"Marketing and Sales 201"

[Don Alm]

Report from the Battlefield;

I learned, long ago, that....the absolute BEST WAY to sell "Corporate Accounts" (for MY type of services)
(It's how I sold the Walgreen Co and other Corps on using MY Alarm Co. when I had an Alarm Biz in Chgo))....
....was to offer a "FREE Trial TEST" of the program I wanted to sell them. (Nowadays, it's an "In Room Advertising" program selling Pizzas for a Pizza Chain of 27 stores...to Guests of Hotel/Motel rooms)

So...I would pick one of their "smaller locations" and offer a "Freebie Trial Test".

In the present case of selling a Pizza Chain on using MY program of selling their pizzas....I chose a VERY small town where one of their stores is located...got the 2 motels in town to allow me to set up MY "In Room TV Stands"....then sent the "Marketing Exec" at Corp Headquarters a fax, explaining what I am doing...along with a Sample of THEIR AD...asking that they simply "approve" my Sample.

Well....as I expected...the "Corporate Marketing Exec" DID respond...changed a couple of things in the ad and said, "Let's see what happens!"

So...it's now been over a month and I just now (Jan 11) got an "OK" from the BIG "Marketing VP" to "Go Ahead" with 7 other locations....in 2 other towns...
...that the "Trial Test" proved out to be (in HIS words)...."Beyond Our Expectations"....and they would be "Paying MY Fee for these locations and, when I was ready with OTHER towns to let them have "FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL!"

So....if you are contemplating trying to get business from large Corporate Accounts....the best way I've found that works for ME....is to offer them a "Freebie Trial Test" for a certain period of time (I usually use 30 days) and, if the Trial turns out to be "good"....you are IN.

thanks for letting me share my excitement with you and maybe this will help someone along the way.

Don Alm...."Marketing Guy"