Home • Web Site Critique • Seminars & Workshops • Trade Show • Sales Training

OPENING THE DOORS TO
___(Business, Organization, Website, Personal)___ SUCCESS
by Alan J. Zell, Ambassador of Selling

Success can be defined many different ways. For some, it is making sales or money, others success is getting or advancing in the job, or it can be getting others to do what one wants done. In the end, it comes down to:
Success happens when someone/others accept and adopt the ideas, information, skills, services, or products being offered.

When customers not only accept what is being offered, but they put it to use, then a business, organization, website, or an individual will on the road to success.

For some, success is a one time occurrence, others, hopefully, it is an ongoing experience. Seldom does it happen all at once as it is a process of finding the right keys that will help open a series of doors to reach success. In the business world it is said that success is “turning lookers into customers and, then, customers into repeat customers.”

Door #1 is the most difficult door to open. Getting through this door is the only way to cause people to want to seek out ideas, information, skills, services or products or allow the seller to come to the potential customers. There are several keys that will unlock this door. Which combination of keys needed to unlock and open the doors is found in one?s “marketing mix” of:

PRO-ACTIVE ACTIVITIES   and/or   REACTIVE ACTIVITIES
  • Media advertising, press releases, articles
  • Internet site, yellow page listings & advertisements
  • Window/counter/shelf display as applicable
  • Printed materials of all types
  • One-on-one contacts in person, letter, telephone, fax, e-mail, etc.,
  • Follow-up of inquiries and sales
  • Networking by management and staff involved in public activities: meetings, community projects, etc.
  • Promotions that bring people to the business,
  • Trade shows and fairs.
  • People learning about the business through publicly available sources ? magazines, newspapers, newsletters, TV, radio, Internet, trade shows, yellow pages, etc.
  • Sending out catalogues and other mailings.
  • Seeing products and learning of services while visiting the business,
  • Learning of the business and what it sells from other people: friends, friends, acquaintances, associates, customers, clients, competitors, suppliers, etc.

Once one helps potential customers through Door #1, customers now face Door #2.

Door #2 opens and stays open when customers feel comfortable with what is being offered, how it is offered and how it fits into what customers are doing, planning to do or would like to do. This can only happen when the presentation of what is being is offered in a logical (in the potential customer?s level of understanding) manner by visual, spoken or written formats.

Now, Door #2, it will stay open because customers are comfortable with what is under consideration and, very likely, this makes Door #3 fairly easy to open.

Door #3 opens because the key to open it is when customers find they are proud of being associated with both the resource and what it has to offer. This is a result of customers being helped through Doors #1 and #2.

Door #4 is the one, when opened, that will enable customers to talk (to family, friends, associates, acquaintances, customers/client, or their own conscience), with intelligence and confidence and without the fear of embarrassment, about what they done or are considering doing. Without this door being opened, the next time one wants to sell their ideas, information, skills, services, products, one has to start from the beginning with Door #1.

When customers find that the doors has been made easy for them to open and get through, Door #5 opens easily. Maybe, it will not need a key to open it.

Door #5 will open and stay open when customers want to and then return for additional ideas, information, services, or products. When this happens, one can consider they and their efforts as being successful.
< back to the index of articles

Please click here for reprints of this and other articles.

I've put these articles are on my web site to show the approach we take about business topics that affect sales. If, in reading them, they help you and your business, that's great. That's what I'm in business to do. In return, please eMail me your comments (positive or negative). To publish any article in digital or print form for other than personal or internal business use, click here for reprint fees. ajz

Alan J. Zell, Ambassador Of Selling
P.O. Box 69 Portland, Oregon, USA 97207-0069

Email: azell@aol.com
Telephone: (503) 241-1988