Category: Sales
Pending Business: Appointments, Test Drives and Weekends
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Ask a successful seller in the new car business. They will tell you how the percentage chance of closing a sale increases when a prospect goes for a test drive. Some automobile companies invest heavily in getting the prospect to test drive. The more expensive the car, the larger the investment in getting to the test drive.
Remember when luxury brands offered Bose headphones just for a test drive? The super premiums offer a whole other level of test drive experience. From celebrity chef prepared meals to world-class golf outings, it’s part of a proven approach to closing sales.
Pending Business: Checking In
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — This one may be more for the sales managers.
Your station gets a sales lead. Based on the system you have in place a quick conversation with the assigned seller is followed by a hand-off. The seller begins the sales process and at some point will come back with feedback. The sales process continues and barring any difficult negotiation, that new advertiser may never hear from a manager again, unless the seller requests it. Most likely not.
Pending Business: Is Radio Still the Frequency Medium?
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Do you remember this rule from basic sales training? Radio is a frequency medium. Radio is the more efficient way to deliver a message with high repetition to a qualified audience and for measurable results; your message needs to hit your target audience at least_____times.
How many times should a target consumer hear an audio message to generate response?
Pick a reasonable number that will trigger a purchase cycle, before the message becomes an irritant. Can’t find a number? You are not alone. I think the rules have changed faster than you realize.
Pending Business: The Feedback & Agreement of Sales
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — I think I may have missed the webinar.
The one that drills down on a sales technique, just like a “How To” YouTube video. Except this one sales technique in particular may have been presented a little out of context, yet brags about success.
Somebody somewhere must have force fed the “assumptive close” on innocent sellers around the country. I know because the assumptive close was forced into four different negotiations just this past week. Awkward! It went something like this: ”Can I put the schedule in to hold this package (rates) for you?” Whoa! Where did that come from? We didn’t authorize anything, here. The paperwork alone of cancel before start will take more time to unravel than my mortgage documents. And by the way, closing any deal should be organic, not manufactured or presented in an ambush email.
Pending Business: Rules
By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — This one is about disruption.
First it was “pioneer,” then “innovator,” which became “change-agent.” Now its “disruptor.”
Pioneer was all about accepting the arrows that are aimed at those who carve a path. Innovator was a more scientific approach that required documented proof of performance. Change-agent zeroed in on the mental focus and team impact of leading through change. My favorite is disruptor. Challenge the status quo and generate positive results.
