Financial sales professionals often forget that the best sales tactics are often the ones that are the most ingrained in our psyche… the ones we grew up forming. Let’s take a moment this Halloween to consider how our marketing and sales prowess was developed at a young age and could use a tune-up today.
What can we learn from trick-or-treating to improve the way we sell today?
Bring a bag that you expect to fill. Our expectations are usually met. If you are looking to find many new customers, you can find them. If you believe you can own your local market, you might just fill up that pillowcase with new customers.
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. We are often too timid in coaching our sales staff to ask for specifically what you are prospecting for, particularly what you are not wanting. “Trick-er-treat, I would not like to smell your feet.” If your child came to my door with some added phrasing, that would likely be a cause for an additional serving of candy.
Be Social. Be Appreciative. Sure, every home loves the cute trick-or-treating bumble-bee who is too shy to speak, but chances are good they could do better if candy was the goal. The kids with the most candy listen to others who are successful and scout better neighborhoods. Social media allows you to easily find what is working and what areas are not and communication across your channels is valuable.
“It’s still so rare for anyone to be personally acknowledged by a brand that the impact of such a simple, polite gesture on a customer’s buying habits could be huge.” – Gary Vaynerchuck, Thank You Economy.
Not everyone is a prospect. It’s often difficult to figure out which house generates candy. And very few guides exist for helping you determine successful neighborhoods. But the basics are there, lights off = no candy, lights on = candy. Decorations = better candy, old-lady dressed as a witch = full-size candy bars. Sure it’s harder to find good prospects in our industry, but building a prospect list from tools like our listening agents make it easier.
You’ve got to keep moving. Even with today’s social technologies, we often forget that we have to move from one relationship to another until it works. Social media helps keep this conversation alive, it doesn’t force us to hustle. You have to be the one to hustle, we will help you be more efficient.
“Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton
Stay Warm. It’s work to get from customer to customer. Sometimes you need ways to refuel between. This often means having the right approach when you get there. With social media, it is often good fresh content that is difficult to come by. It’s also nice to have resources who have hit the trail before to encourage you between houses. (We are not your mother, but we will help keep your eye on the prize and hopefully away from unsafe houses.)
Whether you are a marketing professional helping empower a team or a sales professional marketing your financial products. Keep in mind that these concepts are simple but often require complex tools to make social sharing easier.
