How to sell without selling

I was a tennis pro at a local country club in a previous life. Then, I played in college, which was my first job for 3 ½ years after graduation.

One of my responsibilities was to stock our pro shop. I leased out the clothing portion because I knew that was an inventory nightmare, and I focused on the basics; shoes, rackets, and tennis balls.

One of my most successful marketing tools was to purchase a demo racket for each model that I offered. Time and again, a member would walk into the shop and pick up one of the new rackets. I would offer the demo as a “try before you buy,” and they would always say… “I’m not looking for a new racket.” My response was, “That’s OK…you don’t need to buy it…you can try it…no pressure.” And almost 90% of the time, they would come back in and say, ”OK…I’ll buy it.”

I loved that because I was able to sell without selling.

To me, that’s the heart of marketing.

So how can you do the same? Be willing to give first and sell second. So what do I mean?

Offer things to both your clients and prospects with no strings attached. Be willing to nurture your client and prospect relationships unconditionally. Don’t be afraid to offer free content, helpful tips, downloads, etc.

For prospects, it provides an opportunity to get to know you better. For clients, it reminds them of why they do business with you and the value you provide beyond their portfolio. And…it gives a reason to share your content with friends and family. The best clients are the ones that are talking about you to others…in a positive way, of course!

The best marketing is not a sprint…but a marathon…as almost any valuable relationship proves to be.

If you would like to talk more about the variety of “demo rackets” you can offer, click the link above and let’s find a time to talk.