“How To Close 95% Of Your Product Demonstrations”. Or “What My Dad Taught Me About Fishing”

I hate fishing. I hate playing with the worms, and to me, fish are slimey.

I don’t want to play with anything that eats where it poops. There, I got that out of the way. But my Dad loved fishing. And he tried his level best to try to teach me how to love fishing too.

My Dad knew nothing about sales or marketing. He was a damn good electrician, but didn’t understand how sales worked at all.

My Dad taught me about fishing, and (in the process) gave me the framework for everything I know about marketing.

Fish where the fish are. Are your ads being seen by people who can’t buy? Are you advertising in another town?

I see that over & over again. If you are advertising in a town 50 miles away, you’re wasting your money.

Are you advertising by putting ads on the bulletin boards in Wal-Mart? How many of your best customers do most of their shopping there?

Fish when the fish are biting. Are you selling heaters in the Summer? Ceiling fans in the Winter? If your product (that you want to advertise) has a peak season…concentrate your advertising then.

Fish in pond stocked with big fish. If you can concentrate your ads in a wealthier area, do it. Poorer people are the first people affected by higher gas prices and economic downturns. Appealing to wealthier people has a greater benefit. Not only are the sales more profitable, but you’ll have almost no competition.

Use bait that the fish like, not that you like. Personally, I like cookies. But the fish don’t share my tastes. They like insects and worms….live ones that move. They are drawn to the movement and the scent.

Don’t pull on the line at the first sign of a nibble. Fish may nibble at the edges a little before they take a big bite. Your customers will be scared away if you try to close before they are ready to buy. If you close before they want what you have, you are avoided, and thought of as a pest. If you “give a suggestion” after they really want what you have, you are offering a customer service.

And the most valuable lesson of all…

The very best time to catch the next fish is right after you caught the first one…and you cast your line in the same spot. Again...and again…and again.

Fish are attracted to other fish that are feeding. It’s the movement that does it. That’s how a “Feeding Frenzy” starts. That’s why sales with short time frames (3 Day Sales) work best. Give a believable reason why the sale in now, and only now. Make the bait...I mean “Offer” irresistible.

In Our store we offer free services to our high end customers. Services they can’t get at any other store. Services they want. One of the benefits is that we can sell at a higher price because of all the value we add. But a benefit that we weren’t aware of until a couple of years into this “Marketing” thing I do is this… Almost 70% of the time I am demonstrating a high end vacuum cleaner (we sell vacuum cleaners), there is a satisfied customer (of the same brand) walking by the demonstration area for one of our many free services. Without fail, I’ll ask “What kind of vacuum cleaner do you own?” and they say “Riccar” (my main brand), and I say “How do you like it” and they always…. ALWAYS say that they love it.

I have missed one sale ever in that situation. Testimonials from current customers are the single strongest sales tool you can ever use.

Why do the customers always say they love their machine? Because I just did them a big favor for free, and they owe me. And they really are happy with their purchase. I make sure of that.

You can also create a “Feeding Frenzy” in the customer’s mind, even if they are the only ones there.

If your customer asks how business is, and you say “Lousy, ever since that Wal-Mart moved in down the street” ..That just gave you a test…and you failed. Nobody wants to buy from a business that is failing, even a little. Never tell a customer any bad news about your business. Ever. I always say;

“Man! I can’t keep these machines in stock. Everyone that sees one, wants one. We’re almost out. We only have 3 left. I need to order more!”

See? People want to be part of a feeding frenzy. When our store is completely empty, and they come in, I’ll say “Wow, I’m glad you weren’t here half an hour ago, we couldn’t keep up with the customers. I really needed the breather. Now what can I do to make you happy?” (yes, I really talk like that.)

My Dad taught me all this about Marketing. He called it Fishing. I’m passing on the favor.

There are two things that everyone wants. Everyone wants;

1. What they can’t have (or can’t afford)

2. What everyone else has…or what they believe everyone else has.

So if you infuse your marketing and selling with these two core ideas;

“Everyone wants (or better yet has) what I’m showing you”

And

“What I’m showing you is hard to get” (by being low in stock, too much demand, exclusive to this area, etc)

“And Claude, are you trying to tell me that you close 95% of the people you demonstrate?”

Yes. My closing rate is much lower on other products we sell, but vacuum cleaners? Yup. Last year it was 91% now it’s a little better.

But this isn’t because I’m such a “Magically Great” salesperson.

It’s because my advertising and marketing attract high end vacuum cleaner buyers who are ready to buy.

In fact, another way of saying it is this; “Claude, Are you telling me that you get people coming in to buy a high end vacuum cleaner, and after you show them the best thing for them, at a price they said they are willing to invest…you still miss 5%?”

Yes. I still miss 5%.

And I only count demonstrations where the prospect sits down in my demonstration area. I don’t count 5 minute conversations when they bring in a repair.

I was just thinking about this; In the last six years we have gone from a “Cheap place to buy used vacuum cleaners” and doing a tad over $50,000 a year in sales…to “The place you buy high end new vacuum cleaners, heaters, ceiling fans, and air purifiers” doing a tad over $50,000 a month.

All of that is from the marketing we do to attract the higher end buyer.

If you would like to see samples of my store’s ads, just go to www.unfairadvantageretail.com and go to the “Members only” section.