It Takes All Kinds

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/125/It_Takes_All_Kinds.html

It Takes All Kinds
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

It takes all kinds to make the world go round and it takes all kinds of sales approaches to get to yes.

How come you can always sell to some personality types and also have trouble selling to other types? We are all a little different from each other and each of us experience changes in personality and mood. It's time to focus on how best to market and sell to different personality types.

We know that even after we grow up, most of us fall back to childish-immature behavior when we are stressed. Many of us are perpetually stressed! We either behave as:

Phase 1. Infants who have physical needs and go gaga unconscious; or,
Phase 2. We yell and scream like the self-centered safety-conscious two-year-old; or,
Phase 3. In our desire to belong, we get very apologetic as a little girl or boy and confess how sorry we are; or,
Phase 4. We shout "chapter and verse" and tell everyone what they should be doing in our need to be esteemed with the certainty of the impervious teenager.
Phases 5, 6, and 7 are those of self-actualization and maturity.

These, in brief, are the major strategies most of us use in dealing with others.

When you next talk to your customers, notice how they are. Listen to their speech patterns. Notice their posture. Think about your customer base. Are they mostly this way or that. Your guerrilla marketing depends on deciding how the majority of your customers and potential customers behave. If your customers are coming from all four personality phases, then perhaps you're not focused enough and you probably have too many competitors. The way to eliminate competitors is to more narrowly focus your marketing.

Phase 1 folks are mostly institutionalized. Occasionally, all of us need to get away and shut down. We won't address this group.

Phase 2 people form the majority of our customers. They are egotistical and self-centered. In your marketing, you must let them know that your firm and your products are the best money can buy. You need to be impressed with their accomplishments. Your slogans sound like: "You're the greatest!" and "You deserve a break today..."

Phase 3 persons are nice and sweet and very polite, but they will not make buying decisions easily and often want extra concessions. Your best bet is to be friendly and a bit assertive. Your ads need to say, "Call today for a FREE brochure." And Level 3 types need to see your message about 27 times before they will move from absolute apathy toward your product to making that call for your FREE brochure.

Finally, Phase 4 folks are sure that they are right. They are the "parents" in any adult community. They make the rules and stick by them. Your best strategy is to give them lots of facts and figures and be very "logical" in your approach. List your products benefits by saying: "First, you product is superior because... Second, ... Third, ..."

Pinpoint your customers. Market them all in your clear public advertising, but sell to them as unique individuals.

Reading the Numbers

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/134/Reading_the_Numbers.html

Reading the Numbers
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

Quickly now, think of a number between zero and ten.

Unless you're trying to be difficult or you're from Mars, we know you probably thought of seven. Remarkable? Actually, yes, quite remarkable. Predictable, too. We have a pretty good idea why you picked seven; and why most people do. If you didn't think of seven you are somewhat exceptional. By the way, three is the usual second choice.

It's important to understand why sevens and threes come up so often in our culture. You can use this information in your selling and marketing strategies. We'll show you how.

By the way, a big majority of us will choose thirty-seven when asked to pick a two digit number. That response is merely a variation on the normal reply to our first question.

Need more proof? Why 7 Wonders of the World? 7 Deadly Sins? 7 Days of the Week? The 7 Seas? 7 Colors of the Rainbow? And on and on. Why 3 Little Pigs? 3 Baseball Bases? 3-D? 3-R's? 3 Blind Mice? Why not 2 or 5? We have 2 of a lot of things from our eyes to our feet. And 5, of fingers and toes. But, we don't have 7 or 3 of anything! Or do we have something, somewhere very deep within us that forces us to see the world around us in terms of threes and sevens? Yes.

From memory experiments in Germany, dating back over one humored years and replicated in every decade since, we also know that your short-term memory buffer can only hold about seven items at any one time. That's probably why telephone numbers are only seven digits long. Plus an occasional area code of three digits!

So, when presenting choices of products or services to a customer, never give more than seven choices. Three is better. Then three more, but that's it. Most of us can't keep all six choices, clearly in our heads in order to make a business decision in your favor.

And, if you're designing a sign to be read by passing motorists or an ad to be read by readers skimming through the morning newspaper, keep the main copy under seven words.

Choose powerful three-letter words. New, now, you, sex, and FREE. This last word is always spelled with all capital letters. Okay, so free has four letters. But there are only three sounds.

