FBO: Demonstrations, Illustrations, and Examples

Sunday, November 16th 2008 by Shanel Yang

[For “FBO: Don’t Complain—and Give a Little Extra,” click here.]

This part of the “FBO” or “For Bloggers Only” series is actually NOT JUST for bloggers, but FOR ALL entrepreneurs, employees, and nonprofit organizations seeking to raise funds to support their goals.

If you want millions of viewers, readers, customers, clients, members, etc., then you’ll want to follow along as we go through, one by one, the rainmaking secrets provided by Jeffrey J. Fox in his book How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

DEMONSTRATIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND EXAMPLES

A. FOX’S TIP NO. 32 FOR ALL RAINMAKERS

Fox’s Tip No. 32 for how to become a great salesperson, or rainmaker, is to say to customers who ask for a demo: “We would be happy to give you a demonstration. If the demo is successful, is there anything else prohibiting you from going ahead?”

Customers need to be convinced that your product or service will work as claimed. The greater the investment, the greater the need for the customer to be sure. The newer the technology, the greater the need to test. Anything new—product, supplier salesperson—usually triggers the need for some kind of proof.

There are various ways customers get the proof they need: samples, small assignments, product evaluations, product trials, demonstrations, references, beta tests, test markets. Marketers of consumer package goods use samples, for example, to get customers to know the product. (Wrigley chewing gum was launched in its hometown of Chicago by sending a pack of gum to everyone in the phone book.) Companies selling to other companies often use product demonstrations to convince.

Product demonstrations are often tricky to arrange. The salesperson must have the proper equipment, power supply, backup parts, recording sheets. Most important, the decision makers have to be present to view the demonstration.

When a customer asks for a product demonstration, the Rainmaker responds as follows: “We would be happy to give you a demonstration. If the demo is successful, is there anything else prohibiting you from going ahead?”

This is a killer sales question.

By asking “Is there anything else prohibiting you …,” the salesperson is either going to hear some unresolved customer issues, or get an agreement to an action that leads to a close.

Rainmakers never leave product sames if the samples must somehow be tested. The Rainmaker knows that 95 percent of all samples left to be tested are still in a drawer or were tested incorrectly. The Rainmaker is always present when the customer tests the product.

Rainmakers never do a test or demo without first getting an agreement from the customer to go ahead with the sale if test is successful.

Rainmakers never let the customer do the demo in his or her absence. If the customer makes an error, the salesperson suffers.

Rainmakers get buying commitments before they give selling demonstrations.

B. APPLYING FOX’S TIP NO. 32 TO BLOGGERS

If you want to become an A-list blogger, apply Fox’s Tip No. 32 above to your blogging business by providing demonstrations, illustrations, and examples.

Let me start by saying if you are selling or recommending any products or services through your blog, it would help your viewers make their decisions if you provide test results, testimonials, and samples of the products or services whenever possible. For example, if you are selling your book or ebook, you could publish a portion of the book to let your readers take it for a test drive. Or, if you are selling consulting services, you might offer a free initial 10 minutes or longer so they know what they’ll get if they sign up for more. In either of these cases, you could also publish some of the most glowing reviews you’ve ever received prior customers.

However, if you mostly provide free advice on your blog that you would like your readers to try for themselves, use demonstrations, illustrations, and examples to more fully explain exactly how to follow that advice and also how doing so can improve their lives. This is generally more persuasive than merely stating the tips.

CONCLUSION

As bloggers, we can’t be present when our viewers “test” our products, services, or advice. But, we can do our best to limit the improper use of these by providing as much clear instructions as possible through as many and varied demonstrations, illustrations, and examples as our imaginations can muster. In this sense, we are acting much as instructors of “how to use this stuff” as rainmakers attracting and keeping viewers for our blog and any products or services we recommend.

If you would like your own copy of Rainmaker someday, here’s what it looks like.

[For “FBO: Give Help and Get Viewers,” click here.]

[For entire “FBO” or “For Bloggers Only” series, click here.]

Be sure to get the latest articles as soon as they’re posted by signing up here!

[For “Future Entrepreneurs Test,” click here.]

[For “The Courage to Be Rich,” click here.]

[For “How I Paid of $50,000 of Debt in One Year,” click here.]

[For “Why We Buy It Even If We Don’t Need It,” click here.]

[For “Test Your Spending Habits,” click here.]

[For “Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life,” click here.]

[For “What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?,” click here.]

[For “Do You Want to Fly Like Superman?,” click here.]

[For “How to Set and Achieve Goals in 5 Simple Steps,” click here.]