The Ultimate Sales Machine - Chet Holmes [99]
Dear [personalized],
We have written to you because of who you are in the community. It is our goal to provide outstanding ser vice to the finest families in our community. Hence we are willing to do things to win you over as our patient that we would simply not offer to anyone else. We want you to see how superbly we serve you and so we are willing to give you a cleaning and examination worth $125 at no cost to you.
This is just an example. Some states have laws that prohibit dentists from doing things like this. You are responsible for knowing the laws that govern your market or industry.
Let’s say you sell boats. Let me show you how to open your market and attract more buyers. Most boating showrooms have to advertise in boating magazines and appeal to those who are already in the boating world. In my case, it had never occurred to me to own a boat and I certainly wouldn’t have read a boating magazine. When a friend suggested it, I thought, “Hmm, sounds like a nice hobby.” I bought a used boat to see if I liked boating and then, the following year, stepped right up to a yacht and have become an avid boater. In my case, the impetus was a friend’s suggestion, but the following strategy might have lured me in just as well.
So here is the strategy for penetrating an entire group of potential buyers using the concepts in this chapter. Of course, do not limit your thinking to just boats. This strategy might apply to any upscale product or ser vice. The first step is to write a letter to the upscale homes in your area offering them something of value to them related to your product or service. Use the following boating letter as a model for your own letter:
Dear [personalized],
We are writing to you because many people in your position in life are now discovering the beauty, peace, and fun of having a family boat. There is no escape quite so wonderful as having a boat. It’s an adventure, an opportunity to bond with family and friends, and a way to get away from every thing.
For a limited time, and only to people in your position, we are offering a boat day. Come and see if you love boating. We’ll take your family out for a fabulous day of boating.
If you do sell boats and don’t want to offer a boat day, you could offer a sunset cruise and take several couples at once. A few drinks later, as you cruise into the sunset, you will have several viable prospects for your boat business. You’re not going to offer this to just anyone—just to the type of homeowner who can buy a $30,000, or even $300,000, boat. These people are worth a day of your time. Naturally, not every one will buy, but you’d be surprised how the word can spread and how one good deed like this can bring you other buyers at other times. Think about this: part of your best-buyer strategy is to also know who are the great affiliates. Go to a Mercedes dealer and do a trade. Anyone who buys a certain price Mercedes gets a gift certificate for a sunset cruise on one of your boats.
How else can you work with affiliates? On your sunset cruise, you may want to invite a diamond dealer to have a jewelry show on your boat and maybe even give you a commission for sales made. Or go to that diamond dealer and offer to give a sunset cruise to anyone who pays cash for more than $5,000 worth of diamonds. If you are a diamond dealer, you can go to a boat showroom and offer to do a show for any clients who buy boats. Or give a coupon. The possibilities are endless. It’s easy to increase sales if you use some of the concepts in this book.
Exercise
Best-buyer exercise: Write down three things you can offer your best buyers that you wouldn’t offer the greater population. Choose the best one and, using the above models, write a letter that you will send to those buyers.
Affiliate exercise: Who else sells to the buyers you want to reach? What can you offer them or how can you work with them to better