Peggy’s Pointers

I was so very thrilled to be presenting “What’s New in Packaging” to 3rd-5th grade girls this week.  Plano ISD has a grant that is geared toward young ladies introducing them to science and math as a career choice.

These young folks are using their math skills to create and design a package for a product.  I showed them examples of packaging products that they would never see as most of my products are discarded at the shipping dock before they go into the retail store.

Here are some samples of their work:

Congrats PISD for encouraging young ladies into the packaging business.  There are very few women in my industry and it is so much fun and rewarding to get to see how things are made and what it takes to be a part of getting a product prepared for market.

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2015

As a waitress do you set goals and objectives for your job?  Are you a sales associate in a clothing store?  What is your overall plan for the year to grow your client base?  As a hairdresser, do you need new clients?  Do you have a marketing plan for your business?  If not, why?

Today, I was chatting with a colleague whose primary business is in the retail sales market.  He mentioned that store managers and retail salespeople need to have sales skills yet quite often they don’t know or realize that they need to employ the same skill-set that is paramount to all sales individuals.

For most of my career, I have been in industrial sales.  Goal setting is just part of my overall sales plan each year.   At the end of the year, I start reviewing my existing client base and identify prospective clients to determine a plan of attack for the coming year.  Basically, I ask myself where my business will come from next year.

At my hairdresser’s shop, there is a young lady who has only been out of beautician school for about a year and is looking to build her business.  Currently she gets to help out the senior hairdressers when they are overloaded.  However she needs to be able to develop her own practice.

I shared the following tips with her to help develop and grow her business:

• Set up a Facebook Business Fan Page and LinkedIn Profile.
  • Start writing about hair care tips.  Write about your industry.  What’s new and happening?
  • Review new products on the market.
  • Be consistent with your writing. Post information on your social media pages at least once a week.
• Create a list of people in your Circle of Connections
  • Connect with everyone that you know and tell them what you are doing for a living now.
  • Don’t forget friends of your family, high school/college, fraternity/sorority, church, clubs, neighbors, spouse/significant other connections, gym/exercise class, professional connections like CPA, banker, attorney, etc. Think about every type of connection that you have and reach to them.
• Create multiple-purchase offers or offers that cost you very little.
  • For example, you can offer $10 off of your client’s next hair cut when they help bring you new customers or offer a free hair cut with every 3 new clients that you bring in.
• Join trade associations in your industry. Yes, even in the restaurant, beauty, etc. industry there are associations that you can become members that will help promote your business.
• Ask your clients for a written review of your work. Encourage them to post on your social media page and speak about your level of professionalism and expertise.
• Look and act professional.
  • Have business cards made with your name, phone number and email address.  Give them to everyone that you meet.
  • Even if you are a waitress at the local pub, hand out your business cards to customers, if permissible by management. Ask the patrons to ask for you next time they come in for dinner.
  • If your business establishment will not allow you to hand out your personal business cards, ask your manager for his card and write your name on the back to give to customers.
• Get involved in some type of community events.
  • Find ways to volunteer and help others.
  • Volunteering affords you a different opportunity to connect with people outside of your sphere of influence.
• Brainstorm with others in your business or with trusted friends as to tips that you can use to add to your business.

These tips are applicable to any type of business that you are engaged.  When you can apply one or all of these ideas, you will begin to see an increase in your bottom line.

Remember that no matter what type of business you engage, do not be bashful to let everyone that you are connected with know what you are doing and ask for their help to grow your business.

Finally, always be sure to give back.  Ask those customers and clients what you can do for them.

Peggy P. Edge © 2015

Peggy Edge presented “Key Steps to Effective Business Networking” to the Plano Chapter of Dallas Referrals Networking on Friday, January 16th.

Her presentation included the importance of determining your Return on Investment (ROI) for all networking activities; crafting an effective 30-second commercial; and identifying and training synergy partners so that they can help you grow your business with warm referrals.

Do the manufacturers of the products you rep require that you reveal your client list as a condition to do business with them?

