"Marketing and Sales 201"

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"

thanks don..!

the free sample approach is good for almost anything...except life insurance !

thanks

IT is not the pizza joint that needs to be sold and that is almost a waste of your time to concentrate so heavily on 1 pizza chain.

By this I mean, If you really have hotels that will allow you to place these in their rooms, why are you selling the pizza joints on it?
The pizza joints are SOLD already, and if they are not, they have their eyes full of pizza sauce.
I would create a scenario where the pizza joints would "bid" for my real estate!
Understand that if you have the real estate that they want, you are in a sellers market.
You are wasting time and concentrating on one pizza franchise.
Your time would be better spent jumping through the hoops that you say you don't have time for and trying to secure the real property you are after.
This real estate is a 4" x 4" spot on the night stand next to the remote.

For instance, if you were interested in setting this up as you described with a franchise, I would choose securing the real estate first (hotel) and then renting it to the leasor ( pizza joint)

How do you secure the Real Estate you ask?
Maybe through the proper channels ( no pun intended)
If you were interested in Motel 6 ( like the example you previously had on your site) I would go to the link below and fill out the form.

http://a1185.g.akamai.net/f/1185/110...pplication.pdf

This is how things are done in the real world of business.
You can't put the cart before the horse and expect to get anywhere.

Best wishes in '07

Originally Posted by Jason

IT is not the pizza joint that needs to be sold and that is almost a waste of your time to concentrate so heavily on 1 pizza chain.

I'm a little confused Jason and maybe you can shed some light on this.

Don posts on stuff he did and shares his personal experiences here.

You tell Don how he is not doing it right and how he should do things different.

How are you qualified to be preaching to Don?

Have you sold any Motels or Pizza shops a program like this?

If so, who, where and when?

I'm curious because as far I can tell you haven't sold much of anything but you sure are full of advice on how those out there doing it are doing it wrong.

What makes you think you are so right when you yourself haven't done it?

J. Robbins

I didn't realize....

Originally Posted by Jason

This is how things are done in the real world of business.
You can't put the cart before the horse and expect to get anywhere.

how narrowminded young people are.

Your entire post wreaks of youthful sales ignorance. You clearly, do not have a handle on sales, unless it is in the form of a restrictive methodology. Which us "Old Timers" (Thanks James) know from years of DOING IT, one will not last long, if they do not have multiple ways of selling.

The other point which proves where you lack, is that in sales, every person throughout the deal is important. The pizza chain, the hotel/motel, the program, those that will be viewing the finished product, and yes even the lowly sales person.

Just like opinions, there are as many ways to sell. The real world is about trying different ways until you find something that works. It's not exclusively forms and documents.

If this were the case, then the Department of Defense, FBI, DEA, and IRS would not be clients of mine. They became my clients because someone from one of those agencies, many years ago simply called me out of the blue, because they were told I knew what I was doing.

I was willing to stop what I was doing and help them out with a problem they had. Then it began. One agency after another began calling. No forms, no documents, no Dunn & Bradstreet listing, etc...

You say you want to make this a positive thing, why don't you go out and start selling door to door and then come back here and share your knowledge as Don has done.

But at the end of the day Don has scored a large client, which gives him the opportunity to retrieve a testimony from them to put in his sales portfolio, and your opinion becomes mute.

Woody Quiñones
ImpactYourArea.com

Don,

I appreciate greatly your reports from the front line. You truly are someone who has the gumption to get thing done, one way or another.

Although our styles of selling are different, I have learned a great deal from you and I thank you.

This post has thought me ONE GREAT thing. I cannot be YOU. You cannot be ME. But, we CAN LEARN from each other.

Even though I made money with your restaurant guide in Branson, I would have had an EASIER job of it if I just did things within my personality and not try to be JUST LIKE you, a trusted mentor.

That is an important key that even people that have been around a while (like me) sometimes forget.... sheesh!

Thanks for being you!

Millard

Originally Posted by J. Robbins

I'm a little confused Jason and.
you can shed some light on this.
I will try

Don posts on stuff he did and shares his personal experiences here.
Good for him, his marketing is working! (you figure that one out.)

You tell Don how he is not doing it right and how he should do things different.

How are you qualified to be preaching to Don?
I may not be qualified to be preaching to Don in your eyes as I havn't told you any "Superman stories" to make you think I have done things that I haven't.
I do have a background working in a hotel as a bell captain, and know a thing or two about how things are done.
Have you sold any Motels or Pizza shops a program like this?

I have sold something to a pizza shop with the hotels approval first.
Is it something I repeated NO.
Did it work for the pizza shop, I believe so!
Did they sell 8-20 more pizzas per day as in the story Don told, HECK NO!


