Client Perception is Everything: Avoid Bad Sales Collateral

Making a good impression is the top secret weapon of choice for salespeople. Sales collateral is a major part of a salesperson’s “good impression” toolkit.  Sales collateral include business card, brochure, promotion gift, sell sheet, and anything designed for a salesperson to increase his/her client base.

Have you ever looked at a business card, flyer, website or postcard and immediately said I would never do business with this company or you simply dismissed the company and said next? That is your client perception working.

Some companies use collateral that hurt sales. According to Alexander Hiam, author of Marketing For Dummies, in choosing your sales collateral, avoid the following:

Plastic: cheap plastic folders, clear plastic page protectors, or big, ugly plastic sample cases all say tacky and cheap to prospects. Use high-quality papers and favor cloth or leather cases and bindings, if at all possible.

Amateur designs and layouts: Sure, anyone can design sales and marketing materials in this era of high-quality laser printers, but most people shouldn’t. Amateurs often create poor-looking, confusing layouts. Their work just doesn’t have that special look that characterizes fine design —and the better prospects notice.

Errors: An amazing number of factual and spelling errors exist in sales collateral. Salespeople perpetually have to make corrections or explain errors in front of prospects, which is like saying, “Please use our business. Of course, we can’t even type a spec sheet accurately, but we can muddle through your order somehow.” Right.

Omissions: Most salespeople go on calls without all the collateral materials and information they need to do a great job. They don’t have a good brochure. Their business cards don’t have the current address or the company’s fax number and website. The price list is out of date. Their order form is a cheap pad bought at the local stationery store.

As you send your salespeople out in the field, arm them with good collateral. Help them to be sucessful so that your company can inturn be succesful as well.

7 Trade Show Tips To Remember

As I get myself ready to exhibit at the upcoming NYC Real Estate Expo (www.nycrealestateexpo.com) on October 30th, I am reminded of the following trade show tips.

1. Set clear goals for your trade show participation
   What do you want to get out of it? Do you expect to sell a particular amount of inventory at the trade show, or expect to become known to a certain number of wholesale suppliers? Are you focusing on promotion or hoping to launch a new product? You can have more than one goal, of course, but the point is that you need to be clear about what your participation in the trade show is going to achieve.
2. Plan your exhibit in terms of your audience
   Who is it that you’re targeting with your trade show display? Retail customers? Wholesale buyers? Other businesses in your industry? Different audiences “shop” trade shows differently, and have different needs.
3. Messages to Remember
   Whether your goal is brand-building or sales-making, everyone on your trade show team should know how to answer any attendee’s questions. Here are six phrases to eliminate and six to adopt — to help create winning relationships from trade show contacts. (Source: Incomm Center for Trade Show Research)
   • Phrases to avoid:
     • I don’t know.
     • We don’t do that.
     • Just a minute. I’ll be with you.
     • Our policy is…
     • No.
     • You have to call…
   • Phrases to adopt:
     • Let me find out for you.
     • Let me see how we can help.
     • Are you able to wait for a minute so I can find someone to help you?
     • In most instances we can…
     • We may not be able to, but I will be happy
       to find out.
     • We recommend, or we suggest you…
4. Explode Your Leads With Dynamite Sticky Handouts
   One of the very best ways to make sure your trade show booth handouts don’t get thrown away but will stick is to put an offer or coupon of some kind in them. Coupons that a person can use after the trade show event practically guarantee your handouts won’t get thrown away. After all, your customers will want to use the coupons! (Source: Patty Stripes)
5. Create a Booth that Makes Visitors Feel Comfortable
   Make it easy for booth visitors to enter your space and obtain the information they desire. Many booths are designed as barriers with tables between you and your potential customers. A U-shaped trade show space removes the barriers between booth operator and visitor and encourages exchange. If visitors are comfortable and want to enter your booth, it is more likely they’ll listen to your sales pitch and your show will generate better success.
6. Whom To Send
   When choosing booth staff, keep in mind personalities. Someone who interacts well with strangers, has a high energy level, is articulate, outgoing, and knows how to dress and act professionally is going to benefit your company’s image. Send your best “people people,” not your best engineers or product managers. While anyone staffing your booth should have adequate knowledge of your product, knowledge is of little value if your representatives won’t take the initiative and talk to visitors. The bottom line is that dress and professional appearance in your booth staffers will outshine the physical appearance of your booth any day.
7. According to trade show industry resources, up to 80% of trade show leads aren’t followed up.
   • Organize leads while still at the trade show.
   • Start tracking contacts and leads as you get them.
   • Start the follow-up process as soon as you get back to the office.
   • Have a follow-up “summit” in your office to review leads.
   • Make the first follow-up.
   • Do what you’ve promised – immediately.
   • Add all your new leads and contacts to your company’s mailing list and contact management system.
   • Follow up again

Rosie of Susie’s Hot Sauce Honored

Congratulations

Susie's Hot Sauce

“To entrepreneur Ms. Rosemarie “Rosie” McMaster who was recently honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
She is the Managing Director of the award winning
Susie’s Hot Sauce”
(SunBiz Showcase Alliance PLLC, E-Newsletter July 17, 2009)

 

Rosie, there is no doubt that your recent achievements will be spoken of for some time to come and that the admiration for your accomplishments is felt by all of us within the industry as well as the general public.

