I started writing a long preface to this article, and then changed my mind - I agree so deeply with everything that Eric Sink says that there is no point in a long preface. Everything Eric Sink says is correct. Do as he recommends and you can't go wrong.

At some point in the activities of small independent suppliers software the client exchanges money for the programs. No heading devoted to the commercial aspects of programming can be considered complete without a discussion of this magical event.

Start

To begin with, I would like to define the terminology. Before a customer makes a purchase, I usually talk about a "gap". This gap represents the distance between a potential customer and your product, and looks something like this:

For the sale to take place, this gap must be filled. Until this happens, he represents the whole set of problems and obstacles that prevent the customer from making a purchase:

• The customer has never heard of your product.
• The customer does not have enough information about your product.
• Your product is too expensive.
• To complete a purchase, the customer must obtain consent at two levels of management.
• The product lacks the functionality required by the customer.
• The product does not interact with other client programs.
• The product has not yet matured and does not meet the client's expectations.

So that your company continues to exist as commercial organization, she must find ways to fill this gap over and over again. There are exactly two possible methods:

1. Offset the product to the right. Tell the world about your product. Improve your product to make people want to buy it.
2. Offset the client to the left. Find potential buyers... Convince them to buy your product.

Let's start with the second method - how to bring a customer to your product?

We reduce the distance and time of delivery of the product to the client

Last month, we looked at a concept that I called "gap":

Spacing represents the distance between a potential customer and your product. As long as the gap continues, the client has fewer programs and you have less money. For the sale to take place, the gap must be filled. Until that happens, he represents the totality of the problems and obstacles that prevent the customer from making a purchase.

Sales Manager

As the chief salesperson for your firm, you must decide how the gap will be filled. There are exactly two methods:

1. Offset the product to the right.
2. Offset the client to the left.

Last time we talked about “ active sales", Or" shifting the client to the left. " Now we are talking about another way to fill the gap: displacement of the product to the right.

After the agent has prepared his proposal, he needs to present it to the client. This can be done in three ways:

During the visit;

By phone;

In the form of a letter (regular, fax or e-mail).

It can be assumed that it is easier for smaller companies to sell over the phone (fewer parts are required). Medium - by email or regular mail (more details required). Large - during personal meetings (a lot of details are required).

If we talk about the effectiveness of the ways of presenting the proposal, then we can start from the following numbers.

Telephone sales usually yield around 10% positive results. That is, if an agent has presented (and discussed) his proposal by phone to 100 clients, then he will receive 10 orders.

Personal selling tends to generate around 25% positive results. That is, every fourth meeting must give the agent an order.

However, it should be emphasized once again that all these figures are average. If the agent has poorly prepared his offer, then the percentage of orders received will be lower. If the agent has prepared well, then the result may be slightly higher.

The specific path the advertiser chooses depends not so much on the size of the advertiser or the expected efficiency, but on the result of preliminary work to establish contact. Indeed, sometimes it turns out that it takes more time and effort to coordinate an advertisement with another small client than the same operation with a large one. It happens that some clients do not like to talk on the phone, regardless of the size and profile of the company. Others, without reading, throw all the mail they receive in the trash can. Still others do not like personal meetings and prefer to discuss all issues by phone, etc.

Thus, we can say absolutely definitely that the way of presenting the proposal does not directly depend on the type and type of the client's activity, it cannot be determined in advance and it is found out, as a rule, during the entire sales process.

Very often, sales include items different ways... That is, you can sell only by phone or mail, or you can use a phone and a personal visit, or by mail and a personal visit, or using a phone, mail and a personal visit.

Obviously, the way of presenting the proposal depends on the situation that develops when communicating with each specific client. Therefore, an agent aimed at selling advertising opportunities to a specific client will not "get hung up" on any one method. He will creatively apply everything possible ways statements or their elements.

The cheapest way to present an offer is by telephone sales. They cost 20-30 minutes of conversation plus phone charges.

Next comes a more costly form: the presentation of the proposal by fax and e-mail - up to several hours to prepare the letter, plus payment for communication. Writing by regular mail - also up to several hours to prepare a letter, plus payment for postage.

And the most expensive thing is the presentation of the proposal during personal visits. It can take several days to prepare for it. The equipment and materials necessary for this method of presentation may also be expensive.

In sales, the first contact with an advertiser has a very great importance... At other stages of communication with the client, something can be corrected, adjusted, but the first contact either makes it possible to present a prepared proposal, or takes it away.

In this regard, the agent must seriously prepare for contact with the advertiser. First of all, he needs to assess the situation and choose the most appropriate type of contact.

In small firms or private entrepreneurs, you can, without further ado, go straight to the office without any warning. In this case, the likelihood of finding the right person on the spot is quite high. If he was not in the office or he was in this moment is very busy, you can immediately check the time of the next visit in order to meet with the person who makes decisions on advertising.

In middle and large companies the probability of getting to the right person "from the doorway" is extremely small. People in such organizations, as a rule, have a plan of meetings for each day and will not be distracted by an unscheduled meeting, unless it is "lowered" from the top or is not extremely important.

Alas, visit advertising agent does not have such a meaning. And he will have to "fit" into the meeting plan in advance. This is best done by talking to the right person by phone. This, however, is not always easy, since in the vast majority of cases, the client is set up to receive calls from stupid and useless advertising agents. That is, the next telephone conversation with an advertising seller is from the category of undesirable ones for him. And this means that the agent should not initially be surprised at unfriendliness, he should tune in to overcome it.

For this, the agent must be deeply convinced of his usefulness to the client, of the value of his proposal, on which he has seriously worked in advance.

To the message of the proposal of the traditional or by e-mail, fax should be used in any case if it was not possible to make personal or telephone contact. People find it easier to study a proposal without mandatory feedback when they don't have to respond and take action. And if they liked the offer, then they are much more willing to make further contact with the advertising agent.

Therefore, it is worth calling those who do not take too much "telephone" effort and time. Everyone else - send a written proposal (without prior contact).

This may seem like a somewhat slow way of making contact, starting a sale. However, all clients are different - with some it turns out quickly, with others slowly. The main thing is that there should be enough contacts - both oral and written -.

