Coach's Corner
by Fred Albrecht
My friend and awesome sales executive, Don Johns from Cincinnati sent me a great question. "What do you say when someone asks you: "What would you say you do here?"
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| | Office Space - What Would You Say .. You Do Here? |
While "Office Space" made this skit an iconic answer to the question famously funny when the "Bobs" asked Tom what he did at Intertech, this is a great question. Every sales person in any industry needs that 30 second pitch to tell a prospect either by phone or in person what he or she does. So what is your "elevator pitch". A few years ago, I actually sat in a "Million Dollar Club" meeting at a Proforma convention where that subject came up. Everyone asked had their own version and honestly, more than half the room agreed they did not have that "pitch," but needed help formulating exactly what we do in a concise professional way. So here is my shot at it and this is how I answered Don: "I am a consultant in the promotional marketing business. I help companies and organizations promote their brand through the use of promotional advertising products, branded apparel, multi-media and commercial print." Thanks Don, for bringing up this great question, I think everyone should stop for a moment and "make it their own," change it, tweak it and if you want you can share it. Send me an email with your pitch, I would love to be able to post a few in future editions of the Albrecht Advantage. Learn and Earn more in 2015 Coach Fred
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 Miss Suzie apparently developed her "leadership skills" at a very young age. I am fortunate to call her my Boss, Partner and Best Friend!
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 Rock & Roll!
We continue to "Rock 'n Roll" at Proforma Albrecht & Co. we have had some awesome orders in the first two weeks of March.
 Ginny Pohl is back in the news with the largest order booked this month. As a follow up to complete "size runs" for her record order from last fall, Ginny's healthcare client ordered another 1490 RH55 and RH54 San Mar jackets, embroidered by 5 B's in Zanesville, Ohio. The total order came close to $71,000.00. By the way, a special "shout out" goes to 5 B's Embroidery for the fantastic job they did on this entire order. Believe me, I would not have asked for a better job than they have accomplished on this project and truly believe they are our ONLY decorator that could have produced these orders.(In fact several turned us down due to the size of the order and the number of stiches and locations). Give them a try, 5B's embroidery : John Kiles is our contact, phone number 740-454-6236. Great Job Ginny, your hard work and your diligence continues to pay off.
Marc Hinchman landed the great "reorder" for die cast replica cars, complete with the doors and hoods, printed through RMK Worldwide, ASI 80289. The total order comes to over $8800.00 for his financial client. Great order Marc!
 Judi Franer from Florida had a great order for 3000 CTR254 Trunk Organizers with can cooler from Continental Marketing, ASI 46420. The order for medical center is for close to $19,000.00. Congratulations to Judi.
Peggy Johns of Cincinnati relied on an "old staple" in the industry, the Microfoil Balloon, 3600 of them to be exact and that's a lot of "hot air". She completed the order with coiled ribbon attached to the balloon for a total of $6700.00 for a communications client. Boy will that be a "bulky" shipment, imagine shipping 3600 inflated balloons? Just kidding, actually believe it or not one of the many "customer service" calls I handled way back when I first started in the industry was from an end user who was complaining that they had to inflate the balloons"...that is a true story!
Mary Beth Nethery of Louisville, Ky just wrote me a great note showing the value of using Linked In to get a new client, but also how to keep in touch when her contacts leave one client and moves to a new position. Thanks for sharing your story, perfect timing too, I was literally in the middle of writing this article when her email popped in:
"Hi Fred,
I wanted to share a success story with you.
A friend of mine had allowed me to contact all of his LinkedIn contacts. One of his contacts responded to my message and I ended up selling him holiday gifts for their employees at a small construction company. He left that company last year and went to work at a larger construction company. He contacted me about providing a small order of embroidered shirts for he and his boss. It was a small order of nine shirts, last October. His boss wore one of the shirts to a regional meeting and received interest from people in their other offices, to order some. I worked with the office manager in their local office, who took orders from their six other offices. The order was completed last week for 105 embroidered shirts & jackets as well as 23 screen printed safety coats. The total of the two orders is $4807.98. My contact has already received a few add on items to be ordered and I provided seven SanMar catalogs (at her request), so each of their offices could have one on hand for future orders. You just never know when a contact leaves their job, what could happen in the future. It's all about building relationships that can continue through customer career changes. It's also goes to show that you never know what could come from a nine piece embroidery order, in the future.
Thank you and have a great day!"
Mary Beth Nethery
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Spec Samples - A Little Investment Goes a Long, Long Way!
What is more likely to influence a purchase decision? A picture of a prospective item??? Not so much - Any savvy consumer will want to examine a potential purchase for quality, etc before committing any of their hard-earned money.
This holds true when you're trying to sell promotional apparel.
One of the key differences with Trimark Powered by Leed's is not only the award-winning, retail-like product but also the innovative decoration. The allure of both the unique decoration techniques and superior garments (in finish details and fabric qualities) simply cannot easily be captured in a catalog or Web image. Potential customers need to see and feel the product to determine whether it's right for them - and that you're the right one to handle it for them.
This is where spec samples come into play. A spec sample is a pre-made version of a particular product that you use to show a customer, client or prospect what that product could look like with their customization added. They can touch the item, test its quality and see just how amazing our decoration looks on a finished garment.
Providing spec samples helps you to drive excitement in both existing and potential customers, which you can then turn into sales. Sometimes all it takes is a willingness to work outside your comfort zone. The customers that have utilized our spec sample program have seen incredible success! They are not only securing a sale but also solidifying their position as the "one to work with" for BRAND apparel and not just logo'd apparel.
