Sales Meetings

[GrahamS1]

Hi There,

I run a office supplies company which is doing relatively well. We currently only have a presence online and any marketing we do is strictly online/SEO marketing.

I'm looking to start taking the company down a different route to generate more revenue streams.

We know our prices are extremely extremely competitive. We can beat Viking/Staples/Office Depot etc on nearly all our products. and not just beat them by a little bit. Some of our products we sell for a 1/4 of what Viking and Staples sell them at.

Anyway what we are looking at doing is contacting local businesses and offering them a meeting where we will show them how we can reduce there stationary bill.

As most people here are business owner what would you say to receiving a phone call offer this sort of service? Would you take the meeting? Or do you think it would be a better idea delivery a brochure or leaflets?

Thanks for reading,

Graham

 

[Multi-store]

HI Graham

I worked for one of those suppliers you mentioned for a number of years. I've just had a quick glance at your butonz website. Some of the bits seem well priced. However there are some items that i would class as uncompetitive.

The big players advertise certain prices in booklets & online, but if you have a trade account and spend say £250 a month or more they get specialist prices, and we can be talking 1/8Th of the list price dependant on the item and the usage.

I would suggest your ideal market will be smaller business's. Stationery is generally quite an easy sale, as its almost 100% based on price. so if you're cheaper - you win!

If it was down to me I would be calling local firms and asking them outright - If I can supply your goods cheaper would you use us? This should give you a yes or no, and I'd imagine firms local to you would be happy to give you 20 minutes to save them money (especially at this time of year when people have a little spare time before Xmas)

Id like to see your other website if you want to offer the link.

 

[telemax]

Hi There,

I run a office supplies company which is doing relatively well. We currently only have a presence online and any marketing we do is strictly online/SEO marketing.

I'm looking to start taking the company down a different route to generate more revenue streams.

We know our prices are extremely extremely competitive. We can beat Viking/Staples/Office Depot etc on nearly all our products. and not just beat them by a little bit. Some of our products we sell for a 1/4 of what Viking and Staples sell them at.

Anyway what we are looking at doing is contacting local businesses and offering them a meeting where we will show them how we can reduce there stationary bill.

As most people here are business owner what would you say to receiving a phone call offer this sort of service? Would you take the meeting? Or do you think it would be a better idea delivery a brochure or leaflets?

Thanks for reading,

Graham

I worked for some of your competitors, it was a mix of cold phoning and calling in person that worked best for us. It's also not just about price, it's about service also!!

 

[Montaigne]

I worked for some of your competitors, it was a mix of cold phoning and calling in person that worked best for us. It's also not just about price, it's about service also!!

But good service, from a cold calling perspective, might as well not exist because what company is going to suggest they provide a bad service? Everyone will claim the same so you might as well write it off unless you can demonstrate some form of increased level of service such as next day delivery, for example, when everyone else is offering 3 working days delivery.

 

[theleadmachine]

Hi Graham

We run an appointment generation campaign for a reasonable sized office products company based in staffordshire. Their sales director wanted appointments with Financial Directors of companies with more than 100 white collar workers (He estimates that each worker equated to abround £400 of revenue per year). We bypassed the procurement manager as, although they were interested in price, his closing rate was 33% with this level DM but 90% with the FD.

From our point of view the cut through rate for pitching FDs of this size company was quite low but the company's USPs meant our success at booking appointments was fairly high.

Looking at the previous answers 'Yes' price is a importnant issue however I think speed and accuracy of delivery are up there too. You should also look at how else you can save the company money in areas such as single invoicing, planned deliveries (rather than tracy from accounts ordering a box of paper for one delviery and then bill from marketing ordering pens to be delviered in the afternoon !), limiting the number of people/departments who can order.

On the contact front I still believe theres no better way to sell your product than to get on the phone and ask questions (weel I do run a telemarketing company !!). Make sure however that you decide where in the decision making chain you want to pitch - sometimes if you ask the questions "Who deals with your office supplies orders?" you may get the accounts assistant. Maybe asking "Who makes the decision as to which office products supplier you use?" would be better but trial and error will point you in the right direction.

By all measn PM if you want me to send you some 'pitch' example and objection handling stuff

Cheers

 

[Twim]

Yes I think it would be a good idea to call them to arrange a meeting at a time of their convenience. Also prepare for the meeting by having samples of the products and price comparisons with your competition.

 

[MrCloser]

Just bear in mind cold calling for office supplies might not be as well received as you might think, even when you know you can offer them a better deal.
I did some b2b cold calling sales and you need skin made of leather. The business is out there but it is hard graft getting it.

Your biggest challenge imo will be to get the appointments and someone that will hear you out.

As said earlier, smaller businesses are generally more approachable.

Finding a sales agent with a lot of contacts in that field and who will work on commission would be good, if you can find one.

 

[patientlady]

There is no loyalty with companies regarding stationary purchases! Buying left generally with the receptionist, office junior or Gerty that has been there for years! Gerty will be won over with a tin of biscuits or chocs and will spend hours 'saving' the company money, buying out of the special offer leaflets. Once everything is chosen the order will then be made up to said value to receive the 'free biscuits'!
When Viking started, there service was second to none, pricing excellent and probably introduced the free biscuits idea! It worked, look at them now!
Whilst making appointments and explaining how you can save them money will work (bearing in mind that's what I do all day long haha!) it just seems to me a bit old hat, expensive and time consuming for stationary product. Lets face it we all know what photocopy paper does for us.
Is this perhaps an incentivised numbers game. Main selling items as loss leaders, with loyalty discounts on all other product perhaps

 

[sirethegreat]

I would take the meeting