One of the things I didn't realise when I started running a salsa club was just how many magazine and brochure sales executives there are in the world. I place a small ad in the local paper to promote the club. Before long I was being called by people from all kinds of publications. Their pitch would be that they were running a supplement on subject x, y or z. Often Health & Fitness, sometimes Weddings. They'd using flattering lines like 'we'd love to get you involved with this'.
I have to say in the early days I fell for this flattery once or twice. I soon came to realise, that 'get involved' meant 'pay for an advert'. They exaggerated circulation numbers and the areas that the paper or magazine was in. I even am convinced that one paper didn't even publish.
Over the years, as I got wiser and more savvy, I came up with a way to have fun with these calls. It would apply to pretty much any business and it goes along these lines:
Sales: blah blah blah, get you involved.
Jon: OK, so you want to sell me an advert?
Sales: blah blah blah, waffle, errr, well, yes.
Jon: OK, that's not a problem. Are your adverts successful in generating new business?
Sales: Definitely.
Jon: Great, here's my offer. How about, I pay you for every new customer your advert generates?
Sales: We don't work like that.
Jon: You said it works!
Sales: Yes it does, but we can't do that.
Jon: Why not?
Sales: We just don't.
Jon: But if you say it works, surely you would be happy to be paid on results?
Sales: Err, that's not my decision.
I could go on. You should have got the general idea.
It is amazing how many people when asked to guarantee they deliver what they say they will bottle out. If nothing else, its a great way to get rid of advert sales executives.
In the meantime, over at Horsham Salsa, we guarantee that if you come regularly to our club, we will have you dancing salsa to at least intermediate level or your money back.
Enjoy the next call you get..
Jon
24th May 2012
Horsham Salsa
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