HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF? 1 customer at a time!

19,200,000 that's the number when I google 'promotional products' even if I narrow it down to Vancouver BC 945,000.

How do I differentiate myself? How do I build a data base of customers? A clientel list?

Well the best way is to start with 1 customer and do a good job. If that works, we do the same for the next customer. Hopefully my customers will actually mention my name to other prospects and they could become customers.

The ball is rolling now so don't get in the way. Be a part of the prospects solution and they will become customers too.

Look after them all. We used to have a little poem

Winter, Summer, Spring and Fall,

Big or Small, we look after them all.

Well it's not shakespeare but you get the idea.

Look after the small orders and the big ones will surely follow. Then when you get big, remember who got you there. Still look after those pesky small orders. That's where you really help the client.

-Take care of the clients needs.

-Make it easy for the client to deal with you.

-Be up front and tell the client what you're doing.

-People dealing with People.

So when does it change from customer to client? Good question.

I think the customer evolved from being a prospect and then they finally bought something and became the customer.

Then a funny thing happens. You get to know the people you're dealing with and they get to know you and comes an intra-trust between you and your customer which I believe brings about the feeling and change from customer to client.

In the same way I think the client will no longer think of you a supplier but as 'our promotional products company'.

PROSPECT - CUSTOMER - CLIENT = Clientel List

Always keep the pipeline full of propects so the customers can find you and the clients evolve.

Easy? No but it will happen with some steady effort on your part.

I'm Rod Winning

At http://www.winningfairways.com/ we try to do all the above. It's working. Please check us out and put us on your list to be your "promotional products company".

rod-fairways@hotmail.com

Idea Spotting - Tightly linked to Networking

While looking at new products & suppliers, and gathering speed for our Promotional Products business, I came across a neat book at Chapters.

I've been reading this book called - 'Ideaspotting' How to find your next great idea, by Sam Harrison.

It's one of those little books you can read and keep handy as a manual. 18 chapters with several sub chapters each, filled with life experience, how to, suggestions, self tests, pictures and diagrams, this book will be on my desk for a long time.

Sam's opening page is 'Be an Idea Spotter not a Trainspotter'.
'You can drift toward becoming the trainspotting type by sitting where you are, doing what you're doing and getting what your getting.
Or you can start becoming an IdeaSpotter by climbing aboard. Because this train is leaving the station.'

The first chapter (like all chapters) has a unique title.
NOBODY SPOTS HOT IDEAS IN COLD OFFICES. SO WHY SIT THERE?

Where, Why, When, What & How.

Even some encouraging words in the title of the last chapter. YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

I'll keep this book handy for ideas on how to get new ideas. The promotional products business is everchanging. Our customers are forcing us to change as most customers want something different than the last order. What's new?

Any way I look at it, we'll always be looking for that new idea so I guess we'd better be looking around at all times. If we get complacent and comfortable with our current successes, we could find ourself slowly drifting out of the loop.

Surround yourself with the right network of people you require for the particular service or product you have.

It is important to know that you can have several networks going at the same time. Not everybody is interested in everything you do just like you are not necessarily interested in everything all your network people do.

ie You may have a musical interest & business and have created a network which works very well for give and get.

You may also be involved with a multi-level sales organization and find that your products / services aren't suited for everyone in your 'musical' network. Simply start another network of people for that interest. Your data base for each network could include some of the same people but each network would be a different list.

I wanted make an opinion about 'Ideaspottin' being linked tightly to Networking. Don't sit by the railway tracks and watch the trains go by. Get on that train. Look around, meet people and see what's out there.

At Promotional Products 101 we'll keep on 'IdeaSpotting' thanks to Sam Harrison.

I'm Rod Winning contact me at http://www.winningfairways.com/ rod-fairways@hotmail.com

NEED TO SUCCEED? NEED TO GET NOTICED?

Do I Need to Succeed? - Get Noticed?
What do I have to do to get noticed?
Do I need a promotional product?

Tired of keeping on keeping on. Let's make some changes in the way we do things.
Let's get noticed. But just how am I going to do it?

What works best for me and my product or service?

Well, some people are comfortable to put the ad in the yellow pages, some local newspapers and set up a website, then wait for the phone to ring.

That's okay if it's working well for you but you may want to add the Networking effect where you volunteer in strategic places and network with the people there.

Strategically sponsor teams and put your business card ad in special programs.

Networking doesn't happen to you.
You have to network. Plan or just let it happen but make sure you are the networker.

When you go to a luncheon, you move around, introduce yourself, trade cards and move on.

You will soon figure out who you need to talk to in the room.

Always remember that networking is not direct selling.

You want the other person to know what you do but you must also find out what they do. The whole idea in networking is to help others while they help you.

I just about forgot... Promotional Products are always a great value for your dollar. Any item you choose (and budget) goes directly to the target.
What or Who is your TARGET?
Who is your IDEAL CUSTOMER?
I'll cover that again in another blog.

There is probably more questions here than answers but if you're like me, you probably already have the answers, you just have to remember to ask yourself the questions.

Ever go to a motivational speaker event and find that everything the famous speaker
said, you already knew. Common sense is everywhere. Ask yourself the questions, you'll surprise yourself when you find out how much you know.

If you have any questions or would like to contact me, email rod-fairways@hotmail.com
That's Rod Winning

Who or what inspires you.

Inspired

From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma

When I first read Robin Sharma book, I more like studied it
rather than read it. There is a nice little story in there but
there is much more wisdom than you can pick up just reading
it like a novel. No other book of mine has so much markings in it.
Not to mention the lists of info I wrote separately.

This quotation from the book became my mantra.
I have an engraved plate which I keep close, just in
case I need a little more inspiration.

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some
Extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their
Bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your
Conciousness expands in every direction and you find
Yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant
Forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover
Yourself to be a greater person than you ever
Dreamed yourself to be."

Patanjali – A Great Indian Philosopher

Wow, wasn't that worth it?

Rod Winning Winning Fairways Inc. promotional products for success

info@winningfairways.com rod.winning@gmail rod-fairways@hotmail.com