Open the bag – Get ready to make a sale

I recently attended the 87^th Bi-Annual Book & Author Luncheon in Livonia, MI. I expected it to provide networking opportunities as well as a chance to meet some really cool authors: Bonnie Jo Campbell, Jason Gay, John Katzenbach, David Maraniss and Lily Tuck.

When I walked into the reception room with elegant, cloth-clad tables with coffee, tea and some nibbles, I realized that I was one of the younger ones there. And the group was 90 percent women. I recognized that this multitude of retired women would not be a good networking group – so I disabused myself of that notion.

I did have a pleasant chat with two women who were sitting next to me along a wall lined with chairs. They had been to nearly all of the book and author luncheons in the last 10 to 15 years. They asked what author I had come to see. I mentioned David Maraniss, who wrote “Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story” and Jason Gay, author of “Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living.” I believe they mentioned Lily Tuck as their favorite.

The vast reception room had eight tables set up in a square pattern with two tables on each side. In the center were displays and boxes of books that the authors had written. If you couldn't make a sale here, chances are your book didn't have much of a chance. I had not come intending to buy a book; isn't that what libraries are for? However, when I approached one of the booksellers tables, manned by matronly females and avid book lovers, I was drawn in.

I thought, let me see if any of these are worth buying. As I picked up a book, an 80-year-old woman on the seller's side picked up a purple bag and waited. I fingered through the “Little Victories” book, but stopped myself, knowing that I'm a sucker for these types of books that aren't really a story but more of a compilation of tips for living a good life. Been there. Read that. My life is pretty darn good.

When turning the pages of David's book, I recalled the interviews and reviews that I had read. This seemed like the genuine article – while it wasn't Osh Kosh, it did focus on a period of time in Detroit's history in which Motown, the Civil Rights Movement and a thriving auto industry were at their peak. The contents of the book was intriguing. As I perused the book, the matronly woman holding the purple bag started to open the bag. Consciously or subconsciously, that act – opening the purple bag in anticipation of selling a book – actually triggered me to buy the book.

As a bonus, I got my book signed by David after the luncheon, with the inscription: “To Liz, A fellow Detroiter!”

The event was handled with panache. I was impressed by how much these book-lover book sellers want others to share in the joy of a good book, and also help the author earn money for a craft they do so well.

The lesson this event teaches is that to be a good marketer/seller, you must be eager for the sale. Open the bag - whether it's purple, black, blue or clear - it's only a metaphor. Be patient...let the buyer check out the goods. Explain the product if you are asked. Get excited about selling the item to the buyer – not just for the money taken in but also for the joy of the exchange. In this case, the bookseller gets some green and the buyer gets the goods – all the research, creativity, knowledge and editing that went into writing the book. Selling goods that the buyer desires is the real treasure – no matter what business you are in.

Can your internal team handle the project?

In the professional services arena, there are times when a major project you are asked to handle begins with the attitude, “I can do that – no problem.” But, over time the project morphs into a huge gorilla that dominates your thoughts. As a result, you can’t eat, you can’t sleep, you spend too many hours worrying about the project. It’s almost as if that big project is stalking you. Maybe it’s a website. It could be a major report designed to bring in new business or obtain additional funding. Perhaps it’s a marketing event or seminar – where content and branding must align. Maybe your staff needs to be trained in using social media to reflect well on your business or organization. 

Consider your team when starting a project.
Photo by Liz Cezat. Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ

There could be several reasons for fear (or inaction) related to the project:

1.     It’s beyond your scope of expertise.

2.     You have the skills to do it, but don’t have time to complete it.

3.     You are a team of one, and you need the right people on board to make it happen.

4.     You have no interest in doing it. It’s outside your comfort zone of capability and you don’t have the time or patience for the learning curve.

5.     You’ve done it so many times, you want “fresh eyes” on the project. That way, you can take on new projects that do excite you.

To determine how you should approach this project, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have the right tools?
       2. Do I have people with the right skills to successfully complete the project?
       3. Have I set a realistic timeline for completion?
       4. Have I outlined the essential action steps from beginning to end?
       5. Do I have a realistic budget for this project?
       6. Once I complete the project, what benefits will my business or organization gain
           from it?

These are the essential questions that can put you in control when assessing whether to take on the project in-house or outsource it.

Above all, be realistic in what you can achieve. The right approach along with the right attitude can put you miles ahead in getting the project accomplished.

You can rely on the services of Cezat Creative Resources, Inc. to handle projects without the need for a retainer. We don’t rest on our laurels. Each project brings out our creative genius. We typically bill by the project, and welcome projects that are used for marketing, sales, training, fund-raising and overall communication. Our professional team handles writing and editing, graphic design, photography, website development and presentations. Take the first step: www.cezatcreative.com

Listening opens the doors to enriched communication

Having a conversation is one of the best ways to connect with others. The person speaking taps into what’s on their mind, turns it into words and phrases, and lets it roll off their tongue – into the air, hovering just outside their lips for someone close by to hear. Sometimes, their words may be projected into a larger space so a group of people can hear. For an even larger audience, a microphone may be used to amplify those words. Once expended, the message is received by the listener.