Recently I was getting ready to purchase some packaging products for a client when the manufacturer wanted to know the name of my and how much product they buy from me annually.

Initially, I responded to the email with all of the information that they requested. However, just before I hit the send button, I had second thoughts about this request.

They didn’t give me an ultimatum but on numerous occasions of recent they wanted me to reveal the name of my client when I purchased products.

In the packaging business, there is no exclusivity of products. I can purchase the exact brands from several vendors. In addition, I am under no contract or obligation to buy from only them.

Even though we don’t have a contract, we do have a gentleman’s agreement that we do not call on each other’s accounts. I have always honored this agreement because I respect their position and consequently I expect that they will respect mine as well. Furthermore, I strongly believe that either one of us is shooting ourselves in the foot if we breach that verbal commitment.

This particular supplier does have a direct salesforce who sells to end users. Historically, there have been times when I have provided a client’s name in order to protect my own interests within a particular account. However, I have done this readily because I did not want their sales representatives bird-dogging my accounts.

The bottom line here is that we are not talking about doctor/patient or lawyer/client privileged but in all honesty I do not feel this is any of their business whatsoever to know the names of my customers. What are your thoughts on this?

Peggy P. Edge © 2015

A Strategic Networking Plan is a “must-have” inclusion in an overall Marketing Plan for any business or individual.

When you map out a plan of attack, for your networking activities truly, you can be extremely successful growing your business with a plethora of warm introductions and referrals thus minimizing the need to cold call.

Here are a few key steps to drafting a Networking Plan:

• Return on Investment (ROI)
  • Start by evaluating last year’s results.
  • Assign a cost to your hard and soft expenses – How much does it cost you in time to attend each event?
• Identification of Strategic Partnerships
  • Create a list of every connection and analyze how they might be eligible to be strategic to your partnership.
  • Do you have new products/services offering where you will need to identify new connections?
• Development time to train those partners
  • Set up a schedule to meet with your networking partners and share with them what you expect to accomplish during the year and how they can be an integral part of your success.
• Tis’ better to give than to receive.
  • How you are going to be of service or assistance to others. It could be as a mentor, trainer or leader.
• Social Media
  • Include in your plan the utilization of social media in your networking activities for the year.
• Craft engaging 30-Second Commercials
  • Create at least 3-5 different commercials, then practice, practice, practice in front of a mirror, using a stop watch.

Peggy works with corporate sales teams and individuals to develop their Strategic Networking Plan.

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2015  (Portions of text are excerpts from “5 Key Steps of Effective Business Networking” – Peggy P. Edge (c) 2012)

Recently I was reading an article about sales sins.  Since I like to work in a positive manner as much as possible, here are a few helpful pointers about sales that we must keep in mind when we are in the marketplace:

1. Listen between the lines – instead of running your mouth, try to figure out what your prospect or client is implying in their conversation with you.
2. Sell benefits and value proposition from the customer prospective –look at the need of the client. You must ask yourself, what benefits will he experience and what is the value proposition in the eyes of the client…not your eyes.
3. Be proactive in your sales process – always ask for the order.
4. Make sure you are talking to a prospect and not a suspect – If you have done your homework, you will know:
   • Who the final decision maker is
   • What products and services to present
   • How you are going to present the recommendations and justifications that fit the prospects needs.
5. Create client advocates – an advocate is someone who will promote, talk about, recommend you to others. In Carl Sewell’s book, “Customers for Life” he talks about under promising and over delivering is just one way to create those life-long advocates.

“Getting ‘THE EDGE’ over Your Competition!!!”

Peggy P. Edge © 2014

When you give your 30-Second Commercial at a networking event, do you just stand up, open your mouth and hope the right words to come out?  You are shooting yourself in the foot unless you plan in advance what you are going to say.  Developing a good elevator speech requires some forethought.

A well-crafted commercial will answer 3 questions:  Who, What, and Why.

