Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Miles,

“There once was an ugly duckling
With feathers all stubby and brown
And the other birds said in so many words
Get out of town
Get out, get out, get out of town
And he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack
In a flurry of eiderdown.”

You can read the rest of this story below. Please, don't think you're too cool for this because the point of the story could keep you in a job.

www.angelfire.com/film/dannykaye/UglyDuckling.htm

What’s this got to do with marketing? Oh, everything.

But first, forget about the economy. You’re in marketing, not the media. The media’s ethos is, “if it bleeds, it leads!”.

Your ethos must be “Just because it’s never been done does not mean it CANNOT be done."

There’s a world of difference.

Perception here is key and the sooner you see a world of opportunity rather than a sea of gloom, the sooner that world of opportunity will open its doors to you.

New leads are EVERYWHERE!

Food services.
Automotive repair.
Dentistry.
Fashion.
Mortgages.
Construction.
Restaurants.
Investments.

The list is endless. Get a note pad and start scribbling. Zig Ziglar said "Timid sales people have skinny kids." Whether you have kids or not, don't be timid.

As for how you approach clients even though your company has no background in that niche.

Well, apply factors from the areas you know, factors that have worked and produced results, and apply them to the new areas you’re reaching out to.

Customers are customers.

The niche they’re in doesn’t count.

The goods or services they’re offering don’t count.

What DOES count is how the use of those goods and services makes the customer feel, how that particular product changed that person’s life, solved their problem, and gave them something that worked.

And how does one do this?

One gets off one’s ass and one makes calls, writers letters, bangs on doors, asks questions, offers solutions, extols benefits, provides free trial offers (the puppy dog close), and one hustles.

Then, in time, you’ll be singing the latter part of our opening song:

“I’m not such an ugly duckling
No feathers all stubby and brown
For in fact these birds in so many words said
The best in town, the best, the best
The best in town!”

Need more help? Click below, but note there’s a new, revised edition now available at Amazon.

https://www.gitomer.com/The-Sales-Bible-by-Jeffrey-Gitomer-pluSBS.html

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck with your new job.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

In an agency environment I would ask if there is a database of employee resumes that are used in proposals. You can skim through them and see what kind of expertise you have on hand to pitch. If you think about pitching Luxury...but nobody in the agency has luxury experience..that's tough. But their resumes could be a wealth of info.

If you find that there are untouched areas of expertise in your manpower...meet with them and interview them. See if they blog about their areas of expertise. Dig to see if you can find ways to leverage that.

To get the ball rolling, I would do what I have done myself on many occasions with both companies that I have worked for and those I have consulted for.

Ask to see their OLD leads files.

They will tell you "Ah! we talked to all of those already, they're not interested, they're dead etc."

You response will be, 'Ok, then I can't do any damage then can I?'.

You will be shocked at the wealth of business that you can drag out of the so called 'dead leads pile'.

A little tenacity, a little hard work on the phones to set appointments and make presentations.

Don't forget to ask for referrals when calling.

You call company A and they say, sorry we really don't need your services right now. You say Ok, I understand, could you maybe refer me please to one of your friends or colleagues in the industry who may have a project right now?

Some will hang up the phone - but you only need one or two to say Yes.

I have been doing sales for 30 years in many forms. I will share with you (and all ere) the very best thing I ever learned and it has become a mantra for success. Use it, don't abuse it.

RISK TO BE RUDE

Another hint - If you can pull out 2 accounts from the dead pile - you will impress your boss enormously because the other sales people could not close what you closed :)))

Good luck.

Matthew

The obvious suggestion is to target businesses that are related to sports, entertainment and retail brands (by having prospects with similar mindsets): consumer computer/music companies, commercial construction, auto dealerships, etc.