Ten Tips to Win Top-of-Mind Positioning
By: T.J. Tedesco
For: Lisa Cross, GAM
Published: May 2009

What a challenge! We are in the depths of toughest business conditions in decades. Buyer behavior is changing before our eyes. Customer loyalty appears to be at an all time low. Yes marketing has changed, but the principle of winning top-of-mind positioning holds as true today as ever.

Top-of-mind is where you need to be. If your customers and key prospects hear the word "print," and your name immediately comes to mind, you own top-of-mind market position. Rome wasn’t built in a day; a tree doesn’t grow overnight; and you won’t consistently convince print buyers you are the right printing solution unless, like a good gardener, you nurture your important relationships.

1. Be An Information Donor

Develop a sales approach that provides more value than anything your competition is doing. While most sales pros are familiar with the concept of value-added selling, few know about information-added selling. In today’s fear-based business environment where people are afraid for their jobs, no one wants to out of the loop. Your customers are hungry for information about their own company, industry, and job function. If you help in these areas, you and your company’s services will become more attractive.

Take the time to email news articles, blogs and electronic postings about your customers, their companies and industries. If you see a great article in a trade publication or other source about estimating, production, management or customer service, distribute it to appropriate key business influencers at well-chosen prospects. Information providers are more valuable than those bearing non-value-added donuts. A simple yet effective rule for sales success is to bring valuable written, spoken, or digital information with you on every sales call – without exception!

A century and a half ago, the following statement appeared in a New York Life Insurance Co. sales training manual: "To sell John Smith, what John Smith buys, you must see the world, through John Smith’s eyes." Think like your customers and search for information to help them better understand their world.

2. One Minute Manager

Do not speak continuously for more than a minute, even in response to open-ended questions like, "tell me about your company." When answering these types of questions, avoid the data dump. Make a short statement about your capabilities and ask an involvement question like, "Do you see your company needing this?" If the answer is "yes," you’ve established need and your prospects can mentally involve themselves in your company. If the answer is "no," you won’t continue down a non-fruitful path and lose interest. Feature-oriented sales reps frequently fail this one-minute rule.

3. Ask More Questions

Top sales reps ask 25 times as many questions as poor performers. Hard to believe, but true. Rather than stating bland nothings like, "my company offers fast service," a top sales rep will ask a tie-down question such as, "You need your proofs fast, don’t you?" (A tie-down question is a short question following a statement.) Another example is, "details are so important, aren’t they?" instead of "we are detail oriented."

Every time your prospect nods in the affirmative, you are getting closer to quote and job opportunities. If your natural speech cadence becomes: statement-question-statement-question, you will soon be asking 25 times as many questions as poor sales performers.

4. Listen, Listen, Listen

Develop your listening skills. Do you ever find yourself formulating responses in your mind while your prospect or customer is talking? The average person can think 400 to 500 words per minute, but can only speak at 125 to 175. If you’re thinking of a response while someone else is talking, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll quickly miss the buying clues you’re exposed to. Most buyers will tell you exactly what you must do to earn and keep their business, but if you don’t hear it, you won’t do it.

5. Appoint Yourself Ambassador

Become an industry "ambassador." Join the associations where your customers are. Then participate. But don’t go handing out a gaggle of business cards at the meetings. People will see right through hollow participation.

Truly help out the association by joining the membership committee. It’s a great way to make an impact and meet lots of people too. Give talks and write articles. If writing’s not your strength, jot down your points and hire a ghostwriter. Overcoming public speaking anxiety isn’t as easy. Just remember that every speaker once made his first speech with his or her knees knocking. Speaking does get easier and after a while it even becomes fun. The more people see you in a position of authority, the more you earn the coveted "halo" effect.

T.J. Tedesco is president of Grow Sales, Inc., a full-service sales growth firm that has served the graphic arts industry since 1996. Grow Sales services include marketing, public relations, Web site design and sales support. T.J. is the author of “Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word,” “Win Top-of-Mind Positioning,” and the ever popular “Direct Mail Pal,” all published by PIA/GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.

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T.J. Tedesco is president of Grow Sales, Inc., a full-service sales growth firm that has served the graphic arts industry since 1996. Grow Sales services include marketing, public relations, Web site design and sales support. T.J. is the author of “Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word,” “Win Top-of-Mind Positioning,” and the ever popular “Direct Mail Pal,” all published by GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.