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Crelogix is proud to announce that Kathy Stoyka from Alliance Marine is the winner if the ipad promotion. More contests to come, thank you for your participation.
How To Master Business-To-Business Sales
 How To Master Business-To-Business Sales
Getting a handle on business-to-business sales can be the key to expanding and building wealth at your power products company. If you're not up to speed on the power of business-to-business transactions, we can provide some insight that will help you take advantage of upcoming opportunities. By definition, a B2B sale is a business agreement between a manufacturer and a wholesale dealership. This is in contrast to a typical, business-to-consumer, or B2C, relationship.
While you may buy all of your inventory ready-made from wholesalers, rather than assembling units at your retail outlet (from wholesale components), you may still be able to open up B2B streams of income through positive, non-traditional business relationships. Here are some examples of various ways the business-to-business transaction model can benefit your company:
Succeed By Stepping Into A Different Business Role
You need supplies to run your business effectively - key examples are uniforms, packaging, and office supplies. These are usually purchased through a B2B deal with a wholesale company. In turn, you may be of use to larger companies who wish to buy "bundles" of power products for their companies. To succeed at B2B business, think of ways to package and sell your end products so that they can be purchased in bulk to assist large corporations. For example, if you sell golf carts, step into the role of wholesaler by offering local golf courses discounts on large purchases of your machines.
A large corporation may be in the habit of dealing with the golf cart wholesaler, rather than going through a middleman (such as your business) - your job is to come up with a pitch that is so cost-effective and appealing that buyers will prefer to purchase through your company. Being local can be a huge advantage - you may be able to offer repairs and customer service that make your deal more attractive - even if you can't match a wholesaler's lowest price. Study local corporations and see how you can step into the wholesaler role by one-upping a typical wholesaler. With the right customer care and slick sales pitch, it can definitely be done.
Work On Your Current B2B Relationships
Without really realizing it, you may already be fulfilling the role of wholesaler to certain local businesses. By tracking your sales and making stronger connections with clients, you can learn more about who (or what company) you are really selling to. A great CRM (customer relationship management) software program can help. If your sales team is selling multiple items to clients, it will be good to know this at the outset. Then, you can learn more about the sale and how to boost your business relationship with that company. Hold a sales meeting and ask your staff if they've been doing larger sales with new or returning clients - collect all the information you can, and begin to nurture these possible B2B transactions. Each one can be a valuable asset to your company. Brainstorm with your team to find creative ways to reach out to other companies who might require lots of your products - examples might be factories or farms.
When You Buy Wholesale, Do Your Homework
We've role-played the "wholesaler" side of the business-to-business relationship - now, let's examine things from the other angle. When you step into the manufacturer role and seek out wholesale goods, the equation flips. You must ruthlessly seek out the lowest prices, the best guarantees, and most superior customer service. Settling for less can affect your operation and your bottom line.
If you don't feel you're getting the right deal on uniforms, office supplies, etc., ask for a meeting and explain your concerns. Wholesalers don't want to lose your business - therefore, they may be willing to revise terms and negotiate as needed. While you should always be honorable, you must still keep searching for better deals and asking for the most for the least...it's just smart B2B business. Set high expectations, no matter which role you are fulfilling in the business-to-business equation. |
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How To Use Precision Selling Techniques
 Learning new sales techniques can be an effective way of grabbing more market share at your power products business. The principles of precision selling can be developed to benefit your specific inventory - these concepts can then be passed on to your entire sales department. When you target customers with precision selling pitches, you will customize the selling process for each type of client or account. Utilizing this reliable selling technique will be easier once you learn to categorize each type of sales prospect into a particular segment.
Getting Started
Developing client (or large account) profiles is the key to mastering precision selling. You must examine the needs, wants, and past purchasing behaviors of your clientele. You should also develop profiles for sales leads (prospects), so you can better understand what they want before making an important pitch. Gather all available data about your clients or prospects, and then begin to categorize - create slots for male customers, female customers, corporate business-to-business accounts, etc. Look at the ages of your clients, their incomes, careers, addresses, purchasing histories...any information you have will help you plan out the right selling approach for each person or account. Precision selling is about considering every little detail, and adding personalization to each sales pitch.
Target Your Top 20
Once you've developed some client or account profiles, you'll probably notice that you have lots of information about your top five clients. You may know them well already, and have excellent rapport with them...but what about the other people on your list? They may not be as familiar to you, and you may be missing out on opportunities to strengthen your business relationships and get more sales.
Create a list of your top 20 clients and devise a plan for upping your market share, simply by precision selling to your top customers. Make a chart and map out the top 20, along with all of your profile information - then, sit down with your sales team and brainstorm some ideas for filling in the blanks. If you don't know exactly what clients do for a living, as well as where they live and what they want from your products, you can't precision sell.
Tips on collecting this vital information might include customer appreciation nights where you wine and dine your top 20, or simple follow-up phone calls after a sale. Other methods might include regular mail outs to your Top 20, complete with customer surveys in postage-paid return envelopes.