Please accept my heartiest congratulations for your success.

 

About Susie’s Hot Sauce
Susie’s Hot Sauce is a small cottage business from the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua-Barbuda, yet it is internationally renowned for its huge taste. It is almost impossible to visit Antigua without becoming intimately acquainted with this Caribbean delicacy. And once you’ve been introduced…It is even harder to forget! Susie’s has been pleasing palates since 1960 when Susie’s Original Hot Sauce was first introduced. Its award-winning red habanero and scotch bonnet hot sauces have captured the hearts, minds and taste buds of chile heads and pepper sauce aficionados all over the world. Visitors to our friendly twin islands insist on returning home with bottles of Susie’s sauces for family and friends, sharing the warmth of the sun-drenched paradise, its people, and the joy of their tropical experience. For more information, visit www.susieshotsauce.com.

Caribbean Export Takes a Bite Out of the “Big Apple”

A great time was had by many if not all exhibitors and attendees at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) 55^th Summer Fancy Food Show held at the Javitz Center in New York City —June 28-30.

According to NASFT’s website, “the recent Fancy Food Show attracted up to 24,000 attendees from every major food buying channel, influential members of the trade and consumer press and other related businesses.  This year’s show had a record breaking 2,300 exhibitors showcasing 140,000 specialty foods and beverages from the U.S. and more than 70 other countries.” NASFT will continue its YouTube Channel and blog. So join them on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook!

I had an opportunity to meet with a few friends from the Twittersphere. One of my most interesting observations at the show was that some of the exhibitors used social media as a low/no cost option to promote their company and products/services. Congratulations to the exhibitors — @MarieSharps, @SomebodysMother, @CiaoBellaGelato, @FINDOOD, @patsysnyc, @IsabellasNYC, @GagneFoods, @KlickKitchen, @midclass, @Gourmetibles  — who successfully used Twitter to gain booth traffic and potentially develop long term business relationships.

Conversation snippets heard on the floor:

• Great show…better than last time I was here
• This is my first time exhibiting at the show and I am not leaving NYC until I get a distributor for my product (exhibitor secured a distributor and was able to forge relationships with others in his specialty food area)
• My legs hurt! (Oh that was me saying that….)
• Food Network stars—Bobby Flay, Barefoot Contessa—got to have them at my booth

For the 4th year, we worked with Sam Kruiner of The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in the marketing and promotion of Caribbean Export’s ”Caribbean Pavilion” participation in the show. We provided marketing consultation, event brochure design and PR services.

I was delighted to say hello to old friends as well as meet new ones at the 2009 Caribbean Pavilion. Exhibitors in the Pavilion included Baron Foods, Ltd, Belize Aquaculture, BABA Ltd, BIDC, Central Food Packers, Calypso Rum Cake, CED, De La Grenade Industries, Erica’s Country Style, JTI, Country Traders, Honey Bun, Value Manufacture, KC Candy, Matouk’s, Marie Sharpe’s Fine Foods Ltd, Susie’s Hot Sauce, St. Vincent Breweries, St. Vincent Distillers, TTABA-Flavour Islands, and West Best Foods.

Show Photos:

 

How to make the best use of tradeshows

First, define your goals for the show. Are you at the tradeshow to promote? Find vendors? Develop relationships? Make sure you establish some goals for everyone before the first attendees walk through the door.

Next, practice your pitch on each other. I swear, even as an experienced owner, my pitch was very rough at the beginning of our last show. By the end, I was smooth like butter. Why? Practice! How would a 23 year old without supervision or training do on their pitch if they don’t practice? Most likely, they’d struggle and lose out on key opportunities.

The next step is big: Don’t sit down. Get out in front of the table and use your promotional items to draw people in and make conversation. The question “Want a yo-yo?” can do wonderful things for initiating a fun conversation.

As you are meeting prospects and collecting business cards, be sure to write on the back of their cards little reminders or “grades” so you can prioritize the business cards you collect after the show. Once you return to your office, start smiling and dialing right away. Follow up with emails and track the results. If you’ve selected and prepared for the right tradeshow you should develop some excellent partnerships within 3 to 6 months.

Joe Witte has successfully started 3 small businesses including CentricSource and Travel Ad Network.

For the community

I started this blog for Gail’s Graphic Designs to serve as a new tool for providing the community with marketing & communications solutions. I intend to use the blog to feature marketing news, tips and ideas from my network of industry professionals – illustrators, graphic designers, writers, and public relations experts—to benefit start up businesses as well as established companies.

My professional experience in such areas as advertising, web site management, events/sponsorships, marketing collateral and e-mail-marketing plus my network of industry professionals will help you in such areas as company branding, advertising & public relations as well as B2B/B2C marketing.

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