Member Article

Selling is a piece of cake

Out recently with my beautiful wife in what is becoming one of our favourite coffee shops we were asked if we would like a free piece of carrot cake.

“Is the Pope Catholic?” I asked the manager

His reply was very poignant.

“This cake will sit there all day without selling a piece until the first slice has gone; once that first slice sells then the cake will sell out by the end of the day”

Having devoured (sorry shared) the cake with my wife I observed one customer after another order a slice of carrot cake until our departure, when there was just a single piece of cake left.

The following morning I had to call in and ask if the last piece had sold (and see if there was any chance of another free piece) I was not disappointed.

Now for all you coffee shop / café owners out there herein lies a method on which to sell more cake.

But to all of us business owners and sales professionals there lies just as valuable a lesson.

I am not advocating giving too much of your product or service away for free but there is merit in the idea to at least consider it.

The main lesson to be learned in what the astute coffee shop manager did was he presented his product in a better light.

You see whilst there are people who will jump a queue most people do not want to be the “guinea pig”. They want to know that someone else has tried the product first and that it works.

“If a cake is whole then no one has tried it and if I am the first to try it I might waste my money” a customer can be forgiven for saying to themselves.

If however someone appears to have bought a slice then:

“It must be OK because if it was too dry or the cream was not right then the manager would not continue to sell it, Oh go on I’ll take a slice”

Buyers are exactly the same with your product or service.
Are you presenting your product in the right way?
Are you conveying all of the benefits for the customer?
Does he or she completely understand what it is you are selling?
Do YOU completely understand what it is you are selling?

Have you got people who will vouch for you?
Are they prepared to speak to your prospects and tell them how good your product is?
Do you have signed letters from them in your portfolio? (Not in the filing cabinet draw!)

Get this right in your marketing message and you will attract new customers.
Follow this through to your sales team and your sales people will close more business.
You see when all is said and done Selling can be a piece of cake!

Have your best day

Paul Robson

www.paulrobson.net

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Robson .