Advertising 101 For Entrepreneurs

Now that we’ve covered the approach you’re going to take in your ads let’s take a look at “Aspects of the Approach”. These are actually subsections that needed a place to live, but don’t tell anyone.

• Tone & Personality:

You have to make a decision about your ad relating to its tone and personality.  What disposition/character/behavior/or attitude is going to be the most effective? 

Now tone is the undercurrent of your ad or the mood.  Personality is the make-up of the ad’s character.  It’s important to think about this because some advertisers ignore it and when they pull the pieces together (picture, copy, etc) the ad doesn’t project anything.

For instance think of the grabber line being, “Big budget delivers big results.”  Hmm?  Just as money can’t solve all social ills, big budgets don’t automatically create inventive advertising.   Many times we’ve seen an enormous budget plus a rotten idea = a huge failure.  Yet, there are times when we see a small budget plus a first-rate idea = marvelous success.  Be prepared to make do and still make it fantastic.

• Break the Limits.

If you have a small ad, demonstrate that you’re better than the space you’re in.  Remember the prospect doesn’t care about the size of the ad, he only cares about what you’re doing for him.

• Turn Adversity Into Advantage.

If your client insists on showing woodchucks in his jewelry ad, turn out the best woodchuck jewelry ad ever.  You’ll get points for originality, and because it’s a “zag” you’ll probably get results.

• Use What’s Already Available.

Before you spend a lot on photos and illustrations, look at what you have lying around.  It’s free.

• Can the Approach Work?

Not to discourage free form thinking, but you should reject approaches that demand too much BLT (budget, labor, and time).  Instead, prepare ads that require your talent and not months and bucks.

• Frugality Makes You Timely.

The smaller the production budget, the sooner your ad can get in the market.  This is the “Rule of Thumb.” The reason is because you’re not relying on other resources.  So, unchain your ads from expenses and move fast.

This is worthwhile because if economic conditions suddenly change (and they will), you can quickly respond with a new ad message that addresses the new economy.  You might decide to say, “Now more than ever, it pays to use our product.”  You’ll again leave your competitors in the dust because they’re tied to expensive ads and long production timetables.

• Watch Your Language.

Most people don’t realize the power that’s packed in language.  One misused phrase can upset thousands of people, so keep you antennas up and use your judgment.

For instance, use nothing at the expense of a certain group.  This will offend people.  Instead, show that an ad can get results from scores of readers and a smile from every one of them.

Don’t make fun of the prospect in a “we’re just kidding” way.  He’s not paying much attention to your ad, so he won’t get the subtle nuances of your wit – only enough to be insulted.

If you can follow these hints you should be able to work out a “cracker-jack” ad for either yourself or a client. 

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Work Your Sales Process

Everyone would agree that a structured sales method is needed for maximum efficiency, yet we all know of companies that ignore this fact.  Without a set of steps or structure, sales are lost or ineffective so the process in use has to be assessed.

Perhaps your problem is that you haven’t taken the time to develop and implement a sales process.  This may be because you viewed it as “busywork” with too many forms to fill out, or you felt that your sales team would perceive it as a “control” tactic.  Whatever your reason for delay, now is the time to correct the error and increase sales.   To do this we must evaluate our reasoning about our customers.

Instead of asking “What do we need to do to close this deal?”  You should be asking, “What does the customer need to do in order to buy?”  This change results in a major shift in how you think about the job of selling.  Consider these points:

1. What is the buying process of this customer?  We need to know what it will take, and who needs to be involved for this client to make a purchase.

2. Where is our client in their buying processes?  Is your client a day or two away from signing a contract, or are they still “kicking the tires”?

3. What is the next reasonable step they must take?  If you can figure out where they are and what it’s going to take to make them buy, then we can find the next logical step for them to take.

4. What can we do to get them to take that step?  Once we know what our customer needs to do next, then we can figure out what we need to do next in our selling process.

We should operate with the knowledge that everything we do in our sales process is done to help our clients do what they need to do to buy.  Any action that we take that is not done with the intent of empowering or encouraging our client to move closer to a purchase is wasted energy.

The same logic holds true for any meetings with company executives of your prospect.  Ask yourself what exactly is it that you want your client to do as a result of this meeting?  You should never go into any meeting without a plan of what you want that meeting to accomplish.  Do you want that company bigwig to:

• Endorse your plan, and have you meet with some of the other executives?
• Schedule a meeting where you can bring in an associate to provide a better under-standing of how your product will benefit this client?
• Commit to or schedule a time to meet again with you for your recommendations for meeting their needs?

Always have a plan of action before you deal with your sales prospect so that it’s a fruitful use of time.

This may seem like a lot of work before the sale, but remember before you drive over to see a client – or worse, get on an airplane to fly there – if we don’t have a knowledge of their buying process and where they are in that process, we won’t know what to say or do to enable them.  Then we are nothing more than a professional visitor – not a professional sales person.

