There's an app for that

     When I was growing up, my dad, who worked for over 25 years as an account executive and sales professional, kept a small notebook in his car to record his mileage to report his weekly business expenses. He also kept every receipt ever placed in his hands by a waitress, dry-cleaner, hotel clerk, parking garage attendant, or (insert business expense here.) Of course, this was in the day before the iPhone or Android and the term "apps" wasn't even part of our lexicon. After he passed away I found a box of receipts from the last year he worked before retiring. Not sure why he kept them. I suppose out of habit. 
     Nowadays there are many downloadable apps to help you track and report your business expenses to the IRS. And of course, almost all sync with your PC or laptop. Some work with GPS technology to record your milage, others allow you to take photos of receipts and stores them accordingly to subject.  Here is a list of recommended apps you might consider. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses and it may be worth giving a few of them a trial run. 

Todd Hollst, Art Coordinator

Why the delay?

     Recently I was confronted by a sales representative wondering what was causing a production delay with one of their bags. A client had contacted them curious of the status and of course they came to me to get answers. 

     I explained when a bag is turned in with missing art work it takes time to track down the creative. Clients often promise to email their logo or ad copy but many fall short in completing this task in a timely manner or at all. Other times the business owner or marketing person isn't sure what they want to advertise and this also causes a delay. And finally, as I've personally encountered recently, the person who originally signed the agreement is no longer employed by the business and no one there has any clue when we inquire about art work. These are just a few of the roadblocks we encounter on a weekly basis. 

     Then, after all of this leg work to get the information needed, the ad still needs to be created, proofed, edited for corrections, reproofed, and finally approved. And that's just for one of the ads. Imagine if there are ten more on the bag. 

     This particular rep had none of these issues with the bag in question. 

     The other challenge occurs when we receive contracts with missing or incorrect contact information. If the client's email address isn't written on the contract we are left to contact them by the phone. As most of us have experienced, reaching someone on the phone isn't as easy today as it used to be. With voicemail, email, and texting technology, people aren't as willing to answer a call from an unfamiliar phone number. We are left leaving voicemails and those too are often routinely ignored. Quite often it isn't until we've left a number of voicemails or a polite but stern message, someone finally takes the time to call us back. And when they do call back, frequently we have to remind them of the program's details and what is required on their end of the deal. Once this is covered, only then can we begin the process of securing the creative and producing a proof for review. 

     This wasn't the case with this particular rep's bag, either. They had all the correct contact information and all the art was included when they turned in the bag. Perplexed, they asked why then their bag was delayed. It's a fair question but for every bag that has all the correct contact information or appropriate artwork, there are a dozen or more which do not. The bottom line is when we have to chase down the information needed to complete a bag it delays every other bag in the production line. 

     The Medibag office staff has no interest in holding onto bags longer than necessary and we certainly don't want to upset our clients. So the next time you wonder why the delay, consider whether or not you've provided all the correct contact information on your agreements or all the art with your bag layout. A lot of small delays here and there in the process can equate to bigger delays in our production time which ultimately affects everyone involved.

Todd Hollst, Art Coordinator

Six virtues to simplify your sales pitch

Virtue #1: Qualifying at lightening speed

Sitting around waiting for a answer from a prospect can be frustrating. Sitting around waiting to be told “NO” is downright brutal. We can't always control an outcome but we can control how we spend our time before getting to the dreaded waiting period. Some prospects are more likely to show interest than others. Have you taken the time to learn the criteria between those who will likely say “YES” opposed to “NO.” If not, you may be wasting time and spinning your wheels targeting the wrong prospects. Learn the criteria of the customers who most often buy our unique service.

Virtue #2: Motivating Prospects

For over 25 years we have developed relationships with almost every time of business and it could be argued all business types would benefit from our service. However, not all prospects will be equally motivated using the same criteria or “sales pitch.” As you go through the qualifying process with a prospect look for the “problems” they are struggling to overcome. Endeavor to understand and articulate their challenges and then guide them to discovering how we can help solve their problem.

Virtue #3: Tell them a story

Is your sales presentation leaving prospects compelled or repelled? The key to selling anything is in the story. It might sound silly to some but becoming a good storyteller will increase your potential as a sales professional. George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, once said, “Storytelling is about two things; it's about character and plot.” Your prospect is the character and the plot entails how they overcome an obstacle or challenge and are crowned an hero in the end. Weave yourself into the story as the one who is there to help them shine.

