in a situation where you need to validate or confirm what you think is going on in your prospect’s world. Generally speaking, closed-ended questions:

    * Are useful to give feedback during a dialog.
    * Can be used to obtain specific information and/or confirm facts.

During a dialogue, if you need to make sure that you’ve heard the prospect correctly, you can use what’s called a clarifying question. These questions, too, can win you a fresh 60 seconds. A good clarifying question might begin with the words, "So, if I understand you correctly, you’re saying that…". Warning: you should always preface your clarifying question with a statement such as this and then creatively paraphrase what you think your contact’s main point is. It’s a really bad idea to parrot back what you’ve just heard your prospect say. That approach may be perceived as condescending, sarcastic and disrespectful. Generally speaking, clarifying questions:

    * Secure the other person’s approval and prove to a greater degree that you’ve got a good understanding of what he or she said.
    * Express in your own words what you just heard.
    * Clear up differences in the definition of words and phrases being used.
    * Clarify the meaning of "global" words (like "always" and "never").

Typically, once you clarify with your prospect, you can then use a developmental question to move the dialog in a desired direction to further understand the prospect’s purpose and/or result he or she wants to achieve. These questions, too, can win you another 60 seconds of time to talk–once the contact has responded to your question, of course. Generally speaking, developmental questions:

    * Encourage the other person to elaborate on what he or she just said.
    * Begin to make it possible for the other person to show his or her true feelings about the topic at hand.
    * Obtain further definition of what’s under discussion.

Optionally, you can also use a directional question to win another 60 seconds. These questions steer the dialog to a certain direction that a developmental question just uncovered. Directional questions are like a roadmap of your conversation and allow the dialog to take another path, one that’s beneficial to uncovering the prospect’s purpose and needs. Generally speaking, directional questions:

    * Move the dialog from one logical topic to another.
    * Invite the other person to participate in an informational exchange.
    * Can be used to replace a closed-ended question you were tempted to ask.

Important: Don’t fall into the trap of using directional questions to control or manipulate the prospect in any way. This will destroy any business rapport you’ve built and reduce your chances of getting a second appointment.

Another question type you can use to earn another 60 seconds of talk time is called an opinion question. This kind of question is extremely helpful in revealing where a prospect stands on any particular issue, and it can be used to give you more insight into someone’s unique needs. Opinion questions are also a nonthreatening way to ensure that the other person is actually engaged in the dialog. As a general rule, opinion questions:

    * Ask a direct question in a nonconfrontational way.
    * Get the other person to speak frankly and openly.
    * Allow the opportunity to share feelings.
    * Show esteem and respect for the other person.
    * Help to extend and prolong dialogues.

Finally, you can use what I call a social proof question to justify another 60 seconds of talk time. This is an indirect way of getting the other person to realize that his situation is similar to that of other people you’ve worked with. As with any other reference to a third party, there is the chance that your contact will respond favorably to what you cite within the question. On the other hand, there is a chance that the social proof you introduce will be looked upon as competitive or irrelevant to what’s being discussed. So these questions can be tricky. Generally speaking, social proof questions:

    * Introduce a third party that is relevant to the discussion.
    * May increase confidence that you can address the purpose and needs of the other person.
    * Validate the other person’s reasoning.
    * Can be used to address concerns or problems before they arise.

Intelligent use of each of these question types will encourage your prospect to begin to show his or her true feelings about whatever subject is under discussion. Build business rapport with prospects, and they’ll be less likely to tune out while you’re delivering your pitch.      

Helping business grow is what AMR Media (http://www.amrmedia.com) does best.  Call them today to find out how you can brand your business, create a website with search engine optimization and grow your bottom line.