Question

Topic: Strategy

Need Urgent Help To Save My Job

Posted by Anonymous on 11/3/2009 at 4:41 PM ET 250 Points
hello, i am working in a company whos is starting a new line selling motorcycles. i have to sell them in the neighboring country and the problem is that all the clients i have spoken to are backing out. i had travelled there and spoken to them showing them catlouges and asking if they were intrested and they said yes. my boss ordered the merchandice but now everyone is making excuses. i have to go for diffrent types of clients and for that i need serious help.
we have a slightly better quality then the compitetor who has been in the market for more than 15 years and is dominating but our bike is quite expensive. if i dont sell i will definately loose my job and i am trying very hard to get the sales.
i am a uneducated person and i have no idea how to do marketing activities, marketing strategy, plan of action. the only thing i have learnt in my life is to talk and sell. but this time i think it is getting very hard.
i will really appriciate if anybody could give me some help and in very simple words.
thanking everybody in advance
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 11/3/2009 at 5:16 PM Member
    why are they backing out of the sale? Don't let them!! Did you get a contract, or a deposit? These were ordered just for them. Don't let them back out.

    Realize the difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathize that the cost is high, the economy less than prosperous. But sympathy will hold you back and let them out of the deal. They have buyers remourse-- and in sales sometimes you have to deal with it.

    They bought that bike for their own reasons. Rekindle those emotions.

    Now if the deal is dead, dead, dead-- think of how you got the sale in the first place. What did you do? Repeat the success. But get them in a contract, take a deposit and deliver quickly.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/3/2009 at 7:11 PM Member
    If you have the resources, let them buy the motorcycle and allow them to return it up to 30 days after purchase (in good shape) and fully refund their money. Why? Because if the motorcycle is as good as you say it is, then they'd be reluctant to let it go once they "own" it.
  • Posted by matthewmnex on 11/3/2009 at 8:20 PM Accepted
    Dear MUKHIMANOJ,

    I feel your pain.

    Some good advise above but some of it is a little negative.

    It is clear that you AND your boss made mistakes. Why did your boss agree to order the merchandise without a signed purchase otrder or solid committment of some sort? Your boss is as mcuh to blame as you are.

    That said, you need practical help NOW.

    Here is what I can suggest.

    1. Don't lose hope, there is always a way to make it happen.
    2. Don't lose hope, the way to make it happen can come from left field and suprise you if you stay open and positive.
    3. You don't need marketing right now, it can't help you - YOU NEED SALES.

    When you first visited your customers, you only had brochures, now you have the bikes :)

    Get on one of the bikes, drive to your cutomer and go and sell ONE piece. JUST ONE.

    Don't worry that your price is a little higher than the competition, sell the hell out of the emotional benfits of owning this machine. (don't try to sel the fuel consumption of the reliabliity etc. all those are understood) - Sell them on HOW GREAT THEY ARE GOING TO FEEL RIDING THIS FANTASTIC PREMIUM MACHINE.

    That's all.

    Don't come back home with the bike (make sure you booked a return ticket to get home by public transport).

    When you get home having sold one bike, I guarantee that you will feel MUCH MUCH better.

    Now go back and do it again but this time sell ONE and get an order (signed) for TWO more.

    Again DO NOT COME HOME WITH THE BIKE - come home with the money or check. + orders.

    By this time, you are starting to get a better understanding of what the buyers like about your machine and you can fine tune your speech so it starts to flow and it gets easier each time.

    The key is to get the buyers actually riding and trying the machine for themselves. (brochures won't work).

    Once you get things rolling, you will be surprised how quickly the machines will sell. Just make sure that you approach the buyers WITH SUPREME CONFIDENCE that they are going to buy your bike today.

    It is all in your head.

    JUST STAY POSITIVE - DON'T QUIT UNTIL YOU SELL THE DAMN MACHINES. :)))

    Good luck and do let us know how it goes.

    Matthew
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 11/3/2009 at 8:31 PM Accepted
    Matthew is very right on. I almost edited my response (which wasn't negative at all) to say some of what he said.

    Your boss and you are in this together. You followed his policy for sales. You brought sales using his policy. They have fallen apart. He needs to accept some responsiblity. Cause the next sales person he brings on -- possibly to replace you- -will have the same results.

    2nd-- you don't need marketing - you need sales.

    3rd-- per my post-- repeat your success. I don't know if you can sell a bike door to door-- but if the alternative is losing it all- I'd hit it. Do what you did before to get the committment -- and promise to deliver in hours. Don't let them cool down. Don't let them get 2nd thoughts.

    A very good successful friend of mine - we jest about who is the king/queen of cold calls. He's probably up on me. He had a wonderful value statement-- and as Matthew states- he didn't shut up shop till he hit x # of yes's in the day.

    A lot of people who cold call count the yes and the no's -- me included. he only went with the yes's. Guess that is why while I have a comfortable income-- he only works when it pleases him.
  • Posted on 11/4/2009 at 7:44 AM Author
    good morning everybody and thank you very much for your help. i appriciate it a lot.
    Matthew your advice is the best. i can see that you are a very positive person.
    The only problems is that i have had many falls in my life and i always try to be positive but it is very hard. I am in Chile at this moment and the bikes are supposed to be for Bolivia and Peru. Driving over there is out of the question.
    Phil i am trying to call other potential buyers and i am sending them emails with the pictures and the benifits of having the bike.
    Giving the bikes on consignment is not an option.
    i am assuming that the main problem is the price and at this moment the price we are offering is almost at rock bottom. we are more expensive about 600 dollars. our quality is much better but these countries are used to buying chinese bikes which are very cheap. u can get a 125cc bike for 500 and i am offering one with much superior quality for 1100 dollars. these people are not intrested in quality just price.
    i am yet being positive and i hope that i will get a client who will be intrested in starting our bikes.
    i will keep you`ll updated.
    once again thank you very much and i am glad so many people are ready to help. i just didnt know whom to talk to so i searched the internet and found this web site.
    thank you very much and you guys have a great day.
    everybody made me feel much better.
    thank you
  • Posted on 11/4/2009 at 7:47 AM Author
    by the way my email address is [Email address deleted by staff]
    thank you
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 11/4/2009 at 7:54 AM Accepted
    You know what is sad-- is you appear to be someone who sincerely wanted to do a good job for your employer. There are so many people out there just for a paycheck. I was just very impressed by your post and your sincerity.
  • Posted on 11/4/2009 at 8:13 AM Author
    thank you very much carol. ireally want to save my job first and definately want to impress him so that i can secure my job.
    he is a very nice and understanding man and he really only hired me to help me. and i just dont want to fail him or me and my family.
    but if i am not productive then he has no choice but to let me go and nobody is to be blamed but me because i couldnt do my job.
    thank you very much and have a nice day
  • Posted on 11/5/2009 at 12:35 PM Author
    thank you very much for your kind words erin. appriciate it a lot.
    thank you and have a great day
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