Don't forget to do this when talking with a Small Business Owner

by Andy LaPointe

Posted: 16 years ago 12 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hey fellow warriors, here is a great way to land more SBO clients...

Believe it or not, people don't always buy the lowest price or the highest quality product, but they will always buy the best story. When talking to a SBO, try to weave in a few stories into your presentation.

Stories how you helped other clients make more money, get more customers, etc.
Also, when telling stories try to draw pictures and illustrations and use metaphors to emphasize important points. Spend a lot less time talking about your services and more time listening to their personality. When the time is right and you start talking about your services, start off by saying something like...

"Suzanne, before I tell you how this email follow up system works let me show you how one of my other clients use this same system in their business to help them (insert here)..." ...make more money, keep in touch with customers, etc.

And tell them how another one of your clients is using Aweber to send coupons, discount codes, product updates, etc.

Even if you don't have any SBO client's you can still tell a story. If this is your first SBO meeting you could say something like...

"Suzanne, before I tell you how this email follow up system works let me show you how others use this same system in their business to help them (insert here)..." ...make more money, keep in touch with customers, etc.

I call the time when I'm telling my stories in my SBO presentations as "story time".

The benefits of telling a story is you don't need to memorize anything and you're getting your point across in a conversational manner.

Thanks,
Andy

#great #land #sbo

dvduval 16 years ago

Sorry, but I don't know what SBO means. I'm assuming Small Business is part of it maybe?
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Andy LaPointe 16 years ago

Yeah, SBO means small business owner
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Zeus66 16 years ago

SBO = Small Business Owner.

Andy, you're dead on! I had a successful email marketing business and I can't tell you how many times clients told me they chose my services because I could talk to them like a "real human being" instead of giving them the hard sales pitch from the minute I got them on the phone or face-to-face. It's not just about sales, though. Developing the ability to tell simple stories instills a priceless trust factor. It's about the relationship first, then the sale. Simple rule that so many IM'ers completely forget or never learn.

John
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Andy LaPointe 16 years ago

Zeus66,

You're right on - Storytelling = trust

The skill of story telling is something that needs to be developed and practiced. It has be a part every presentation.

Thanks,

Andy
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Tsnyder 16 years ago

There's an old saying in the selling game... facts tell, stories sell.

Read any of the masters... Halbert, Carlton, etc... master story tellers.

Same thing offline...

Tsnyder
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Eric Stanley 16 years ago

Excellent post. Stories of how I am helping my current clients is apart of my sales process. I find that many SBOs are more apt to go with your services if they see other SBOs are doing the same. I even have written testimonials from a few of my clients which really seals the deal!
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Andy LaPointe 16 years ago

Testimonials in a plastic page will close a ton of business...

One thing I started doing is having oversized postcards printed up at VistaPrint with an overview of my business on one side and having testimonials printed on the other side.

Thanks,

Andy
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artwebster 16 years ago

Don't forget this when speaking to a small business owner, he did not get where he is by being stupid, he did not invite you to talk to him because he was just dying to give you some money, he really does not give a twopenny toss what you are doing for other people - he wants you to SHOW him what you can do for HIM.

Yesterday (and what you did then) is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is all you have.

As so many punters can attest, the horse that won yesterday will not, necessarily, win today or tomorrow.

In short - decisions are based on facts and stories that can't be proved are simply stories. Don't invent them.
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joshril 16 years ago

Agreed... sales=building relationships.. People buy from people they like and people that are like them. The product is secondary.
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- ExRat 16 years ago
  
  Hi Andy,
  
  Believe it or not, people don't always buy the lowest price or the highest quality product, but they will always buy the best story.
  
  If you had changed the last 'always' to 'often' I would have agreed with you. But as it stands -
  
  'they will always buy the best story'
  
  ...then I doubt you have ever sat in front of a buyer/decision maker of an SB or an SBO themselves who is a bit 'long in the tooth.'
  
  The ones I have encountered will kick you out if you even hint at telling a story. They know what an ice breaker is, they know all about objection handling and they could teach most salesman a few nifty closes.
  
  Try telling your stories to someone who will sit there for thirty minutes, only to interrupt you every time you start to speak with the words 'best price' - and nothing else.
  
  You will either leave with nothing or leave after giving your best price and no pitch - or get thrown out.
  
  Now if you'd said often, I would have agreed...and if someone tells me a story and changes something that is likely to occur often into an absolute, their story telling has failed on me, so I guess my point is relevant ;-)
  
  Thanks
  
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  Andy LaPointe 16 years ago
  
  Holy Crap!!!!
  
  I feel like I have been taken out the wood shed, beaten and attacked
  for a single word.
  
  ExRat, take a chill pill
  
  Originally Posted by ExRat
  
  ...then I doubt you have ever sat in front of a buyer/decision maker of an SB or an SBO themselves who is a bit 'long in the tooth.'
  
  Hey Einstein...
  
  It seems like the other Warrior's understood the point I was making in my post.
  
  As for the personal attack and the rude assumption about my background here is a brief overview:
  
  20+ years of sales experience.
  
  1986 - 1994
  I started selling commercial and industrial real estate right out of high school. Would you like to know who buys commercial real estate? - Yep, your right a small business owner. I paid my way through college selling real estate to small business owners. I sold real estate to small business owners for 8 years
  
  In 1994, I switched careers and became a stock broker specializing in retirement plans for small business owners. Guess who needs a retirement plan? Bingo, you're right again, small business owners. Guess three in a row and you get a cookie.
  
  With all of my work with small business owners as a registered investment advisor, a few partners and I started a business teaching internet marketing to small business owners. Guess what, this was way back in 1999.
  
  In 2005, I started working on the Internet full time and continued SBO consulting. Better yet, I am also experienced as a small business owner myself, so I am able to bring a different perspective to the SBO's we consult.
  
  So for the personal attack... whatever. I'm not going to stoop to your level of personal attacks.
  
  Take a chill pill...
  
  Thanks
  
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ih82lose 16 years ago

In sales it is important to understand your client (or potential client).

When trying to close a sale, you should always be trying to "get a read" an the client. I am a firm believer that a story can, and will sell some clients.

Some people are only looking at price, some only quality but most SBO are fairly well rounded people that will look at all angles.
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