Greetings everyone!
I wear a lot of button up shirts to work. Shirts that go well with jeans, khaki pants , or black dress slacks.
I used to take my shirts to Hy-vee, a grocery store close to where I live, where I can drop them off and have them laundered and pressed and I can pick them up a few days later. $2.25 per shirt.
A while back as I was driving to the office I saw a Hangers Cleaners van so I visited to their website and called them up.
They will come to your home or office and pick up your laundry and deliver it a few days later.
Price per shirt: $2.50.
The difference between the 2 services = 25 cents. A quarter.
Why did I go with the more expensive option? Convenience!
I pay more per shirt but I don’t have to make 2 trips anymore. 1 to drop off my laundry. 1 to pick it up.
Is it worth the difference? Absolutely.
Moral of this blog: Prospects don’t always pick the cheapest option. They don’t just buy on price. They look at other factors like value, time saved, convenience, etc.
So when you are selling to companies, sell value!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000!
A Magic Email For When a Prospect Doesn’t Return Your Calls
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy New Year everyone!
I have been reading Chris Lytle’s book “The Accidental Sales Manager” this month and it’s a great read.
I came across this email he uses after repeated attempts of getting a hold of a prospect. Here it is verbatim:
Subject: Quick Question
“John,
I still have you on my ‘waiting for’ list of people I’m expecting to hear from. Am I still on your radar?
Chris
Short, sweet and to the point. I love it!
I had been trying to reach a Sales VP for quite some time and had left multiple emails. I used this “magic email” and got a response on Thursday. Was it favorable? No because the Sales VP is switching jobs. Effective? Yes! I can move this company out of my pipeline and move on to other deals.
Will this work every time? Does anything?
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000 and hope your 2014 is going well!
Fancy Title – No Authority or Influence
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHi everyone!
At Connect 5000, we use Salesforce.com as our CRM. I’ve been going through the CRM and have been purging executives no longer at their prospective company, companies who’ve gotten acquired or who are no longer in business, etc.
It’s interesting how many people I’ve eliminated from Salesforce.com.
I came across this company who I reached out to a while back. I called the VP of Business Development and we chatted several times and eventually he said our service was not a priority. I assumed incorrectly that he had authority and influence to make decisions. Read more
Price vs. Time Saved: A Tale of Dry Cleaning
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerGreetings everyone!
I wear a lot of button up shirts to work. Shirts that go well with jeans, khaki pants , or black dress slacks.
I used to take my shirts to Hy-vee, a grocery store close to where I live, where I can drop them off and have them laundered and pressed and I can pick them up a few days later. $2.25 per shirt.
A while back as I was driving to the office I saw a Hangers Cleaners van so I visited to their website and called them up.
They will come to your home or office and pick up your laundry and deliver it a few days later.
Price per shirt: $2.50.
The difference between the 2 services = 25 cents. A quarter.
Why did I go with the more expensive option? Convenience!
I pay more per shirt but I don’t have to make 2 trips anymore. 1 to drop off my laundry. 1 to pick it up.
Is it worth the difference? Absolutely.
Moral of this blog: Prospects don’t always pick the cheapest option. They don’t just buy on price. They look at other factors like value, time saved, convenience, etc.
So when you are selling to companies, sell value!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000!
10 Creative Subject Lines That Get Your Sales Emails Opened
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerUsing sales and marketing emails is one tool we use to engage and open dialogue with potential prospects for both Connect 5000 and our clients.
The telephone is another.
I’ve had several people ask me what the subject line should be for emails.
Below are several that I’ve used as well as others have used to get me to open their email.
The criteria should be short, sweet, and arouses curiosity to open the email.
Again, I didn’t not come up with all these on my own: Read more
Update up your CRM while sales prospecting
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerA few years ago I did an email blast of executives in my Salesforce.com CRM. I wasn’t targeting low level executives but CEO’s, Presidents and Vice Presidents of Sales and Marketing.
I got a bounce back rate of between 19-22%! The data put in my CRM was probably less than 3 years ago at the time.
People change jobs, people quit or retire, or people get terminated from their position.
There’s no reason to keep bad data in your CRM if that person is longer there. Read more
How Credible Are You: Part II
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerIn my previous post, I wrote on credibility.
Here’s an example of not so incredible:
My office is in Cloverleaf Office Park among several other companies. On the 1st floor of my building is a licensed counselor / therapist. Read more
How Credible (Not Incredible!) Are You?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerIf you’ve been following my blog, you know I’m been commuting back and forth between Kansas City and Torrance, CA.
6 trips down, 4 more to go!
I work out at a gym near the hotel which is owned by a former bodybuilder. He’s not just an owner or a manager.
I was asking him tips to lose weight and he gave me 2 main points:
1. Stay away from dairy, sugars, and wheat. Read more
Entrepreneurship and Giving Back
/in Sales /by Ray RueckerGreetings from Torrance, California!
I’ve either co-owned or owned a lead generation company since August 2006 and I love it!
There are days when it’s 3 steps forward and 10 steps back but it’s a process and journey.
I’m fortunate I’ve been always able to take a salary from Day 1. There are times when I haven’t taken a paycheck but it’s far and few times when I don’t.
There are countless people who have started companies who had to drain their entire retirement, savings, or max out credit cards.
My wife and I have been big believers in giving 10% of our income back to people in need. Some people would call this “tithing”.
So whether it’s our alumni, charities, church or whatever God has placed in our path, we try to help financially when possible.
Read more
It’s not over…. unless you give up!
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerA few weeks ago, I wrote about a potential client that I thought I had landed. I thought it was in the bag. Then my contact told me the next day he was no longer with the company. Ouch!
So the story isn’t over just yet. I haven’t landed this prospect as a client yet but there’s progress. Read more
Employee or Entrepreneurship?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerAs I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’m currently commuting between LA and KC for a software client of mine. I’m performing some sales coaching for their inside sales team. 45% of their yearly sales revenue happens between September 1 and December 31.
I was offered the Director of Sales position in July and politely turned it down since I didn’t want to uproot my wife and 2 kids and move to California. But I don’t mind being onsite through the fall.
I’ve co-owned or owned my own company since August 2006 and love it. Read more