Make An Offer

In which it's suggested that we state a point of view to attract prospect attention. A friend called to share a story. [He knows I'm partial to banks, so this is a bank story, and it could just as easily apply to any business.] He's sitting in his office, minding his own business, and the phone rings.

“John, this is Bill Smith. I’m the branch manager with [large well known bank]. I just wanted to call and introduce myself. We’re building a new branch in your area. I thought if we could talk, I might be able to figure out if there’s anything we could do for you. I look forward to hearing back from you.”

John’s question: “Why would I call the guy back?”

Right!  There’s no reason to call back, no “offer” or interest-piquing line to stimulate John’s curiosity.

What’ an offer?  Something like, “We do X and, for a limited time, we’re offering….” or “We’re introducing X and if you buy within 30 days, we’re offering special pricing..”

What’s an interest-piquing line?  Something that your prospect should know or do based on the information you have at your disposal, i.e. your point of view.

For example, “We’re seeing more of our professional practices clients use electronic billing to accelerate their cash flow.  I’d like to share their approaches with you and show you how you might be able to accelerate your cash flow 10%.”

Or, “We expect the housing slump to continue for another 18 months. We’ve developed a six-point best practices financial checklist for real-estate brokerage firms. If you’d like to receive a copy or learn more about financial options to survive the slump, please call XXX, XXXX.”

Or, “As the housing slump continues, we think this is a good time for real estate development companies to do X, Y, and Z.  I’d like to meet with you, briefly, to share our analysis and the three strategies.”

Or even, “We’re offering a free retirement planning seminar for six year-olds so long as they bring at least one parent or guardian with them.”  (Humor, yes?)

The point is, you have something more to say that, “Yo, ya wanna hang out?”, which is what the offending branch manager said, essentially.

You want some of your prospects’ time?  Make them an offer or drop them a line, stating point of view.

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