Naturally, experienced agents start with a telephone presentation. Further, depending on the developing situation, either they are limited to this, or they resort to presenting the proposal by mail or during personal visits. On the following pages, we will look at ways of presenting the proposal in reverse order: first during visits, then by phone, and lastly by mail. This is due to the fact that the presentation during the visits is the most full form presentation. The telephone presentation is, as it were, a truncated "business" one with a small share of its own specificity. Postal is also a kind of truncated "business", but it has a greater share of specificity in comparison with the telephone.

In the course of presenting his proposal, the agent needs to convince the client (person or group of people):

Take or refrain from any action;

Accept or change position, opinion.

This is a rather difficult task, if we bear in mind that the desire of the agent to communicate information usually exceeds the desire of the client to receive it. In addition, as a rule, an advertisement seller appeals to people of a higher position and cannot demand attention from them, he can only deserve it.

Often, the presentation of a proposal is complicated by the fact that you have to deal with not one client representative, but with several. In this case, the agent needs to remember that the interests and arguments of different employees of the same client may differ from each other. Therefore, it is necessary, on the one hand, to keep in mind the reaction of all participants in the communication, but on the other hand, to focus your efforts on who is most influential in terms of making advertising decisions.

As a rule, a face-to-face meeting, in comparison with other forms of communication, gives the agent more time and opportunity to present a proposal. This happens due to the fact that the visit allows the advertising seller to transmit the maximum useful information acting on a person through all his senses - channels of information perception (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell).

Accordingly, an experienced agent must master the art of influencing these channels.

First of all, you should plan the presentation of the proposal, that is, determine how much time (space) it will take as a whole and in separate parts:

Introduction;

Main part;

Conclusion.

In accordance with this plan, he sets out his proposal. The more time he has for the entire presentation, the more time he can devote to this or that part, this or that problem, give more examples, links, etc.

EXAMPLE

The agent prepares a statement of the proposal during a face-to-face meeting. He plans to submit all information in 40 minutes (100% of the time). The main parts of the presentation are:

Introduction - 20% of the time (8 minutes);

For the main part - 50% of the time (20 minutes);

On conclusion - 30% of the time (12 minutes).

When preparing for the visit, the advertising seller must also analyze information that does not have an obvious connection with the meaning, ideas of the offer itself to the advertiser. That is, the agent must imagine and understand what the client thinks, looking at him, listening to him, communicating with him.

One of the most important perceptions is visual. No wonder they say: "I liked (or did not like) at first sight ..."

In order to make a good visual impression on the client, the agent should pay attention to his clothes ("they meet by clothes"), business accessories, appearance, gestures.

So, it is better not to wear tight, uncomfortable and new clothes for a meeting. It will interfere with the agent's focus. Always, regardless of the type or style of clothing, you need to dress so as to feel comfortable, relaxed, and dignified.

If the agent is well dressed, then he demonstrates self-confidence. Such a person is likely to be treated with respect by the client. If the agent is dressed "anyhow", then the attitude towards him is appropriate.

It is good if the agent knows how the client himself dresses. The point is, people like people who look like themselves. And you can take advantage of this.

For example, if the client is wearing a formal dark business suit, then the agent should choose something in this style. If the client goes to work in jeans, then he will most likely like the agent also in informal clothes. Just don't try to copy the client in everything. First, it can be perceived as a mockery. Secondly, every person wants to have something special - a special expensive fountain pen, original cufflinks, etc. And one more thing, you should not dress “richer” than the client. This can "put pressure" on him, interfere with negotiations.

In any case, it is not recommended to wear knitwear. People associate them with a person's need to smooth out, and not solve, their life problems and failures. That is, the client, looking at a man in knitwear, accordingly will not expect from him a complete solution to his business problems.

If the agent has a need to look older, then it makes sense to wear something tailored. A jacket will always be appropriate. Dark neutral tones, a black suit will give solidity.

When choosing clothes, it is worth refusing from fashionable extremes, "cocky" patterns, from an excess of large patterns, from bright colors or color spots, from excessive openness, from other details that can distract the client's attention or, even worse, annoy him.

Of course, you need to follow the fashion, but you should not follow it in everything. For a personal meeting with an advertiser, it is better to wear something corresponding to the main fashion trend, but not devoid of individuality.

The agent needs to be careful with the use of jewelry... They should not be abused by either men or women.

The same applies to religious jewelry. In a country where there are many different religious movements and trends, you do not always know in advance with whom you are dealing and how much the interlocutor is tolerant (or intolerant) of someone else's faith.

Correctly applied cosmetics are also important for women, that is, those that are visible only from a very short distance. During a business meeting, female agents should give up annoying strumming or tinkling jewelry, brightly shiny things.

You should not wear dark glasses for a personal meeting. They hide their eyes, and the client may suspect the agent with the glasses of insincerity.

Ordinary glasses, as a rule, give a more intelligent look. (One of my colleagues, who has excellent eyesight, ordered glasses with ordinary lenses. So he looked more impressive and, most importantly, he felt much more confident wearing glasses.) At the same time, glasses can shine and distract attention. Therefore, if the agent with vision problems is not concerned about the lack of an intelligent look, it is better for him to use contact lenses.

If an agent puts on a double-breasted jacket for a meeting, then he unbuttons it only while sitting.

The cuffs of the shirt protrude one to two centimeters from under the jacket.

A shirt cannot be darker than a suit or tie.

The tie should be exactly waist-length. Under no circumstances should it be tucked into the belt. The tie is matched to the suit or in contrast to it. They don't wear it with jeans.

Socks are desirable in the same color as shoes and trousers.

The color of the shoes should not be lighter than the color of the trousers or skirt.

You should always have a clean, strict handkerchief with you and do not use paper napkins. It is better to choose a scarf not exactly to match the tie or shirt, but in harmony with them.

Women, in addition to a cosmetic bag, should have a spare pair of tights with them.