1. Who are your clients or prospects? Be specific with the levels of management that you call on as well as the industry niche that you work within or are expecting to break into.  Example:  I work with______________.
2. What the products and services that you offer? Highlight only 1 product or service at a time.  Remember you only have 30-seconds.  Example:  I provide ________.
3. Why should I listen to what you have to say? Your Value Proposition explains why your product or service is important.  Example:  Because or So that_________.

To improve your presentation, write the answer to all of these questions and fill in the blank.  Next, get in front of a mirror and practice-practice-practice.

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2014

As we embark on the last quarter of the year, what are your plans for your business? Are you beginning to coast because you’ve already met quota? Or…are you scrambling to network so you can finish the year on top?

If you are coasting, don’t do that.  Your competition is nipping at your heels.  Start working on next year’s plan.

If you are in scrambling mode, take a deep breath, re-group and tweak your plan.  Some of the things you can do to tweak your plan include:

1. Make sure you have identified everyone in your Connection Circle.  Think about any group that you have become involved in for the first time this year. How well are you connected?  Reach out and connect on a personal level.
2. Look at your Inactive Client list.  Touch base and ask for a new opportunity to work with them.
3. Dust off that pile of business cards on your desk from events you have attended and enter them in your contacts.  Drop them a note and your business card in the mail as a reminder of who you are and what you do.  Ask them what you can do for them.
4. Call existing clients to thank them for their business.  Ask them if they know anyone they can refer to you.  Be bold and ask for a personal introduction.
5. Above all——Don’t be afraid to ask.

Now go out Make Connections – Seize Opportunities.

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2014

For many years, face-to-face networking has been the primary way for sales executives to connect with potential buyers.   Many of us are still a little slow to embrace social media to its fullest as a means to grow our business.

I will be the first to admit that I’m still a neophyte at social media but I work on it every day.  Like they say, “I ain’t there yet but I’m getting there little-by-little.”

Let’s face it, social media is here to stay.  We might as well roll up our sleeves, cinch up our belt and get savvy with every possible way to make connections and seize opportunities.

To improve your overall effectiveness as a networker, here are a few tips that I have recently learned on how to improve my own social media:

• Make sure that all of your social media profiles say the same thing.
• Give yourself a title that is descriptive of what you do.  For example, I am the owner of my company. However, I am a Business Networking Expert, Speaker, Author and Industrial Packaging Specialist.  Therefore, list what you do as your Title, not the position that you hold within your company.
• Create a Summary that includes who you are and what products or services provided. Again, make sure they are consistent on each media.
• Write a short statement, one paragraph, about each job that you have held.
• Toot your own horn by including all Awards and Honors that you have accumulated over the years.  People really read this stuff when they are checking you out.
• List all continuing education or self-improvement coursework that you have taken.
• Write short, to-the-point, articles or 1-2 sentence posts on your social media. This will qualify you as an author.
• Comment on posts by others.  This will get better ratings on Google because it draws attention to you and what you are up to.
• Connect periodically with your tribe to let them know you are still alive and kicking.  Send them a link to your most recent blog post.

Other places where you can connect with me include:

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/peggyedge

Facebook Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/PeggyEdgeFanPage

Twitter: ttps://twitter.com/PeggyEdge

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2014

Dale Carnegie was the consummate networker.  He wrote “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in 1936!  His teachings are still as relevant today as they were when originally written.

Here are 3 excerpts from his book that we can apply when attending your next networking event:

• “Become genuinely interested in other people.”  The moral here is to drop the “what’s in it for me” attitude.  When you engage others and ask them about what they do, why there are there or simply welcome them as a guest, you show that you care about them.
•  “Smile.”  You certainly cannot win many friends if you always go around with a frown on your face.
• “Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.”  Many times at networking functions, I see folks spending all of their time talking about themselves and trying to establish their place whereas if they would be a sponge and soak up what other people have to say, they would be much more effective in making an impression.

Dale Carnegie was a genius at teaching folks how to be winners in all aspects of life.  His writings are still very applicable today as they were almost 80 years ago.

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2014