In the early 1900s, A. Joseph Newman, General Sales Manager, Bayuk Cigars, Inc., Philadelphia, had an original method of helping his company’s distributors.
Under a pen name, Frank Trufax (true facts) he wrote a series of letters to imaginary salesmen in which he discussed very real problems.
Here’s one example I managed to find…
To My Salesmen:
I was looking over the orders the other day and I saw one from a dealer whom we had not been selling for at least a year.
I am not going to tell you why he stopped buying but I am going to tell you that I was tickled pink to see him back on our books once again.
Our little selling-fool, Billy Keepatem, put it over—yes, he did. Hats off to Keepatem, boys!
“Well, Bill, how did you do it?” said I to Bill at first opportunity.
“Nothing wonderful about it, Mr. Trufax,” replied Bill. “That dealer sells a lot of stuff and I thought if he was worth going after, he was worth keeping after. I’ve been calling on him regularly once a week for nine months and – well, I landed him. That’s all there is to it.”
Did you get that one pithy phrase Bill pulled: “If he was worth going after, he was worth keeping after?”
Manoman, there’s the salient secret of selling success!
If a dealer is worth going after to sell, he is worth keeping after until he is sold.
Let’s all shoot that in our arms, boys, because that’s doggoned good dope.
And that brings up two interesting queries. Here they are:
- How many calls do salesmen make before they quit calling?
- How often does a salesman call before the dealer buys?
Now, get me right, boys. I didn’t personally conduct the investigation to get the answers to these two questions and I don’t want to be facetious when I say I didn’t get up the dictionary either; but there’s where I went to find out if I could get away with that “wicked” word “facetious.” It is just as important to know where to find knowledge as it is to have knowledge.
Well, anyway, the investigation was carefully made and here’s the findings:
Answering first question…
- 48.2 salesmen made 1 call and quit
- 24.4 salesmen made 2 calls and quit
- 14.7 salesmen made 3 calls and quit
- 12.7 salesmen made 4 or more calls,
Go over those figures once again, boys, they’re intensely interesting.
Then clear your mind to get full shock of this body-blow of an answer to the second question:
Sixty per cent of the sales made were on or after the fifth call!
This investigation, of course, proves very little conclusively but it does emphasize this one thing:
Eighty-eight per cent of the salesmen “automatically eliminated themselves from consideration of sixty per cent of the business because they quit before the dealer had been brought up to the buying point.”
Boys, I don’t want you to waste time watering dead plants but I do want you to keep digging around the live ones.
You can never tell when the “No, not today” will change into “Yes, send ‘em along.”
It may be on the fifth call; it may be on the fiftieth call; but as Billy Keepatem says:
“If a dealer is worth going after, he’s worth keeping after.”
Yours, tilhesezyes,
Frank Trufax.
These figures just go to show they knew these things in the early 1900s, and maybe even earlier.
Think about how that knowledge can help when you’re emailing your list… or snail mailing a direct mail list you thought was dead.
Best,
Rezbi
www.directmarketingcourse.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com
Filed under Sales by on Jul 11th, 2010. 1 Comment. 
What we mean by the “sizzle” is the BIGGEST selling
point in your proposition – the MAIN reasons why your
prospects will want to buy. The sizzling of the steak
starts the sale more than the cow ever did, though the cow is, of
course, very necessary!Hidden in everything you sell, whether a tangible or an intangible,
are “sizzles.” Find them and use them to start the sale. Then, after
desire is established in the prospect’s thinking, you can bring in the
necessary technical points.The good waiter realizes he must sell the bubbles – not the
champagne. The grocery clerk sells the pucker – not the pickles, the
whiff – not the coffee. It’s the tang in the cheese that sells it! The
insurance man sells PROTECTION, not cost per week. Only the
butcher sells the cow and not the sizzle, yet even he knows that the
promise of the sizzle brings him more sales of his better cuts.- Elmer Wheeler, from chapter one of Tested Sentences That Sell.
Filed under copywriting, Sales by on Apr 8th, 2010. Comment.
What we mean by the “sizzle” is the BIGGEST selling
point in your proposition – the MAIN reasons why your
prospects will want to buy. The sizzling of the steak
starts the sale more than the cow ever did, though the cow is, of
course, very necessary!
Hidden in everything you sell, whether a tangible or an intangible,
are “sizzles.” Find them and use them to start the sale. Then, after
desire is established in the prospect’s thinking, you can bring in the
necessary technical points.
The good waiter realizes he must sell the bubbles – not the
champagne. The grocery clerk sells the pucker – not the pickles, the
whiff – not the coffee. It’s the tang in the cheese that sells it! The
insurance man sells PROTECTION, not cost per week. Only the
butcher sells the cow and not the sizzle, yet even he knows that the
promise of the sizzle brings him more sales of his better cuts.
- Elmer Wheeler, from chapter one of Tested Sentences That Sell.
Filed under copywriting, how to sell, Sales by on Apr 8th, 2010. Comment.
