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The Sales Buzz Issue 214 - Sales Alignment Techniques
October 01, 2013
Hi,

Sales Alignment Techniques

Take a look at 2 great sales alignment techniques that give you a new perspective on everyday selling and marketing actions.

When you see retailers giving out bags with the name of their business printed on them you probably think that’s just advertising and a way of getting the business’ name seen by many people.

If that was all this marketing technique did it would be a very poor return on the investment of having bags printed up with names and logos.

They don’t do it just to get their name seen.

The retailer is aligning the customer who is carrying the bag with their business.

It sends a message to the world that this person shops at the store named on the bag, and if you like them or want to be aligned with anything about them, you will copy their actions and shop there as well.

It’s similar to sponsoring a celebrity or sports personality to use your products. We will never know if the famous people actually use or even like the products they advertise, but we associate them with it. And that’s the important part of sales alignment techniques.

These sales and marketing techniques work at all levels. From international campaigns with multi-million dollar budgets, to small businesses and even individuals that want to create an image that will help to increase sales.


Why sales alignment techniques work

Here are two reasons why these techniques work, and why small businesses and sales professionals should use them:

1. People look to what others are doing to decide what actions they should take, especially when making buying decisions.

2. People listen to and copy the people they admire and look up to and people that they want to be like.


Examples

You are in town and ready to make a decision on which bar or restaurant to visit.

Most customers make a decision, consciously or sub-consciously, to select the one full of people. Most of us don’t wan to go first. We look to others, and the actions they take, and use that information to make our decisions.

This behaviour has served us well while growing up when we learned by copying the people around us.


Example 2

A celebrity that looks good recommends a hair product and people go out and buy it. Celebrity endorsements have been proven to work by the increased sales after such marketing campaigns.

But it’s not just celebrities and sports personalities that are seen as experts. You see someone that looks stylish carrying a shopping bag with a retailer’s name on it and if you want to be like them you visit the store.

You see them as an authority figure and you copy them. Add that to the marketing power of the example above and you as a small business or sales individual can learn to get a double hit.

When businesses, sales individuals, or products and services are aligned with organisations or people that are admired or respected then potential customer’s actions will be influenced.


How can you use this sales alignment technique

Always display your name

I cannot stress this enough: Always display your name, and if appropriate your contact details, on your products, vehicles, and anywhere and anyway that aligns your product with individuals or businesses that have bought from you.

Local tradesmen that visit customer’s premises should put up a notice that says: We are coming, and another that says: We are here, and then afterwards one that says: Do you like what we did. You are drawing attention to your product or service and the fact that someone has bought it.

You might not be allowed to put up obvious signs so you might have to disguise them as safety notices, warning signs, or a message thanking neighbours for their understanding during any inconvenience.


If you sell something big, MAKE YOUR LOGO BIG.

Do not let a marketing consultant with new and unproven ideas tell you that you need a design on your logo or products that doesn’t have your name and contact details. I have seen sales operations of all sizes lose selling opportunities because of a lack of contact information on their products.

Let potential customers see that they will not be the first to contact your business, let them follow the crowd and do what others have already done. Let them see that your customer, the expert, has bought from you.


Align yourself with an expert

Align yourself or your business with an expert.

How?

One way is to send regular information from an expert to your sales prospects.

Are you in insurance sales, the financial industry, car sales, or any market where there is legislation.

Are there legislating bodies related to the products and services that you sell.

Your customers and prospects will see them as experts and if you pass on information from them you will be aligning yourself with experts.

With the various ways of sending information you can do this for no cost. Emails, texts, social media, a newsletter or magazine

Like the one you are reading now.. are all great ways to communicate with prospects and customers.

It doesn’t have to be a sales pitch, the magazine you’re reading now isn’t.

It is a way to connect with your prospects and keep them coming back.

When you read the Sales Buzz, as you are now, you know you are one of many sales professionals around the world doing the same. Would you have picked it up from a stall or marketing promo if no one else had before you.


I want what they’re getting

How does your product or service get delivered to the customer.

How do they get it home or to their business location.

Printing a retailer’s name on shopping bags costs money. One benefit the retailer gains is that their name is seen by anyone that sees the carrier bag. But there is another much greater benefit that uses our alignment marketing techniques.

The customer carrying the bag will be seen by many other people as they leave the store and continue shopping. Notice I say the customer and not the bag. If another shopper sees the customer they know someone else has visited the store and may follow their lead.

They may also like something about the shopper, such as their appearance, and they may consider shopping where they shop. The customer carrying the shopping bag has been aligned with the retailer.

With a little thought and creativity this marketing technique can be used for many types of business, and not just retail. The more creative, clever, and flexible you are as a sales person, the more you will gain from it. You can see more on sales training from a different perspective at our Sales Training website…










I'm Stephen Craine from the website Sales-Training-Sales-Tips.com

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