All business attributes of both men and women - Notebook, pen, folder, briefcase or handbag - must be of sufficient quality. The agent needs to be "on the spot" in everything. There should be no room for even the slightest manifestation of slovenliness in his appearance. The client, looking at the agent, is simply obliged to think: "Yes, this person is attentive to any business ..."

In the course of the presentation of the proposal, the client will also evaluate how the agent behaves, how certain of his features change, what gestures he uses. The main part of this information is perceived by a person subconsciously, but the agent must nevertheless control the course of perception. To do this, he needs at least to know the meaning of the following signals sent to the client by one or another part of the body.

Head:

Hanging - hopelessness, lack of will, apathy;

Inclined - subordination;

Raised - freedom, self-confidence, in their actions;

Battered - inaccessibility, arrogance;

Thrown back - helpless or relaxed;

Thrown back - impudence, protest, superiority over the interlocutor;

Nodding - approval, agreement, encouragement of the interlocutor;

Put forward - interest (but there may be a threat);

Turning slowly - arrogance, arrogance;

Turned away - loss of interest, disagreement, denial;

Leaning to the side - sympathy, approval;

Wiggled - doubt, uncertain agreement, denial.

Wrinkled - attention to the topic, misunderstanding of something.

Wrinkles

Vertical - determination, stubbornness, willfulness, discontent or irritation;

Horizontal - observation;

Wavy (a combination of vertical and horizontal) - helplessness.

Eyes

Goggled - admiration, surprise, desire to perceive more information;

Wide open - openness, willingness to make contact;

Open - normal perception of the environment, optimism;

Downcast - fatigue, boredom, indifference;

Squinting - concentration, comprehension, non-perception of information received, defense;

Squinting with a movement to the side - slyness, impatient anticipation;

Squinting one eye - confidence in understanding the background of the conversation, in the possession of the initiative;

Driven up and to the left - full attention to information;

Closed - the end of the perception of information, unwillingness to continue the conversation.

Sight

Direct - interest and respect;

Point-blank - distrust, superiority;

From top to bottom - arrogance, imperiousness;

From bottom to top - subordination, distrust;

Oblique from top to bottom - condescension, contempt;

Oblique from bottom to top - servility;

Wandering - evaluation, resentment, general interest or lack thereof;

Fixed on the interlocutor - awareness of one's own strength.

Wrinkled - dislike, embarrassment;

Touching the tip is self-control, reflection.

Crooked - contempt;

With downcast corners - disappointment, skepticism, irony, gloom;

With clenched teeth and lips, holding back.

Lips

Inflated - willfulness;

Bulging - hostility;

Tucked in - fright;

Compressed - powerless anger, a lie;

Trembling, twitching - nervousness, readiness for aggression.

Shoulders

Elevated - uncertainty;

Omitted - confidence, self-control;

Sagging - forward weakness, despair;

Laid back - masculinity, strength, enterprise;

Put forward - fear;

They rise and fall - thoughtfulness, doubt, an expression of ignorance of the answer.

Arms

Palms up - waiting for approval, a necessary decision, a demonstration of good intentions;

Palms down - protection, containment;

Fist - protection, aggression, inability to influence the situation, mental concentration;

Not fully unclenched fingers - indecision;

Grasping fingers - stubbornness, striving for self-affirmation, fearfulness;

Hands behind the back - waiting, contemplation, passivity;

Hands in front of you - striving for self-affirmation;

Hands in pockets - uncertainty, arrogance;

Hands under the table - uncertainty;

Hands on the table - willingness to make contact;

Hand in hand - nervousness, agitation, embarrassment, stiffness, confusion;

Arms crossed on the chest - insecurity, protection;

Hands are sandwiched between the thighs - protection;

Hands on sides - audacity, challenge;

Hands are pressed to the body - submission;

Hands unbuttoning the jacket - openness;

Hands fastening jacket - protection, end of contact;

Freeing the collar - brooding;

Hands rest, as if getting up - the desire to get up, leave;

Rubbing hands - contentment;

A hand covering the mouth for a while - uncertainty, release from outside pressure;

Stroking the chin, covering the mouth, touching the nose, rubbing, pinching or scratching the cheek, ear, eyebrows touching or stroking the hair on the head - lie, confusion, embarrassment;

Propping up the head - the desire for peace and security;

Resting the chin on the palm, when the index finger is along the cheek, the rest are below the mouth - the criticality of perception;

Pinching the bridge of the nose - deep concentration, reflection;

Forehead girth - concentration;

Rubbing your forehead is an attempt to drive away obsessive thoughts;

Chin scratching - making a decision;

Bending the ear - attention;

Scratching under the lobe with the index finger of the right hand - doubts, uncertainty;

Sipping on the lobe - the desire to express yourself;

Raising your hand - a desire to take the floor;

Tapping fingers - impatience;

Tapping to the beat - striving to gain the upper hand;

Irregular tapping - discomfort;

Shaking off imaginary dust particles is rejection;

Stroking objects is delicacy;

Playing with objects - nervousness, inattention;

Removing points desire - to gain time;

A firm handshake is self-confidence.

Legs

Standing:

shifting - anxiety;

stepping over - impatience;

firmly on both legs - striving for self-affirmation, defending one's position;

swaying threat;

retreating - keeping the distance, the desire to leave;

Sitting:

elongated - peace;

bent - readiness for action;

crossed or pressed to each other - helplessness, isolation;

parted - carelessness;

one on top of the other - carelessness;

on the edge of a chair - willingness to jump up;

turned to the door - the desire to leave.

Frame

Turned away - the desire to leave.

Smile

Unconstrained - recognition, agreement, encouragement;

Done - hypocrisy, embarrassment;

Sugary - flattery;

Smile - skepticism, condescension;

A crooked grin is a feigned politeness;

A smirk is arrogance, deceit.

Other

The face turned red - excitement;

The face turned pale - fear;

Sweeping movements - confidence, openness;

Restrained movements - stiffness, caution, cunning;

Moving facial expressions - slight excitability;

Sedentary facial expressions - calmness, prudence, reliability;

Identity of poses - coincidence of positions, the presence of a common language.

