PPB January 2019

FEATURE | Sales Prospecting 90 | JANUARY 2019 | what could happen if that package of ideas the prospect received came from your company instead? Yes, buying self- promo products will cost you and for a small company it can seem like a big spend, but if you aren’t willing to invest in the products you claim to believe in with the intent of growing your own company, you can’t expect your prospect to be willing to either. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune; it’s OK to start small. In fact, a smaller quantity of relevant, well-thought-out products with a distinct message and a strong call to action are typically more effective than a mass mailing. Next Steps On Prospecting How can a small- to mid-sized supplier or distributor company go about marketing themselves to prospects in a way that will bring the biggest returns in the shortest amount of time? First, decide what your brand is all about. What type of business do you want and who do you want to do it with? What industries are you passionate about? From here, make a dream sheet. If you could do business with any 10 clients, who would those 10 clients be? Then do your homework and ask yourself these questions: • Do those companies use promotional products? • If so, how do they use them and why? • What will improve for them if they switch their business from a competitor to your company? • If the prospects don’t currently use promotional products, how will adding our medium to their marketing plans affect their business? • What problems do they have that promotional products and your company’s services can solve? Once armed with this information, you can create a meaningful drip marketing campaign that is centered around sharing your ability to creatively solve your client’s problems. Choose products that help you tell your client’s story and consider distributing them in a unique way. One prospecting method I’ve used in the past included calling my prospective clients “just to confirm I had the correct mailing information” for them. I would say, “Hi. It’s Charity fromMyCompanyName. I ammailing out a goodie bag for you and just wanted to confirm that I’mmailing it to the correct address.” Once you have that information confirmed, let the person know to be on the lookout for your package. “Thank you! I’ll get this right out for you. Keep an eye out for a bright green envelope with a monkey on the mailing label.” This way you’re not trying to sell anything, it’s not scripted, and you create some anticipation for the package headed their way. Once you hang up, send the person an e-mail. “Thanks for your time on the phone. Just to confirm, I have one goodie bag going to (insert their address). You should see that bright green envelope in about three days. Thanks again!” Then, send the package. Be sure to include a handwritten note as well. “Hi (insert name). Here is the package I promised you. Take a look inside and let us know if you are interested in using any of these products or our services to brand your business moving forward. Either way, enjoy! All the best, (your name here).” If you do this type of prospecting right, you most likely won’t need to call and follow up as you’ll typically receive a thank-you call or e-mail from the prospect. If you don’t hear back, feel free to make a polite call or send an e-mail to confirm they received the package. The last thing you want to do is tell a potential client to be on the lookout for something from you, only to find out the package never arrived. This is just one simple way to connect with prospects. Here are some additional ideas from distributors who answered my original question on Facebook. Distributors Share Their Favorite Ways To Prospect Derek Miller Owner, ProPrinters Take a look at your best clients and the industries they fall in—that is probably where you are most comfortable coming up with ideas. Is it banking, manufacturing, distribution? Then find all the companies that fit that description. Andrew Dial Account Executive, Jedco Sales, Inc. Some of my best customers are from cold calls. It’s like fishing. You never know what you are going to catch when you throw that line out. As far as who I cold call, every business has a potential need for promotional products. And just because you don’t get a response today doesn’t mean they won’t look you up in a fewmonths. Tim Ahrens Owner, Cotton Chemistry I spent a fair bit of time playing at a table that wasn’t exactly right for us. One of my local contractors told me you: “You have to choose your customers.” I’ve heardmuch similar advice since. I bet a lot of small distributors can relate to this. I find that the key to adding good clients is being very available tomake art and presentations and process orders extremely quickly. An influx, not even an extremely huge one, can overwhelm us. There’s somuch business out there compared to our size that process efficiency becomes very important.