CREATING SALëS CONVERSATIONS
By Charlie Cook

You've got a great product or service that beats the competition by
miles. Once you get in front of people or get them on the ph0ne,
they're sold. The only problem is you're not getting enough of those
initial conversations with prospects started so you can convert them
to clients.  Instead of having your ph0ne ringing of the hook with
requests, you feel like your firm is the best kept sëcret in your
industry.

Sound familiar?

Bob called from Alabama with just this problem. His company
manufactures creative, attractive and safe playgrounds.  Lately,
salës have been flat, at best, and despite having an outstanding
product, his company isn't generating as many salës as he'd like.
Bob wanted to know how to start more conversations so he can jump
start salës.

Want more conversations with prospects so you can sell your products
and services?

The first step to starting a conversation with someone is to get his
or her attention. In school, you raised your hand and eventually the
teacher called on you -- of course, that is what the teacher was
paid to do. When you're marketing your products or services, you
can't just raise your hand and expect prospects to call on you.
Running an ad or having a web site that describes your products or
services is the equivalent of raising your hand. It may have worked
in the classroom, but it doesn't work in the marketplace.

When you focus your marketing on yourself, your firm or your
products, it rarely works to get attention or start a conversation.
To engage prospects and get them to contact you, you need to focus
on their needs and wants.

Bob explained that he had three different markets: day care centers,
municipal parks departments and architects and each has different
concerns. Parks departments concern is durability and the safety of
the materials used, day care centers is the creative design.

As Bob clearly understands, each target market has their own unique
set of interests. These interests should be the focus his marketing
effort, not the company name, credentials or product production
techniques. Bob could be using these insights to create a marketing
message or set of marketing messages to get the attention of
prospects.

Through your experience you have a good idea of your prospects' and
your clients' concerns and interests. Take a minute to jot down the
top three concerns of each of your target markets. Use this
information to engage prospects in conversation.

If a stranger walked into your office, what's the first thing you'd
do? You'd say something like, "How can I help you?" Not
surprisingly, the same technique works wonders when you combine it
with your knowledge of prospects' concerns. Instead of touting your
credentials or describing your products, lead with a question to
start a conversation.


Bob could ask, "Want to learn more about improving the safety and
durability of your playgrounds?" Or a marketing coach might
ask, "Want to learn more about attracting a steady stream of
clients?" Or the line that suckers me every time as an audiophile
is, "Want to learn how to make your stereo sound like a live
perf0rmance?"

When we're one on one, face-to-face, starting a conversation comes
naturally to most of us. Beginning with a handful of questions, you
can quickly learn what someone wants and how you can help them.
Focus on your prospects' concerns with a question or two and you'll
get their attention. Offer them something they want and they'll
contact you.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in marketing their business
is to over emphasize closing the sale. What you want to do is open
the door to new prospects, start a conversation and help them get
what they want. Focus on starting more conversations with your
marketing and you'll end up closing many more salës.
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2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
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The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small
business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up
for the Frëë Marketing Plan eBook,
'7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business'
at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com