Determine Your Need. Who are you selling to and what do they need? Use the answers to these questions to guide your decisions. Create samples of the products you are asked about most, and use them to demonstrate the quality and type of products you can deliver. This is especially important in apparel sales, as certain techniques work differently with a variety of colors and fabrics. Letting an end user touch and see the items themselves will make a believer out of anyone.
BE DIFFERENT. Using different locations and different methods other than the standard/typical embroidery will excite your customers. It may also provide an excellent solution for the end user who has a restricted budget but really wants something fresh and different. Our All-In decoration pricing, where all the methods are priced the same will make you a hero in their eyes.
You can offer them Deboss, Laser, True-Edge Transfer or Infusion all for the same price as the standard embroidery. It will also show the creativity that you can offer for their custom projects.
Remember Being Different is very powerful... Different means you are not forced to compete on price.
If you cater to different types of clientele, create a few different types of samples reflecting these styles. For example, you might want to have an upscale, conservative design to show corporate buyers and hoteliers, and a colorful - more eccentric style for the retail and more creative end user. Be careful not to use copyrighted logos and graphics for distribution without the owners' permission.
Upsell, Upsell, Upsell. Creating sample kits that show a whole line of products that reflect a specific theme can show your customer that you can fulfill their current need, plus many more they may not even be aware of. Say you make a sales call on a new prospect whom you believe is in need of promotional products.
Start by creating a spec sample that you can leave behind, one that will provide some value to the prospect and have their own label or name on it. This will ensure you make a lasting impression.
Once you get them excited, introduce them to your sample kit and see what draws their interest most. Show them an array of products that can help them promote their business and how good their brand can look when created using a variety of techniques. You'll get their own creative gears turning, while getting that much closer to your sale.
Now is a great time to start building your own sample sets.
Spec Samples can be purchased at 50% off Catalog EQP for the product (25% off for PUMA and Roots73). Full setup and running charges apply.
PRE-BUILT SAMPLES. If the thought of bringing in your own spec samples is too daunting at the moment, Trimark Powered by Leed's has built a total of 5 Sample Kit Options for you to choose from.
The kits include a variety of decoration examples. I have attached a flyer to review these in detail for you. Finally available is our sample of the Infusion process on the Sarek TShirt for only $10 NET. Also, Please take a moment to review the Cloud Technologies Kit - a fantastic value at $30 NET. If you have any questions, please reach out to us....
Best Regards,
Corey Cardinal
Field Sales Manager - Trimark Powered by Leed's
Polyconcept North America
400 Hunt Valley Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Phone: (800) 860-1555
Mobile: (248) 410-8690
CCardinal@TrimarkbyLeeds.com
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Click image for more information and interactive form to order your samples today!
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What do your customers think or say about you when you are not around?
What do your customers think or say about you when you are not around, the answer maybe closer than you think. Check out Brian Tracy's video. We all need to remind ourselves of the value we bring to our clients.I hope you've had a chance to read my "Taking Smart Risks" report. (If not, there's a link to read it below.) But first, I want to share with you a new way of thinking - about yourself. Your behavior and interactions with others are largely determined by the way YOU see yourself and think about yourself. Have you ever thought about this? The way you see and describe yourself has a HUGE impact on the way your customers think about you. So what does this have to do with sales? Everything. Watch "Self-Image: Your Key to Massive Sales Results," here. During this video, you learn:The ONE mindset shift you need to make NOW to dramatically increase your sales forever Where any improvement in your life begins - and the good news about where the control for this lies How you should think of and describe yourself when it comes to your job as a salesperson - you may be surprised that you should NOT think of yourself as a salesperson (really!) Why telling people you're not here to sell to them can actually boost your sales How to ensure your customers never buy from anyone else - even if there's a difference in price or terms Watch it now!If you're thinking of yourself as a salesperson, your prospects will think of you that way, too. It's time you discovered a more effective way to think of yourself - so your customers shift their perception, too, and can't wait to buy from you. To your success, Brian Tracy P.S. Remember, this single mindset shift could be the difference between mediocre and extraordinary - are you ready? P.P.S. Don't miss out on my special "Taking Smart Risks" report. This is one risk you can't afford not to take! Get it here. Home Personal Development Sales Training Business Training Time Management Leadership Contact Brian Tracy International 462 Stevens Ave Suite 305 Solana Beach, CA 92075 To order by phone or for customer support, call 1-858-436-7300 or email us at: support@briantracy.com.
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Reflective Piping Bags - an Exclusive Item from Prime
The reflective piping bags are an exclusive for Prime! There's a pretty interesting story on how the inventor came up with the idea. He was driving home late one night in Belgium and hit a pedestrian carrying their groceries. A few weeks later he came up with the idea to add reflective piping to bags. Since then it has been selling like crazy in Europe! We carry two stock bags and the custom capabilities are really a cool idea. I gave one to my daughter last year for Halloween and everyone wanted one. The best part was once someone would pull into the subdivision or light would hit her bag it would illuminate! It is the safest bag out there! It's great for grocery stores, schools, safety programs, insurance companies and many more! For samples, quotes or ideas please contact Joe Haddox. Joe Haddox JHaddox@primeline.com
Click on the image for a full 2 page PDF with complete details.
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If you would like to review any of our past issues, we now have them archived.
Click Here for the archive page. |
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