Go to long-due prospects and give them a three-point written proposal as to why it’s prudent to sign now as opposed to never or later.

1. Say that your company is utilizing the last of it’s credit facilities to give new customers a chance to come aboard.
2. If your company is solvent and sound, offer that as a foundation for working with you instead of a shakier competitor.  If your competitors are big and scary, but solvent, then go after public company downers like boards of directors that will slash call centers and other support mechanisms Jan 1.  As much as I hate fear as a seller, now’s the time that it may be beneficial.
3. If you don’t already have it, put together a marketing sheet (1 page max) on the current big and important clients that have re-confirmed (this means not your old hack sheet with old testimonials — this is a fresh one pertaining to the new economy) their commitment to your company.  This may prove to be something that moves people to be with the better boat in rough waters.  “After all Mr. Prospect, would giant XYZ Widgets stick with us if they though they could do better in this buyer’s market?”

Go out and be creative and take out some of your oldest tricks.  As buyers do become more powerful just by the sheer amount of poor-mouthing that is guaranteed to occur soon, you need to be ready and give them things that have merit, value, and substance.  Just for a short time, quit all the lovey dovey fluff and get right to the point of your call.

There’s a good, about to be great, garden consultant coming up in my neck of the woods.  I found him at the local nursery. He is taking his exams.  Readying to be a successful servant to us know-nothings.

But Jr. (Junior is his name) never knows how much to charge me. I could take advantage of him, but i don’t.  I could overpay him; maybe I do.  What I do know that when I get a firm price from a vendor that I like and respect, I pay it if I can.

Jr. needs to know his price.  Do you?

Now your teeth look like Tom Cruise’s compared to this. 

Have a good day.

If they come to an obstacle, the jump over it.  There’s nothing a wildfire can’t get through.

This week a friend got to the point where he needed to write that letter to the boss.  It was 2 years past due.  There were lots of obstacles in  his path, but he burned right through them.  He used words, he used experience, and most of all he didn’t take no for an answer.  He got what he wanted and he will be able to succeed.

Be a wildfire.

In the modern world, we still don’t have a handle on everything.

Thanks to Hollywood BC for this link.

If a marketer were trying to fire items of interest at Eliot Spitzer, they would now have to retool.  He was the pious moral guy.  Now, he’s done a 180… or did he? You never really know the real story with anything you encounter and making a home run with your product or service is very hard because of this fact.  Remember as you go out to sell that everyone has many stories and many layers.  The more you understand this, the better you’ll do.

Story of Stuff