In addition to visual signals, the agent also sends sound signals. He pauses, strumming or tapping an object, sighs, coughs, laughs. When an agent speaks, he changes the volume, timbre, rhythm of speech. The client also pays attention to all this.

Breath means - the desire to take the floor;

Sigh - boredom, regret.

Laughter

On "a" ("ha-ha") - release from tension, consent;

On "e" - arrogance;

On "and" - malice, schadenfreude;

On "o" - surprise, doubt, mockery, protest;

On "u" - fear.

The sense of touch is of great importance to the agent. So, for example, a handshake conveys a lot of information. People do not like wet, weak, or, conversely, overly strong palms. Also, the agent should remember that the client does not need to be patted on the shoulder, thereby demonstrating his own superiority.

People often get used to their own smells. A stranger will immediately smell a new smell in his office - kitchen, sweat, cigarettes, cologne or perfume. Of course, the most preferred is the scent of perfumery. However, it should be used carefully enough - it should be applied in small amounts, and preferably a few hours before the visit, so that there is no strong smell.

In general, information about a person obtained through observation of his facial expressions and behavior, as we noted earlier, is perceived mainly subconsciously. Only professional psychologists can control and understand most of the elements of human behavior. But a good agent is always a little and a psychologist, and therefore he needs to know and be able to use the basics of behavioral language. The advertiser must be able to hide his feelings or imitate the unexperienced. This can be achieved if the person has the ability to recognize situations and tune in to them accordingly.

During the meeting, the agent should not allow any negative actions. Perhaps the ad seller has some kind of congenital or acquired defect that cannot be corrected. You should not be embarrassed or emphasize your shortcomings. It is worth trying to compensate for them, focusing on your merits, on what will make a favorable impression on the client.

It is also important not to give absolute assessments of external factors, to consider any aspect of behavior not separately, but in the context of the situation, in conjunction with what is said or shown, with other gestures, etc. As a rule, any expression or gesture is ambiguous, and therefore is always considered in complex.

When working on appearance and behavior, it is worth looking at people who have already achieved success. Most likely, they have a lot to learn from the point of view of the ability to "present" themselves.

When working on manners and gestures, it is also important for the agent not to overdo it, so that appearance does not prevail over his performance. In the end, he came to the office to solve the problems of the advertiser, and not to demonstrate himself. And therefore, keeping in mind all the important details, the agent should concentrate during the meeting precisely on the presentation of his proposal.

On the eve of a personal meeting with the client, it is better for the agent not to consume heavy food and alcohol. You should sleep well in order to come to the advertiser's office cheerful, full of strength and energy. If you suddenly feel unwell, it is better to postpone the meeting.

You should come to the client at the exact time. Although this is a common truth, agents are often late for important business meetings, in general, because of little things. And punctuality is not just a manifestation of respect for the client, it is also one of the factors in the sum of the terms for a positive decision of the buyer.

The elder offers his hand at the meeting. Therefore, it depends only on the client whether he and the agent shake hands with each other or get by with a verbal greeting.

Initially, it is better to address the client with “you” and call him by name and patronymic. Perhaps in the future he himself will propose to switch to "you". It depends on many factors. Including on how it is accepted in the client's company. As a rule, the more dynamic the firm, the more democratic its procedures and less formalities in communication. However, in any case, the decision to apply is better left to the discretion of the client.

In the first minutes of being in someone else's room, you need to get used to, if necessary, move without problems, demonstrate visual aids.

Intimate (up to 60 cm);

Personal (60-120 cm);

Public and business (120-300 cm);

General (more than 300 cm).

In business meetings, of course, you should keep your social and business distance. Do not move away, as if there is nothing in common between the client and the agent, and do not approach (unless the interlocutors are close friends).

The very entrance of the agent into the office, the office where the meeting is taking place, and movement through it should be calm, not reminiscent of aggression, intrusion. The client should always feel that he is the master of the space, the master of the situation, that the guest does not threaten him in any way.

Perhaps the beginning of the meeting will be held by the client and the seller sitting in armchairs. However, it is better for the agent to conduct the presentation of the proposal by standing straight on both legs, separated by 10-15 cm.

At the same time, it is better to keep the head straight, maintaining eye contact with the listener so that he feels that he is being addressed, and not someone abstractly. Good eye contact does not mean staring or being devoured. You don't have to look a person in the eye all the time. For good eye contact, you need to meet the gaze of the interlocutor 60–70% of the total communication time. In this case, it is better to look not behind (through) the eyes and not between them, but in the eyes, to transfer your gaze from one eye of the interlocutor to another.

Keep your shoulders straight. Breathing is even and deep. Hands can be lowered freely along the body. (You can also bend one in the belly area. Or bend both and bring them together in front of you.)

Before starting a conversation, allow the listener (s) to look at themselves for 15–20 seconds. Then, if possible, you can smile and ... start presenting the sentence.

At the very beginning of the presentation, you should also try to win over the client by using a non-annoying joke related to business or the weather. You can say something frank about your feelings at this meeting. This approach helps to emphasize that the agent is the same person as the client, and does not have any superiority over him (in practice, agents, unfortunately, are often "overpowered").

It will not be superfluous to say something like: “I'm glad you found the time ...”, “It's nice that you met halfway ...”, “I hope that you will not regret the time spent on me…”, etc.

However, you should limit yourself to one phrase - you cannot waste time.

The main thing is to keep in touch with the client throughout the entire presentation of the proposal. That is, the agent needs to constantly maintain his interest, focusing on the corresponding needs and problems. To do this, you need to use words that will attract the attention of the client - "you", the name of the client, the name of his company, the name of the boss or owner, the name of the company's products or services, the names of competitors, as well as the words - "money", "profit", "efficiency "," Success "," career "," journalists "," rating ", etc.

If several representatives of the client are present at the meeting, then you need to contact them as one person. Then each of them will feel as if they are being told only to him personally.

A person should be in constant attention to what the agent says and shows. Therefore, the advertising seller should not read his prepared sentence, nor should he try to recite it by memorizing it. In this case, the listener will have a question: "Why did you have to meet if you could get all the information in writing and not waste so much extra time?"

