Introduction...
Chances are you've already heard the current hoopla about niche marketing. You know that at every turn you are reading about the importance of selling to a specific niche.
The truth is, all marketing is niche marketing. Ask anyone who sells products or services offline and they are likely to tell you that what works to make a sale to one person might not necessarily work for another.
The problem with most people who want to start a business online, is that they have no basic sales background. Not all, but in my experience the majority of folks have no concept of "the anatomy of making a sale."
If you understand what it takes to make a sale offline, it's a much easier leap to selling online. Make that transition and the next (selling to niches) will come much easier.
The purpose of this eBook is to help you understand good, old-fashioned sales techniques that have worked since the days of King Solomon. And, one never needs to sacrifice principles and integrity to make those sales.
Learn the "basics" and when we move into the "niche marketing section," you will see just how simple it can be.
Why should you listen to what I have to say? Because I've "been there and done that" and have also taught others to do the same.
I served within the Better Business Bureau system for upwards of 15 years as Vice President of Membership
Development for the Better Business Bureau of New Mexico and Regional Manager for the National Council of Better
Business Bureaus in Washington, D.C.
After leaving the non-profit arena, my experience led to the field of small business promotion and advertising. I accepted the challenge of advertising director for a small, start-up, community newspaper in here in my local area.
In six months the paper grew from a bi-weekly to a weekly publication, increasing revenues by over 400%!
The principles I outline are the same that I have used in training hundreds of outside sales reps. Put them to work and they will help you too.
Let's get to it, shall we?
Table of Contents
Disclaimer 2
Introduction ... 3
Getting Started ... 7
How to define your product 7
How to define your market 10
Finding A Niche ... 13
Easier Said Than Done 13
Define A Niche 13
Selling To Businesses 15
Now what? 15
The more you know, the higher the closure rate. 15
Ready, Aim ... Get Ready To Fire! 18
Using Offline Sales Techniques ... 19
Begin at the beginning 19
The ten pound telephone 20
The presentation 22
Here's the six-step system: 23
Buyer Styles 35
Identifying Buyer Styles 35
Sell How The Buyer Wants To Be Sold 38
Buyer Styles and Niches 41
About Niches 62
Adapting to the Internet 62
Powerful Emotional Triggers 63
Putting It All Together 70
Let's do a little review 70
6 Step System + Buyer Style + Niche = Profit 71
6 Step System for Expressive Buyer Style 73
6 Step System for Driver Buyer Style 76
6 Step System for Amiable Buyer Style 79
6 Step System for Analytical Buyer Style 82
Summary 85
Complete Message for Expressive Buyer Style 87
Complete Message for Driver Buyer Style 89
Complete Message for Amiable Buyer Style 91
Complete Message for Analytical Buyer Style 93
Getting Started...
How to define your product
Let's assume that you do not have a product to sell and want to create your own eBook to sell online. Where do you begin?
Pull out 3 sheets of paper. On the first sheet enter the numbers 1, on the second sheet, number 2 and the third sheet, 3. At the top of each numbered sheet enter the following:
1. Things I enjoy doing.
2. Jobs that I have had.
3. Specific skills that I have.
Beneath each of those titles, list everything that you can think of that applies to that particular phrase. Don't spend a lot of time and enter the first things that comes to mind.
Some examples might be:
1. Things I enjoy doing:
gardening (vegetables or flowers)
sewing (what do you sew?)
sports (tennis, soccer, etc. be specific)
going to the movies (what kind of movies?)
camping (where do you camp?)
shopping (for what?)
travel (where?)
volunteer work (where, how)
2. Jobs that I have had.
delivering newspapers waiter or waitressing delivery person admin assistant sales clerk truck driver manufacturing sales rep volunteer worker
3. Skills that I have:
mechanical aptitude computer skills quick learner communication skills good cook common sense self-reliant
Set aside your lists for at least 24 hours. During that time, if you think of anything else that needs to be listed on the pages, go ahead and do that, but otherwise let them sit for at least a day.
Let me emphasize the importance of not trying to cram all this activity into one session. Merely taking the time to create these lists jump starts the subconscious mind to begin activating memories. This is why I mentioned to go ahead and add to the lists over the next 24 hours. It will happen.
You can't stop it.
Okay, after 24 hours go ahead and pull out the Number One
List (things I enjoy doing). Your next exercise is to prioritize the list. Take some time to really study what you have listed there then rank the list numerically with Number 1 being the highest priority, Number 2 the second highest and so on.
When you begin to write, let it come naturally and don't dwell too long on an item.
Now set that list aside and pull out Number 2--Jobs That I
Have Had. Do the same as you did with the first list, ranking the jobs by the one you enjoyed most--Number 1 and so on.
When you have that list prioritized, move on.
Next pull out the Number 3 list and do the same, prioritizing your greatest strengths beginning with Number 1 and so forth.
Now, before putting the lists away for another 24 hours, you need to take three new sheets of paper. At the top of
Number 1, again write Things I Enjoy doing. Beneath that, write the first three items in order of priority that you listed on the first sheet.
Do the same for each additional list. You should now have three NEW lists with the appropriate heading and listing the top three by priority for each category.
What we are doing is getting the information locked in your head, down on paper in a cognitive format so that you can begin to take action.
Study these new lists and see if you find similarities among them. Look for any consistency and make notes about it.
Wait your 24 hours.
Now take out each of your lists and create three new ones.
At the top of three new sheets, write the categories again, i.e. Things I Enjoy doing, and so on.
Take your three prioritized ranking lists and write each of them on the appropriate page, leaving about a third of the sheet below each one so that you have something like this:
1. Sheet One--Things I Enjoy Doing
Gardening
Sports
Travel
2. Sheet Two--Jobs I Have Had
Volunteer Worker
Gardening
Sales Clerk
3. Sheet Three--Skills That I Have
Quick Learner
Communication Skills
Computer Skills
Now take a very good look at your three sheets of paper.
You have the three sheets and each sheet reflects your priorities. Taking each of these priorities ask yourself "WHY" you ranked them the way you did? List all the reasons why beneath each item.
Up to this point, you have quite a set of information about yourself. You know three different things that you really like to do. You have a list of the three jobs that you have had and enjoyed working at them. Finally, you have a list of your top three skills.
Now it's time to begin some market research.
How to define your market
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