A friend of mine has a great saying. It goes something like this: “People love to root for underdogs, but they do business with experts.
I don’t know if he coined that one himself, but it’s such a true statement in the world of selling. It’s even more true in this day and age when most businesses are counting their pennies. Old sales tricks don’t work. You have to be studied in your field. And even then, you have to communicate that expertise to your propsects. If you sell business to business, I recommend a simple 5 step formula for positioning yourself as a bonifide expert within your industry:
- Write for trade journals that your prospects read. The editors of these publications are always looking for content.
- Write problem solving reports or “white papers” for your prospects. Give these out for free. Make sure your contact information is contained within the reports.
- Start a blog that is focused on the industry your are selling to. It can contain the latest industry news as well as problem solving tips.
- Write a book! Nothing says “expert” like being a published author. Here’s a secret. It’s pretty easy these days to get a book self-published and printed. You don’t have to go through a publisher anymore.
- Get your own business cards printed up (Why? Because your company’s business cards stink!) that say something like “For a free report on the 7 ways to cut manufacturing costs, visit my web site at www……..”
Now, I realize your thinking “I’m not a writer!” Well let me give you a quick secret.
I use Need-An-Article.com.
They have professionl writers that will write a 550 word article for just $5.52!!! I give them the topic, how I want it laid out and they do the work.
There is a monthy membership fee of $9.95 per month, but it’s completely worth it. I’ve been using the site for 2 months now, and have been really impressed with the article quality.
All this said, I still do alot of my own articles, and blogs, but if you’re looking at getting alot of content out in a short time, Need-an-article.com is an incredible time saver!
