The Roundup: Sept. 28, 2004
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1. Editor's MusingsSeptember is ending. Before long, people in my corner of the globe will be thinking about Thanksgiving and Hallowe'en. We all know that a pumpkin symbolizes Hallowe'en and a turkey puts us in mind of Thanksgiving. Today, Bill Lampton tells us how to use symbols to sell more effectively. It makes sense. 2.Article: Symbols Say Plenty: See More, Sell More Easily Copyright © 2004 Bill Lampton Ph.D.For more than two decades, I was a salesman in one of the toughest arenas anybody could enter. I was a professional fundraiser. Yes, at cocktail parties I heard this hundreds of times: You do what? The tone implied disbelief, and even disapproval. If I had told people that I rob banks for a living, I would have brought more favorable responses, even from bankers. My challenges included representing a college that couldn't meet monthly payrolls (not very encouraging to givers) and directing a medical center's campaign when the public started asking why a patient must pay ten dollars for an aspirin tablet. At the first fundraising conference I attended, I heard the term prospect research. Eventually, I worked at a university where several staff people specialized in gathering volumes of facts about alumni, friends, parents and others who might become major contributors. During my first three weeks at that university, I attended thirteen hours of computer instruction, so I could access the massive data assembled for my prospect list. Additionally, the vice president handed me notebooks, containing hard copy documentation for the computerized profiles. So for twenty-three years, when I set an appointment to sell participation in a fund drive, I went well prepared. Yet I didn't rely on that information alone. Early in my development career, I learned that the most effective discoveries didn't happen on campus. Frequently, what I observed at the prospect's office gave me the starting point for conversation. Without fail, I arrived at appointments early, for at least three reasons. One, I wanted to convey eagerness. Two, I wanted to escape the worry that comes with running late. Three, I wanted someone to say that the CEO is in another meeting, but I could go into his office to wait. Fortunately, this happened many times. Notice that I could have spent my waiting time in review--of the campaign's needs and the prospect's biography. Instead, I focused on previewing--looking for clues that would enrich my understanding of the person and the organization. I sensed that the symbols displayed on the CEO's walls and shelves told me what this person values. After all, he or she placed them there. Among the objects I saw repeatedly:
Think about the advantage you have when you get two, three, or five minutes to survey the scene. And you're not prying--because the person displays these mementos proudly. Without uttering a single word, this manager has declared nonverbally (but very loudly): this is who I am! The executive enters, greets you, and you have a dozen possibilities for establishing rapport--and stroking the individual's ego. Pointing to a trophy, you comment: So you're a golfer. What's your favorite course? Or: I see you're on the Salvation Army Board. How's the new
building campaign going? Immediately, with only two sentences, you have told your prospect:
In hundreds of contact situations, no one ever resented my reference to the symbols I had seen. My hosts had given cues, and then I had followed them. On your next sales call, look around you. What you see will say plenty--and give you plenty to say. Resource Box:==========================================
Bill Lampton, Ph.D., wrote The Complete Communicator: Change
Your Communication, Change Your Life! As a business consultant,
speaker and coach, he helps organizations improve their
communication, motivation, customer service and sales.
His Web site: www.ChampionshipCommunication.com 3. Product Recommendation: *** Super Affiliate Handbook ***Lots of people claiming to be "super affiliates" offer to sell us their "secrets." Most of it is so much baloney. Not this time, however. Rosalind Gardner truly is a super affiliate. I base that comment on the fact that Allan Gardyne, of associateprograms.com once profiled her in his newsletter. Allan is the web's number one expert when it comes to associate sales, in my view. If he says someone's good at what they do, I believe him. Rosalind's ebook is a good one; her advice is excellent for anyone wanting to make a living, or augment their income by selling affiliate products. Read about the Super Affiliate Handbook here. 4. Internet Sites -- reviewed by June Campbell *** Site Probe *** Hackerwatch
*** Search Systems
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