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Some Things Just Don’t Sell

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Tues, 5/05/2015

Many people have said to me, "You can sell ice to the Eskimos." I’ve heard it enough times that I’ve taken it to heart over the years, and really believe it. So when I run into products or services that just don’t sell, I have to first, take a good hard look at my techniques, and second, a stronger look at the strengths and weaknesses of the products and/or services I am trying to sell.

There is always competition, in no matter what industry you reside. If you know your competition’s strengths and weaknesses, then you can generally figure out where your company’s products fit in. If you don’t know your competition, it makes the likelihood of fitting in somewhere between a rock and a hard place.

Over the years I have had the great opportunity of selling both name brand services, as well as off-brand services, and in most cases, with either type product, I’ve been more than comfortable in the field myself, selling, or leading a team to success as their sales manager. My feeling is that whether it is a known name or an unknown name you are selling, the competitive field can be crowded, enough so, that the name you carry may not be all that is necessary to succeed.

Deeper strategies must be developed to alter how you go to market. Staying with what you have and just pushing, pushing and pushing more to your prospective client, just doesn’t get the job done. Possibly it means going back to the drawing board to re- create what you sell and how you sell it. Or maybe it’s simply asking your client base why they buy from you, and others why they don’t. If you are in a situation where your products and/or services just don’t sell, let it be known that there are many other shapes of ice that you can sell to the Eskimos! Maybe it’s time for a change!

What are your challenges when it comes to selling products that just don’t sell? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…