TREATMENT BUSINESS

Lots of things get in the way of winning a sale. You’ve probably heard things like: “Our company doesn’t have budget now,” or “We’re doing just fine with our current solution,” or perhaps even, “Nope. Not interested.”

But sometimes the person you’re talking to will bring up objections that are not necessarily business related. These issues are signals that something is bothering the individual on a personal level, that your solution will have a negative impact on him or her in some way. Put yourself in your contact’s shoes and plug one of the following issues into the statement below.

“Your company’s solution makes me feel like I will have  in the organization.”

• Less power, control, credibility, or security
• A decrease of personal productivity or responsibility
• Trouble being seen as a problem solver
• A lack of recognition
• Loss of self-esteem or status as a top-performer
• Less leisure time or time with my family

Left unaddressed, these concerns will derail your opportunity. Ask questions to find out why your contact is hesitant such as:

“There seems to be hesitation in moving forward with our solution. Are there any issues we have not addressed?”

A cautionary note though. When questioning, use “why” sparingly. You are trying to understand the customer’s concept, but you don’t want to come across as interrogative or judgmental. The last thing you want is to give your customer the message that his concept is invalid or that he has no good reason for his opinion.

Once uncovered, demonstrate how your solution can have a positive impact on them.

This article was originally published in Miller Heiman’s Sales Performance Tips.

Commercial freezers are very beneficial to restaurants and other food service businesses due to, amongst other factors, their size. The problem many businesses face when buying one is knowing exactly what kind they need. When looking to buy such a freezer, there are many factors you need to consider. Below is a buying guide to help you with your purchase.

What you must first decide before anything else is to find out exactly what type of commercial freezer your business needs. You must decide whether you need a chest freezer, a walk-in freezer, a glass door freezer, a countertop freezer, or any other type of freezer. There are so many different models available on the market today, it can be difficult knowing which model will serve your needs best.

Once you have decided upon a style of freezer, you must then work out your maximum budget for purchasing. Buying a commercial freezer is the same as buying many items in the fact that you will get what you pay for. If you have a low budget and want to go for the cheapest option, then you may have to overcome problems that may not be apparent with more expensive models, these problems could be power inefficiency, a limited manufacturers warranty and a less reliable product.

When handing over such a large amount of money for a commercial freezer, it is advisable to find a company you can trust. As with all electronic products in most countries, the company must provide a guaranteed returns period and this is no exception with commercial freezers. Along with the returns period, the freezer should be provided with a manufacturers warranty period which can possibly be extended by the company for an extra fee.

Once you know exactly what you want and how much you are willing to pay, plus you also have an idea of the more common businesses that offer these products, now comes the research. You need to spend some time finding out about the businesses you have in mind and try to find out some reliable feedback from previous customers either on the internet or by speaking to other businesses in your area.

Custom bobble head dolls have been around for a long time – over a hundred and seventy years, actually. The very first reference to wobbly headed figurines was made by author Nikolai Gogol back in 1842. In his short story, The Overcoat, he described the main character’s neck as “like the necks of plaster cats which wag their heads”. Modern custom wagging head dolls then came into the picture in 1950.

Some people think that for custom wobbling headed dolls to be successful, they have to be patterned after athletes. After all it was Major League Baseball who popularized the use of bobble head dolls back in 1960. But to know for sure if it’s true that all the famous custom bobble heads are patterned after athletes, let’s take a look at some of the more famous custom figurines with wobbling heads throughout history:

1. Major League Baseball players
MLB started the trend of using them to promote their players and teams. In the World Series of 1960, they made several custom bobble head figurines of players like Willie Mays, Roger Maris, Roberto Clemente and Mickey Mantle. MLB continued with this trend and in 1999, the San Francisco Giants distributed 35,000 custom bobble heads of Willie Mays at a game.

2. The Beatles
The Beatles was very popular during 1960′s and manufacturers took advantage of this by producing bobble head dolls in their image. These customized figurines are considered to be among the most famous of all time. In fact, it’s still a widely sought after collectible.

3. Fruity Yummy Mummy and Fruit Brute
They are the mascots of popular cereals. Fruit Brute was introduced back in 1974 and Fruity Yummy Mummy was introduced in 1987. They were both discontinued but due to its popularity, you can still see official merchandise of these mascots in the form of bobbing head dolls.

4. Yo Quiero Taco Bell
This was a commercial that led to the pop-culture phenomenon known as Gidget the Chihuahua. Bobble head dolls were available for purchase or as prizes to promote Gidget and Taco Bell.

5. Jack Kerouac
He is an American novelist and poet best known for the “Beat Generation”.

6. James D. Watson
He is a molecular biologist with a Nobel Prize tucked under his belt. He is one of the scientists that you can see in bobble head form with another one being Albert Einstein.

7. Shaquille O’Neal
This larger than life basketball player helped a minor league hockey team attract 18,626 fans to their arena. Well, it’s not him per se but his custom wobbling head atop his custom figurine.

So you probably see the diversity custom designed dolls have to offer. You don’t have to be a baseball or basketball player in order to take advantage of this very effective promotional tool. You don’t even have to use a pattern for a human being. You can just make a batch for your mascot and it will do the trick. They do share one thing though – great quality. So approach a very reliable manufacturer of custom bobble heads to make sure that they will work to your advantage.

Advertising is a way of life. Every business needs to promote itself. But because our media is saturated with ads, it can be difficult to produce something which works. If you run a restaurant you want customers through the door every time you open. So what are the essential ingredients which help you produce those winning ads?

* One theme
* Tell them what you can offer them – in detail.
* Specials
* Details

If you try and be something to everyone you will lose your message in the busy detail. Select one theme or one idea about your restaurant and promote that angle. Let’s say it’s seafood or family dining or a romantic setting or whatever. Push your unique slant and that is the image which will stick with your potential customers.

If you want to grab attention, having a special is a winning idea. If you are offering something for nothing, the word ‘free’ is like a magnet to most readers or listeners. It could be two meals for the price of one or a free first drink. Specials are tools which pay dividends.

If your ad doesn’t have your easy to find details you have wasted your money. Let’s say you run an ad in your local paper. You include a photo of your restaurant and use enticing descriptions of your fabulous food. Wow, that all looks good so how do I book? Make sure your details are easy to find. And a phone number is essential.

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but don’t be afraid to study the ads of restaurants which draw many diners. What are they doing that makes them so successful? If it works for them, it can work for you.