5 Rules

Last week Chris Matthews, political commentator and host of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, gave a passionate commencement speech at Temple University in Philadelphia. During his speech he cited his "5 Rules for Life." He said he learned them by observing what the most successful people did to get ahead. How does this relate to the promotional products industry? I thought what he had to say was timely, relevant and great advice, not only for recent graduates but for sales professionals as well.

Here's another tie in to our industry. The dean of Temple University had his "5 Rules for Life" printed on a wallet-size card and given to all 8,900 graduates. What a great use of a promotional product. It's targeted, useful and memorable, and will be seen for years to come. Temple University and Chris Matthews both got to promote themselves and a savvy promotional sales professional got a nice size order.

Below are Matthews' "5 Rules" and my selling smarter take on them:

Show Up
My Selling Smarter Takeaway: Don't e-mail, don't phone. Get out of the office and meet with your prospects and customers face to face. Nothing beats personal contact for getting more sales.

Ask
My Selling Smarter Takeaway: After you've presented well, you've answered all their questions and you've given them great promotional ideas that address their challenges, it's time to ask for the order. A simple question such as: "Are you ready to move forward and order?" will let you know where you stand.

Take on Investors
My Selling Smarter Takeaway: Your current customers have already invested time and money with you and will be your best source of new business and referrals. They already know you, like you and trust you. Let them know who would be a good referral for you and when they give you a referral thank them with a small promotional gift.