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Safe Way to Start Your Own Business

Hopefully, you took my advice last week and you have a handy-dandy list now of what you want to do.  We know you want to start your own business; hopefully you now know what it will be.

Being used to a steady paycheck from a regular job, with a family or other financial obligations, makes stepping out of your comfort zone a little risky.  It doesn’t seem to matter how miserable you are in that job, the alternative scares the pants off many of us.  There is a safer way of jumping off that cliff and it entails your current boss.

Your employer could be your ticket to a successful freelance business, if his business doesn’t conflict with your dreams.  If you were thinking of starting a freelance copywriting business, you could negotiate a contract with your current employer for 50% of your time for the first year after you leave.  This would give you a springboard for finding other clients while still covering your monthly expenses.

You’re probably wondering about now, why your employer would agree to sign a contract for half of your time?  There are a number of reasons, and they can result in a “win-win” situation for both of you.

If you’re on good terms with your employer, chances are he doesn’t want to lose you.  It takes time to train someone to fill your job and train them to the company’s way of being productive.

Even if he decides to replace you, it can take months to gather resumes, interview candidates, and hire the right person.  During that time you can be performing job functions from your home office, perhaps even training your replacement and providing your boss with a smoother transition by minimizing the disruption to his business.

If you’re not on good terms with your boss and the company is downsizing, merging, or being bought out, you can help them avoid the unpleasantness and cost of firing you.  You are actually doing them a favor by restructuring this in the form of a contract for services that can be “stretched out” for a period of time if needed.

Frankly, if an employer has to choose between letting you go and paying severance and benefits versus signing a contract for a time period, which do you think they’d prefer?  Signing and getting tangible work and services in return without the costs associated with terminating you is a much better deal for him.  The contract may even be allocated from a different budget category, making it more affordable for the company.

There’s another reason your boss may opt for a contract, and that is your knowledge.  You are already familiar with the company, its clients and services.  You’re able to provide the services they need and you understand what has to be done. Many creative people have used this logic in approaching their bosses to negotiate their first contract and go out on their own.

If you’re interested in starting your own business your current job can provide the security you need in your first year.  What better way to get started on your dream?

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Guaranteed To Increase Sales!

As a Publishing entrepreneur and by doing publicity for my clients, I’ve spent years studying the art of selling.  The techniques that follow aren’t difficult to learn, but they require discipline and practice.

Your most important skill as a business owner is your salesmanship. Having the best product or service means nothing if you can’t get anyone to buy it, so to ensure the success of your business you must develop the ability to generate revenue – “salesman-ship”.

Here is a brief outline of 13 techniques I’ve developed for increasing sales:

1. USE THE PHONE –Absolutely the cheapest, most effective, and efficient way to find customers is by phone. Yes, “cold-calling”.  Write out a script for this before you call, so you don’t sound vague.  Introduce yourself, your company, the purpose of the call, and give a brief “benefit” of your product/service to the client. ”What will you do for his/her business?”  Be brief, to the point, and have 10 possible objections you might get, answered in your script. This way you’re prepared for the customary “brush-off.”  Always try to get a firm commitment to a meeting.  This call is not to “sell” the client, it’s to get a face-to-face meeting to establish credibility – and then to sell him/her. Would you buy from a voice on the phone? No.  You want to see the vendor and listen to his offer.

2. SHOUT IT FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP – You should always be looking for new customer, and I’ve found that giving seminars, teaching, guest speaking at trade shows and organizations, or writing an article for your trade magazine or business journal establishes you as an “expert” in your field.  People like to buy from experts because it reduces their fear of making a bad decision.  Everyone can overcome their fear of public speaking, so find the method that works best for you and do it.  As a desperate step, join a Toastmaster’s group near you or take a night course at a nearby Adult School.

3. ASK QUESTIONS – Most salespeople think that the first meeting with the prospect is the only chance to make a sale.  WRONG!  Before you go into your “pitch” ask questions, take notes, what are your prospects goals, challenges, etc.  Helping a prospect solve a business problem creates a “win-win” relationship and closes more sales than you think.

4. AVOID “PRODUCT DUMPING” – Telling your prospect all about your product/service before you know their needs is a mistake made by 95% of salespeople.  This is an inefficient selling method and upon reflection, your client will lose faith in you.  I’ve met with clients on several occasions and left them with some advice and good feelings, but no sale and that’s alright.  Because in the future I’m apt to get “word of mouth” referrals from them, which will outweigh what I might have made if I’d simply “sold” them a service that wasn’t an answer to their problem. Remember – nothing adds more to your credibility than a referral from a satisfied prospect.

5. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS – Selling is a numbers game, and you need to learn your “selling ratios.” How many prospecting calls do you need to get a meeting, and how many meetings to get a sale.  This allows you to manage your cash flow by forecasting your sales. It also tells you how many calls are needed to increase your sales revenue.

In next week’s column we’ll continue with the 13 tips which will cover Qualifying Your Prospect and Gaining Trust to name just a few.  Happy selling!

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