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Territory Marketing
Success
Check This List Against Yours
Many of us are in
marketing, and we "work a territory". Well it's time to share our
successes and failures. In the past 23 years, I've started in a fresh
territory a half-a-dozen times.
I've learned two things;
1. What doesn't
work (Oh-oh)
2. What works! (PTL)
Since failure instructs us for
success, these are both "positive" situations. You see, "Failure is
not a person, it's an event". So this is where we learn from
experience, and our mistakes become stepping-stones to success!
When Thomas Edison had completed 1,100 light bulbs that burned-out
quickly, his co-workers encouraged him to give up. However, Mr. Edison
took another view, he said; "We have eliminated 1,100 filament
materials, imagine how close we are now to the working electric light!"
I'm glad he persevered. Now, let us put
on the same attitude and go forward. We will start with some of the
methods that do not work. Some of these approaches may later be part
of the winning combination, but alone or mismatched, they almost certainly
fail.
1. Advertise and wait. If this method worked,
you'd be out of a job. An hourly wage earning order-taker would do fine.
This scenario reminds me of retail. Blah.
2. Mail letters and phone. This approach is
just a modification to item 1. It's time to get over your sales fear
and/or laziness, and go make sales calls like you were hired to do!
3. Over-focus on customer service. The newbie
to marketing often falls into the 80/20 trap, where a small handful of
customers demand all of your time. You know, 20% of your clients demand
80% of your time. There are some clients that we need to refer to someone
else!
What Works?
Now it's time for what works. It is so
simple, most people miss it. There is genius in simplicity. Here it
is:
1. Make a listing of 250 to 450 clients in one
geographic area. The actual number will be determined by your call length
and closing cycle.
2. Visit 20 to 25 offices per day, on a 30 day cycle. Whatever
number you can see monthly. Plan your call schedule daily, weekly, and
monthly. Record staff names and info about each business. The trust that
you build up with regular monthly visits is immeasurable.
3. Your goal during your visits is to schedule a presentation.
Gather important data you will use to determine needs. History, customer
base, etc.
4. Ask only "Prepared" questions. Have several questions ready for
each type of visit. Visit 1, fact-finding. Visit 2, review and needs
refining. Visit 3, setup demo.
5. Your Goal: To bring each potential client into a demo. Your
demonstration should cover 6 to 8 key features in a short period of time,
say 45 minutes or less. It should be totally "Planned". You control the
demo. Ask the customer to save all questions until the end.
6. Follow-up all Presentations with a thank you note. Set aside
time each day to review your visits and prepare simple thank you notes.
7. As you gain results from this plan, STICK TO IT! Do not be
led astray by success!
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What's a USP?
Be Unique for Success
What
do most successful companies have in common? Powerful Unique Selling
Positions! Take a look;
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Avis Rent a Car "We're number two. We try harder."
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Coke "The Real Thing"
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Dominos Pizza "Fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes or
less"
 These are powerful
statements of uniqueness that helped to propel their companies to success.
Your Unique Selling Position (USP)
Each of these slogans is their respective company’s
unique selling position (USP). A USP is something that differentiates you
from all your competitors. Your uniqueness will cause people to choose to
do business with you rather than your competitors. Your USP states
your distinct advantage. Now more than ever you must differentiate your
small business. Today there is an explosion of choices for consumers.
During slow times the same amount of small businesses will be vying for a
diminishing amount of prospects. When this happens, the competitive
landscape gets tougher and choices for consumers get more difficult.
Why is Your USP so Important
To be successful in small business you don't have
to be the best, but you should offer a unique position. Identifying,
developing, and incorporating your USP into everything you do is
challenging. But the reward is worth every effort. It will differentiate
you, distinguish you, and give you advantage over everyone in your
marketplace.
"Me too" businesses rarely survive. They usually end up in
price wars because they don't have anything unique about them to establish
value in the minds of their prospects. They are left with only one weapon
with which to compete; price.
Make Your USP Clear
The more clearly you announce your USP, the more
often they'll choose you over your competition. You must use your USP to
dominate your local market. When a consumer thinks of a spa or a pool your
name must be the first one that pops into their mind.
Your USP must create a real and perceived advantage in your
prospect’s mind. For example, Dominos made a very bold guarantee that if
they didn't deliver your pizza within 30 minutes of ordering, it would be
free of charge. Dominos put their USP into action.
Here are some examples in different small business
industries:
Example #1 - Auto Repair Industry
Performance Gap (problem) = Auto repair establishments have a reputation
of being dishonest.
Potential USP (solution) = "If It Ain't Broke, We Won't Fix It!"
Example #2 - Dental Industry
Performance Gap (problem) = No one likes to go to the dentist because it
can be a painful experience.
Potential USP (solution) = "Sedation Dentistry, The Safe, Pain Free Way to
Healthy Teeth"
You can see how a performance gap can lead to a powerful USP.
You can also have local performance gaps that will give you a great USP as
well.
Finally;
• Live Up To Your USP and
• Use Your USP in Everything You
Do. |