Another great storytelling tool are testimonials. A few short lines from some of your best customers will go a long way in helping convey the story of Medibag. Have a brief anecdote for how our service helped each of those businesses that provided you testimonials. This gives you credibility and will demonstrate even further to the prospect how we can help solve their problems. 

Virtue #4: Don't be afraid of commitment

Ultimately, a “Sale,” to use a romantic metaphor, is like the first kiss between two people at the beginning a relationship. Beforehand, commitments are made of varying degrees and if these commitments are favorably met by both parties, quite often the natural outcome will be a “first kiss.” It's the same with sales. Taking small, incremental steps, will build trust, give the business relationship integrity, and make the final reward that much sweeter to all parties involved. Plus, laying down a strong foundation early will likely lead to a long term mutually beneficial partnership. And remember your breath mints. 

Virtue #5: Every kind of person is your kind of person

Not only do prospects generally prefer to buy from people they like, it's also much easier to sell to people we like. Often when we encounter someone who we might not share an immediate good rapport, we tend to discount them out of hand and quickly move on to the next “more agreeable” prospect. Instead of bailing right away, next time push yourself to identify the challenging prospect's communication style and learn to reflect it back. It may be in their speech patterns, mannerisms, physical stature (as in, how they carry themselves), and even their facial expressions. This is really how people learn to communicate with each other, though it is typically done unconsciously.

Be a chameleon who is willing to step outside the comfort zone and look for an opening to make an emotional connection. Since deciding to buy something is mainly an emotional event, connecting with a prospect on an emotional level is imperative. Find commonality and use this to lay down a friendly foundation before attempting to "sell them something."

Virtue #6: Leave a voicemail too hard to ignore

It's the sad truth but the vast majority of sales call made on the telephone will end up in the vast wasteland of voicemail. Therefore, it is vital your message be succinct, focused, and offer the prospect a real benefit. Think of your message as a short personalized radio commercial tailored just for them. Also remember to be customer-centric in the words and phrases you use. It's about their needs, not yours. Avoid mentioning hard deadlines, making pushy demands, or other manipulative phrases like, “If I don't hear from you,” or “Time is running out.” These phrases make it too easy for them to simply press delete. Instead, say something like, “Our program is very limited to only a few local businesses—it'd be great if you were one of them, exclusively.” This message conveys the program is time-sensitive, is limited in the number of participants, and gives the air of inclusiveness.

Everyone has their own style and approach when it comes to a sales pitch. You have to find one that is comfortable and gives you a greater than 50/50 chance of success. That being said, much like being a parent of several children, one must not approaching raising all of their children the exact same way. Each child may require a different approach to achieve success and the same goes for sales prospects. 

Todd Hollst, Art Coordinator

HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY WEEKEND 

FROM THE MEDIBAG HOME OFFICE!

Show Me The Money!

A "SALE," by definition, is the "exchange of a commodity for money; the action of selling something." Without money, there is no such thing as a sale. If we are not collecting a customers payment, we are effectively giving our product away for free. No business will stay open if they are continually forced to give away their product. If the client is refusing to pay, they are guilty of stealing our product. This puts both the company and the sales person in the unenviable position of having to take extreme measures to collect the debt. Ultimately, the sales person is responsible for dropping the ball in both scenarios. In our business, closing a sales includes asking for and receiving payment. 

As a courtesy, Medibag allows hospitals and nursing homes to be invoiced for their payment. This is because many large businesses and organizations require extra time to process a check. This is understandable. However, all other types of businesses should be ready to at least make a downpayment the day the reservation agreement is signed. This is a mutual act of good faith--we're reserving a space for them on a bag and they are putting down earnest money. The agreement is also clear; there is space for a down payment and to notate the amount paid, the date paid, and a check or credit card number. The terms also clearly explain when the remaining balance is due; at the time a client receives a proof. 

As much as everyone enjoys a good chase, the Medibag accounting department would prefer not pestering customers for payment. It is vital for all Medibag sales representatives to handle money collection before the bags are produced, preferably when the agreement is signed. Too often customers cannot pay or refuse to honor their end of the agreement and charge backs are NEVER preferred. Often Medibag will pay out a commission on an agreement which has no accompanying payment. We do this because we want to give the sales person and the customer the benefit of the doubt. However, making an effort to collect all or at least a portion of a payment promptly will go along way towards keeping all parties content.

Todd Hollst, Art Coordinator