Serious Question For Business Owners

hi
if i am interested in it ,and i will give a few minutes to see if it was possible.According to he said,we can make judgement to if its benefits to us.

There's a HUGE credibility gap here.

Now I'm going to talk about this question in relation to OTHER business owners, not myself, because I don't want you thinking it's just my opinion.

When I tried lines like this, early in my career, it bounced off.

The owners told me things like:

"I have only so much time in the day: if I find I wasted it on this conversation, I'll be upset."

"Who are you and why should I let you near my business?"

"I'm not interested."


Why would they say those things?

They aren't the rational response of a thinking human being, are they?

Yet they're the responses I give now, as well.

First, the fact is I know more than most people...I mean outside, not in this forum where there are a good dozen people I enjoy talking with and learning from...at least, about business, history, food, literature. And that's sad. But it's true. So if I waste my time talking to someone who is reading a canned script (which this SOUNDS like, BTW, with all the negative effects that brings--flunky, subordinate, non-decision-maker) and discover I know more than they do...

...man, I feel burned. Dammit, I wasted ten minutes on this person and they can't even help me. In fact, I should be helping them.

Second, why should they be allowed anywhere near the dials and levers of my business?

Why should I trust them??

This is the credibility gap. And it needs to be overcome before serious players will let you talk with them.

It's why a $750 web designer can't land--or even see--the $10K+ clients.

Third, the "I'm not interested" is an obvious smokescreen for something else.

Who wouldn't be interested in getting more out of their advertising dollars??

But something--the gap--is getting in the way of them opening up and sharing even a teensy-weensy bit of the TRUTH about what's really going on in their business with you.

IMO this sentence has a place. As the second or third line...AFTER the credibility gap has been closed.

The only takers you'd be likely to get are the desperate.


Now Ewen will show us how his protoge has made a million dollars over the past six months with this very line.

But I'll bet Claude's advertising dollars that the credibility gap has been overcome in some silent way before the line is said.

This reminds me of a "business consultant" that I met at an association meeting recently. He was a great guy and very professional. He has sent me a dozen emails since. He wants to meet or wants 15 minutes over the phone. One main issue, in all of his emails not one explains what he can do for my business. Like this question, it's way too generalized and doesn't pique my interest enough to give him a face to face or even a phone call.

I am a fan of calling and B2B or B2C it can be a very effective way to get immediate money. It is also a necessary part of the funnel after someone has raised their hand. It is also part of the general sales/marketing mix.

However, I get a regular amount of cold calls, and I almost always hear the person out. I am listening for something familiar. A voice I already know.

I am typically looking for B2B providers who find their way into my view through other forms of marketing. If they have created a community. If they are buying paid media of some kind. Or maybe they are sponsoring events, gatherings, or coming into many different online communities and giving their expertise.

I want to see if they have the knowledge to help market my business in a particular way. I want to know if they eat their own soup.

Like you have here - this is the perfect vehicle for you to sell. There are dozens of groups for local business owners that you could become an expert in. Then, the email captures, the follow-ups, and the phone calls will be a natural result.

My current largest marketing vendors found me this way.

Sick and tired of BS salesmen. I would ask for proof and what is cost, or I show you the door. Sorry but that's how it is in real life.


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Hi Ewen,

I would ask:

How are you currently getting your customers?

Do you currently pay for Advertising?

If so:

Which medium(s)? How Much are you spending on your Ads (weekly, monthly, yearly)? What Are Your Response Rates / ROI?

"If I COULD or be WILLING to help you, ARE you willing to work with me on a Revenue Generation basis?" (See, you help him with NO upfront fees, but whatever he makes, HE PAYS YOU (20 - 50% of HIS profits)!

Therefore, I see no harm in listening to him out!

See what he has to offer and WIIFM! (What's In It For Me -- meaning You)!

In addition to this, there are several LOW COST / NO COST ways for you to implement HIS method(s) in order to reap the rewards.

So, in essence, there is No Cost OR Risk to YOU, but you get to reap the rewards based on YOUR ADS and HIS product/service.

