Quick Tip to Help Increase Your Sales

Guest Blogger: Chip Eichelberger, CSP, Founder, GetSwitchedOn.com

You have heard it said that everyone likes to buy but no one wants to be sold. Make it easier for people to buy and justify their purchase with this simple concept. Doing so will help you quickly increase your sales.


Try to never let the price/investment be the first number that comes up in the conversation.

In my business for example, it is common to get a request to see if I am available for a specific date and to inquire about my fee. I never reply with simply a yes/no and the price. I want to make sure to set up a call so I can ask questions to get information to properly frame the way they look at investing in me speaking at their event. I want to be a true partner and not just a “rental speaker.”

I am not the low-cost provider in my industry. Some meeting planners are inexperienced and will get surprised when they hear how much a seasoned professional speaker costs. Framing the conversation is essential. This happens by asking questions to identify their key numbers: total sales of the company last year, what percentage increase in sales their goal is for this year, how many and who specifically is attending, and why this event is so important.

If the company does $330 million in sales and the event is attended by their top-tier salespeople, responsible for 74% of their overall sales, my fee is MINISCULE compared to all that!

I am a big BOSE fan. I own the QuietComfort noise cancellation ear buds and the Revolve Speaker for when I play golf. I fly more than most, usually about 150,000 miles annually. In many of the airports BOSE had a kiosk selling their products. If you stop by and ask the price and they say $249 for the QuietComfort noise cancellation ear buds you might say “yikes.” If, however, you ran into a professional BOSE representative, he or she would say, “Let me ask you a few questions first.” “How often do you fly? Wow, that is a lot. Every week! How many hours do you think you are in the air each month? Amazing! Over 30 hours a month or well over 300 hours a year! That is 1500 hours in the next five years on a plane in that loud, often disturbing, cabin. These noise cancellation earbuds will make every hour quieter, every song and movie sound much better. It is also much better for your hearing long term. How much do you spend on airfare in a year? Wow, over $20,000!”

Then, the professional would say, “I have good news! The BOSE QuietComfort earbuds are the best in the industry and they are only $249. Would you like them in white or black?”

Once properly framed, making the investment in yourself to buy now is easily justified and exciting. You will now fly with more comfort, quiet and enjoyment. I have had mine for years and they are the bomb! I like them much better than the over-the-ear version because of comfort. I have flown a few times to Australia for events and had the earbuds in for 12 hours continuously without a problem.

Asking some key questions before the price/investment comes up can make the rest of the conversation much easier to create a buying atmosphere. Adopt this strategy to your business model and help your customers justify their investment in your product.

To hear more sales strategies from Chip, attend PMA’s Sales & Marketing Summit on September 26-28, 2018 in Nashville. Learn more about this event here.

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