If so, who, where and when?
Not a chance.
I'm curious because as far I can tell you haven't sold much of anything but you sure are full of advice on how those out there doing it are doing it wrong.
have sold a number of things, mainly services that I performed myself.
Again, I don't need you to think I am the worlds greatest salesman as I don't have a little link at the bottom of this post where I will ask you to purchase something I just boasted about being so successful at doing.

What makes you think you are so right when you yourself haven't done it?
Don't take my word, that is up to you, however I do have a background working IN a hotel as a bell captain and was involved in many of the sales functions and worked close with the sales and catering manager and know how some things work. Do you?

Let me try to shed some light on this for you by now asking you a couple of questions.........

In the story, it is a chain of 27 pizza joints correct?
Don claims to have given them free trial with a small store correct?
Don talked to the "Corporate Marketing Exec" correct?
Said marketing exec agrees after some changes correct?
Is told they would be ""Paying MY (Don's) Fee for these locations and, when I was ready with OTHER towns to let them have "FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL!"
Correct?
Don charges " $10 / day" ( said in a previous post) or $300/mo correct?
And by him saying they would be "Paying MY fee" suggests that that number is $300/mo.

Now lets assume that he eventually gets the all 27 locations and discounts 33% down to $200/mo because they are giving him so much business.
Lets see $200 x 27 = $5,400
HOLY COW!!!!! that is $64,800/yr!

My first question is, what in the heck is this marketing exec paid to do?
He is going to write a check for $64,800 per year for something that he should already be doing.
If he isn't already doing it, Don just faxed him the idea and he will soon take the relationships that they have within the hospitality industry and put it into action, minus Don.

Don't think I am right, that is o.k., some people are better served by learning the hard way.
Jason


J. Robbins

Originally Posted by ImpactYourArea.com

I didn't realize....



how narrowminded young people are.
Thanks woody, for calling me young.
Your entire post wreaks of youthful sales ignorance. You clearly, do not have a handle on sales, unless it is in the form of a restrictive methodology. Which us "Old Timers" (Thanks James) know from years of DOING IT, one will not last long, if they do not have multiple ways of selling.
I am 32 and got my first sales job at the age of 12. Newspapers.
I sold subscriptions to the Milwaukee Journal as well as delivered and collected on accounts.

Ever since then I have been invoved in sales on and off.
By my math this is 20 years.
Roughly 2/3rds of my life I have been involved in sales.
How many years have you been selling Woody?

I don't say this to ridicule you just to point out that I have also knocked on a few doors.
The other point which proves where you lack, is that in sales, every person throughout the deal is important. The pizza chain, the hotel/motel, the program, those that will be viewing the finished product, and yes even the lowly sales person.
I am not saying that the pizza joint isn't important, nor am I saying that the salesperson lacks importance.
I am however, saying that the key to making it a go is the Hotel/Motel

Just like opinions, there are as many ways to sell. The real world is about trying different ways until you find something that works. It's not exclusively forms and documents.
Again, I am not saying that you can't sell in different ways, infact it is important to do so just as you say, which is why once a "corp marketing exec" of a 27 chain pizza joint that isn't already doing it, soon will be after they get the idea from Don.
After the idea is hatched by Don(again assuming that it has not been thought of before), please explain the importance of Dons involvement in the project.
The only thing I can come up with is Dons connections within the hotels/Motels.
Do you have any other reason Don would need to be involved?
Assuming that these marketing execs know what you stated earlier about not being around long without multiple sales avenues, don't you think that they already have connections within these hotels and motels.

If this were the case, then the Department of Defense, FBI, DEA, and IRS would not be clients of mine. They became my clients because someone from one of those agencies, many years ago simply called me out of the blue, because they were told I knew what I was doing.



I was willing to stop what I was doing and help them out with a problem they had. Then it began. One agency after another began calling. No forms, no documents, no Dunn & Bradstreet listing, etc...You are correct, I have always stated that excellent service will get others knocking on your door for
I will expand on this when I have more time!


You say you want to make this a positive thing, why don't you go out and start selling door to door and then come back here and share your knowledge as Don has done.
I do, I have, and I have and you call me youthful, so be it


But at the end of the day Don has scored a large client, which gives him the opportunity to retrieve a testimony from them to put in his sales portfolio, and your opinion becomes mute.
So he says! His portfolio is his posts and is read by his prospects here and at other forums.
Jason


Woody Quiñones
ImpactYourArea.com

What is being sold, the motel TV Guide with pizza advertising or the business opportunity

Jason,

Originally Posted by Jason

How many years have you been selling Woody?

I am coming up on 38 years in two months. In those 38 years I've started 3 businesses, without a lick of sense, but somehow they became successful and then I eventually sold them all.

Thanks for asking
Woody Quiñones
ImpactYourArea.com