In May 1998 I went for a job interview with a small computer-engineering firm. I got the job.
My interviewer told me that, after three days of interviewing, I was the first person he’d met who actually knew what I was talking about.
That was quite funny.
Because I knew next to nothing about computers at the time.
Here’s what happened:
Up to that point I was working for a very small engineering firm for about two months. Before that I worked for six weeks for another firm – for nothing – just to get some experience.
Anyway, while I was at this firm, a friend called from an I.T. recruitment firm and asked if I wanted to work for Sun Microsystems.
Like he had to ask. Of course I did.
It turned out this engineering firm had an account with Sun Micro.
He told me what the job would entail, and what they expected me to know for the interview.
The interview would be in a week’s time.
And I knew absolutely nothing about the things he mentioned.
So, over the next few days, I started to read.
I read everything I could get my hands on related to the particular topics.
I read on the train home. I read on the train to work. I read during my short breaks. I read at home.
In fact, I read everywhere… all the time.
By the time I got to the interview, I knew a heck of a lot more than I needed to.
And the questions the interviewer threw at me were, by then, relatively easy.
I’d thought about all the different questions he’d ask me based on what I’d read. I thought about all the objections he’d throw my way. And I prepared the answers in my head.
Come to think of it, I could have written a letter… a sales letter… based on everything I had prepared and thought of.
Just as in a sales letter you have to enter the conversation your prospect has been having with himself (who said that?), I had to think of everything my interviewer may have been thinking.
It turned out I was pretty much on the button as I’d taken the time to do the research and prepare properly.
As he asked my one question after another, all through the interview I was getting hints I may be getting the job.
He started of by saying something like, “If you get the job what would you..?”
The it went to, “Assuming you’re successful..?”
Then it was, “When you get the job..?”
Finally it was, “When you start working for us..?”
Subtle hints like that.
He finished off by saying, as they all do, that I would hear by the end of the week whether or not I was successful.
And then he asked me if I had any questions for him.
Having paid attention to the clues, I said I had none… except one…
“Is there any reason you can think of why you would not give me this job… right now?”
He smiled.
And said he couldn’t think of any reasons, then congratulated me.
I got the job, there and then.
What I learned pretty early on is this: Sometimes you have to be direct. You have to ask for the sale.
It’s no use going through a brilliant sales spiel, only to lose the sale at the end because you’re afraid to ask for it.
I’ve been direct throughout my life. Sometimes I got the ‘job’. Most times I did not.
However, when I did get it, I got it BIG.
That was the highest earning job I’ve had in my life.
Let’s face it: When you write a sales letter, or send out an email, how often do you get a 100% conversion rate?
Come to think of it, how often do you get 50%? Or 20%? Or even 10%?
Using my direct approach in life I’ve probably managed about a 25% conversion.
And it’s always been the biggies.
Now that ain’t bad, is it?
Best,
Rezbi
Filed under copywriting, Sales by on Mar 11th, 2010. Comment.
In May 1998 I went for a job interview with a small computer-engineering firm. I got the job.
My interviewer told me that, after three days of interviewing, I was the first person he’d met who actually knew what I was talking about.
That was quite funny.
Because I knew next to nothing about computers at the time.
Here’s what happened:
Up to that point I was working for a very small engineering firm for about two months. Before that I worked for six weeks for another firm – for nothing – just to get some experience.
Anyway, while I was at this firm, a friend called from an I.T. recruitment firm and asked if I wanted to work for Sun Microsystems.
Like he had to ask. Of course I did.
It turned out this engineering firm had an account with Sun Micro.
He told me what the job would entail, and what they expected me to know for the interview.
The interview would be in a week’s time.
And I knew absolutely nothing about the things he mentioned.
So, over the next few days, I started to read.
I read everything I could get my hands on related to the particular topics.
I read on the train home. I read on the train to work. I read during my short breaks. I read at home.
In fact, I read everywhere… all the time.
By the time I got to the interview, I knew a heck of a lot more than I needed to.
And the questions the interviewer threw at me were, by then, relatively easy.
I’d thought about all the different questions he’d ask me based on what I’d read. I thought about all the objections he’d throw my way. And I prepared the answers in my head.
Come to think of it, I could have written a letter… a sales letter… based on everything I had prepared and thought of.
Just as in a sales letter you have to enter the conversation your prospect has been having with himself (who said that?), I had to think of everything my interviewer may have been thinking.
It turned out I was pretty much on the button as I’d taken the time to do the research and prepare properly.
As he asked my one question after another, all through the interview I was getting hints I may be getting the job.
He started of by saying something like, “If you get the job what would you..?”
The it went to, “Assuming you’re successful..?”
Then it was, “When you get the job..?”
Finally it was, “When you start working for us..?”
Subtle hints like that.
He finished off by saying, as they all do, that I would hear by the end of the week whether or not I was successful.
And then he asked me if I had any questions for him.
