So I’m definitely doing a Facebook fast Thanksgiving weekend. I know what’s coming. Image upon image of specials and sales and sign-up specials because that’s what everyone thinks people want. In a crowded newsfeed, I imagine that the shouting will just get louder. No thanks, I’ll be enjoying summer in November in Southern California sipping margaritas out by the pool.

Maybe you are thinking about doing the same thing and starting to load up your images. Or maybe that does not sound like your deal so you are going to sit out Thanksgiving weekend completely.

I often tell my students and clients, “when they zig, you zag.”

We need to start by talking about commodity selling versus value selling. Commodity selling is selling based on price. Think Walmart. The idea is to give people the best deal. This seems attractive but it’s dangerous to small business. First, someone is always willing to sell at a lower price than you. Second, your customers will not be loyal. If they choose you because of price, they will leave when someone gives a better price. Third, your margins will be terrible and you won’t be able to buy your kids shoes. That’s not super important in Southern California where now we can wear flip flops year round thanks to global warming, but for those of you in other states, this could be a real problem. Southern California people, with those low margins you won’t be able to pay for air conditioning and that is a real travesty.

Value selling is meeting people where they are at. It is delighting people with solutions to problems they didn’t know they could solve. It’s packaging your service, expertise, and product together to truly serve the customer fully. It’s loving on people and caring about them. Your biggest differentiator my friend is not your snazzy images that you bought through a subscription package. It’s not the best price or the free thing that’s amazing. It’s you. It’s your desire to make a difference. And we are all people. People change people’s lives, ads don’t.

So then what’s the alternative? I would propose personal shopping appointments. Say whaaaaahhhh??

So people want to shop, they want to knock people off of their list. And they want to have fun doing it. I can assure you that your friends, family, and customers are not waking up on Black Friday saying “I can’t wait to check Facebook so I can see what network marketing products are on sale today!” Um no.

What about… a phone call? I know, crazy talk. I propose to reach out to people and offer them a 30-minute personalized shopping experience. You will offer them an appointment that you can do via Zoom. They bring their list of people and you bring your expertise and knowledge. Listen to your customer tell you about these people. You make recommendations, and they place an order. You can give them a small “something for yourself” for placing an order while you are on the phone and everyone wins!

Here is a sample of what you can say:

Hi Buttercup! Happy Thanksgiving! I know this call is a little out of the blue and I promise, I’m not calling to tell you about some Black Friday deal. (Pause for them to snicker or respond)

I’m calling today because while everyone else is posting specials on Facebook I want to actually help you figure out your shopping and make things easy for you. So I’m offering up quick 20-30 minute appointments where we would go over your gift list, tell me a little about the people, and if we have something that would be good for them, I’ll help you order it. I’m hoping we can get at least four or five of your people taken care of within the 20-30 minutes. Is that something you are open to? Great! I have an opening today at ______, or tomorrow at ______. I will email you my zoom link so we can screen share to make this easy. Is there anything specifically you would like me to have prepared for you before we meet? Ok great, talk to you then.

If they say, “no, I’m good” then you say, “no problem. You know where to find me and I’ll be glad to help you if you change your mind.”

This approach will give you an opportunity to serve, connect, increase your sales, ask for referrals, and attract good people to your team. Because you are actually doing a good job. And people love that.

Ready to Get Started! Check us out at https://emergesalestraining.com/upcoming-events/ to see what we have coming up!