Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Sales Joke of the Day (March 12) Self-Promotion.

The used car salesman was always looking for new and different ways to get his name out in front of his buying public.  So when an advertising salesman offered him the opportunity of putting his face and business card on every shopping cart of the largest supermarket in town, he couldn't resist.


Fully a year went by before any calls came in from the shopping cart ads.  But then one day the phone rang.


"Bob, Bob Smith?" the caller asked.


"That's right," the used car salesman replied,   "For deals on wheels call Bob Smith.   You've got him now.  How can I help you today?"


"Yes," the voice said.  "One of your shopping carts is in my yard, practically on my front porch, and I want you to come and get it right away."


Moral of the story.   True sales professionals know that not all advertising is good advertising.  Make sure, before placing any ads to boost your personal brand, that you're buying access to the audience you want.  Know your target market and then purchase advertising that aligns with that target market and has a proven history of producing results.   Next, make sure you have the capacity on hand to handle the response.   The only thing worse than running a bad advertising campaign, is running a great advertising campaign but not having the product on hand to satisfy demand.   In this scenario, not only have you let business walk out the door, but you've probably alienated potential customers even before they've had the chance to buy anything from you.


"The final key to the way I promote is bravado.  I play to people's fantasies.  People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do.  That's why a little hyperbole never hurts."         -  Donald Trump