New Blog Post - Consistent & Honest
posted by Wes Zimmerman @ 6:20 PM
0 Comments
Links to this post
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
home | the author | the book | the seminar | zingers | testimonials | site map | contact | buy now | |  | |
|
The Perception of a DifferenceThe Power in Buying, Marketing, Selling, Customer CareWes Zimmerman
Sunday, January 6, 2008Sunday, April 15, 2007A Discount = Lost Credibility = Lost Sale
A Discount = Lost Credibility = Lost Sale About once a month I succumb to a promotion and register to listen to a free telephone seminar that will "Double your income in twelve months"; or "Help you to make your book an Amazon best seller," or give you "The Seven Secrets to Sales Success." You name it. I do this because I am always ready to learn something new. Like you, I am subject to times of self-doubt, lower sales than I want, and times when my enthusiasm dwindles. Sometimes I register just to see how the "expert" presents his/her product/service; today was one of those days. A friend forwarded the email pitch with the thought that it sounded like it might be worthwhile. It promised ten secrets to better sales. I read it, learned that it would happen in two hours, last one hour, and only 14 slots were left. I jumped right in. This was the "wild card" buying decision described in my book "The Perception Of A Difference". Was it worth it? Yes, for two reasons. 1. It reconfirmed the value of what I have practiced most of my life, including the absolute value of consistency in sales and business practices and 2. It demonstrated the destructive power of discounting. The ten "secrets" are not new, but they were presented in a different way. They can be found in the Torah, The Old Testament, The New Testament, and "Dad's Sayings" on page 293 of The Perception Of A Difference. There is nothing new in this world, only new approaches to helping you and me learn the eternal truths of human nature. I needed and benefited from hearing them again. For me, the seminar experience was a powerful demonstration of how to lose a sale in a series of small steps.
He should have asked for the order after thirty minutes, everything he said after that weakened his presentation and proved that he isn't the expert he claims to be. An expert knows when to ask for the order. His normal charge for the eight session phone seminar plus three one-hour, one-on-one phone calls for $1,997.00. Eleven sessions would cost $181,59 each,- not unreasonable if you improve your business by even ten or fifteen percent in a year. If you double your business, as he suggested, it's a flaming bargain. But then he discounted the price of his seminar by fifty percent -- yes, 50%. That blew the sale completely for me. I knew instantly that he wasn't worth his "normal" fee of $1,000.00 per hour. If he were, he wouldn't be putting on this free telephone seminar. If he were he would not be offering his $1,997.00, eight session, regular phone seminar plus three one-hour, one-on-one phone calls for $997.00. If he were, he would not invite us listeners to pay in two easy installments instead of the usually required 100% up front. Had he not eroded his credibility, which lowered the perceived value of his seminar, and had he not offered a discount, he might have landed an order. Dad taught me to never discount, I have followed that policy with great success. What has worked for you? Wes Labels: credibility, discounts, perception, sales, success
posted by Bill Austin @ 10:14 AM
0 Comments
Links to this post
Click the Add to Cart button below to purchase the Perception of a Difference Book through Pay Pal at $31.50. Shipping and handling will be added at checkout at the rate of $4.95 for first book and $2.75 for each additional book. ISBN 0-9760307-0-5 - Hard Cover, 305 Pages Buy the Perception of a Difference Book:Subscribe to Zingers Newsletter:About ZingersWes Zimmerman |
 |
Copyright © 2005-2007 Wesley W. Zimmerman All Rights Reserved |  |