However, you should not avoid quotations altogether. Reading small references and numbers gives the agent's information more credibility.

And the agent himself must express full conviction in the fidelity of what he is setting out. Confidence is communicated. If the ad seller has made strong arguments, but in an uncertain voice, then the client may have a suspicion that something has been hidden from him. And he will either try to find out what it is, or, without bothering himself, reject the offer.

Uncertainty is easily revealed by the use of high-flown or hackneyed expressions designed to create a special impression when describing cases, for example:

Agent:

“Our newspaper - the best not only in the region, but in the whole region - advertises the most select clients. We run cool advertising campaigns... Many companies only dream of such results. And it costs us nothing ... "

It is important to change the tempo of your speech as you speak. This gives it expressiveness. At such moments, listeners liven up and perceive what is being said better.

The agent should keep in mind that the listener's attention level changes over a forty-minute period. He's tall at first. Then, during the first ten minutes, it slowly decreases. Further, up to the thirty-fifth minute, it quickly decreases. And in the last five minutes, it rises sharply, again reaching a peak.

In accordance with this, the main facts that the listener needs to remember should be stated at the beginning and at the end of the speech. But attention will not increase at the end if the audience does not know that the end of the speech is nearing. That is, you need to say something like: "And in the last ten minutes we will talk ...".

In the middle of the speech (between the 10th and 35th minutes), monotony that leads to boredom should be avoided in every possible way, insert more examples, interesting illustrations.

It is better if the entire meeting, including the presentation itself and the subsequent discussion, is allotted no more than one and a half hours. This is the time during which people can, relatively relaxed, discuss problems with concentration.

In the case of a lengthy presentation - up to 3 hours - it is a good idea to take one or two breaks of 5-15 minutes, so that the listeners think about what they have heard, exchange opinions and just relax.

Usually 20-40 minutes is enough for a high-quality presentation of the proposal.

The presentation of individual important points follows the same scheme as the proposal as a whole: an announcement, a story, a summation of what was said, for example:

Agent:

- Now I will show the publication schedule ...

- You see how the publication dates are related to ...

- Have you seen the graph that ...

Thus, it is possible to increase the attention and perception of important points. This applies both to large individual topics and to specific paragraphs.

Throughout the presentation of the sentence, the agent should try to speak evenly and calmly, in a firm voice. It is better if its tone is slightly lower than usual, then it sounds smoother, harder and more convincing.

You should speak loudly and clearly enough so that every word is heard and understood. However, you shouldn't raise your voice unnecessarily. Also, do not overload the volume to the detriment of the duration of the sound. Usually, unpleasant harshness occurs in such cases.

At the same time, the clarity of speech should be monitored. The agent will not benefit if, in the course of the presentation, he mumbles, speaks in the nose, stutters, claps, squeals, gnashes, whispers, slaps his lips, deafens his speech, breaks off sentences, phrases, words; lower your voice at the end of each sentence, creating an atmosphere of boredom, chatter or, conversely, draw out words.

Sluggish speech almost always indicates the speaker's lethargy or laziness. Listeners lose patience, waiting for the end of the utterance and fearing to lose meaning. Haste, speed, caused by the shyness or indifference of the speaker, also irritate them. That is, you need to speak dynamically, but not quickly, giving the client time to perceive the information.

Being confident and persistent, the agent needs to remain polite and well-mannered. People don't like being spoken to in a mentoring tone. Therefore, the agent should beware of using edifying and edifying notes such as “I know what I’m talking about. Listen and do ... ”.

For a better perception, the use of conventional images is very useful. For example, speaking about the target audience of the consumer, one can say "if the mountain does not go to Mohammed ...". In other cases, the proverbs will be appropriate: "You will chase two hares ...", "If I knew where I would fall, I would spread straws", etc.

It is always better to speak in normal “human” language rather than in print. Even a pre-written text of a sentence will come to life if you retell it “humanly”.

In order for the language to "come to life", you need:

Use more verbs rather than nouns - they concretize;

Use fewer adjectives - they have a personal connotation;

Try to use the active voice of the verbs more often than the passive one. This is due to the fact that the passive voice acts impersonally. It carries minimal emotional stress and creates a distance between speaker and listener.

Thus, the phrase “We need to consider the schedule” will be perceived better than “it is necessary that the schedule was reviewed”.

It is also preferable to do without the wording "According to this you can understand", etc.

It is better not to use large numbers such as 15 384 742 rubles or 38 ads in 1/32 of three and a half months (they are easier to show using visual means).

The subjunctive mood should be avoided: "I would like to ...", "I would say ...", "I should ..." In this case, a distance is created between the speaker and the perceiver.

Literate agents quite justifiably avoid "yakan", that is, words such as "I", "me", "mine", etc.

During a business visit, do not talk about your personal affairs and problems. Also, gossiping, a manifestation of omniscience, will be inappropriate.

It would be correct not to use words such as "dumb", "fools", "bunglers", "idiots", etc., not to mention obscene words. Sometimes the client himself provokes indecent words and expressions, using them freely on occasion and without. But you shouldn't be like ... Besides: "What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed ..."

You should also try to avoid foreign words. Not all advertisers know the words that the agent "shines" with. Not understanding a word is likely to make the client feel annoyed.

Experienced agents rightly point out that negative language should be avoided.

Example:“We will make a profit” is definitely better than “We will not make a loss”.

The agent needs to speak in simple sentences (from 8 to 15 words) without using “and”, “since”, “what”, “because”, “in connection with that”, etc., etc. Such proposals are easily accepted without stress.

Example:“Consider this schedule. It is easy to see some trends in it. One of them ... "will be better than" Consider this graph, in which it is easy to see trends such as ... "

Simplicity must be maintained in the proposal itself. That is, use a clear word order in the sentence. The main verb should come first, and then all the details.

Example:"The graph indicates a drop in interest depending on the distance from the two main sales centers, as well as the preference for the eastern zone ..." is easier than "The graph indicates a decline in interest depending on the distance from the two main sales centers, as well as the preference for the eastern zone." ...

To avoid numerous digressions and clarifications, you can use phrases such as "in general", "mainly", "except", "in particular".

