Guerrilla Marketing

by Bill Gallagher Ph. D.

I live in the High Sierra foothills about an hour from Lake Tahoe. Yes, I'm a skier. I love to watch the great, world class skiers who train in my mountain neighborhood. I remember seeing one competitor racing through the flag-marked "gates." The coach yelled some instructions. "Drop down. No, too much! Good! That's it. Perfect." Later, I asked the coach to tell me his strategy. As it turns out, how you hold your body will effect your speed. A kind of aerodynamic effect is even created by your body. In positioning yourself just so, you go through each gate 1/100th of a second faster. A hundredth here and a hundredth there add up. So, by holding yourself correctly you may win the race by 1/10 of a second. This is the way world class champions win today. It's the same in business.

Winning in today's business environment is not accomplished by wild new theories or by radical shifts in the way you conduct your sales and marketing. Winning in business today requires you to major in minor things. A lot of minor things will add up and you'll soon be overloaded with new business.

Many of these minor things have been covered in the Guerrilla books and articles. They include your business name, your colors, your logo, your slogan, and a host of other seemingly small items, the sum of which will give you the edge over your competition.

Let's look at some other presumably minor things which occur in a typical sales encounter. When a salesperson meets a prospective customer there's usually a greeting, a handshake, an exchange of business cards, maybe coffee, and you both sit down somewhere and talk. Now, it's not always like this, of course. But, let's take a very close look and see how we can major in some minor things. We'll gain a 1/100th of an advantage here and there and have a better chance at being heard and understood by the customer. We may even have a better than average chance at getting the sale! Here are your Guerrilla tips.

Greetings and handshakes
Do not ever give anyone your fingers to shake again. No bone crushers either. Shaking hands correctly will not get you the sale every time, but it won't loose any either, and you'll be starting off on the right foot, so to speak! Here are the steps. 1. Square up with your prospect. Shoulders parallel, eyes parallel, knees parallel. 2. Fingers together, thumb extended, palm facing out. 3. Aim for the web between the thumb and fingers. 4. Keep your palm flat. 5. Firm your grip. That's it.

Business cards and coffee
Whenever anyone gives you something don't just take it, receive it. How do you do that you ask? Take whatever is given you with both hands. Put your pen down and receive these small gifts. Show that you value the courtesy and the kindness being extended. Study the card, smell the coffee, comment on them. A second look at the card will help you remember that name a bit longer, too!

Talking together
Whether you're sitting or standing, stay as "squared up" as possible. Move your chair to have as little space between yourselves as possible. If sitting, sit on the last three or four inches of your chair. Show that you're interested. I hope that you are.

In business, as in elsewhere, little things mean a lot. The minor things will add up and you'll be better received everywhere you go because you show that you care. Read other Guerrilla articles and books for many more minor tips.