If there is any single type of holiday that deserves more thought and organisation than any other, I think most of you would agree that honeymoons at the start of a happily newly married couples lifetime together should get top spot.
I am about to share with you a recent experience that literally took my breath away because of the reaction it attracted, however in hindsight it could merely have been my approach that rocked the boat.
For those that are not aware I am a representative of a global discount holiday club allowing it's member amongst other benefits, guaranteed best price on all travel and holiday experiences through an incredibly affordable savings plan. More details on request.With that in mind, you can imagine that my chosen product line is very much end user friendly and with that also in mind you would think others would jump at the chance to explore how to add it to their own offerings.
Well, I recently approached a wedding organiser that obtains commissions for referring her clients to holiday companies who then go on to organise the happy couples honeymoons and the response was astounding.
My proposal was to explain how they could help save future happy couples hundreds if not thousands off of their honeymoon expenses.
If the lady owner of the company had broke for wind, I could have explained how this would result in a far greater income for her but sadly though, she was furious at the thought of lower prices meaning lower commissions and literally declared that she would much rather her clients pay more for their poxy glorified holidays.
Her disgust was so that I literally struggled getting a word in edgeways so I basically made a polite retreat and ended the phone call.
Hopefully your shock at her apparent focus on GAIN rather than the quality or authenticity of my proposal for her clients will be on line with mine. Its not that I am sorry not to have introduced somebody else to my business but the sheer lack of care or interest at providing better for her clients that horrified me.
Now, I'm not going to criticise this lady any further because there is a good chance the blame of her reaction was in my own approach.
When marketing your business it is wise to try to determine where your contact is in relation to their own operations. On this occasion and due to the fact that it was she that phoned me due to my previously leaving a message with her receptionist, I was part way distracted by what I was doing when my phone rang and on request, led right in with my proposal.
In hindsight there is the possibility that her business is barely making profit, maybe it is simply a case of surviving one customer to the next. This is an extreme example and one I seriously doubt is anywhere near the truth but it does open up to a whole new approach that I intend to go back and put to her.
I'm not expecting to rescue what is probably an already written off option for her to entertain but I am going to go back and approach her with the question as to whether if I had led with the focus on increasing her turnover with minimal actual cost to her to see if that would have gotten me further.
There is a good chance that what transpired is a common but typical case of leading without listening. Something notable from many a good sales guide yet regularly and generally ignored through lack of understanding. I admit to going in without initially investigating the needs or desires of my potential client, the result of which left me horrified. In all honesty the blame may lay entirely on my shoulders for forgetting a simple but important step. Tomorrow will tell.
Thankfully this isn't one of my typical experiences but I can see how many of those struggling within the industry could well be dealing with a continuous flow of objections based simply on not listening first. Ask questions, get a feel for whether your product could fit into what they are looking for and make your move accordingly.
Even an objection free rejection can seem a triumph during the long haul. I hope that's give you something to think about during your next bout of calls,
Good luck and may your hard work be handsomely rewarded
Keith
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