Here's a great seven-word guerrilla marketing line. It should be in every ad, including your Yellow Page ad. "Call today for your FREE brochure." Not only is it under seven words, but tells your potential customers exactly what you want them to do.

Understanding Subconscious Buying

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/143/Understanding_Subconscious_Buying.html

Understanding Subconscious Buying
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

Over one hundred and fifty years ago, Henry David Thoreau, commenting on the human experience, wrote: "The mass of mankind lead lives of quiet desperation." Fifty years ago Helen Keller wrote: "Life is either a wonderful bold adventure or it's nothing." For most of us, life is pretty much nothing and most of us are still living lives of quiet desperation! This is important for you to understand in order for you to become a powerful marketer.

As Guerrillas, we're not trying here to change the world. Even though that would be a wonderful idea. We are simply coming to a clear understanding of how people are and of how to best approach them, where they are, as they are. All this in order to serve them better with our products and services designed to make their lives fuller, richer, and better.

But how to reach them? The human mind appears to be organized in layers much like an onion. As marketers we need to penetrate the outer layers and get our message through to the sub-conscious where all buying decisions are made. The big key appears to be in repetition. Say your clear message over and over again consistently and you'll find great marketing success.

How do you do this? In your sub-conscious buying message, of course. Your sub-conscious what? Buying Message. That is, your slogan, your motto, your jingle. Remember stuff like:

Just Do It.
. . . Is It.
You Can Do It.
You're in Good Hands with...
Reach Out and Touch Someone.
Oh, I Wish I Were an . . . Weiner!
When You Care Enough To Send the Very Best.
Be All That You Can Be.

Why can we remember these phrases years and years after the marketing campaign ended? It's because these messages were repeated to us in "delicious" ways over and over again. "Delicious" means accompanied with vivid, beautiful images, lovely music, and great dramatic, memorable themes.

Let's look back at some famous slogans with respect to the needs of different psychological groups. Try to figure out your own best-customer psychological group before you develop your own slogan.

For very basic physical needs: "Soup is Good Food." and "Only ... Gives You a Total-Body Workout."

For safety, an "ego" prospect needs: "Air Bags Are Standard." and "When You Can't Sleep."

For belonging, a "pleaser" client needs: "When Was the Last Time You and Your Husband Met for Lunch?" and "... Brings the Computer Age Home."

For self-esteem, an "authority" customer needs: "Isn't It Time You Owned a ..." and "For People who Know the Difference."

Appealing to mature self-actualization principled needs: "Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life." and "Be All that You Can Be."

Selecting a slogan represents a lot of work; however, once selected it should almost never be changed. Remember you'll always be in "Good Hands" with what's-his-name.

Winning Colors and Shapes for Your Company

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/147/Winning_Colors_and_Shapes_for_Your_Company.html

Winning Colors and Shapes for Your Company
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

We're looking at an ad for a securities firm. One-third of the page is taken up with a color photograph of a cute little infant floating on a decorated plastic tube in the clear waters of, maybe a swimming pool. There's a lot of ad copy under the photo (not shown here). Picture this in your mind for a few seconds, as you might while brousing through the pages of your favorite magazine.

When you think about this picture of the baby leisurely floating on the water, what comes to mind? What are your feelings? What adjectives describe this scene? What did the ad guys want you to see? If you say "peaceful," "serene," "secure," and "calm" you would be in the majority. That's the way most of us see this affair. But, on closer inspection, we are wrong! In fact, this is a very dangerous situation. There is no adult present, and, I'm sure, that plastic floatation device is not approved by the United States Coast Guard!

So, why did we get those peaceful feelings. Well, it's in the motif, it's in the colors, and the shapes, at a subconscious level, that produce those serene feelings that, mostly, we all feel. In the past, we've talked briefly about shapes so you probably guessed that the oval shape of the inner tube mirroring the baby's oval head and rounded body convey deep seated emotional feelings of security and calmness. You are right.

So, let's talk about other shapes and colors and our reaction to them. Studies show that shapes and colors affect people in different ways. Use them properly in your company logos, ad copy, and presentations and you'll beat the competition. Remember, in today's market winning is by a tenth of a second. The Guerrilla gains this 1/10 by 1 millisecond here and 1 millisecond there. The milliseconds add up. Guerrilla players win by majoring in minor things!