Having paid attention to the clues, I said I had none… except one…
“Is there any reason you can think of why you would not give me this job… right now?”
He smiled.
And said he couldn’t think of any reasons, then congratulated me.
I got the job, there and then.
What I learned pretty early on is this: Sometimes you have to be direct. You have to ask for the sale.
It’s no use going through a brilliant sales spiel, only to lose the sale at the end because you’re afraid to ask for it.
I’ve been direct throughout my life. Sometimes I got the ‘job’. Most times I did not.
However, when I did get it, I got it BIG.
That was the highest earning job I’ve had in my life.
Let’s face it: When you write a sales letter, or send out an email, how often do you get a 100% conversion rate?
Come to think of it, how often do you get 50%? Or 20%? Or even 10%?
Using my direct approach in life I’ve probably managed about a 25% conversion.
And it’s always been the biggies.
Now that ain’t bad, is it?
Best,
Rezbi
Filed under copywriting, Job Interview, Sales by on Mar 11th, 2010. Comment.
Although I’ve never met her personally, one person I’ve learned a lot from is Dorothy Leeds who is absolutely great when it comes to teaching you about sales.
If you’ve never heard of Dorothy (I don’t see why not – she’s famous, you know) I suggest you check her out and maybe even get her products.
One of the things I learned from Dorothy (before the ‘gurus’ were preaching it) is that people buy from people they like, trust and respect.
While it’s true they may buy from you even if you’re not one of these types of people, it’s rare.
And it’s not only true online.
Go to any shop – if you get a grumpy old fart behind the counter, and there are alternative shops around, how likely is it you’re going back there?
Look, the fact is, when it comes to business, friendship ain’t that important.
In fact, it’s not important at all.
Think about how many friends you have… how many would you buy off?
The truth is, ‘friends’ are the ones who usually hold you back in business.
Trust is the most important thing because people only care about one thing – their own interests…
…And they want to know you have that at heart more than anything else.
Put yourself in the buyer’s position – if you know someone has your interest at heart, aren’t you more likely to go to that person when you want to buy something?
I know I do.
Best,
Rezbi
Filed under Sales by on Sep 8th, 2009. Comment.
…you learn how to sell by doing it. And, if you want to be supreme in your efforts, you learn how to do it first in person and then you transfer your efforts to print. Gary Halbert
I couldn’t stick to my self-promise of writing at least something on my blog everyday, but it wasn’t my fault.
My site host provider had some serious issues with their server which meant all my sites have been down for days.
So, in order to prevent that messing up at least this site in future, I transferred it to a different host.
That said, on with the show.
Something basically all the top copywriters say is, learn to sell first before trying to write copy.
In fact, as far as I know, most of the top copywriters were doing some type of sales before they got into copywriting.
David Ogilvy was a door-to-door salesman.
So was Doug D’Anna.
Gary Bencivenga wrote extensivley about the need to be able to sell.
John Carlton, Clayton Makepeace, etc., etc., etc… and… of course, Gary Halbert.
… They all extol the virtues of learning to sell before writing copy.
I, personally, was a telephone salesman, a retail salesman, and even a door to door salesman.
I sold products for a major insurance firm, Kirby vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, perfume, and on and on and on.
As you can imagine, I’m sure, I know a thing or two about selling.
Anyway, one of the things I learned as a sales man is that we have one mouth and two ears.
No, no, no, that’s not what I meant.
What I mean is, when you have one of one and two of the other, use them in proportion.
As a salesman that meant asking questions… and then lsitening to the answers.
Smart questions.
Questions which would give you the information you need to sell your product and close the deal.
You see, for a salesman, the smart question is a tool of the trade.
You ask, and then you shut up.
Did did you hear that?
You ask question… and then… you shut up.
Don’t say a word.
Just listen to the answer.
Wait, if you have to, but don’t say anything until your prospect has answered the question.
In that way, the more questions you ask, the less you talk.
Funny, eh?
You see, questions are (usually, if they’re good questions) shorter than the answer.
You ask, they talk, you get your info… you sell.
So, in effect, the less you talk, the more you sell.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you shut up completely.
I mean, you have to tell your prospect about the benefits of your product for them, otherwise why would they want to buy it.
What that experience as a salesman does is to give you an insight into the way people think.
Having been out there and done it and gathered all the information you need, it’s easier to have the conversation inside your head with your prospect.
And, guess what?
If you can have the conversation inside your head with your prospect, knowing the likely questions, it’s easier to write down the answers on paper.
And, let’s face it, that’s what a lot of the sales copy is, isn’t it?
Answering any and all objections your prospect may raise, before they’ve done it.
If you can answer every question… every objection… your prospect might have, you’re in a much better position to close the sale.
Okay, that’s enough.
I said my posts would be short and this ones gone way past that, so I’m stopping.
So, until next time, ciao.
Best,
Rezbi
Filed under copywriting, marketing, Sales by on Sep 3rd, 2009.
