The One-to-One Marketing Procedure Manual
can be formatted into either an actual instruction book; or, a workbook. A minimum
of three hours of personal instruction is advised and may be accessed by telephone
if an instructor does not live in your immediate area.
The entire program encompasses the full five stages of the sales cycle from prospecting
through closing the sale and onto customer service.
The first section; which is the prospecting section, has been the most popular.
It has been taught independently of the other sections since 1996 when it was
captured on video for a local non profit organization in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
While numerous aspects of prospecting are addressed in the publication, the component
pertaining to the use of the telephone as a marketing tool has been the most successful.
This is probably because 90% of your prospecting efforts are going to end up on
the telephone at some point.
We often refer to the "Telephone Contact" aspect of the sales cycle
as "the missing link;" because, no matter how much advertising you do,
no matter how well known your product or service is, the telephone is going to
play a major role in obtaining new customers as well as maintaining existing ones.
Therefore, it makes sense to understand the difference between the telephone as
a mere communication tool; and, the telephone as a marketing/customer service
tool. And that applies to whether you are waiting for the phone to ring; or, whether
you are initiating the call.
There is a specific etiquette that is employed in each application. If that etiquette
is not understood and is not handled properly, it can cost you a great deal in
initial sales mostly; but also in customer retention as well.
Following is a copy of page one of the introduction to the "General"
One-to-One Marketing Procedure Manual. If you are interested in this publication,
it can be reproduced in its "generic" format. Or, we can tailor it to
better address the product or service you represent.
In addition to the telephone aspects the manual also addresses the following topics:
- Identify Your Target Market
- Develop A Contact List
- Transforming the Contact List into a Work Sheet
- Developing the Script(s)
- Voice Mail - Your Friend, Not Your Foe
- Technique
- Client Files and Call Back Lists
- Working IN Your Business; and, Working ON Your Business
Please, continue to scroll down to see the first page of the introduction
to the One-to-One Marketing Manual ........
INTRODUCTION
#1
- Understand the difference between sales and marketing. Marketing is defined
in the dictionary as: "the total of activities by which transfer
of title of possession of goods from seller to buyer is effected, including advertising,
shipping, storing, and selling".
In the U of C textbook: Fourth Canadian Edition of the "The Principles
of Marketing" by Kotler, Armstrong, and Cuningham page six clearly states:
"Creating customer value and satisfaction are at the very heart of modem
marketing thinking and practice." It goes on to say: "marketing is the
delivery of customer satisfaction at a profit. The goal of marketing is
to attract new customers by promising superior value: and, to keep current customers
by delivering satisfaction."
To me this clearly defines that the initial sale is the initial fulfillment of
a good marketing effort; an effort that first attracted a new customer to the
product or service. However, marketing must then continue and transfer into a
customer service role to maintain that repeat business.
Please take a moment to examine the page adjacent to this one. You will see tasks
listed under defined headings. In reality, all that effort is marketing. It is
all focused upon attracting and keeping the customer. This schedule is formatted
for the benefit of easily identifying the order in which the positions can be
first learned, then delegated; and, what level of impact each step has on overall
growth and development of any business based upon the module utilized in "The
E Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber. (May I strongly recommend that if
you have not read that book, do so immediately. It is not a large publication,
it is easy to read; and, it will provide an excellent common denominator for this
information. I call it the 'Reader's Digest' version of a marketing degree....
it is excellent.)
A successful marketing effort is coordinated and develops an ongoing and consistent
experience for the potential client as well as for the existing client. As we
all know, an initial sale is based upon trust. To build and maintain that trust,
the customer must have a series of corresponding experiences that serve to reinforce
the fact that you, as the "provider" can be trusted.
The actual sale occurs during what is more commonly identified as the "negotiation"
phase. Rather than the verbal jousting and/or the power control confrontation
this phase used to be, today the negotiation phase is more of a question and answer
session in which the potential customer gains a re education. And while the final
price to be paid is usually the final issue, it appears as if the scales are becoming
more balanced by people with a true understanding of the fact that you really
do get what you pay for.
#2 - It is vital to your success that you monitor your sales and marketing activity
properly so you can compare the actual results against your expectations. (Hopefully
those expectations are based upon actual research, hard numbers, and experience.)
The call back sheets you will be developing and using on an ongoing basis will
provide a snap shot overview of the direct marketing activity completed over a
period of one month at a time. This will also provide an overview of the follow
up demand that is developing as a result of the effort.
Most people don't realize that entering into an industry is the same as merging
into oncoming traffic. The industry will have a developed pace and momentum in
place long before you came along. If you do not understand that; and respect it,
the result will be the same as it would be if you were to pull onto a busy freeway
without first looking and regarding the existing traffic. And just a note here:
going too fast is just as bad as going too slow in this example!
Just as you look for a space or gap in that traffic for your safe entry, you must
find a space and/or gap (need) in the industry you intend to enter. This means:
How many other opportunities does your potential customer have to obtain exactly
what you have to offer? What does it take to motivate the customer to obtain what
you have to offer? And, why should they buy your product or service from you rather
than the exact same product or service from anyone else? And, here you must respect
"perception". Here is where I get: "We don't have any competition
because we are the only ones doing it this way"; or, "No one else has
this product."
The customer must be able to first identify you with something they already know
and are somewhat familiar with so they can even begin to draw a comparison. After
that, you have to be able to present your product or service in a way that convinces
them (in their perceptions) that you are the best choice.
