sellpromoproducts

The ability to control both customers and prospects adds to the money you make on each sale. Keeping those you deal with in check means letting them know that when they do business with you, they are dealing with a person who means business.

Since this industry is so competitive, most salespeople will do anything to get orders. First, they try to steal your customers by cutting prices. Then, they throw samples around with no regard for their value. Now you know where the term, “trinkets and trash,” comes from.

In order to remove yourself from the fray, you must keep a set of standards in place. For instance, maintain principles by insisting in a nice way that certain things need to be returned to you. On every transaction you make, you should make certain that you receive equal exchange for the time invested in the orders you work on. Sometimes the exchange comes in forms other than money, such as consideration and loyalty.

When a salesperson has lost control of his or her customers, that person may be using some or all of the following practices:

Sells orders at little profit.

Hands out loads of samples on every call.

Believes bidding is the way to win business.

Tells customers that they will beat any price.

We have all run into people who do these things on every call. Obviously, their confidence level is extremely low. Because such practices have existed for so long
in this industry, many distributors have felt pressure to give up control of their customers. It is essential that you regain control and here’s how!

NEVER BID ON ORDERS

Distributors often have a hard time resisting the temptation to bid on orders. They forget that by joining the bidding wars, they are only making their next sale to this customer even more difficult. Instead, affirm to everyone that for you to successfully fulfill his or her orders, it is necessary for you to make a certain profit.

I know that some who read this will say that bidding is just part of this industry. But in my 23 years of doing this, I may have won only three bids out of the first fifty that I have given. The time I invested in the bidding process was just not worth the return. More money is made servicing accounts that do not require bids than on those that do.

Read the following distributors story, and then decide for yourself:

After five years in the business, I decided to walk away from bidding situations. I was tired of losing orders, because I was not cheap enough. I held onto my no-bidding policy for the next seven years until I ran into an old friend one night at a party.

He told me that his public relations firm was in charge of our town’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show. Every year they sell T-shirts at the event and his assistant was in charge of buying the 5000 shirts. I told him that bidding was not ‘my thing,’ but he insisted that I call his assistant and give her a price for the shirts.

After researching the price for the blanks and the 6-color imprinting, I came up with a net cost of $2.35 per shirt. Since I had not bid on a shirt job in a long time, I had no idea what price to give the customer. I decided that if I made 50 cents a shirt, then I would put a nice $2500 in my pocket. In my rush to make some quick bucks, I forgot that I would be also be risking an initial $11,750--my cost for the shirts.

After calling the assistant with the bid, I waited three days for the OK for the order. Guess what? She would not call me back. After three unreturned calls, I called my friend who claimed that he had no idea which vendor his assistant ended up using for the shirts. Long story short, some fool got the order at a price of $2.60 a shirt! After thinking about it, I decided I was the bigger fool for wasting my time bidding on T-shirt jobs.

STOP THE PRICE SHOPPER

Many buyers of promotional products tell you that they are looking for the best price. By telling you this, they are saying that price is more important to them than quality and service. When meeting these types tell them that you understand that they are seeking a good price. Then turn around and ask them what price it would take for you to get the order. Eighty percent of the time they will say, “I need the best price possible.” That’s when you tell them why dealing with you affords them the chance to place an order with someone committed to doing the job right.

CONTROL SAMPLE REQUESTS

Some prospects make it a habit to make unreasonable sample requests. If you fall into this trap, you may end up spending countless hours trying to find them the perfect item. Perhaps you are showing someone a crystal catalog, and they ask to see samples of five different pieces. Instead of imposing on your supplier to send you all five samples, ask the prospect if you could bring over only two for approval. Explain to them that by looking at the first two, you can help them find out quickly if you are moving in the right direction. Bringing all five at one time only shows them that you will do anything for the sale.

GIVE THEM A DEADLINE

Another way to keep customers and prospects in check is to make sure they do as they say. Often times they will say things to placate you, such as telling you to call them on Friday, when they have no intention of placing an order. To make sure this is not the case, when Friday comes along, give them a ring. Never wait around for a call that may not come. If they want to buy from you, they will tell you something more concrete on that call. Never let non-committal prospects waste your valuable time.

There are numerous other ways to control those you deal with. If you fail to do so, then you are becoming like distributors who will do anything to get orders. If the people you do business with do not respect your practices, then you are probably better off not doing business with them. Maintaining high standards is the way to make money and be respected in this industry.