Here's why good ideas are lousy ideas...

This is for us guys selling "Advertising" projects;

I learned long ago that, "ADVERTISER'S ADVERTISE!" If a business has bought an ad....in anything....it shows me they are "Open" to advertising in "Off-The-Wall" projects....like the ones I do.

Ex: In my area there are 3 Phone Books. One from the Phone Co, one from the Newspaper and one from an Independent, Direct-Sales Co.

I use the 3rd phone book as a "Tap" source. Any business that has a "Display Ad" in this book....was "Sold" by a Direct-Salesperson. This is "Proof" that these businesses are "Open" to "New Ideas" and can be Sold on one of my projects.

Also....last Spring I put together one of my "Tourist MAPS". Before I made my first call, I went to the motel lobbies, Chamber of Comm lobby, Supermarkets...anywhere "Tourists" are going....looking for businesses that have advertised in "other" projects.

And...after making a sales call on one of the "Tap" businesses, if I'm next door to a "Non-Tap" biz....I will go in and make a "Cold-Call" and it's these biz where my closing ratio goes from 3 out of 4 to 1 out of 4.

Just an "inside-look" at how us "Ad-Sales" guys operate.

Don Alm....long-time "Sales-Guy"

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Adman

This is for us guys selling "Advertising" projects;

I learned long ago that, "ADVERTISER'S ADVERTISE!" If a business has bought an ad....in anything....it shows me they are "Open" to advertising in "Off-The-Wall" projects....like the ones I do.

Hi Don,

Great tip!

Here's something else, along similar lines...

In his book "Selling to the Affluent", Thomas J. Stanley says something similar. One method for finding affluent prospects is... look at the advertising!

Businesses that advertise over and over (in newspapers, magazines, etc.) are likely to be successful... And the head of those businesses are likely to be affluent as well.

So, it's one way of finding affluent prospects - in case you are selling to that kind of market.

I thought it was interesting, and it "dovetails" nicely with what you said...

Best wishes,

Dien

On the mention of Thomas J. Stanley...

Once again! Great books and resources everybody should and Must read...

Especially if you just happen to be interested on becoming a long term Millionaire... Billionaire requirements these days...

Using the simple method of Frugal living to achieve a variety of those misc. goals...

As long as you Start and apply things early on in Life...
http://www.amazon.com/Millionaire-Ne.../dp/0671015206
http://www.amazon.com/reader/0671015...b_dp_pt#reader

Definitely some Excellent info, ideas and learning throughout all of Thomas J. Stanley books...

For those that just hate searching around...
http://books.google.com/books?as_aut...ional&resnum=4

And if you're real Lucky you might just get to Marry into the following...
http://books.google.com/books?id=L_K...author:Stanley

Phil

I started a "Burglar Alarm" biz as my very first venture. Since I didn't have money to advertise I had to find a way to reach the "Affluent" who needed but didn't have, yet, a Burglar Alarm for their home.

I knew my Target Market was the wealthy who "had stuff to protect".

Then I read an article in the Sunday paper that talked about how many "Wealthy" people lived in Lake Geneva, WI.

So...I thought that here was a place where MANY of my best prospects lived. So, the next Saturday I went up there with my Demo and drove around the lake. I saw a man wearing a cashmere jacket with pads on the elbows. He was on a riding mower and 2 "expensive-looking-long-hair-dogs" were running after him.

I knew this was NOT the "caretaker" of the estate. The man looked affluent.

So...I drove my car partway up the long driveway, parked and got out and stood by my car.

The man waved to me and came over. I introduced myself as "Owner" of my Alarm biz and told him I was in the area "giving free estimates" on Home Security Systems.

He said he'd "been thinking" about looking into a security system for his home and hadn't gotten round to it yet. He agreed to let me look around and give him an estimate.

Well...that was my very first (of thousands) of Cold-Calls.

I worked up an estimate and showed the man what my system was about, how it worked and why he should allow ME to install it.

When he responded with, "How Soon Can You Start the Installation?"...ya could've knocked me over with a feather.

The man's name was, "Charles Wrigley III"....owner of Wrigley Chewing Gum.

So...long story short...we became friends and he helped me get MANY more clients over the next few years.

And...I'll always remember what he told me when I asked him, "Mr Wrigley. Everyone in the world knows about Wrigley Chewing Gum, WHY do you do so much advertising?"

He told me that his business was like a freight train going down the track. The ENGINE of that train was "Advertising"! "If I stop advertising, the train starts slowing down and eventually comes to a halt!"

So...even now, in 2009, I see tv ads for Wrigley Chewing Gum. I don't know who's running the biz these days BUT, I'll bet "Advertising" is STILL the "Engine driving their biz".

Don Alm

Don, I was told something similar to that by someone who really knew all about advertising many years ago. When I asked why people should advertise, he said that people will advertise one way or another...to stay in business or when they're going out of business. Same principle, different words.

Sandi Bowman