Part 2 - Field Guide

Twelve Soft Tips To A Hard Sale

Here are twelve soft tips you can use to build familiarity and trust for your company, its products, and your people.

1.)  Stand for Something. Name recognition is important but it’s not enough.  You need a consistent slogan and a consistent message telling your prospects why they should buy from you rather than from your competitor.

2.)  “Nice” Sells. People don’t necessarily dislike ads; they dislike bad ads.  Ads that shout and are obnoxious may get you noticed but are not as well-received as nice messages.

3.)  Stories Sell. People love stories, and ads that tell stories draw listeners in and subconsciously make them feel better about your product or business.

4.)  Repetition Builds Reputation.  Your prospects need consistent affirmation of your values in your advertising in order to trust your sales promises.

5.)  Goodwill “Tiebreakers”. When your product and price are perceived to be the same as your competitors, your image as a good corporate citizen can be the tiebreaker.

6.)  The People Factor. People buy from people. Are your people trained to be knowledgeable and helpful?  Does your advertising promote your “people factor”?

7.)  Third-Party Testimonials. Your best customers can be your best salespeople. Customer testimonials in your advertising can create the comfort required for our prospects to make that hard buying decision.

8.) Speak the Customer’s Language. Don’t make your ads sound and look like ads. Make them relevant to real people. And NEVER use clichés.

9.) Offer Guarantees and Warranties. Talk about your customer service policies and mention them in your advertising.  Always answer, “or what”.  “Guaranteed or we will…”, i.e. give you your money back, match the difference, or your first hour is free.

10.) Become a Helpful Expert. Offer tips and advice in your ads, and host “how-to” seminars about your products and services.

11.) Don’t Forget to Say “Thanks”. Take the occasional break from selling in your ads to thank your customers.  Don’t forget to also thank your internal customers, your management and staff.

12.) Appeal to the Heart. People’s opinions, perceptions, and decisions emotionally originate through the heart and are only justified logically in the head.