The Good Ole Boy Network

You've heard of the Good Ole Boy Network, right?

You know the group of people that buy from each other because they have all been friends for years. The good ole boys can be a difficult group to sell to.

But why is it so hard? Surely they can tell you have better prices and service, right?

The truth - People like to buy from their friends.

Even when the competition might have a better price or service, people still like to buy from their friends.

So how do you sell to the good ole boys?

Make Friends!!

Sales people know this. That's why companies spend millions of dollars trying to entertain new and existing customers and sales people are trained to build rapport with prospects by asking questions.

But how do you get into a business where there is already a friendship established? How do you become better friends with your prospect than your competition so you might at least get a fair chance at future business?

It's not easy. And it takes lots of time.

When you start to build a business friendship, become a friend first. Don't worry about the sale. Offer to help the prospect. Talk in terms of them. Provide them with information and ideas that will pad his wallet, not yours.

Also, find out where you can talk to this person outside of the business relationship. If you swing by a prospect's office, they will usually be too busy working and taking care of their own business to make time for you. Find out where they hang out after work and go there.

Ask a lot of questions, but be sincere. People love to talk about themselves. All you need to learn are the best questions to ask. When you meet the prospect, ask questions about what they like to do. Do they like football, water skiing, or ice hockey? What is their favorite sports team? Do they have kids? Grandkids? Try to find common ground and something interesting you can both talk about. Make a genuine friend.

Once you have become friendly with the prospect, ask for a lunch meeting where you can talk about their business. Bring more ideas for their company that might help them profit. Bring a sales lead. Bring a potential customer for them to the lunch meeting. Bring value.

There is one thing to be careful of. Some prospects are so loyal to your competition you will never be able to break the bond. If this is the case, the best idea is to find their biggest competitor and call on them.

Implementing the ideas above will help you start breaking the barrier into the good ole boy network. Once you're in, you can start building loyal customers and true friendships that will make your competition disappear.

Good Luck!!

John

Top 5 Ways to Get Your Work Done, Today!

Almost everyone complains about being to busy and not having enough time to get their work done. Below are the top 5 actions to take each day to get your work done, today!

1. Write a to-do list on a post-it-note in the morning. Keep it attached to your cell phone so you see it several times a day.

2. Wake up thirty minutes earlier.

3. Avoid office talk about the big game, politics, and last night's TV show.

4. Don't waste time on projects that aren't worth doing.

5. Treat today like the day before you leave to go on vacation. Everything will get done!

ExMark Zero-Turn Mowers

With all the rain received recently, your grass will be growing out of control soon. If you have large acreage to maintain, you could be dreading giving up a full day to mow your yard.

Of course, it doesn't have to be that way.

Exmark's line of zero-turn riding lawnmowers can all cut several acres per hour, drastically reducing the time to mow your property.

In addition to increased mowing capabilities, these units are FUN to operate and have reduced maintenance costs when compared to other riding units.

If you have a large property to maintain I urge you to talk to David, our equipment store manager, about setting up a demonstration. David can be reached at 432-682-0778.

If you would like to SPOTLIGHT your product or business, please email me at johnreinert@benmarksupply.com