Let's Get It Started

One of the greatest challenges for sales people is getting an appointment. Person-to-person is always the best way to determine a client’s needs and overall fit with what you can offer. That said, most ‘buyers’ will use any means possible to ensure minimal phone contact with sales people, or vendors, unless they are doing the calling. Everyone is so busy that appointments with suppliers feel like an interruption in an action-packed schedule. So how can you reach a client or potential client if you can’t get them to answer phone calls or emails?

What if you could find a way to communicate effectively with content contained in a short, concise, well produced format that your clients could consume at their convenience? What if they could get more information should they choose, or send valuable content on to their team? Are there some options that can save time—for you and your clients—and won’t break your budget? One option is YouTube. When you think about it, what is YouTube if not millions of personal presentations? With some thought and planning, these videos can take the form of a company’s visual capabilities brochure. They can highlight specialty manufacturing prowess or share your company’s business philosophy. They can feature a spokesperson--company executive, salesperson, actor or animation. Videos can offer educational content, case studies, tutorials, techniques, or share highlights of a conference or trade show. Or they can add a little levity during a crushing work day. The possibilities are limitless. It’s all about connections, so why not try some alternative methods. Invite a new prospect to connect with your company on LinkedIn or connect on Twitter. Or use email to send interesting articles or appropriate YouTube links that are relevant to their work or a conversation that the two of you have had—you don’t even have to produce the video! This is just another way to create, build, or extend your relationship--by sharing your online community activities in between your actual conversations or outreach. Don’t have any social media sites? Get busy. On all fronts. If you are not perceived by your customers as a business asset you’ll only be considered a vendor, which ends up being a conversation about price instead of about value. The goal of marketing these days is 360⁰ client penetration with as many touch points as possible. So, all points of access including email, social media and YouTube videos can be a part of your sales and marketing strategy. And, it’s not as challenging, time consuming nor as expensive as you may think. In realistic terms the most effective marketing techniques combine multiple touch points to effectively tell and sell your story. Email and print in combination are the best way to get folks to attend events. High end products are better sold through print in combination with a website (print first then the web). Telling a story effectively usually requires a combination of all techniques to reach your audience and get them to listen. We do it, too! You may have received printed invitations to events, followed by HTML emails. We’re busy building our social media outreach and we've made a number of videos and sponsored some as well. Feel free to share our work with your clients as a way to jumpstart a new conversation, rekindle an old one, or just check in. Sappi’s Off Register Videos Sappi’s Fold Factory Guide Sappi’s Twitter Sappi’s Facebook

Sappi etc.

Welcome to Sappi etc. Education. Training. Consulting. And more. Get industry perspectives and learn about Sappi’s programs for creatives, printers and marketers.

 

Click here to view the archive