That’s where things can get messy. Here are some reasons why:

1. I kind of get it, but I don’t hear too well. I smile my biggest smile, like I totally get it. (Unfortunately, the speaker just told me that his beloved Aunt Edna has died.)
2. I am listening but also thinking about the lavish Greek salad with grilled shrimp I’m going to eat for lunch so I nod like I’m listening. Half of me is listening; the other half is already out to lunch.
3. I let their words enter my brain but don't make an effort to fully understand what they are saying. I'm really not interested. (Happens a lot with sales pitches.)
4. Finally they are finished … now it’s my turn to talk – about something totally unrelated to what they said.

What you really want the listener to think and do is the following: I get it. I am in synchrony with you, the speaker, whose words fall like golden petals onto my receptive ears. I even ask a follow-up question about what was said.

Networking provides a good setting to practice
listening skills. Photo by Liz Cezat.

Which of these methods of listening do you normally use? We are all guilty of using poor listening techniques at one time or another. However, to really get the most out of our relationships – whether they are professional, personal or even a casual conversation with someone we’ve never met before – we need to focus on what’s being said. It’s a direct connection when the speaker gets a response to their message … rather than having you, the listener, simply interject what was lingering in your mind as you semi-listened to what they were saying.

It sounds so simple, yet it is hard to do. You don’t just listen with your ears, you also listen with your heart and your mind.

If you listen with your mind, you often have a ready response because you start focusing on that topic and bring to mind all that you already know about it. You prepare to formulate your comments – often as the speaker is still talking. If you know a lot about the topic, you might even interrupt the speaker with your vast knowledge; so excited are you to share and convince.

If you listen with your heart, you let the speaker’s message enter your being. You absorb it. You process it. Only then can you react to it. If you meld it with some touching experience that you’ve had, then you can begin to empathize with the speaker. That connection can be truly profound and even life changing.

Certain messages need to be listened to with the mind only, the heart only or a combination of the two. It’s a skill – one that you can learn to develop. This skill will broaden your capacity for compassion. It will provide greater understanding of problems that – at initial probing – have no solutions. By cultivating an environment of enriched communication, you and the most important people in your life can reach an extraordinarily fertile field of connectivity. When you reach this level of communication, it can be euphoric.

By being fully receptive to what is being said, you are practicing one of the highest forms of communication. This can be a springboard toward reaching greater goals. Imagine how this can improve just one aspect of your life. The best news is that you don’t have to be born with the gift of being a great communicator. You can learn how to do it.

Check out our seminars on better communication, customized to your workplace or association. Call (734) 416-5915 or send an e-mail inquiry from our “Contact us” page.

Do you get cold feet when you have to make a cold call?

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How often do you need to pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know to ask either for funds, a big favor or new business?

Unless you are super outgoing and love to reach out to strangers, this part of the job description can be a huge challenge.

The first step is to engage with the person you are calling as a fellow human being rather than a name to be talked to and then checked off your list. Find out something about them.  A quick check on LinkedIn or “goggling” their name will get you some basic information to build on.

As the owner of a marketing communications firm, I often need to
make cold calls to line up projects such as this e-mail seminar.

If you need to call a lot of people, write a script that will guide your request. In your script, tell them who you are and the name of your firm/organization. Then, spend about one minute telling them why you are calling. Pause. Tell them what you want from them. Is it a donation? A favor? Their business?

You need to substantiate this “ask.” What’s in it for them? How will it solve their problem? How will helping your organization be something they will be honored to do?

Don’t read your script, rather “act it out” with a smile. Your fresh approach will be most welcome. If you rehearse it enough, it becomes natural. If it doesn’t sound natural, rewrite it. Try to get an engaging element in your request that really piques their interest.

If it’s a prospecting call, what problem can you solve for them? If you are calling on the same type of client, such as a manufacturer or bank, ask key questions, germane to their industry, to determine if they are a good prospect for your services. Mention some ways in which your services can address their problem. Close by offering to send more information via e-mail, scheduling an appointment or sending a proposal.

If you are calling to raise funds, you must convey to this individual why he/she or their company should give to your organization. Help the prospective donor visualize your request by making the solution come alive. For example, if your organization builds homes, talk about much independence a family gains when they can move out of a shelter and into their own home.

Typically development officers and small business owners make their own calls. However, professional service companies do well to identify a knowledgeable, upbeat member of their staff to make the calls and schedule a good time for a partner or “rainmaker” to follow-up either by phone or a visit. The staff person should make the calls on the day that the partner/rainmaker is in, on the off chance that the connection can be made by phone right then.

