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Here's How To Sell Your DJ And/Or Wedding Related Services For Top Dollar!
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Introduction |
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Before we get started, I want to take this opportunity to say "thank you" for taking the time to read this information. It is distilled from over 19 years of experience in starting, operating and selling wedding and event businesses. With this information, I've been able to start businesss with little money, and build multimillion-dollar operations in a relatively short period of time. One thing I've always believed, and have taught to many of my students, is: "Information is like money. Accumulate it, and invest it wisely. It will provide for you the rest of your life." I'm proud to say that I'm an entrepreneur and sales has been my specialty for years. I opened my first wedding and event business when I was 20. Since then, I've owned and operated, managed, or consulted with several companies. I've sold photography, video, live bands, DJ entertainment, catering, flowers, and limousines, along with starting and operating a successful bridal mall, and producing trade and bridal shows. The information you're about to receive comes from the trenches and is based on trial, error and experience. It's not theory. It's what works in the real world, and it will help you skyrocket your profits if you apply it! Using these same techniques, I took one of my business from conception to $2 million dollars in annual gross sales in just under two years. To prove that the techniques worked, I sold that business, and used the same techniques with my next company. The results were extraordinary!Believe me, I'm no genius. If I can do it so can you. These are proven concepts. They are not magic, just common sense. Let's get you started! |
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SELLING IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS |
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In every training seminar I've ever held, I always open by asking one simple question.
You'd be surprised at the variety of answers. I have had students give answers like, "reputation", "quality product or service", "outstanding customer service", "a quality advertising plan", "good people" etc. Those are all true. Each successful business needs those qualities. BUT... the answer is much more basic than that. Before anything else, what is the one thing every business needs to succeed? CUSTOMERS!!! As simple as that answer is, I am here to tell you that in all of my years of training salespeople, and business owners, it is extremely rare for anyone to get that right on the first guess. You can have the best product, the most outstanding people, the finest customer service, and an absolutely stellar reputation, but if you have no customers, you are wasting your time. That is an obvious statement, but it bears saying. That simple statement should be tattooed on every small and medium sized business owner in America. Many entrepreneurs get so involved with the philosophy of being in business for oneself, that they lose that focus. Don't ever do that. It will mean the beginning of the end of your business. Selling is the first skill you must master in order to have any real, long term success in business. If you do not believe that, ask yourself one question. "If I landed a $5 million dollar account tomorrow, could I find qualified people to help me operate the business, and produce the product or service?" You'd better believe you could. Now ask yourself this question, "If I had quality people, would that get me a $5 million dollar contact?" Not if none of those people are in sales. Quality operations people are all over. If you have the business, you can get the people. Many entrepreneurs consider themselves craftsman or the like. They feel that sales is beneath them. It is something someone else does. If that is what you really think, then remember, some of the wealthiest people in the world are sales people. It was not below them to learn selling. It can be all the difference in the world for you. Even if you feel that sales is not something you wish to do yourself, you must understand it thoroughly, so that you can hire the right people. If you don't, then finding someone to do it for you can be disastrous. In order to begin this process, it is necessary to do some analysis. Starting and operating a successful business is not mysterious. It is not only for the Bill Gates and Ted Turners of the world. You CAN do it, but first you must be prepared for some homework. In this book, I will ask you to do some self-reflection. In order to be successful you must understand. Understand your customer, product or service, your business, and most importantly, yourself. Every person has strengths and weaknesses. The key to success is to understand those qualities, play to your strengths, and, either improve your weaknesses, or get help to manage them. Never let your ego control your decisions. Understand yourself and manage accordingly. There is a word for people who let egos control their business decisions..........bankrupt. |
SALES AND MARKETING? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?? |
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Throughout this book I will refer to sales and marketing as two separate entities. Many entrepreneurs do not understand that there is a significant difference between the two, and in order to be successful you must understand both. Marketing In any business marketing comes first. Marketing, in its most basic form, is dealing with a larger group of potential customers. When an entrepreneur begins to create a marketing plan, many times it's an overwhelming feeling, because it can usually be very expensive and involves a great deal of potential risk. This does not have to be the case. Most new small business people think that a marketing plan involves larger venues like television and radio advertising, large print ads or huge mass mailings. Certainly these are examples of marketing campaigns. But, marketing also includes something as inexpensive as a sign outside your storefront, or a very targeted telemarketing campaign. The best marketing programs are efficient, relatively inexpensive, and, most importantly, should produce predictable, controllable results. Later in this book we will illustrate the best way to produce a marketing plan that delivers all of those features. Sales Sales should always follow your marketing plan. The idea behind a successful marketing and sales program is that marketing brings the prospect to the door, and sales makes them a customer. Sales involve approaching, meeting, presenting and closing the individual customer. With sales you will deal with people on a one to one basis. For me, this has always been my favorite part of the process. Sales involves one part enthusiasm, one part technician, one part showman, one part expert and one part trusted friend. It does not involve a lot of fast-talking, shoot from the hip wheeling and dealing. An effective sales presentation must be well thought out and rehearsed. Many sales representatives get in front of a client and say the first things that fall from their mouths. There is no logic or process to their presentation. It's all flash over substance, and these people cannot understand why they fail. Later in this book we will take a very close look at the sales process. We will build a presentation that works, show you how to lead your prospect down the path to the sale. For now just remember marketing and sales this way. Marketing deals with the consumer. Sales deals with the customer.
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