In the course of presenting a proposal, it is important not to overestimate the knowledge of your listeners (as well as underestimate). Otherwise, clients may think that the agent "makes" of them idiots. It is not uncommon for advertisers to be unaware of terms such as "g-r-p" or "c-p-em".

Facilitate the perception of information and the use of comparisons.

Example:"If your company is like a ship in the ocean of business, then advertising in our newspaper is your new big sail ..."

"The goods will be disassembled like hot cakes ..."

Metaphors should be used for the same purpose.

Example:"Wipe your nose to all your competitors ..."

Example: You can say:

"Three publications of 1 / 8th of a page with an interval of two weeks will give us 30% coverage of the male part of the target audience ..."

But for perception it will be better:

“To reach 30% of the men in our target audience, we will place three ads. The most suitable size would be 1/8 of the strip. The publications will be published with an interval of two weeks ... "

In the course of presenting the proposal, it is useful for the agent to use rhetorical questions, that is, first put questions, then answer them.

Example:“The question is, is press advertising really more effective in this case? Yes, indeed, it can be seen from ... "

“Will this problem be solved by placing commercials on local television? No, because ... "and so on.

You should also ask common questions to check the client's attention and determine if he agrees with what is being said.

Example:“There are three large companies and about a dozen small ones operating in this market. The competition is more than worthy. Do you agree?"

By asking for a response, the agent builds support for his proposal from the client, which ensures the client's participation in its creation. That is, the offer becomes not only the "business" of the advertising seller, but a joint work of the two parties. Naturally, after this “common work”, the chances of a positive customer engagement increase.

The above questions, as well as similar ones, help the agent to monitor the client's position on various aspects throughout the meeting.

After good, strong offers from the point of view of sales, the agent should stop his speech, pause. This gives the client time to assess the importance of what was said. Pauses are like paragraphs in an oral text. For example:

Agent:

First of all, you are interested in your the target audience... It can be achieved through various newspapers in our region. Three newspapers: Vechernyaya Zarya, Morning and New Day - reach 35% of your audience. And one of our newspaper "The Sun of the Plains" unites 42% of your potential buyers ... ( Pause.) etc.

Benefits can be highlighted using a variety of effective approaches.

Using questions

“Why are your competitors selling more? Because they use the capabilities of our newspaper in their advertising ... "

“How else can you increase the number of buyers? By placing an advertisement in our newspaper ... "

“Do you want me to talk about new effective ways promotion of goods on our consumer market? ... "

Offer options

“Eight Ways to Increase the Sales of Your Products.

Using the imperative (no inflections)

"Place your ad and count your additional profit!"

Using a narrative beginning

“Mr. Petrov was one of the smallest car dealers. And it seemed that nothing could bring his company to the ranks of the leaders of our region, but he entered into a long-term and extremely profitable contract with our newspaper ... "

Using comparisons

In order for the presentation of the proposal to go in the direction that the agent needs, you should constantly keep the thread of the conversation in your hands (have the initiative).

Agent:

Let's talk about circulations?

- Let's discuss the quality of printing ...

- Back to sociological research… etc.

At the same time, it is necessary to control oneself and "not step over" into the command zone. Man does not like orders at all. The advertiser's representative will put up with the orders of the superiors, but he will rebel if an outsider tries to command him. So, the following phrases with a very high degree of probability may not like the client.

Agent:

Buy this research immediately ...

- You have to place three ads ...

- Ask your boss ...

When working with visual means, it is better for the agent to stand facing the client (to the client's representatives), so that what is shown is on the left. Accordingly, point to objects with your left hand, facing the audience.

Better not to try to write or draw and speak at the same time. The speaker will be hard to hear. It is better to add or draw in silence and then comment.

After the shown is explained, it is better to remove it (to erase the drawn). Otherwise, it will interfere with the perception of new information.

All complex illustrations, samples must be explained to a sufficient degree for the client to understand.

Agent(pointing to the illustration): You see the number 15 897 000. That is, we practically have 20% of the market - 1/5. Is it a lot or a little? From the point of view of competitors - a lot, but from your point of view? Not enough ...

If the agent uses a projector when presenting his speech, then he must take care not to obstruct the screen with himself. It is also not worthwhile to turn around at every change of frame to make sure that the illustrations are in the correct sequence.

It is important to remember that even interesting visual aids can interfere with the presentation if there are too many of them or the agent is using them stupidly.

Of course, the presentation of the proposal over the phone is more limited than the presentation during the meeting. The client can only perceive it by ear. Visual aids, gestures, the agent's appearance do not "work". Only words and voice. And what the client might not attach much importance to during the meeting, during the telephone conversation, he may be noticed or noted as deserving special attention.

During the presentation of the proposal by phone, the agent is limited in time. Therefore, it is important to prepare everything you need in advance. The agent should not be distracted by searching for information or any necessary items during the conversation.

You should have ready-made forms of all parts of the proposal at hand, as well as all the necessary materials and documents, clippings that can affect the client, reference books, reviews, paper, pen, clock, calendar, your own schedule for the coming week, month, half year, year.

It is important to sit at the table and in the chair so that you can easily reach out with your hands to everything you need. Of course, first of all, to the most important subject - to the telephone.

From which side he stands and with which ear to listen, depends on the habit and on the state of hearing. There are considerations that it is better to listen to business conversations with the right ear, since information from this ear is perceived by the left hemisphere, which is responsible for logical thinking.

(Personally, I used both my right and left ears in various offices, took the telephone receiver with my right and left hands - as a rule, the choice was dictated by the location of the furniture in the office.

However, I felt best when the phone was on my left. He picked up the phone with his left hand, dialed a number with his right hand, looked for or wrote down something during the conversation.)

Of course, you should learn how to use your device in advance, and not try to master it during a conversation with a client. This is not a superfluous remark when you consider that telephone devices are becoming more complex.

If there is no self-confidence before starting a conversation, then you can, as in a personal meeting, stand up and talk to the client while standing. Maybe it makes sense to simulate the display of some visual aids explaining them orally.

