Two weeks ago, I told you about a great sales letter that my husband received (he is in IT). Last week, I shared the letter with you.
Now I will share the results thus far. But before I do, I have a few things to say to you all.
I really appreciate all of your comments and feedback, and want to thank all of you who sent me their own sales letters to critique. I hope that my comments helped you in some small way.
Here is what I want to say about YOUR comments...As it turns out, there were some grammatical and spelling errors in the letter, and I put the letter in as is. A few of you were compelled to be negative and sarcastic in your comments. All I can say to you is that I hope you choose to treat your clients, co-workers and competitors with more respect than that! (Rant over.)
The young lady who was the architect of this sales program was kind enough to share her results to date with me. I asked her some questions regarding the response and any progress she has made. Here are some of the highlights:
How many letters have you sent so far?
I have done eight trash can drop offs so far; since these are physical drop offs in downtown Chicago, I have had a bit of trouble getting into several buildings.
How many meetings have you gotten so far?
Two, a 25 percent success rate. (To be honest, I will need to make some changes.)
Any business yet?
No sales yet, but I understand that this is relationship sales and my goal is to partner with my prospects on projects that will allow me to show my value, build trust, and generate future business. I’m patient 🙂
What is the best reaction you have gotten?
I don’t know whether the entire “trash can” setup is too sarcastic and rubbing people the wrong way, but the best reaction I have gotten is 1) acknowledgement that it is a creative idea and 2) acceptance of meeting.
The worst?
No response at all! Here’s my “follow up” strategy:
- Day One: Drop off trash can.
- Next Day: Send follow-up e-mail with a suggested date and time for a meeting.
- Three Days later: Send calendar invite for the time I suggested in the e-mail.
[My observation: I think the sending of a calendar invite without having the prospect indicate an interest in meeting with you is too aggressive and may do more harm than good. (I asked a few people and they agreed.) Anyone like this tactic? At any rate, it is a personal choice.]
Any other results you feel like sharing?
Here’s the thing: I feel as though the trash cans just aren’t all that “me.” Frankly, I think that I am nicer than the presentation comes across. I think I could use the letter and drop off with a handwritten note and get a bit further. I would almost use the trash can setup on accounts that I have previously done drop offs with, knowing that, “Hey, they’ve seen this before and it didn’t get me anywhere.”
I like the idea of a using a letter that is more personal than just marketing materials.
Bottom line: Letters WORK! This young lady was creative and she WILL get business from some of the companies that she targeted. And the takeaway for you is that you can be as creative as you want, come up with any gimmick that you want. Just be persistent, and it will pay off for you too!
Thanks Christine for giving me THREE weeks of blogs!
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Blogger, author, consultant, coach and all around evangelist for the graphic arts industry, Kelly sold digital printing for 15 years so she understands the challenges, frustrations and pitfalls of building a successful sales practice. Her mission is to help printers of all sizes sell more stuff. Kelly's areas of focus include sales and marketing coaching, enabling clients to find engagement strategies that work for them and mentoring the next generation of sales superstars.
Kelly graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science and, among other notable accomplishments, co-founded the Windy City Rollers, a professional women's roller derby league. She is also the mother of two sets of twins under the age of ten, so she fears nothing.