I once attended a Home Trade Show and was introduced to a number of entrepreneurs in booths manned by good, hard-working individuals trying to make a living.
Some booth sitters came on stronger than others. Some caught my attention as I passed by. Others actually repelled me from their booth.
“What was the difference?”, I asked myself as I sauntered down each aisle.
I think you have to refer to it as “chemistry”, or could it be “packaging.” I don’t know how else to explain it. Except, maybe, for the obvious. I recognized the fact that products I had an interest in had a better chance of capturing my attention.
This brings me to a truth I have always tried to share. In the majority of cases (999/1000) you can’t sell me anything that I don’t already have an interest in.
STOP TRYING TO SELL SO HARD. Instead, allow your magnetism (personality) to do its thing. Start spending more time and effort looking for the people who want to talk to you about your service. These will be the same people who have a need for your service. If you communicate appropriately, the chances of working with them will soon be in your favor.
Here is a second truth worth internalizing. If I have an interest in your product, DON’T SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT. Work with me. Talk to me. Ask me questions. Look me in the eye. Don’t insult me. And for heaven’s sake, spare me the notorious “data-dump” that most sales professionals seem to rely on just before losing another sale.
True story. I once had a need for a product. Not immediately. Sometime down the road in the future. I found an individual I could trust who I liked, who passed the unwritten chemistry test. I purchased a product at the trade show. Funny how these things work.
It is tough out there regardless of your industry. The secret lies with your persistence and professional communication. Don’t quit on yourself. Your next customer is out there. Go find them and appropriately position yourself in the buying cycle.
Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