Consider the following charts and the associations your customers have with different shapes and colors. The way to read the chart is to look down the first column entitled "Consumer" and see the reaction most males and females have to basic geometric shapes and colors. The charts will tell you how visible or noticeable the shape or color is. It will also tell you how memorable or how long they will stay on someone's mind and if they prefer them over other shapes and colors. Use the charts to design your marketing pieces and logos to fit your customer base.

The original source of the charts are unknown. We'd be happy to give credit. They have been in our files for over seven years and have since been updated and modified.

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How to Sell Different People: The Mind Map

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/158/How_to_Sell_Different_People:_The_Mind_Map.html

How to Sell Different People: The Mind Map
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

The best way to sell depends on WHO you are selling to. Everyone has a different personality and different moods, so why do so many salespeople keep looking for the ONE best way to sell and close? For successful selling to different kinds of people you'll need a Mind Map to find the right approach.

To help you better understand how you and others think, how they react to you, and how we all make decisions, we've done some homework for you. We've outlined seven clearly identifiable personality types, or phases. We call this summary The Mind Map. It can be one of the most advanced tools in dealing with others. This knowledge will give you a real edge in dealing with adults.

Most of us adopt one of these phases as our primary personality type, but we may shift from one phase to another depending on the relationship, the circumstances, or stress. Whenever people interact, they invariably do so from one of these phases.

By discerning one phase from another at will, you have the capacity to deal more effectively with anyone, under nearly any circumstance. You will begin to see where personality conflicts are created, and improve the atmosphere of these relationships. When a relationship isn't going too well, you can quickly move to a different phase, gaining the psychological high ground that produces better results. You'll exhibit confidence and inspire it in others. As a result, you'll have relationships based on mutual trust, shared concerns, and open communication.

The Amoral Phase
We all begin life as infants, and because the behavior of infants is neither moral nor immoral, we call this the Amoral phase. It's dominant needs are physical, and when subjected to stress, the Amoral will shut down or escape by withdrawing into day dreams, TV, or, even, alcohol or other drugs.

We call this the "Leave Me Alone" phase. If you encounter someone who is temporarily in this phase, gracefully end the conversation and attempt another meeting later. It's impossible to have any kind of discussion with someone who is shut down.

The Ego Phase
Infants move into this phase when they discover that they are individuals, unique and separate from their parents. In it, children perceive themselves as the center of the universe, and all other people are placed in their life to serve them. In normal maturation, this phase develops at around two years of age.

All of us know people who are stuck in this phase. In fact, 30 to 40 per-cent of the adult population operates primarily out of Ego. They're pre-occupied with themselves, their things, their ideas, their accomplishments. This phase is known as the Do it my way now" phase.

Your best approach with Ego types is to acknowledge their uniqueness, their number-oneness. You also need to be assertive and demonstrate your leadership. Let Egos know that you're "Number One."

They want to know if you're good enough. Let them know that you're good, maybe, the best and that you only represent the best.

The Pleaser Phase
At some point early in life, around age seven, the mind learns that not only is it a separate ego, but that there are other egos in the world as well. Survival appears to depend on pleasing others. The dominant need at this phase is psychological. The common characteristic of this phase is the desire to please others.

Your best approach with Pleasers is to be friendly, and be somewhat assertive, since Pleasers tend to put off making decisions.

The Authority Phase
The Authority Phase is characterized by is the need for rules. In teen years we learn that not only are we individual egos, and that there are other egos, but that there are whole systems or groups of egos we belong to. It's often "us versus them." The maturing mind now seeks the right way to do everything.

Authority phase people are not satisfied for very long because they've relinquished responsibility for their actions and relationships, turning them over to the experts. Because of this, the Authority mind often invents strategies that endlessly move them in and out of three other phases just mentioned.

Your best approach with Authority people is to avoid friendly gestures and stick to the facts. Appeal to systems, logic, and quoted sources.

The Principle Phase
Later in life, usually after having been involved in a stable relationship, we may start to recognize that there are certain principles that make life work, something more basic than rules. Once a mind can understand systems of rules and laws at the Authority phase, it can begin to discern the more fundamental principles by which life functions.