They say that the interlocutor can "hear" the pose in which the agent is during the conversation. Therefore, it is better for the ad seller to sit and act as if he is speaking in front of the client. Then he will not suspect that the agent is distracted by something else, communicating with him.

To get rid of unnecessary anxiety, before picking up the phone, it is advised to take a few deep breaths and relax. It doesn't help everyone, but it doesn't hurt to try. The main thing at this moment is to imagine a positive result of the conversation. Typically, this inspires a call.

Sitting down at the phone, you need to really assess your health and mood. If a person is healthy and in good mood, then he is confident, convincing. Such an agent will "infect" the client with his optimism and confidence in beneficial cooperation. Otherwise, it is easy to convey to the client uncertainty, skepticism, or even ruin the mood. It is clear that in this case it will be difficult to talk about further cooperation. People do not like to communicate with those on whom they need to spend their mental strength.

During a conversation, the part of the handset with the microphone should be kept as close to the mouth as possible. Otherwise, the interlocutor will be very hard to hear. It is possible that it will not be the agent at all that will be heard, but some extraneous sounds.

Due to the specifics of telephone communication, it is worth speaking more clearly into the handset than when speaking in person. To make your voice more pleasant, livelier, you can try to sing it or drink a glass of hot tea before talking.

It's best not to try to have two conversations at the same time. As you know, "you chase two hares, you won't catch a single one."

Do not try to cover the microphone with your palm while speaking to the side. It is also best not to eat or drink anything during the phone call. Everything will be heard even through a hand pressed to the microphone. Therefore, you should not comment on or discuss the words of the client until he hangs up.

The process for presenting a proposal over the phone should be shorter than that for a meeting. This means that the agent does not need to say more than is required.

In accordance with the prepared proposal, the strongest arguments should be made and then the necessary commitment should be requested.

The greeting should not be too long. There is no place for pauses, waiting for a reaction from a client who has nothing to react to yet.

It sometimes seems to novice agents that the mere mention of the name of their popular newspaper arouses sacred awe in the advertiser. And such a seller, during a telephone or personal conversation, pauses to give the advertiser an opportunity to “flutter”. But the advertiser is already accustomed to the fact that representatives of various means constantly turn to him. mass media... And if he does withstand the agent's pause, it is by no means out of "trepidation", but simply waiting, which, in fact, will be discussed later.

Experienced agents know that it is not typical for an advertiser to pause at all. Hearing the word "advertising agent", muffled by an army of illiterate advertising salespeople, the client will try to use the slightest opportunity to say: "Thank you, we do not need advertising ..."

Therefore, the agent should, after a quick greeting, immediately move on to the question that is obviously of interest to the client. To prevent the client from interrupting the sentence in the middle, it is worth pauses shorter than usual. Stop only when the advertiser's statement is really required.

If in the course of the conversation the connection is interrupted, then the one who called back, that is, the advertising agent, calls back.

If the phone is unexpectedly hung up on the other side, then the agent should consider whether he provoked such a course of events. Has he driven a person out of himself with his own impudence, imposing views, manners or vocabulary. If not, then you should try to call again in a few minutes, say something like: “We seem to have been disconnected? The last thing we discussed was ... "

It is possible that the connection was broken. The person may have hung up. And it is possible that he calmed down in the past few minutes and will now be able to clarify the agent's mistakes.

It is also possible that the customer hangs up or stops answering the phone again. At this point, you can stop trying to cooperate with him. But if the advertising seller is not sure that this is a completely unfit for a joint business client, then it is worth making another attempt - to send your proposal by fax, simple or e-mail.

It happens that such a statement of the sentence has to be resorted to at the end of a normal conversation. The client would like to take his time to consider the agent's proposal and therefore asks: "Send me your proposal by fax ..."

It is possible that in this way the client just wants to get rid of the agent. But in this case, the advertising seller has a chance to awaken the client's interest with his written proposal. In any case, this is much better than hearing: “Don't call me again. I am not interested in your services ... ".

If the presentation of the proposal was successful and the conversation is over, then the agent, having said goodbye, must wait - the client hangs up first.

The probability of hitting the right person on the move is small. Clients who are tired of advertising agents often hide from them with the help of secretaries, other employees of the company and answering machines.

A competent advertising agent must be able to pass all these "obstacles". Having dialed the client's number for the first time, he should be prepared for the fact that the other end of the line is not at all the one who is needed, and the answer is not what he would like to hear.

Perhaps a secretary or other employee will answer the agent:

- Mr. Ivanov is very busy right now. Call back later…

- He's not in now. Call later…

- He's on a business trip. Call back in a week ...

- He is sick. It is not known exactly when it will be ...

If a person is on a business trip or is sick, you have to wait. Sooner or later he will return to his own workplace... Even if the illness is serious, the company will hire another employee - temporarily or permanently. And after a while there will still be a person with whom you can discuss advertising issues.

If the person who "will be later", in principle, does not appear at work, then the employees of this company have an intention not to connect with advertising agents in general or with a specific advertising agent in particular. (Perhaps this behavior is generally a style of work this person... He does not come into contact of his own free will, for example, only by order of his superiors.)

In this case, you can try to say that there is very important and urgent information for the company:

- He's not there? To whom, then, should this information be passed on? Your company can lose a lot of money ...

Perhaps the agent will be answered:

“He doesn't want to deal with any agents anymore ...

- Unfortunately, our director doesn't want to work with your newspaper anymore ...

In this situation, you can try to call at lunchtime when the secretary and other staff who first pick up the phone are having lunch. Or try calling after official business hours or Saturday before lunchtime. It happens that executives stay up late in their offices or come for half a day off to work in a relaxed atmosphere. And then, perhaps, the right person will pick up the telephone receiver himself.

To overcome the cordons in the form of a secretary or other employees, agents have developed a lot of simple, but quite effective tricks.

EXAMPLE

You can simply ask the secretary:

- Could you make an appointment for me with Grigory Petrovich, or maybe you will put me in touch with him now?

You can try to imitate your close acquaintance with the client:

- Grigory Petrovich, please ...

