YOUR OFFER: 6 Ways To Turn A “No” Into A “Yes”.

The famous direct marketing copywriter, Claude Hopkins, once wrote: “The right offer should be so attractive that only a lunatic would say 'No'."

Selling is simply offering the right product to the right people at the right time in the right way. You aren't forcing your customer to say yes, you're taking away his reasons to say no."

Great selling does not have to be brilliant creative. It's not trickery. It's not even brute force. In fact, your customer - if you chose him right - wants to buy. The question at stake is whether or not he wants to buy from you.

**If your prospect says, "It's not for me..."

This might just mean you have a chance to target your message more carefully. Selling to the wrong audience wastes money. So does selling to the right audience with the wrong message.

Opportunity:

Show the reader testimonials from people like him. Or paint a picture of the person the prospect wants to be and show the idealized person using your product. Also, make sure your targeting a specific audience. Over-wide appeals fall flat.

** If your prospect says, "I don't have time to read your offer..."

The reader is really saying that he's bored. And he doesn't see enough immediate benefit to go on reading. But the truth is, we make time for interesting things. "War and Peace" has held many a reader.

Opportunity:

Find the hook. Open strong with a benefit or jump right into telling a story. When the going gets interesting, people hang on to find out how things end. Quizzes, checklists, and fresh news keep readers involved too.

** If your prospect says, "It's more than I'd like to spend..."

Remember, it's never about price. It's about value. When a reader says your prices are too high, he's really telling you that the value of your product sounds too low. It doesn't have enough benefit to get him to pay the asking price.

Opportunity:

Find services like yours that cost more and build a comparison. Sweeten the deal with better premiums. Put a value on the results of service and compare them more closely to the cost.

** If your prospect says, "I don't know who you are..."

He's really telling you he needs to trust you and wants to see your credentials. Testimonials and track record are obvious solutions. Here are some other ones...

Opportunity:

Try answering questions like these: Where do you do business and why? Who are your clients, especially your famous ones? Where did you get your training, learn your trade, and hone your craft? Give some success stories. Have you won awards or seals of
approval?

** If your prospect says, "I've heard all this before..."

He's telling you to fix your Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P.). How do you stand out in a crowd? You need proof.

Opportunity:

Check out your competition. Compare offers and make yours stronger. Offer a stronger guarantee. Look for ways your service out paces, out builds, out races your
competitor's product or service. Here's something novel: Coin a new name for an industry-standard strategy. Everybody brewer says "cold-brewed" beer. But the first company to sell "Ice" brewed made a fortune.

** If your prospect says, "I'd rather take some time to think about it..."

Your prospect is not feeling the urgency of your offer.

Opportunity:

Small issue - layout. Bold colors like red and dark blue and bright yellow are more urgent than brown and orange and pastels. A much bigger issue - the wording
of your offer and close. Is there a deadline? Make one. Is the product scarce? Tell them. Is there a reward for early orders?

There are 6 ways to help you turn a “No” into a “Yes”.

Why You Should Have Mentors

Those of us who gather at the Direct Marketing Brainstormers conference table have been involved in the direct marketing business for many years. Our goal is to mentor those who read our blog and take part in our discussions.

A mentor teaches you faster than you can teach yourself. The stories, the wisdom, the guidance that they provide gives you the benefit of understanding the world before you've actually lived through it. And the emotional support and reassurance that somebody who has "been there, done that" can offer is comforting as you navigate your way through new experiences.

The Print Production Trap

Not too long ago the Direct Marketing Association conducted a survey asking what was the most important attribute considered when your company selected printing and lettershop vendors.

The response: 86% fast turn-around and only 14% capability. Further explanation of this response showed companies select their vendors based on how well their suppliers keep them out of trouble.

If you want to be successful, the production process can not be an afterthought driven by poor project management to make up for lost time. A lot of strategic planning must be done long before the electronic files are sent to the production house.

Capability is the most important attribute you should consider. On every project there is always some production function that controls the entire project. Sometimes it's budget. Sometimes it's timing. Sometimes it's design. Sometimes it's equipment. But, never, never should it be because you forgot or be because of bad internal project management. When selection of suppliers are reduced to these reasons, it's much too easy to select the wrong vendor.

Now you are faced with accepting a job that doesn't fit your specifications 100%. What's more, you are forced to accept the way a vendor does business and their corporate culture ... which may not match yours. Hardly this method allows you to have control over your success.

Here's what you should do. Make the Production job in your company the same level of management as your senior executives. Invite that person into each strategic and creative meeting you have. If your production function is handled by the purchasing department or at a support level, hire a consultant with a vast amount of production experience. Then, give that person the power to do their job. If you do this, make sure the charges for their services are directly linked to the service performed. For instance, with proper project management, we showed one client how to save over $350,000 annually in their printing requirements. Our yearly fee was far less than half of the money they saved.