What follows is an exception:
Early last year an automobile sales representative who is located in a large North American city, asked me how he could find more sales prospects and sell more cars. He said that he was tired of spending huge amounts of time at the dealership along with his fellow sales reps with everyone waiting to pounce on the next prospect through the door. I asked him to give me a day or two to think about it and I'll get back to him. Here's what I suggested to him:
Contact local tow truck operators and ask them to call you on your cell just before they go out to an auto breakdown (a breakdown - NOT an accident). I suggested he tell the tow truck operators to call ONLY when the vehicle in question is at least 3 years old. Also, when they call they are to give you the make and model of the vehicle as well as the year and of course the location of the vehicle breakdown. Offer to pay the tow truck operator $5.00 for each lead which is an any easy way for them to earn cash for making a 1 minute call to you. I told the rep that when he gets the call to rush over to the breakdown site, introduce himself to the owner of the broken down vehicle and ask if the vehicle owner and his/her passengers would like a FREE drive in his late model demonstrator to the repair shop, thereby, saving the vehicle owner the expense of a cab and would allow the vehicle owner to follow immediately behind the tow truck to the repair shop. Also, I said that he should - if possible - have vehicle owner drive the sales demonstrator, thereby, taking a "test-drive".
I cautioned the rep that he MUST LIMIT any business related conversation to a brief, simple "elevator speech". I recommended that at an appropriate time during the drive to the repair shop, to hand the vehicle owner his business card and then say:
"I want to very briefly mention that should you discover that the repair bill for your car is more than you're willing to pay or that it's now time to consider getting a new car that's under full warranty, please call me and I promise you that I'll fight to get you the very best deal that I can. Please hold onto my card. Now, that's enough about business". Then change the topic from business to everyday life by saying something appropriate such as "did you catch the big game last night, the weather is certainly beautiful today isn't, etc.".
Here's how our guy now spends his work day: He now goes to the dealership ONLY to write up the frequent sales originating from the "good deeds" he has done by offering a FREE drive to STRANDED vehicle owners. Also, he likes to spend part of his day reading the newspaper in the local coffee shop, or on nice days sitting on a park bench soaking in the sun and fresh air while waiting for his cell to ring with a call from a tow truck operator. And ring it does ... 4 to 5 times a day!
Life is meant to be lived and business should ALWAYS be kept SIMPLE! Is it time that you got creative with your sales prospecting regardless of whatever the product/service is that you now sell?
