by Kirby Hasseman
In a world of overnight delivery and immediate gratification, starting a real business can seem painfully slow. We have more tools than ever before to build awareness, and that is a wonderful thing. But I have been reminded lately that a “share” on social media is not the same as a “sale.” When you are working to build a real, long term business, there are not as many shortcuts as we would like to believe. Real brand building takes time. So while you should use all of the new tools in the toolbox, there are 5 timeless rules of selling that still apply.
See The People
Despite the the proliferation of social media, building your sales is not just about having a presence on Instagram. There is still very real value to to getting in front of someone and seeing them face to face when you can. You have the ability to just “be with them.” There is power in that kind of focus. And they get to do the same with you. At it’s very core, we humans trust things that we are more familiar with. So by letting your clients see you, you gain credibility with them. Whether that’s showing up in their office with great branded merchandise, or just being at the events that they frequent, it’s still VERY important to see the people…and let the people see you!
Simply Listen
If this seems cliche, it is. It’s cliche because it’s true. As salespeople and entrepreneurs, we get so excited about what we are selling we forget to learn what our customer needs. It’s so important to ask questions first, then tell our story. We can tell our story SO much better when we understand the audience. For me, listening starts with good questions. Here are some good ones to start with.
Provide Them Value
Once you have listened to the prospect or client, don’t JUST try to sell them something. Of course you want (and need) to make the sale. But it’s so important to make sure you present a solution that actually provides value. If you can’t, walk away. As we talk about at Hasseman Marketing, it’s not about making one sale. It’s about creating 25 year customers. You can’t create that kind of long term relationship if you take advantage of people.
Show Gratitude
If you are blessed enough to make a sale, it’s not time to move onto the next transaction (at least not yet). It’s time to (sincerely) say thank you. The danger of the quick sale mentality is that each sale can become very transactional. You can become so focused on the next customer that you forget to appreciate the one you already have. It’s simple to fix this. Take an extra minute and write a note of thanks. Want to be more “new school?” Record a personal note and thank them on video. Either way, make sure you take the time to bridge the appreciation gap in your business.
Be Consistent
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up every day. So many of us see inconsistency in our sales. It’s often because of inconsistency in our effort. We hustle hard and do the pro-active activities while we are slow (because we have time). This creates sales in our business, so we stop the pro-active hustle while we are tending to the business we created. Then we become slow again…and the cycle starts again. The key to consistent sales is keeping up the hustle while you are busy. It’s simple…just not easy.
These are 5 timeless rules of selling. This is NOT to say you should not embrace all of the new tools of brand building. You should. But don’t forget the foundation, or the whole operation will come tumbling down!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share with anyone who is in sales or building a business. If you want to check out all of our content, head over to our blog page.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 33 of the He Said/She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about the “new season” they are in. As they discuss, they went from full house to empty nest and back. How is that going? Listen in to find out!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Amy talks about some progress at the building. She updates us on the good news she shared last week…and what that means now. Kirby talks about the work to catch up after time on the road while trying to be pro-active too. It’s a challenge right now!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk about the complaining and how it is taking over our culture. Kirby even “tells on himself” about a thing he was complaining about that he wasn’t even aware of…and how he has changed it!
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Kirby and Amy talk about the Coshocton County Transportation improvements that were recently announced in Coshocton. In addition, Kirby talks about Brad Fuller’s new podcast called “A Fuller Life.” You can find that here!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
by Kirby Hasseman
With the launch of my new book “The Give First Economy,” I reached out to several of my friends and peers that do podcasting and content to see if they could help me out. It’s always a vulnerable email to send out that says “please help me.” So I was humbled and honored that several people were kind enough to take me up on the offer. What was really cool was that each of these conversations, while they covered similar topics, were very different in tone and content.
That’s what happens when you are interviewed by professionals. They all have their own view, tone and vision for interviewing. Here are a few podcasts that were kind enough to have me.