For high-level contacts, lawyers, accountants and other professional service providers can make the connection first via e-mail or LinkedIn to gauge their interest. After some exchange of e-mails, tell the contact you want to talk by phone and schedule a time. 

With websites and social media, an initial meeting often isn't needed to get an affirmative answer to your request. Although, for high-value requests, scheduling an appointment often establishes a greater level of trust and is a good start to a working relationship. 

Everyone is busy; so if you need to call multiple times to reach an individual, don’t be deterred. Be pleasantly persistent, and you’ll succeed more times than not in getting the job, contract or donation.

Happy dialing. I’m interested to hear about your results.

Let them taste the ham

What started as a somewhat silly conversation in the car led to some deeper insight about marketing and what sells.

While driving home from a dinner party with my sister-in-law and adult daughter, we started talking about food. I mentioned that I never knew the differences between what could be considered common foods, such as chocolate (now I know) and ham. I then relayed this story:

Recently I was at the deli and asked for ham. The counter woman replied, “Do you want Virginia ham or Bavarian ham?” I said, “I didn’t know there was a difference.” I then asked, “What kind do you like?” She replied, “Bavarian.” I would have chosen Virginia ham because that’s what I knew. So, then I asked to do a taste test to determine if I could be persuaded to try something new. After trying both, I found that the Bavarian was a bit smokier and tastier than the Virginia ham, and I made a choice that I otherwise wouldn’t have.

Photo by Liz Cezat, Cezat Creative Resources, Inc.

After I finished telling this story, I was surprised when my sister-in-law – whose figure rivals that of a teenager because she monitors everything that she eats – said, “I want some ham when we get home.” This was after dinner, mind you, and it was about 11 p.m. when we got to my house, where she was staying as a guest. It amazed me that I had convinced someone to try something just by talking about an experience related to it.

The lesson? Appeal to one’s senses when you are persuading someone to try something new.

I don’t know how to do that with a brochure but here goes: Imagine holding in your hand a brochure with real paper. Is it thin or thick? Does it feel cheap or elegant? Does it have texture? Are there photos in it? Are the photos colorful and exciting? Do they relate well to the products or services detailed in the brochure? Do the subheads entice you to want to read more? Does the copy guide you through the offering from beginning to end without smacking of guile? Are you motivated to find out more about this company by visiting their website? Are you intrigued enough to consider how their product or service could help you or your business?

How important is it to break through the barriers of communication and get someone to try something new – particularly your product or service? The appeal to one’s senses is a powerful sales tool.

Create an entrepreneurial spirit at your firm

Innovation is vital to professional organizations 

During these tough times, innovation is key. Take the best of what you do and embed it into new products or processes. If you produce something of quality (product or service), can you also transfer that element of quality to another aspect of your business to increase sales or ease the cyclical nature of a product or service?  

I recently interviewed a retired V. P. of a large snowmobile manufacturer. At one point, the company's assembly line only worked six to seven months out of the year producing snowmobiles. When the new management team added ATVs to the line-up, sales grew and the production became year-round. Sales did so well that the management team took the company public five years later and the V.P. took an early retirement with his stock proceeds.

In my business as a writer and marketing consultant, when print items such as brochures and newsletters are chopped due to budget cutbacks, the same content can be delivered in more cost-effective ways: websites, blogs, presentations or slivered into social media “key messages.” With my expertise at producing large-scale print projects, I'm now offering memory books for loved ones. These mini biographies tell a person’s story from many different viewpoints, complete with photos. 

If you work at a law firm, create a profile of your ideal client and find ways to reach that audience. Doing pro bono work also opens new doors. Since most lawyers have a specialty, penetrate the markets that could use your legal knowledge and advice. Get the word out by sending e-newsletters detailing successful case resolutions to those market segments.

My marketing adventures included working with a podiatrist who also offered orthotics and diabetic shoes, thereby supplementing office visits with products. I also worked with an internist who added nutrition supplements and nutrition counseling to expand the office practice. These are natural extensions of one's expertise. How can you expand and supplement your professional services?

How to get started on a marketing project

Following my presentation on “Marketing and Sales Team up for Mediation Business Success,” I conducted a workshop. In one activity, I asked participants (approx. 6 at a table) with 5 tables to take a marketing tactic (brochure, newsletter, website, direct mail piece, and event) and determine these five things:

1. who has the information to do this project (if more than one person or source, list their general title or role. It could also be Internet, but specify where you would look).

2. Who will write it? Who will design it? If it’s a seminar, who will sponsor it?

3. How much time will it take to do this tactic?

4. What will it cost?

5. Who is your audience?

6. How will you get the mailing list together?

7. Who will you partner with or seek advice from to complete this project?

The groups enthusiastically pooled their efforts. The object wasn’t so much to get the job done before they left the conference, but to see that teamwork is essential in tackling major tasks. Also, participants had a reality check on the resources needed, advance timing and budget required to bring marketing projects to fruition.