Get creative and reach out to your top clients. Learn more about every one of them - then, you'll be ready to alert them when the right merchandise comes into your store. You can pinpoint deals and products that really gel with their purchasing history, hobbies, and career. This is the essence of precision selling - and it really works.
Set Margins
It's good to have realistic, defined goals when you begin the process of precision selling. In general, shooting for increases of 10 to 20 percent across the board (for your top 20 clients) can be wise. Initiate follow-up calls, emails, and socializing events, and then track your results - have your sales team do the same. By targeting and tracking these important accounts, you can see the value of precision selling.
You will soon know if it's worth the time and effort. It may take a month or two to get things up and running - however, if the process nets out positively for your business, it can expanded to include the next 20 clients on the list, and so on... |
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Money-Saving Tips For Your Business
 Trimming costs is the key to maximizing your company's profits - with our money-saving tricks, you can get more out of your business. From reducing the costs of running an online retail outlet, to "freeware" software with extended trial periods...you can add value to your operation...sometimes without spending a single dime...
Here are five easy ways to reduce the cost of running your power products business:
Internet Auction Sites - Instead of running a pricey website that needs constant attention, consider outsourcing your retail shop front to a site like Ebay. Yes, there will be fees, rules, and regulations galore. However, you can still make this option pay off - if you're committed to learning the ins and outs of working the Ebay system. You can offer your products for sale and ship them wherever they need to go, without absorbing the costs of running your own storefront. Sometimes, finding clients online can be rough going - with Ebay, millions of regular users are already there, browsing around for what they want...and many of these people already live in your region or community.
Freeware or Shareware - You don't have to be an Internet "pirate" to get free software you can use to grow and operate your business. Thanks to websites like www.Download.com, you can legally test out a ton of free software. Sometimes, you'll only be allowed access to the download for a certain period of time. However, lengthy free trials are quite common. If you've been itching to try out some high-tech programs, hit a safe shareware site and look around. By getting the most out of freeware and shareware trials, you can give your business a boost without shelling out cash.
Use Secondhand Equipment At Your Office - You don't need to buy everything brand-new; often, choosing secondhand office equipment can be an excellent idea. For example, gently used ergonomic chairs and desks can be purchased for more than half off, and they still perform "like new" for your employees. Think about grabbing some used photocopiers or computer monitors as well - these items can be very expensive, and their value depreciates very fast.
Downsize Your Mailing List - Normally, downsizing a mailing list is counterproductive - but there are some key exceptions. For example, known non-responders who haven't appeared at your retail outlet in eons will be excellent candidates for deletion. Don't waste precious money on mail outs that don't have a chance of success. Instead, prune down your mailing list and save money. Once you've downsized, you can use your savings to create better direct mail marketing campaigns. Invest in fresh images, great copywriting, and attractive ink, paper and envelopes. Polish up your whole system and come out even by trimming the fat from your current database. |
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Balance Your Business Plan...
With In-House Financing
 Market research, customer care, and creative thinking are important elements in the continued success of your business. However, without the proper business setup, or infrastructure, you may not have the balanced business plan you need to attain your corporate goals.
At Crelogix, we are commited to helping Canadian businesses grow. When you partner with us, our appealing term financing solution will become a vital part of your entire business infrastructure. For over 30 years, we've helped to drive new business to the front doors of companies just like yours. But how does in-house financing work? Let us explain:
For years, we've offered our partners in-house financing that opens up efficient, affordable monthly payment options for their clients . By bringing everything you need right to your business, we allow you to finalize deals and cut through customer hesitation.
When you don't offer point-of-sale financing, you may lose out to competitors. Today, clients need to know that they can qualify for consumer loans right on your retail floor. People don't want to wait, and they don't want to go to their banks for loans - it's just too much hassle. As well, today's clientele have worries about using their credit cards for bigger purchases. If they can find a power products store that offers easy pre-approval for loans, they'll shop where that financing is available. If you don't have point-of-sale financing, people may walk out and reconsider their options.
Offering long-term monthly payment plans with affordable interest rates right at your place of business is also an excellent way to amp up your marketing campaigns - it instantly attracts new and returning customers. Your company will have everything it needs to grow and thrive when you partner with Crelogix - and we handle all loan administration. Our cost-effective services pay for themselves over time...
Today, extra income for luxuries is scarce. Payment plans provide safety nets that allow your clients to take leaps of faith and seal the deal for the power products they really want. Call Crelogix today to find out more... |
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Crelogix is Expanding
 In an effort to better serve our valued partner relationships, we are asking you, our readers to recommend an exceptional achiever to be part of our team at Crelogix Acceptance. We seek to recruit and select the most competent, industry knowledgeable and expert professionals in the Power Product sales industry. Do you know a independent sales agent, a regular provider of services or supplies to your shop, someone that you feel confident in recommending to us? We would like to hear from that candidate.
More details are available on our website or click on the link below.
http://www.crelogix.com/positions.aspx |
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Pierre Genest
Jason Leung
Lawrence Scott