Skucast with Bobby Lehew
Bobby Lehew is one of the most cerebral people in the Promotional Industry. He is an extremely well-read and thoughtful interviewer. Bobby wanted to dig into part 2 of the book first, and then chat about “giving first.” He even shared his own experience with getting too caught up in the chaos and the need to incorporate some meditation as a practice in your life. Listen to that conversation here.
So You’re In Sales with Roger Burnett
Roger is a believer in the “give first” philosophy and has created a business model around it. Roger dug right in on the concept of the book and wanted to unpack the idea that we have an “Appreciation Gap” in most organizations. Listen in to Roger and I here.
Clone Yourself with Sam Kabert
Sam Kabert is another friend of mine in the Promo Industry and is known for his SWAG Sam personality. But Sam has also become an expert in getting more done through the use of Virtual Assistants and speaks about that all over (he has even written a book about it). Sam and I have a pretty soulful conversation about the ins and outs of getting more done…but being more fulfilled and happy. Sam wants to go deep in his interviews and he does a great job drawing that out. Listen to that conversation here.
There are some more great conversations coming up soon and I will share those as well. But the book has done well (so far), in no small part to these amazing and gracious people that have been willing to have me on their podcasts…and lead a conversation. I so appreciate them “giving first” in this way.
If you want to keep up with all of the content on our site, please check out our blog page. We keep nearly all of the content we create in that one place.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 32 of the He Said/She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy decided that they would be tone deaf if they did not talk about the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and the crash that took nine lives. They discuss what they took away from the tragedy and how to move forward.
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Amy give some GOOD news at the building. We have been waiting for this one. Listen in as she talks about a big step forward. Kirby talks about a month of travel, a quick update about his new book and how he is getting back in the swing of things at the office.
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy make it simple. Life is short. We don’t know what is next. Reach out. Say the nice thing. Live for today.
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Kirby and Amy talk about the Hometown Takeover with HGTV and the work the Coshocton Port Authority and others are doing to work in the community. How can you take part? Listen in!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 32 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
by Kirby Hasseman
I recently made a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for the annual PPAI Expo. (You can watch a video of me doing the whole trip in 3 minutes here). The PPAI Expo is the largest trade show for the Promotional and Marketing world. Tens of thousands of marketing professionals come from all over the world to descend on Las Vegas for a week of networking, parties, meetings and new products. I enjoy going out each year to reconnect with friends and to see what the latest and greatest new products are going to be.
At the PPAI Expo, you tend to see what the trends are going to be…before they are trends.
Usually the trend is a really cool product category, or a specific product that might be a fad. But the trend I noticed this year was not a product and (hopefully) not a fad. This year, the trend I saw was “Promotions with a Purpose.”
Promotions with a Purpose
Nearly every booth I attended had a product with a “give back” component to it. What does that mean? It means that many companies in the Promo industry are either creating products or partnering with brands that have created products that give back a portion of their proceeds to help others. I have often said that the Power of Promo is that it affects human behavior. Combining this “super power” with the idea of a giving component can have amazing impact.
Take for example Basecamp, a brand that partners with Promotional Products Supplier Sweda, to donate proceeds to help members of our Wounded Warrior Community heal. I had the opportunity to see Dan Nevins speak, and his story and his impact is powerful.
Or what about MIIR? Promotional Supplier Gemline is partnering with this brand that is dedicated to bringing clean water to areas in need. These are just a few…the give back component was everywhere.
This idea of Promotions with a Purpose is exciting to me because I think it highlights something that our media (and industry) does well. Promotional Products have a history of impacting the non-profit world. From fundraiser gifts to 5K’s, promo can help you grow the impact of a cause. With this newest trend with suppliers (and the PromoCares initiative) we are suddenly doing a much better job of telling that story.
So what does that mean for you? It’s simple. If you want to create a marketing campaign that has both an impact to your awareness AND to the community, you can. Let us know if we can help.
If you want to learn more about us, you can head here. And if you want to make sure you never miss any of our content, check out out blog page now.
