One of the disadvantages of business-to-business
direct mail lead generation letters is that you are
selling on paper, not in person. That means you are
unable to read your prospect’s body language.
Unable to hear and overcome his objections.
And yet one of the advantages of sales letters is
that you are selling on paper, not in person. Face to
face, a prospect can interrupt you and change the
subject. But on paper, you remain in control.
As long as your prospective customer keeps reading,
you control the sales process.
Another advantage of sales letters is that you can
anticipate objections and answer them in the body of
the letter. You can even start your letter with a
common objection, and answer it square on.
Here are three common objections, and ways that
you can overcome them in your B2B direct mail lead
generation letters.
“WE DON’T WANT IT”
Overcome this objection by presenting benefits that
your reader may have overlooked, or may never have
considered. Assume that your prospect understands
the benefits of your product or service only in a
general way.
“We reduce your downtime because we
ship your replacement transformer in under three
hours, guaranteed. We lead the industry in in-stock,
emergency transformer
replacements.”
“YOU ARE TOO EXPENSIVE”
Overcome this objection by describing the quick
return on investment that your prospect will enjoy
(assuming there is one). Or show how buying a
competitor’s product is actually more expensive once
total cost of ownership is calculated.
“Yes, you will save money in the short
term
by buying a Blodux 5236. But our Nadag 7876 lasts
longertwo years longer. Which means you will pay
$125 less per month for the life of our machine
compared with its closest
competitor.”
“WE ALREADY HAVE A SUPPLIER”
Overcome this objection not by bad-mouthing your
competitor but by stressing benefits that your
competitor does not or cannot offer. Or show how
your competitor isn’t really a competitor because
your company concentrates only on selling the
product in question, while your competitor sells a
great deal more, making them a generalist but you a
specialist.
“Your current supplier certainly has a
well-
earned reputation in our industry for a quality
product. But my firm delivers a comparable product
backed by better after-sales service. We offer you
the personal, customized service that larger firms
cannot match.”
If you are crafting a sales letter and don’t know the
common objections that prospects raise, talk to your
sales force. They are the best source for
understanding how to turn a prospect’s no into a
yes.
About the author
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com
© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).
When you hear of Ibiza, what images pop up in your mind? Ancient trading? Beaches? Parties? Rain? Ibiza, like Menorca, is one of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and it sits to the left of the Mallorca Island. Also known as “Eivissa,” this island is rich in Phoenician history. Remember the Phoenicians who dominated trade in the first millennium BC?
Well it’s on this island that these same Phoenicians ran their lead, wine, and marble trade in 654 BCE. At that time, the island was known as ‘Ibossim’, and then later called ‘Ebusus’ by the early Romans. Later, the island was known for producing salt, wool, die, and fish sauce. By forming a treating with Romans, Ibiza was spared destruction and later became one of Roman’s official cities.
As you can guess, this historical tidbit makes Ibiza a fascinating place to visit and it’s current night-life seemingly attracts tourists from all over the world. International tourists visit this island to check out its most lively clubs: The Privilege, the Es Paradis, Te Amnesia, the Space, and the Pacha. All of these clubs are known for their active parties - some opening as early as eight in the morning! (Note that most shops and banks here are closed between the hours of two and four p.m. - known as the ’siesta’.)
But that’s not all - Ibiza is the mother of ‘trance music’ - a style of music that is euphoric and melodic and that fuses the sounds of string instruments, mandolins, and soft vocals. You may have even heard some of this hypnotizing sound by artists like Solar Stone, Paul Oakenfold, Chicane, or DJ Tiesto. Lisa Lashes is a widely recognized artist within this genre too.
Traveling to this island, you’ll want to remember that you’ll be surrounded by some of the most beautiful beach spots in the world. And that’ll demand very light clothing - especially in the summer. At the most, you’ll want to bring along a light sweater for trips up into the mountain areas or at night along the island’s coasts. Either way, you’ll definitely want to dress to impress if you want to blend within the cultural trend that exists here.
Not only is this corner of the world known for it’s rich history and its high entertainment, it’s also known for its high fashion. Bright colors and prints are in!
Since you’ll spend the majority of your time here walking and enjoying the sights, pack the most comfortable pair of walking shoes that you own. Fancy dance shoes might be fine for evening fun, but most of the locals and other tourists you’ll see will stride in sandal-type footwear. Some of the streets on this island are still cobbled so if you tour the sights in anything that isn’t a flat-sole support, you might have a little trouble getting around - especially in shoes with a high heel.
But if you’re ready to hit the beaches, soaking up the sun on one of Ibiza’s many beaches unquestionably demands ultraviolet ray protection. So don’t forget the sunscreen, sunshades, or hat! If you travel during the winter months (November through February), bring your rain gear. We’re not talking about a full raincoat and boots set up - something simple like an umbrella will suffice!
Other things that you might find handy aren’t items that you’ll wear, but instead, items that you’ll use. For example, you might want to bring a camera along so that you can photograph the marvelous sights you’ll see including those party events that no one will believe happened unless you’ve captured them on film! When packing your camera, you’ll of course want to make sure that you bring along plenty of film, batteries, and repair parts in case these items are not available on the island.
Be careful though that when you do take photographs, you don’t violate any local laws or politically sensitive areas. Ask first - especially when you tour the religious sites of this land. Some belief systems don’t allow photographs and although the reasoning may not make sense to you, they make sense to the locals and you should respect the wishes of whatever rules are set in place.
In addition to a camera, you might appreciate bringing along a language translation book or an electronic language translator, as the native tongue spoken in Ibiza is Spanish. Speaking the same language as what your local hosts speak will help you in other activities available here like shopping, touring, or just speaking to a friendly passer-by. You could learn to say, “Que pasa?” for example, which means ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘what’s happening?’
You really want to bring along anything and everything that will enable you to enjoy your time here because as previously mentioned, Ibiza is a place to have fun, relax, and vacation as though you’ve never vacationed before.
Travel in Ibiza by Taxi
Traveling by taxi provides an extremely convenient way to move about. Like traveling by taxi in the United States, minimum charges accompany metered mileage plus a small additional fee for baggage and evening - night - or holiday drives.
Ibiza Driving Advice
European Union citizens (18 years or older) must own a national driving license to drive in Ibiza, however non-European Union citizens (18 years or older) also need an International Driving Permit as well. Both types of citizens must have car insurance and identification (license, passport, etc.) by law, is required at all times. Seat belts must be worn by all passengers, and travelers under the age of 14 must be seated in the back seat of the vehicle. When driving, remember that driving positions are reversed to American drivers. You must yield to on-coming traffic from junctures and traffic circles.
Special care should be taken to restrict your driving to the main routes outlined on the most recent maps of this area as other routes may not be appropriate for driving (dirt roads, mountain passes, etc.).
Traveling in Ibiza by Car / Car Rental
Because Ibiza’s city centers are so popular, you are cautioned to avoid driving in these areas - especially since the narrow roads in these places can accommodate traffic traveling in one direction only. In addition, parked automobiles make driving extremely difficult. Traveling by car rental is best accomplished by following a current map of its roads - which offer views that are nothing short of amazing.
Every Car Hire in association with Auto Europe provides discounted car rental with leading rental companies such as Hertz, Alamo, Budget and Europcar. For information on car hire or car rentals visit Every Car Hire at Car Hire Ibiza.
