Selling to Newcomers
By Cathy
Goodwin, Ph.D
Q. "I sell [fill in: kitchen containers,
cosmetics, insurance, professional services]
and of course I like to let newcomers know I'm here in their
community. How soon is
too soon?
A. Newcomers welcome visitors
but they run from a sales pitch. "Everyone's had a hand in my wallet!" is
the most
frequent complaint of the newly-moved.
Start with, "Welcome
to the community! I'm here first as a
friend. Here's a small gift to help you get settled. I've
been living here awhile and I'm a homeowner too, so do you
have questions I can answer as a neighbor, not as a sales
rep?"
After all, you hire people
to mow your lawn, fix your faucets and clean your gutters.
You have a vet for your cat
and a mechanic for your car. Recommend your favorites -- and
those your friends rave about, too.
Best gifts: Coupons from
local merchants. Ten percent off a restaurant meal or a free
workout at a local gym. Samples of
your own products and services. A sheet of local-living
tips. I would be eternally grateful for a lawn service that
shared advice on growing a garden in the high desert, where
I live now.
I must admit I'm biased.
I often wonder why people bring flowers (which are not good
for the cats anyway) when they
can offer something useful, like a gift certificate to a
hardware store or pizza delivery service.
Home-cooked goodies are
always appreciated, especially by non-cooks like me, but these
days many folks are on special
diets. Questions like, "Does it have nuts?" somehow
distract from the generosity of the gesture.
Moving creates stress --
and you don't want to add stress by showing up with an order
pad. Instead, focus on
easing transitions by showing up as a friend.
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Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an Author, Speaker and Career
Consultant, specializing in midlife, midcareer
professionals and business owners who want to get
on the fast track to career freedom.
Ease relocation stress with her book Making the
Big Move.
http://www.movinglady.com/book.html
Ezine: www.movinglady.com/subscribe.html
Phone: 505-534-4294 Email: cathy@movinglady.com