The general characteristics of the Principle phase can be summed up in three words: fair, care, and share. This phase begins with the development of an acceptance of how people are, exactly as they are, and exactly as they are not. Differences are celebrated rather than condemned. Your ability to maintain the Principle phase depends on your ability to be fair, to communicate your caring, and to do a little more than your share. The move to the Principle phase requires a major shift in perspective, away from the step-by-step, logical mind to the creative mind. The jump to the Principle phase is a move from the objective to the subjective, from the rational to the intuitive, from the Left Brain to the Right Brain. It is a barrier most minds never permanently cross.

Instead of a rigid, closed box, the Principle phase is best thought of as a cloud with vague boundaries. The transition between the individual phases of the Right Brain are not distinct, but gradual.

The Responsible Phase
At some point, usually later in life, we finally recognize the inescapable truth of cause and effect: that everything that we've ever done, everything that we know, everything that we have, is the direct consequence of the choices we've made during our lifetime. The mind that is able to apply principles on a responsible basis enters the Responsible phase. At this phase we accept accountability for our actions and outcomes. What we achieve are no longer attributed to conditions of birth, bad luck, or our parent's strengths or weakness.

The Universal Phase
The next phase is that of those who have mastered life, and represents the Universal Mind. Nearly everyone has experienced this phase at least once. This is you at your highest potential, fully integrating both your logical and creative mind, integrating yourself with others, and integrating the mental, physical and spiritual realms of experiences.

The general characteristics of the Universal phase are freedom, empowerment and ecstasy. This person maximizes freedom for everyone by living and teaching correct principles, then allowing others to govern their own lives and handle their own responsibilities.

Mature people constantly strive to operate out of the highest possible phases of maturation. By basing all of their relationships on first principles, they demonstrate leadership. This instills confidence in the mind of your prospects. They will like you, trust you and want to do business with you, because of who you are. Not your affiliation or your image, but your true identity shows through, and people will stand in line to buy from you.

A Guerrilla salesperson HITS their prospects!

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/163/A_Guerrilla_salesperson_HITS_their_prospects!.html

A Guerrilla salesperson HITS their prospects!
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

Selling is the profession with perhaps the smarmiest reputation. Folks who are primarily in sales rarely have the word "sales" on their stationary and business cards. I've seen everything from "Account Representative" to "Special Agent." Like they were the FBI, or something. Anything but Salesperson. Why? Probably because we don't always act like professionals. Okay, so what do professionals do? How do they act?
Think about it for a minute. Picture a professional in your mind. What is he or she doing? Now picture in your mind a salesperson. What do you picture them doing? Most of us see the professional, whether doctor, lawyer, architect, or pastor, as sitting across from us listening. And, we see the salesperson talking!

Ta da! Very important distinction. Professionals listen and sales people talk. Most of us got into sales because we were good talkers. My mother-in-law calls it "the gift of gab." We good-talkers were told something like, "Bill, you're a good talker. You ought to be in sales." So we got into sales. And there, if we survived, we discovered that we only succeeded to the extent that we became good, may I say, professional listeners.

The key to listening professionally, is to make sure that we're only talking 20% of the time and listening 80% of the time. This is the correct ratio. And it's very difficult to do. The secret lies in asking a lot of questions. It's the only way to throttle the "gift of gab."

Asking alot of questions is one way to stay listening but what you say the rest of the time and the way you say it can also have help to keep someone talking. Here then is how a Guerrilla HITS their prospects with Body HITS and Verbal HITS:

Body HITS

These are things you can do with your posture and your voice to encourage your customers to keep talking and demonstrate that you really are listening to them.

You ask a content question, they usually begin with "wh." Your customer begins to answer. You do the following; notice that they begin with the letters H,I,T, and S:

Head nods and then slightly tilts, indicating interest.

Inch forward and sit on the last 3 or 4 inches of your chair.

Take written notes. Write down the date, time, and place of the meeting, who was there, and what was said. These notes are evidence of what was agreed to. Subconsciously, they form a kind of understanding or quasi-contract between you and the prospect.

Square up in your chair with the prospect. This posture encourages further conversation and indicates interest. Squared up means eyes parallel, shoulders parallel, and knees parallel. These points form squares or rectangles between you and your customer. Should a customer turn a bit away, you pause a second or so and reposition yourself to maintain the square.

