Give something away to get a Sales Appointment

by Karl Butler
(England)

The best way to make sales appointments fast is to give something away. Yes it can be a real free gift but it doesn't have to be. Kitchen sales people give the punter a free survey complete with plans and measurements.

This selling technique is used a lot in the home improvement industries. Double glazing, carpet sales, building work, and many others.

They don't even call it a sales appointment. It's a free survey, and in return the punter gets to keep the plans that have been drawn up.

In reality it's a sales appointment.

The salesman, called a kitchen surveyor, is there for one urpose only, and that is to sell a new kitchen. The survey works in two ways:

1. It puts the punter at ease as it diguises the fact that it's a sales appointment.

2. The punter thinks they are getting something free, the survey and plans. they are told these have a value and can be kept and used at a later date with any other kitchen company.

A Free Holiday

The salesmen and women making sales appointments for time share holidays and apartments take the free gift technique to a new level.

A free holiday as long as you agree to visit a show apartment or listen to a sales presentation. A captive audience that feels they should reciprocate the gift of a holiday. A salesman's dream.

Could you use it in your business

This sales technique for making sales appointments is not used as much in B2B sales. There are the free lunches, days out at the golf course, or corporate presentation days, but many industries don't want to spend money on these gifts.

For these companies free trials may be how to make sales appointments. Use the product free for a month and one of our engineers will come and visit you for feedback.

This works on many levels.

There's reciprocation, where the potential buyer feels obligated to return the gift of a free trial by meeting with the engineer to give feedback. The objective of the engineer is to sell the product after the free trial.

The free trial works because buyers don't like having something given to them and then taken away. They've got used to your product while they had it on trial and now you want to take it off them.

They don't see it as a normal sales pitch. You are giving them the chance to see the product, use it, see if it works for them, and most important they will find any faults with it.

Free reports and information packs.

If a free gift is useful it doesn't have to be expensive.

When you meet with our technician he will give you a free report on the latest ideas and breakthroughs in your industry.

A free booklet on: how to make savings, go green, use less electricity, live longer, make money, and any other topic that your customers will want information on.

Information can be delivered to punters cheaply. if you can send it electronically even better. It's a gift. it could be unique, only handed out by your company.

Open your mind to new ideas for
your free gift

Open your mind and consider what you could give to your potential buyers in return for meeting with you. How can you dress up your sales appointment and call it another name that sounds beneficial to the buyer.

Will a free trial work for you with your customers? What information could you package up and use to gain sales appointments? Would surveys do it for your buyers?

If there is legislation governing your industry then get writing. Become a source of valuable information on legislation for your prospects. In return for a sales appointment you will give the buyer the latest rules and regulations, and save them the trouble of research and web surfing.

The free gift works. I've used it in many markets. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it will get you sales appointments.

Comment from Stephen Craine

Great article Karl.

The reason for the call, the motivator, is always the most important part of the sales appointment call.

Using a free gift as a motivator, and the reason for the call will have a great impact on the prospect.

For more information on how to make sales appointments, click the image, or follow the link, and open the Sales and Training Solution section.