Proven sales & marketing strategies are the key to unlocking the doors to success!

In order to assist you in your quest to open your doors’ to new prospects I am at this time sharing with you entry level information; being the prologue and introduction to my new book Secrets of Selling (SOS) High Definition Decorative Concrete, Protective Coatings, and Architectural Concrete Resurfacing Systems. Prologue I coined the term high definition concrete to give architectural/decorative concrete a new high tech desirable image, as opposed to ordinary analog alternatives.

We all know that it takes hard work and action to get our phone ringing … you have a valuable architectural enhancing service to offer; but, you ask “how do I sell resurfacing systems” SOS was written to serve as a sales strategy guide and comprehensive business marketing plan to assist you in this endeavor. Contrary to popular belief, successful sales people are not born; they are grown by determination, experience, and a sincere overpowering desire to be a true financial success.

The concrete aftermarket industry is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation. With every foot of concrete poured, your potential customer base increases. All concrete must be maintained, protected against the elements of nature, and repaired in order to retain its overall strength and integrity … while enhancing it in a creative and individualized manner provides your customers with an added value that is equal to or better than their initial investment. Introduction Let’s start with thinking of selling like gardening…

• First, you must plant the seed of customer interest and need.
• Next, water and fertilize with product knowledge and benefits.
• Your reward, a crop of sales and green profits! Remember … plant the seed, than harvest your success, “it’s that easy.” Selling should be looked at as a challenge … a game in which when the sale is made, and the job completed, there are two winners. You have won the sale by convincing your prospect to buy and gained a satisfied customer … the customer has won a long lasting decorative surface, capable of withstanding the harsh elements of Mother Nature, challenging public or residential use conditions, along with gaining an effective barrier which will effectively shield their concrete or other compatible substrates from foreign matter intrusion and premature aging. Of course, if you offer custom designs, logo inclusions, engraving, scoring, or other artistic elements your potential for profits will increase accordingly. When approaching new prospects, successful salespeople should have two questions in mind …
• Do they actually have the authority to buy? … if not, who does?
• Do they have the money to make the purchase? Basic Sales Strategy Half the battle in selling is getting to the right person … the decision maker with the checkbook! Time and effort spent prospecting in the wrong place, speaking to the wrong person, may pass the time of day pleasantly, but you won’t find any gold. It stands to reason, that if they can’t afford your service there is no need wasting your valuable time either. It is important to always speak in a relaxed and confident manner in a language your customer understands … avoiding technical jargon. If your customer doesn’t understand what you are talking about they probably won’t ask. If they don’t realize the benefits of your resurfacing system you will probably lose the sale.

You must find out what they want, need, and expect; pick the best points of your product; then demonstrate how they translate into total customer satisfaction. Before approaching a potential customer you must have a clear sales plan. You only have a few minutes in which to make an impact before you lose their attention and they “show you to the door.” From you list of advantages and benefits, be sure to make every point appeal specifically to them. Make your opening statement the strongest point’s you have to offer … thinking of a way to make it exciting and interesting; thus, keeping their attention.

Then, put the rest of your plus factors in line according to your customer’s interest. It is important to get your potential customer to think of you as a friend … someone who will look out for their interest’s and sincerely wants to help and advise them. They must feel you are anxious to help them solve their surfacing problems and desires. If you have tunnel vision and are only looking out for your own personal monetary gain, you are just a common “siding salesman,” with a here today, gone tomorrow, image. A careful analysis of your customers concerns and individual needs is a thoughtful approach to satisfying them … along with a conscious follow-through on service …these are the marks of a true “professional.” In a long run, these values pay off higher, and assure you of more lasting rewards, than any “hot shot taillight contractor” will ever receive. A successful sales person “knows how to listen.”

This is perhaps the hardest skill to develop and learn. Good listening means more than giving your customer a chance to talk … it means giving them your undivided attention, clearing your mind of all thoughts except what they are saying. Getting them to talk is important because it’s the only way you can become aware of what their special problems, concerns, and desires area. By leaning these secrets you will be able to stress features and benefits that are of importance to them during your sales presentation. Knowing the importance of good listening and actually doing it are two different things; since it is easy to fall into the habit of half-listening and half-planning what you are going to say next, instead of focusing only on what they are saying.

You must fully understand the problems and decorative desires your customer has. Visualize them as the customer is speaking. Be attentive. Look them in the eye …nodding, or saying “I understand” or “I see” occasionally; thus, demonstrating your interest and concerns. Ask a question now and then, but not excessively. Remember, to let them talk, don’t dominate the conversation. It isn’t easy to be a good listener; but, successful salespeople have mastered the benefits of this skill. A salesperson is actually a “problem solver.” You are selling your prospect “answers to their problems.”

You must first “create a need,” then “offer a solution.” Fortunately every potential customer has a problem …it’s up to you to “make them aware of what it is!” The best way to win a potential buyers confidence, and keep it, is to deserve it. Experienced professionals are careful …

• Not to make exaggerated claims.
• To use honest facts and figures to back up claims they make
• To demonstrate and prove their points.
• To use solid, legitimate testimonials the sales prospect can verify. 
• Not to promise what they can’t deliver.
• To show sincere interest in every customer’s individualized needs.
• To consistently and conscientiously put the customer’s best interest ahead of their own personal gain Being honest and trustworthy will pay off in profits and referrals from your loyal customers.

If you have a superior quality product to offer, this is what you should emphasize in your sales presentation; although be very careful not to fall into the trap of criticizing your competitor’s similar one. You can, if you have established trust, sell at a higher cost than your competitor so long as they believe that they are getting superior quality, paying off in greater value for their dollar and longer product life. What’s good for the buyer; will always result in increased business for you.

The satisfied buyer will be “proud of their new surface.” Like a pebble thrown into a pond, their enthusiasm will ripple like a wave, moving outward through their circle of friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers, creating waterfalls of referrals for you! Show the customer how your decorative concrete interior or exterior surface will satisfy their dreams through freedom of color, texture, and design; assure a sense of prestige, and win them the admiration and envy of the neighborhood and/or make their commercial property truly stand out from those of their competitors.

Lindy Ausburne High Definition Concrete Consultant Lindy.Ausburne@gmail.com 254-212-5536 (office) or 254-498-6635 (cell phone) http://www.highdefintionconcrete.blogspot.com Author of…Secrets of Selling (SOS) High Definition Decorative Concrete, Protective Coatings, and Architectural Concrete Resurfacing Systems Note: listing of all 15 chapters w/summaries, provided upon request. Cost $35.00 (including shipping). PayPal invoiced.