We’ve all been there, you’ve done everything you possibly can, your techniques have been right on target, but your prospect still won’t buy. I was talking the other day with one of our long time OHH clients, great sales guy, very experienced. He was telling me about a long-time client of his that over the years he had grown from one board to a multi board buy year in and year out. Great high traffic locations, great creative, great results. Of course, the client’s business had grown over those years as a result.
Then he got the call for the meeting. The owner had been approached by a marketing agency that had convinced him that while he had done well, with their help, he could have growth like he has never seen before. Trust me, let me share with you some of the results we have achieved for our clients they said. Owner was buying it…hook, line and sinker! No matter what techniques our man employed to try and “stay in the game”, that multi board buy was going to need to be cancelled. Can’t afford to keep your boards and do what the agency is telling me I need to do.
Here’s a suggestion for you should you find yourself in a similar situation. Ask, “Can I take my OOH salesman hat off for a minute and put on my consultant hat?” Ask permission to ask some candid, consultant type questions so we can look at this with all factors being considered to ensure you have confidence it’s the right decision for your business.
- You had a very successful business when we first met. What was your revenue when we started working together? What is it now? % of growth?
- The results from others the agency shared with you. Was their business successful when they first engaged? Stagnant? On the decline? Success/revenue can be a relative thing depending on the state of the business when the engagement began.
- The agency is proposing you try a very different marketing strategy. One that you have enjoyed success employing over the last several years. In the hope that it will reap even greater returns. What if it doesn’t work and your business stops growing or even declines? Is that a concern?
- My consultant hat tells me that I see someone who has had their money (business) in CDs, certificate of deposits. Good solid returns month after month, year after year without the risk of any potential loss. Compounding growth. The agency is suggesting that you pull all of your money (business) out of those CDs and put it in the stock market for the chance that you may get an even greater return. Now of course it is possible that it won’t work and the stock market will go down and you can lose your money…but surely that couldn’t happen, could it? Are you comfortable with that risk?
Human behavior is a funny thing in that it tends to be very predictable. For instance, people tend to buy based on the emotion of the moment and then justify their decision intellectually. Almost all of us repeat this cycle over and over again when we are buying most things. When we are in the scenario above, we also must remember this about human behavior as well and use it to our advantage. For most people, fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.
Need help with sales skills or coaching to take your out of home company to the next level. Learn more about OOH Sales Mastery at oohmastery.com or Contact Dan Nausley at dan.nausley@sandler.com, 423.702.5579.
Lisa & Dan Nausley of Sandler Chattanooga have developed the OOH Sales Mastery Program after more than a decade of training/coaching scores of OOH Operators across the country in sales, leadership, and executive coaching.
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