- Grisha at home? Connect, please. Who is asking? Sergey Vasilevich. Don't you recognize? ...

- Grigory Petrovich on the spot? Connect with him urgently. This is very important for your company. What question? Grigory Petrovich knows what issue ...

- I was asked to call Grigory Petrovich ... Who? Unfortunately, i do not know. They just handed me the phone. He, apparently, is waiting for this call ...

- Grisha, are you? Who? Ah, secretary. Give me, please, Grisha, and Grigory Petrovich for you, of course ...

Of course, you should not resort to obvious deception, but sometimes you have to use certain tricks. In the end, the client is unlikely to be offended by how the agent got to him if he made a really profitable offer.

For "punchy" work, it is a good idea to find out the name of the secretary or employee who picks up the phone and refer to him by name. You can always resort to a business compliment:

- It's nice that you are so dedicated to the business of the company ...

- Grigory Petrovich knows how to select employees ...

- What are your responsible employees ...

As a rule, the heart of any employee softens, and it is easier to find a common language with him. Maybe not right away, but the employee will tell you the way and when it is easier to contact the client: "From two to three he can be found in a cafe on the street ...", "Call at half past five, he picks up the phone himself at this time ..." and etc.

The situation is more complicated with an answering machine - an inanimate thing. On tape, it is best to try to say the same thing that the agent would say to the client in person over the phone. The message should be concluded with a proposal of your own version of further communication, for example:

Agent(answering machine):

Good afternoon, Sergei Ivanovich. You are called from "Evening News", advertising agent Sergei Petrov. I know that in recent times you are unhappy with a decrease in the number of customers in your stores. I have a few thoughts on how to attract new clients. I would like to present my views in any form convenient for you: by phone, in the form of a letter or in a personal conversation. Unfortunately, I cannot contact you now. I'll call you back tomorrow at four ...

If several such attempts have failed, then it remains to send your proposals by letter (fax, e-mail) and, on the basis of this message, try to re-establish contact. This can be done in the following form.

Agent:

Good afternoon, Sergei Ivanovich. You are receiving a call from the advertising agent of Vecherniye Novosti, Sergei Petrov, regarding an offer that I faxed to you. Hope you got it ...

From the point of view of the first contact, the letter is perceived by the client easier than phone call or a meeting. He can read it at any convenient moment, in a convenient place, several times, in the absence of an agent waiting for a reaction.

However, not every written statement is effective. The desired result can be achieved only with the help of a letter that will really interest the advertiser. And preparing such a written message requires certain skills and efforts.

First of all, it is based on the proposal worked out by the agent - the introduction, the main part and the conclusion.

A letter with its appearance should not inspire despondency, indicate the efforts that will need to be made to read it.

To do this, it should look easy to read and concise, which is achieved by using simple, clear fonts and breaking the text into paragraphs separated from each other by intervals of one or two lines, depending on the length of the entire text.

EXAMPLE

In this case, the lines of the letter may look like this:

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

For the same purpose, the right shift of paragraphs containing information additional to the main idea will also be applied.

EXAMPLE

____________________

____________________

____________________

………………__________

………………__________

____________________

____________________

A written greeting consists of several elements: letterhead(indication of the organization), welcoming words "Dear ...", the name and surname of the agent, indication of the position, personal signature and date of writing.

Throughout the text, keywords are highlighted, which the client can glance at without reading the entire letter. To do this, you can use bold, underline, ellipsis, dash, etc.

Also, writing can be illustrated with graphs, drawings and photographs (Fig. 16), which, as you know, increases the level of information perception.

Rice. sixteen. Figure illustrating the difference in budget allocation and the benefit to an advertiser

There is an opinion that short letters are read with more pleasure than long ones. In fact, the length of the message has no particular effect on its readability. The addressees are happy to read long, interesting letters and do not read short, uninteresting ones. Therefore, the letter may be located not on one, but on two, three or four pages. If only it does not deviate from the topic and fill the space with really useful information.

The most common and effective postal letter is a two-page letter.

It is better to try to fit letters sent by fax on the minimum number of pages due to possible technical problems during transfer.

Do not forget about P. S., or postscript... This is one of the most effective parts of any letter. This fact is explained by the specifics of the reader's perception of the letter. Typically, clients skim the letter, grabbing out the misplaced paragraphs, stopping at the highlighted keywords, and lingering at the end at P. S.

If in the postscript it was possible to highlight the main idea of ​​the letter, then the reader can go back to the beginning and read the whole letter already.

Also in the postscript, you can offer an additional incentive. For example:

« P.S. If you sign the contract this week, you will significantly reduce your advertising costs without sacrificing efficiency. "

« P.S. Of course, you are eligible for a test discount that other newspapers do not offer. "

It is worthwhile to "spend some time" on writing several variants of the letter. First, several options will help you choose the strongest one. It will surely collect and successfully assemble the best arguments.

Secondly, there are no identical clients. And therefore, it is better for different categories of their respondents to prepare different options that take into account some peculiarities of the business sphere or personal interests and preferences of the client.

In addition, if the agent did not achieve his goal with the help of the first letter, then after a while he can send a second, changed, carrying new, previously unused motives and arguments.

It is also important to choose an envelope and paper for a regular letter. It is known that cheap letters are simply thrown away unread. Expensive ones are kept for a very long time. That is, the quality, cost, impressiveness of the letter is not what you need to save on.

If funds or technical possibilities allow, then when preparing a letter it is worth using color, since two-color calls are usually more effective than single-color ones.

And it should be borne in mind that a letter sent by regular mail, in most cases, is more effective than sent by fax or e-mail. This is due to the fact that regular writing allows you to influence the eyes, touch and smell of the client. On the other hand, a letter sent by fax or e-mail affects only the eyesight.

However, a regular letter is more expensive than a fax or e-mail.

Email is cheaper than fax. In addition, the quality of text and illustrations when using e-mail is much higher, which means that the level of perception is higher. ( Email easier to send to customers. And for an advertiser with a computer mail at his disposal, it will not be difficult to send a small reply message. Convenience is due to the specifics of electronic technology.)

4. How best to convey the proposal to the client