New strategies to target reluctant buyers

By Dave Lieber

Member/NSA-North Texas

I’m finding that audiences today (and I write this in late February 2009), at least in my area of Dallas-Fort Worth, are still upbeat, generally hopeful, but also fearful of the future. They want help and guidance. Who better than you?
In recent weeks, I’ve found that they will listen to a speaker, but usually only buy what we sell if they can see a direct impact and improvement on either their business or personal financial situation in the next few months, when they need it most. That’s a tall order.
I’m lucky. My new book is geared to helping people in tough times. But what if your message is a lot more upbeat and uplifting than is generally appropriate for today’s shell-shocked audiences? What if your prime message doesn’t ring as true with audiences today as it did six months ago because of external forces you cannot control?
What kind of new strategies can you quickly turn to?
Let me throw one out to get the thread started.
I had breakfast last week with my sales rep from Friesens of Canada, the printing company I use for my books. She told me that the company has bought a new press which allows its minimum order for books to drop from 1,000 books to 250. And that 250, she said, is still very, very affordable. Just a few dollars per book for a high quality product that turns around in about a month.
So what if?
What if you took the one part of your message that rings most true in today’s unprecedented times and created a book highlighting that portion of your message with a new title that sounds very 2009ish?
What if you tested that book with your audiences with a 250-press run, then tinkered with it a little more after you learn more about how it sells, and then go back and do a larger run?
Those manuals, tapes and disks that previously offered up your entire program? They might not work so well now, but of course, they will come back to life down the road when things get better.
But for now, a new quick-run book of yours, printed quickly and affordably, can start selling right away.
That’s just one idea. I’m anxious to hear from you what else is working now, right now?