Whether or not you enjoyed his attention-grabbing approach and extra-loud voice in his sales pitches, when Billy Mays died last summer, you probably thought you’d never again feel pressured to buy what he was selling.
No, he won’t be coming to your TV late at night promoting new products, but as he often said, he’s “not done yet,” when it comes to offering something of great value. Mays’ legacy isn’t for Mighty Putty, The Awesome Auger or any specific product – it’s his overall marketing prowess.
While you might not be comfortable hollering about your business on TV, you can learn lessons from Mays. It doesn’t matter whether he amused or annoyed you – the guy could sell! Here are some lessons he provided:
1. Be enthusiastic
Maybe his enthusiasm was over the top, but Mays certainly communicated excitement for whatever he was selling. So should you. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you don’t believe in your company, who will? Start by inserting a little “Hello, Billy Mays here,” volume and inflection into your phone-answering voice.
2. Solve problems
Imagine Mays selling the services of a drain cleaning company. He’d say, “Are you tired of contractors who leave a mess behind when they’re done working?” And then explain how the professionalism of the company he was promoting would eliminate the problem. Mays sold products by asking a question he knew people would answer with a “yes.” That question was: Do you want this or that problem solved? In every sales pitch, focus on how your company will solve a customer’s problem.
3. Show and tell
It wasn’t just Mays’ voice that sold products. It was his demonstration that the product worked. If you want to up-sell a customer to video inspection, show them actual video images of pipe problems. Seeing is believing.
4. Use testimonials
Mays’ commercials often featured real people touting the benefits of a product. This is effective, since potential customers can relate to people like themselves more than to salespeople or celebrities. Ask your best customers if you can print a testimonial from them in your marketing materials or include it on your Web site.
5. Listen to customers
Before taking a product pitch national, Mays would test it “on the street” and in limited TV markets to get people’s feedback. Then he would make changes based on what they had to say. Take both positive and negative comments into account and use them to improve what you’re selling.
6. Know and believe in what you’re selling
Mays tested products extensively before selling them. He knew every feature and benefit of a product, he knew how it worked and he knew what people liked about it. Be sure you know everything about the inspection cameras, waterjetters, and other tools you take to customers’ homes.
7. Be unique
No matter how good someone is at selling, inferior service and cheap products won’t sustain a business. But Mays showed us that people often choose a decent product that’s marketed differently over a superior product. Were the products Mays sold really better than products sold in stores? Or was it the unique marketing that sold them?
You won’t build a business by providing inferior service, but let’s say Company A and Company B provide the exact same quality of drain cleaning service, but Company A technicians wear sharp, colorful, clean uniforms. Who are customers going to remember and call? Why does everyone in America know Auto Glass Specialists? Because they’re “the guys in the little red trucks.”
8. Call people to action
“Order now!” Mays would shout. Don’t just put information out there. Tell people exactly what you want them to do, and when. What do you want people to do after visiting your Web site? How about, “Call now for an estimate”?
9. Know your price point
Mays once said the best things in life are free and $19.99. That was the sweet spot where he could really sell things. He determined the price where customers felt like they were getting a value, but where he could also make a profit.
This doesn’t mean you have to undercut the competition. It might mean pricing your services higher than the competition but adding in something extra or accentuating something you do to make customers perceive you are giving them a better value.
Mays knew customers would perceive two items for $19.99 as a better value than one for $9.99, and that they would be more likely to buy two even if they only wanted one because they felt like they were getting something for nothing. Here are a few statements drain cleaning companies use to accentuate their value of the service:
“Exact prices! No tricks!” Added value: The price I’m quoted is what I will pay – no surprises.
“Schedule your appointment online.” Added value: Saves time.
“Fast, reliable, same-day service.” Added value: Quality work, no long delays.
Remember: Uniqueness + problem solving = higher value.
Maybe the best lesson Mays taught was the value of personal branding. You are your company, and if you listen to your customers, believe in what you do and offer a quality product or service at a price perceived as a value, customers will reward you. We don’t all have a bucket of OxiClean because we needed it to survive, do we?
