BY JACK WARKENTHIEN
Some markets are fairly flat due to the economy. Fewer projects are being built, making competition more intense. Price is often the biggest issue when the design/build team is trying to cut costs.
So, how do you do more than survive? How do you THRIVE?
These were interview questions I was asked, by AWI–Architectural Woodwork Institute–for their Design Standards magazine, in advance of a keynote speech I delivered recently.
“One answer is relationships. A sale is a relationship, not a transaction,” according to Jack Warkenthien, CEO of NextStep Solutions, Inc. Mr. Warkenthien will be a keynote speaker at the 60th Annual AWI Convention, October 31 – November 2, 2012 at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, AZ. He’ll also conduct a seminar session during the annual convention that ties together his upcoming AWI webinar series”.
” The most powerful marketing assets you possess are your people, company and service.”
Some Basics
“To succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, you will need more than just exceptional products and services. The most powerful marketing assets you possess are your people, company and service. The emphasis today is on the quality, not quantity of relationships. AWI Manufacturing Members must differentiate themselves as woodworkers and define their Unique Value Proposition (UVP). You have to know where to ‘fish’ for new leads, what bait to use, and how to reel them in once hooked, relative to your networking efforts. Turn all of your relationships into revenue streams. One way to do that is learning how to ask for and harvest referrals. This is especially important for high end services and products,” Mr. Warkenthien said.
“Successfully harvesting referrals involves knowing how to ask, follow-up and deliver a quality project,” Mr. Warkenthien said. “The best way to UP sales in a DOWN economy is to market when others are not. One dollar invested today in marketing is the equivalent of investing $3 in robust times—giving you three times the bang for your (marketing) buck.”
Mr. Warkenthien endorsed the AWI Speakers Bureau training saying, “Becoming more proficient in communications skills is, by far, the best way to effectively promote oneself, one’s business and the woodworking industry, leaving others, with lesser skills, in your dust.”
The 5Cs of Relationship Selling
Mr. Warkenthien’s convention keynote will include the 5Cs of Sales. His five-step plan will help you turn your customers into crusaders.
- Contact – Potential Candidate or networking lead.
- Candidate – Qualified Contact with buying potential.
- Customer – Candidate who has purchased products and/or services at least once.
- Client – Customer who has made multiple purchases and has an ongoing financial relationship.
- Crusader – Client who actively recommends the company to their friends and business network.
Do’s and Don’ts of Sales Leads
The Do’s
- Do preliminary research on the candidate before making the call.
- Do offer an idea that is unique and specific.
- Do alternate between voice message and e-mail when leaving a message.
- Do make a high value low cost offer to get a small “yes.” (Big relationships start with small yesses.)
- Do own and control the next step of the sales process. (E.g. make an appointment.)
The Don’ts
- Don’t assume the candidate even knows your company.
- Don’t sound like every sales person selling something. (A sale is made by asking, not telling. Ask questions to lead down the path to the sale.)
- Don’t prescribe before you diagnose.
- Don’t hesitate to call the candidate as soon as you receive the lead. (Act while the lead is still hot.)
- Don’t (especially when on the phone) hang up until both parties are clear on what
happens next.
I hope my dear SBT Magazine Friends will benefit from these pointers, as you all enjoy your BEST year ever in 2014! I know I’m looking forward to the same.
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Jack Warkenthien, CEO, NextStep Solutions. Email him at
jwarkenthien@nextstep-solutions.com or call him at 832-344-6998