Cheers,

JMB

That depends on what they say. I've got pitched on those lines a few times this year. Sometimes, I listened; sometimes, I did not.

Thinking back, I did not listen when it went something like this:
We are X company, we help businesses like yours get more bang for their advertising dollar.

Or like this:
We are X. We have awesome marketing in place and get leads to businesses like yours for less than they're used to paying.

I listened when it went something like this:

We are X Company. We work with small mortgage companies. We get them more clients for less.

Change mortgage company to any specific business... If it's one I'm in or closely related, I listen. I want to know what methods they use and how much it would cost me.

Sadly enough, only 20% or so were convincing and only one could do it for less. We hired them and, unfortunately, they did not deliver... Their leads, because of poor quality (anybody not a marketer, web designer that called was a lead, even though we told them not everybody looking to buy what we sell is a client, and gave them a list of products in our world that we do not sell (though we could).

Ewen; I'm assuming you mean this as the very first thing you say. An opening line.

Personally, the opening line has to grab my attention, or it's over. I don't listen to salespeople that try to be "I'm not a salesman".....I hate small talk from salespeople.

Honestly, I'm busy.

Some of the answers here are ignoring the idea that it's an opening line. The qualifying questions have to come a bit later. Not an hour later, but after attention has been gained.

And the best way I can think of to secure attention, is by a big promise, with maybe a qualification tagged at the end to imply selectivity.

The reason I like to add, "Do you want to know more?" is because it implies (rightly so) that I'm perfectly OK with a "No". And, that actually increases the chance that they will say "Yes" or "What is it?"

Again, I'm assuming your question is about an initial greeting, not the beginning of a presentation.

But to me, general openings are deadly. Promise me something very specific, that I want badly, that applies to me specifically. And be willing to walk away. Now...you have my attention for a few seconds.

I haven't read all the replies but I will add my 2 cents worth.

It partly depends on how the approach is made. It may be via the phone, my websites, Facebook, email and other sources.

Honesty is big in my mind. I hate the phone calls where they say "hellomynameisxxxandI'mcallingfrom xxxx, how are you today?"
I do literally mean they say it that way...no breaths, all mumbled and in one burst. Generally you don't get what they're saying until the "how are you?" They don't care about you but are told to follow their shitty script.

If it's an email, DON'T spam me if you want my attention. Tell me what you want but don't write that you have seen my site and you noticed this or that and can help me. I never believe that approach because they always come from dead return emails. Then they send you another email, "disappointed" that you didn't reply.

There are a lot of other scenarios but I will wrap it up here.
In short...be honest and different if you want my attention.

I probably come across with a bit of an attitude (bad habit I learned back when I used to work for and sell developers timeshares) which I should work on... But being that I am now in the owners seat of my niche (business vehicle wraps) offline business and believe fully in the product/service that I offer, its really a no brainer to the business owner(my target is local smb's offering a service to mostly consumers- think plumbers, rug cleaners, mobile meachanics, etc).


First thing that comes to my mind when I think about speaking with a business owner of a local service business is why they are advertising another company everyday and also paying them money?
This is where my timeshare training starts creeping in and I have to be more aware so as to keep myself from coming across as a complete dick.


But my reasoning, and what I am trying to get across to the business owner is to question them
"what does everyone see when they are driving behind you or beside you?" There's a reason why all vehicle manufacturers have their emblems and make/model decorated all around the car/truck.


"So you paid for your company truck only to drive it around for work and do Ford/Chevy/Dodge etc marketing for them"


"Are you embarrassed about owning your business, and therefore decided to forgo advertising it with a branded wrap that would bring you 30,000+ views daily?"


This would most likely be a scenario in which I just happen to find myself in, unplanned. I would still use the reasoning in a scheduled appointment with a potential customer, but toned way down.

If I received profession material from this stranger and he was professional I would be interested. Not from a person who just stopped in and gave you a card. I would be more to see some one who sent me a Folder addressed to me (fedex) asking for a couple of minutes of my time to go over my advertising costs and also if my method will not only save me advertising costs but a better service Yes Robert