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WELCOME
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Jason Tweed,
Editor
Welcome to Monday Marketing Memo!
Our feature article is a short "how-to", informational, or motivational article.
concise tips that should help you grow your business and get geared up for the future.
Our primary focus is on Web-Centric Marketing(TM), but we also will include tips on relationship selling, advertising, social and viral marketing, and customer relationship management.
We write for CEOs and owners of professional service firms. If you're in the business of selling time, expertise, or information you should find value here every Monday morning.
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Issue: #2
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September 22, 2008
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MAKING THE APPROACH
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Mastering Your Elevator Speech
Relationship selling is just like any other relationship. First impressions matter. A firm handshake, a nice suit, and being well groomed are important, but as we know WORDS SELL.
The second step in the relationship selling process is "making the approach". This is where you establish your first impression.
We recommend a technique called "the elevator speech". The premise is simple, if you ran into someone in an elevator and only had a few seconds between floors, what would you say to create a positive first impression.
Simply rehearse a 15 to 30 second speech. A good elevator speech has three elements.
- Identification
- Differentiation or clarification
- Call to action
First, identify yourself and your company. Identifying yourself is important because eventually you will be developing a relationship. While customers have relationships with companies, in the beginning these relationships are person-to-person.
Hello, I'm Jane Smith from XYZ Widgets Inc.
Next is differentiation or clarification, depending on your type of business and the setting.
If your audience is already predispositions to resist a cold call, focus on differentiation. Explain quickly what makes you different from the other salespeople they see.
I know you already buy widgets from another company. How much time and energy would self-cleaning widgets save? If you're like most of our customers, they waste time cleaning widgets. XYZ Widgets save you time and money.
If your audience isn't familiar with your product or your business then use clarifying statements.
Remember when cell phones were a luxury, now you can't live without them. How about the microwave? I have some bad news, once you try an XYZ Widget, your life will never be the same. This simple widget will revolutionize your daily work.
Finally, the call to action...
I'd love to give you a free demo of our self-cleaning widgets in your office. May I set up an appointment, or could I borrow 10 minutes of your time right now?
If you have multiple audiences, create and rehearse a unique elevator speech for each of these audiences. This is particularly important if you're selling a service or expertise. When hiring a service provider is critical that you demonstrate that you are a specialist.
Practice your speech and gauge responses. Continually refine it and, over time, your polished speech will roll off your tongue without sounding like a sales pitch, even though it is.
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JASON'S MILLION
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 The latest from Jason's blog
Check out the latest posts and some of the most popular from Jason, The Million Dollar Blogger.
"Am I" or "I Am"?
How to Run a Highly Efficient and Effective Meeting
Five Things You Can Do To Increase Website Traffic and Sales
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