Verbal HITS

Let's look now at things that you can say to encourage customers to keep talking. Remember the longer the customer talks the more likely you are to hear true wants, needs, and expectations from your client.

You ask a content question, they usually begin with "wh." Your customer begins to answer. You say the following, (notice that they begin with the letters H,I,T, and S):

Hmmmmm." I know that you probably won't find this word in your dictionary, but it's a honey and it's very powerful. You can even say it while the other person is talking, without interrupting! It's close cousin is another sort-of English phrase, usually spelled "Uh Huh." What do these mean? They are both indications that you're interested and that you'd like to hear more.

"Interesting." This is the second thing you say. You can also add to it with something like, "That's really interesting." By the way, when you say that you find something "interesting," you really aren't saying much. You haven't said that you agree or disagree. You've only said that you are far from bored, in fact, you're interested! Ta Da!

"Tell me more." This is the third thing you say. Make sure it is a sincere request for more information. Maybe you'd prefer to say it like this, "Wow! Can you tell me more about that?"

"So, how did that feel?" This is the forth thing that you say. "So" is a summary word. It represents all that you've said up till now, You can only say this sentence if you've heard something where there could be some feeling, pain, or concern. In many cases, after asking this question, you will not get a genuine feeling. That's okay.

Feelings are tough to report, but if you do get a genuine feeling, congratulations! Even though you haven't done any "selling" yet, you've probably got the sale. People feel really good about reporting their feelings, and they feel trust for, and confidence in, people to whom they report their true feelings.

After you've listened to the answer about feelings you can begin the cycle over again. In other words, the next thing you say again is, "Hmmmmm." This is followed by, "Interesting." "Tell me more." and "So, how did that feel?" in that order until you're sure you've heard a complete answer to your original question.

In conclusion, learning to listen 80% of the time and talk only 20% is very tough for many salespeople. By asking a lot of questions you'll be listening to the answers more. Learn to take written notes and ask for more information.

Guerrilla Business Cards

From: http://www.gmarketing.com/articles/read/166/Guerrilla_Business_Cards.html

Guerrilla Business Cards
by Bill Gallagher, Ph.D.

In the early days of doing business in North America, most people thought that business cards were designed to tell people your name, address, and telephone number. In the age of the guerrilla this is no longer so.

Here are some factors to consider:


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1. Your business card is now a marketing piece or, at least, it should be.
2. Your company slogan and your important customer benefits should also be listed. If customers need to find you, maybe a simple map should be there. Do you have a FAX, an email address, or a web site. Are they listed?

3. Do you have an 800 number? Customers, even those living in your county, are six to seven times more likely to call you if you have a toll-free telephone number. Get it on your card!

4. Have you considered a fold-over card? The front is more like a traditional card, but the inside is like a mini-brochure. Customer response to these cards is very positive. We appreciate having a complete description in one easy place.

5. Make sure that we, including us mid-life plus-ers, can read your card. Keep the print large enough.

6. Make your card a "keeper." That is, give some important information on the back that your customers will want to keep with them.

7. Make sure there's some room to write a message if you need to. You should always write some kind of personal message even if it's only "Best Wishes!" and your first name.

Take your guerrilla business cards to the big game. When we score a home run or a touchdown throw about twenty of them into the air as you shout "hurrah!" Big dividends will follow.

Give them to well-dressed strangers with your compliment on their appearance.

Put your lavish 20% tip on top of your business card whenever and wherever you tip.

Pass them out in the elevators where everyone's a bit too close and uncomfortable.

Staple them to a dollar and pay for that car behind you on the bridge, the turnpike, or the parking lot. The response will be terrific.

Use your cards. Put a quarter in the meter for that BMW over there about to get a ticket. Write, "U O Me" on the back. Watch what happens.

Spend a lot of time on your business card. Make it a guerrilla business card. Now, pass them out to everyone. They should be in your shirt pocket, in your purse, in your wallet, in your attache case. Refill daily. Pass them out on every greeting, every introduction, every service, every meeting to everyone.

Give them out with purpose and intent. You have a serious business. It is important and it is designed to really support your customers. Don't pass them out casually, except at sport's events. Give your cards to others with two hands. Yes, hand them to others with both hands. Notice the difference it makes.

Business cards are marketing cards. Don't forget it!