Get Stuck in your Prospects Head like Hall & Oates

The last three days I can't get this song out of my head.  Specifically?  Private Eyes by Hall & Oates.  Just three lines.  Over and over and over again.  Humming it, tapping it, singing harmonies in the shower.  

Don't you hate when that happens?!  Or...do you love it?  Maybe your stuck tune is pretty catchy.  Perhaps it puts a smile on your face or a pep in your step.  

As salespeople, we'd give anything to be that catchy tune in our prospect's head.  We dream about our prospects dreaming about us.  Going to bed at night and waking up thinking about us solving their problem.  

So...how can we?  Ya know, get stuck in their head.  Here are four suggestions: 

1. Be Consistent.  Make sure they're hearing your tune on a regular basis.  Do you have a newsletter?  Are you posting on social media?  How about PICKING UP YOUR PHONE?  You have to be doing something to drive awareness (TOMA!).  Just like a song, if they never hear ya, they'll never be singing about you. 
2. Understand your Audience.  Not just what their pain points are, but what makes them tick.  What's important to them?  What are they thinking about?  If you can get to the root of why you're there and why you can help them, you'll uncover something powerful enough to make them think about you (and your solution) for days.  So - ASK (GOOD) QUESTIONS! 
3. Power Phrases.  Lyricists and songwriters know tricks with repetition, patterns, and phrasing to make a tune catchy.  You too have the power to phrase the benefits of your offering in a certain memorable way; things should have a certain cadence to help your message resonate.  I'm not talking cheesy jingles here; a classic example is Martin Luther King's speech (he said it 11 times).  If you like this idea, here is an excellent recent article on the topic of repetition in music. 
4. Tell a Story.  Painting a beautiful picture worth a 1,000 words can tattoo a memory onto anyone's brain.  What story can you tell (well) about your product/service?  Do you have several stories?  Write them down and include some specific details.  Practice telling the story to friends/family so you can tell it with passion and enthusiasm when you're "in the moment".    

Next Steps?  Take action!  

1. Pick a media outlet, Pick up the Phone.  Execute! 
2. Write down 10 open-ended questions you should ask on every meeting.
3. Work on some power phrases or something with repetition of letters/words.  Email me your phrase(s) and I'm happy to help brainstorm. 
4. Be able to tell a before/after success story about one of your clients. 

Have a question or thought?  Write me at salesdrummer@gmail.com.  Good Luck & Happy Selling!

June 2013 Newsletter

Good afternoon, happy Thursday! 

Thanks for visiting - this is the first installment of my new blog - super excited!  

Below is my monthly newsletter I've been doing for a couple years - enjoy! 

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Hello again to my friends, colleagues, clients, and business partners.  I am very fortunate to be out every day networking with an eclectic group of people.  I’m always interested to hear about what others are reading about, listening to, watching, or just flat-out DOING. 

With that in mind, this monthly digest (and TWITTER account) shares the latest Chicagoland findings, music I’ve enjoyed, new ideas I’ve been exposed to, the latest in the world of Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group, as well as other things that may be of interest to you or someone you know.  Thank you for your recommendations and thoughts, as well as taking time out to enjoy it.

Featured Charity

ATTENTION BIKERS!  Whether you prefer a bicycle or a motorcycle, I have something for you…

1. A Giving Heart Foundation, a 501c3 “dedicated to saving lives of children with congenital heart disease” is raffling off a 2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback.  Tickets are $50 each and they are only selling 1,000 tickets total (drawing on July 15^th).Check it out and buy a ticket (or increase my odds by refraining…)!
2. Bike4Life – next Tuesday, June 25^th there is an event for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.  I am trying to help them sell 10 tickets ($30 – food & drink for 3 hours).  Take a look and write me back about getting your ticket – thanks for your support! 

Featured Business Partner

JJR Marketing is a full-service, award-winning marketing and public relations agency.  Their integrated approach harnesses the power of your marketing to create leads, increase sales, drive digital traffic, and tap into new markets to make things happen. JJR’s founder, Jacqueline Camacho Ruiz, has published her 2^nd book; a new memoir, The Fig Factor, about embracing life’s big sky possibilities, even amidst our greatest struggles.  In this beautifully written memoir, Jackie shows us how to find more in every moment of living through love, awareness, forgiveness, gratitude, and more.

Human Resources & Business

• Have you been considering a new business card design?  Are you a solo-preneur and trying to stand-out in a crowd?  Read this article for some quick, thoughtful tips & ideas (including 5 great sites to get them printed). 

Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group

• Precision Payroll – I’m excited to share the launch of our new website.  Please take a click onto the NEW SITE!

• Sales Empowerment Group – here is a recent article discussing all of our programs at SEG – exciting growth ahead!

Web

• How many times do you think you could clap in a minute?  Ok, now just watch this guy…absolutely ridiculous. 

• Like many children, I used to pretend the carpet was a lagoon with alligators or steaming hot lava, and then proceed to death-defyingly jump from couch to end table to fireplace, etc. – skillfully navigating the obstacle course.  This guy kicks it up a notch using just his bike. 

Chicagoland

• Retired, but not yet forgotten, Brian Urlacher has been the man here in Chicago for a while.  This article has some clips highlighting his best plays as a Bear. 

Music

• I hope to pass some level of musical prowess on to my unborn child.  This video is about as cute as it gets as this little boy belts out a Beatles classic with his dad. 

• This one time, at a band concert in 5^th grade, I had to get in front of about 200 people and recite the lyrics to Little Drummer Boy – including each delicate “Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum” after each line.  I was mortified, and unknowingly happy that Youtube had not yet been invented.  This poor kid however was on camera for a related but more embarrassing moment, but recovers brilliantly.   

Quotes

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. – Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. – Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in. – Arlo Guthrie (1947 - )

I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out. – Rodney Dangerfield (1921 - 2004)

I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and found something of value for yourself or someone you know.   Again, I appreciate your recommendations, thoughts, and referrals that so many of you have shared with me.  GO HAWKS!