Teacher's Pet Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 I just started a second job working from home, marketing/selling a "well known service from a well known company". Before I go into detail... it's not a "scam" or an investment... A close friend of mine is a manager for this company, and they have a "project" of sorts they need done, and I have a lot of high-end/high-tech sales experience. It's a great second gig.... work from home at my own pace, not a LOT of money, but a VERY good upside if it develops. For now, I'm working with his existing customers to introduce more of the company's services to them (these are regular "retail" customers, not B2B)... but I have complete freedom to seek out my own customers as well. I need some low/zero cost ideas to spread my name around as "the go-to guy" to get this service (I don't want to say what it is, but I'm sure many of you have it, and many of you actually might WANT it lol)...... I have a lot of experience in sales, but most of my sales jobs dealt with "in-house" clients. I want to seek out new business. What I offer is a relatively "easy sale", too. A known product from a known company. I just need to be the one to get "you" to buy it. The company will be giving me business cards, letterhead, flyers, etc., to help.... but I really am trying to rack my brains to find an effective way of making my phone ring, so to speak... Any ideas? -tp hell, I could sell it on here. lol
Trialbyfire Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 Reliant on product, how about corporate clients or complementary corporate partnerships?
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 5, 2009 Author Posted March 5, 2009 Reliant on product, how about corporate clients or complementary corporate partnerships? Can't... the "division" of the company I work for can't touch business clients. This is a service which is used by both business and residential customers, but I'm only authorized to deal with residential customers. And honestly, I'm just looking to close sales. It's actually a fairly easy sell, I just want to be the one to get it. You can get this service fairly easily. I'm not selling anything different or charging anything different than anyone else would, I just want the "traffic" to come my way. -tp free cookies?
clv0116 Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 No idea what your relative position is but sometimes 'opening a channel' is an effective strategy. Instead of going direct, sell to those who already sell a different product or service to the same customer demographic.
Trialbyfire Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 Are you still bartending, TP? If so, and it's not a conflicting product to your current employer, what's to stop you from promoting this product at work, if you get permission? There's also Craigslist. It's free, I believe.
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 5, 2009 Author Posted March 5, 2009 No idea what your relative position is but sometimes 'opening a channel' is an effective strategy. Instead of going direct, sell to those who already sell a different product or service to the same customer demographic. It would be so much easier just to say WHAT I'm selling, but for privacy purposes, I won't. My friend is a sales manager for a company that sells a well known product and service, and he is also responsible for generating sales revenue on another venture of that same company. His staff is largely inexperienced in "true" salesmanship, so he brought me aboard to work the "other end" of the business. So, technically, the best place to sell this service is already through the existing business, but since the staff really isn't pushing it hard, that's why I'm here, and I need to find alternative sources of business. In the meantime, I am working with the existing customers of the "other side" of the business, but I'm greedy. I have freedom to market and sell to ANYONE, so I'm want to branch out from beyond the 20-30 leads a week I can freely get from "the office". -tp greed is good!
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 5, 2009 Author Posted March 5, 2009 Are you still bartending, TP? If so, and it's not a conflicting product to your current employer, what's to stop you from promoting this product at work, if you get permission? There's also Craigslist. It's free, I believe. Technically, I can "market myself" through my night job, but I do work in fine dining, so it would be in VERY poor taste to do so, unless a customer provided an opening in conversation that I could "slip it in"...... As for Craigslist, I would never buy something from there....so I wouldn't want to sell there, either..... It would be so much easier to say WHAT I'm doing... Let's just say it's a multi-billion dollar company's product that almost everyone has heard of, but most still don't have. -tp no, it's not "no-cal pizza"
Trialbyfire Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 Gahhhh!! This is like playing no holds barred charades! Design a one page flyer. Have it cheaply copied. Insert under wiper blades for cars parked in very, very large parking lots, like malls. Find a local fair or event that's going on and rent a table.
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 5, 2009 Author Posted March 5, 2009 Gahhhh!! This is like playing no holds barred charades! Design a one page flyer. Have it cheaply copied. Insert under wiper blades for cars parked in very, very large parking lots, like malls. Find a local fair or event that's going on and rent a table. That's probably the best way for me to go, at least for now. Thankfully, real flyers are being furnished for me.... When I make a flyer, it looks like I'm advertising a lemonade stand. -tp lemonade, that cool refreshing drink.....
bella23 Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 This is a service which is used by both business and residential customers, but I'm only authorized to deal with residential customers. Whatever you are selling.... and you sell to residential customers, Try to ask them to recommend you to some other friends or family members that are willing to see your presentation and product. And if this customer refers you to 3 or 5 people (number and address included) she can get $5 or $10 off from what you are selling them. Kind of viral marketing but they get rewarded to recommend you other people.
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 6, 2009 Author Posted March 6, 2009 This is a service which is used by both business and residential customers, but I'm only authorized to deal with residential customers. Whatever you are selling.... and you sell to residential customers, Try to ask them to recommend you to some other friends or family members that are willing to see your presentation and product. And if this customer refers you to 3 or 5 people (number and address included) she can get $5 or $10 off from what you are selling them. Kind of viral marketing but they get rewarded to recommend you other people. That's a part of my plan already... I guess I'm just looking to reach out to as many people as quickly as possible... I'm planning on having flyers made (the company will provide professional materials) and put in residential buildings and supermarkets, etc... That should definately help. Of course, word of mouth is always best. -tp the word is legs. spread the word!
jerbear Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 1) Make a cheap video that borders on infomercial 2) Put the video youtube 3) Depending on the product, really have some money AND get really adventurous, put the product on as an infomercial on TV. Right now advertising rates are "cheap." (this is a dream item) Depending on the product can it be sold quick and in "bulk." I like the flyers at a very large mall. Just remember to do it quick, in and out before mall security chases you.
Author Teacher's Pet Posted March 6, 2009 Author Posted March 6, 2009 1) Make a cheap video that borders on infomercial 2) Put the video youtube 3) Depending on the product, really have some money AND get really adventurous, put the product on as an infomercial on TV. Right now advertising rates are "cheap." (this is a dream item) Depending on the product can it be sold quick and in "bulk." I like the flyers at a very large mall. Just remember to do it quick, in and out before mall security chases you. lol.. I like the video idea. Unfortunately, this is for a multi-billion dollar national company that saturates the air with commercials as it is. I don't think they'd approve of some schmuck making his own commercial. -tp operators are standing by (at the fridge, looking for leftovers)
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