Have you been looking for ways to increase your sales and client base? If things have been stagnate concerning your sales figures, there are many strategies that you can try out to see what works for you. Have you ever thought about studying the tricks and strategies that Hollywood uses to attract customers and viewers? They are the experts with multi-million dollar blockbusters every year and classics that people can watch over and over again. Here are a few strategies that the showbiz industry uses that you can implement into your list of resources as well.
1. Develop a Hook
A "hook" is something that grabs someone's attention. It's used a lot in the music industry as many songs have a hook, which is typically the most memorable part of the song. But people working in Hollywood are also masters of the hook. Did you know that "Gone with the Wind" was originally supposed to be entitled "Tomorrow is Another Day"? Do you think it would have had the same popularity had the producers decided to go with the original title? Probably not because it's just not catchy.
When you are making cold calls or leaving messages, always lead with a hook that will grab their attention. Instead of leading with your phone number and your name, tell them what you do and how you can help them. If you are running a promotion or offering a discount, start with that. You'll be more likely to keep their attention and then you can end with leaving your phone number and other less interesting information.
2. Tailor Your Message to Your Audience
This is one of the more important strategies that you can learn from Hollywood, but it's also a basic strategy that can help increase your sales. If you were pitching movies, you wouldn't pitch a children's movie the same way you'd pitch the summer's biggest action thriller, would you? It's the same with selling insurance. You should know your customers and their needs so you can create a pitch that will compel them to purchase the products and services that you are offering to them. You might have to decide between presenting your message with a more emotional appeal or a more logical approach. You can decide between being informal or formal. The important thing is to know your customers so you can create a presentation that is going to appeal to them instead having a "one size fits all" cookie cutter approach that won't appeal to anybody.
3. Be a Good Storyteller
Everybody loves to hear a good story. That's why people pay $10 for a movie ticket and $25 for a tub of popcorn - so they can go hear a good story and enjoy some snacks at the same time. While pie charts and numbers have their place, they can't replace the persuasiveness of a great story. Practice your storytelling skills. Your stories should involve a few basic components, such as a setting (time and place), an obstacle and how your product helped overcome the obstacle. If you can add humor, that's even better!
Regardless of your industry, we can all learn a little something from Hollywood if we look closely enough at their strategies. If you correctly employ these suggestions when pitching your products to customers, you'll undoubtedly see your sales figures increase.
