Positioning Touch Points: Making your business the commodity
What are PTP’s?
You are in the office with potential clients and the small talk has begun. They tell stories about family, friends, travel, interests and more than a few business problems that don’t necessarily involve the services that you offer. Has it occurred to you that these nuggets of information can be more useful than the sales pitch that you spent the last three nights honing? Positioning touch points ensure that people are willing to buy what you are selling as well as buying you.
Positioning touch points (PTP’s) are educational pieces of information that can benefit clients or future clients, despite not necessarily being a direct part of the services you offer. The story from your potential client about having trouble finding the best school for his son should not be brushed away as idle chat. Timmy’s educational future, may be a point to touch on, that will help you to position yourself as a helpful and insightful business partner. Remember that people buy from people and they are more likely to buy from people that they like. Giving Timmy’s dad a heads up toward the local private school, will go a long way to building your new business relationship. That relationship, is difficult to saddle with a dollar amount.
PTP’s may require writing or worse, research, or PTP’s can be incredibly simple. Throwing a few helpful links toward your sales target’s needs are a fast and easy way to stay in touch and say, “I am here, I have value and you are better for it.”
How are PTP’s effective in the sales process?
PTP’s show that there are benefits to signing on with your organization, beyond what is said in the black and white of your contracts and ad copy. Someone seeking to reach ages between 35 and 65 may not be aware that this age group is growing as a consumer and user of social media. Sharing information demonstrates knowledge and a willingness to work in that field; knowledge and willingness that makes you and what you are selling much more attractive. Like the late night infomercial, offering a free book light with the sale of a blender, being helpful and knowledgeable may not being related to what you are selling but it adds value to buying from you and utilizing your services.
Some business leaders wake up in the morning and begin thinking about margins before their toes touch the hardwood. For these denizens of the dollar, there are countless tips for saving and acquiring zeroes that they are not aware of. Finding these little nuggets is a surefire way into their hearts. Do you know of a less expensive supplier? Is there a program that can help their organization become more efficient for less money? Closing sales is the goal but a well placed PTP can free up money for what you are selling.
When reflecting on this article don’t forget about the relationships that you already have. At RAYN Business Development, we are always on the look out for information that builds business for our clients. We sell, we market and we, “Go Do” like it’s our job but we never forget that every client can use a little more information to help make it RAYN.
