I recently attended a first-class, Sales Training Seminar hosted by the Chamber of Business and Industry in Centre County, PA (www.CBICC.com). The CBICC is an excellent resource for area businesses of all industries, and the staff and programs they offer are top notch. In this particular seminar, the speaker’s name was Arnold Tilden, author of the book entitled Rainmakers, Closers, and Other Sales Myths. Among many important sales techniques and observations, Mr. Tilden spoke about the critical importance of keeping a firm’s sales “pipeline” balanced.
[image credit: forbestraveler.com]
In short, the term “pipeline” refers to the linear process of a local business’ need to attract prospects, showcase its product attributes to those prospects, and ultimately consummate a sale to a prospect, who then becomes a “customer”. Tilden described how the pipeline cannot operate smoothly without a balanced flow of each part in the process.
- Example - Consider the sales pipeline of a typical downtown retail store:
Prospects who are walking by the storefront
Prospects browsing the products inside the store
Customers purchasing items at the register
There are basically three main segments in the pipeline. The more balanced and steady each segment flows through the pipeline, the better the local business does. And, of course, the better the local business does, the better the town does, since its residents obtain the items they need and the business invests the proceeds into creating jobs and sustaining its venture.
And, this is where Cogster comes in: Cogster is a drastically cost-effective way for a business owner to complement his ability to manage his sales pipeline and re-invest in his local establishment. In addition, Cogster provides value, deals, and rewards to the customers who work to steady their local businesses’ sales pipelines.
- Example - Consider the main functions of Cogster:
Local merchants create a business profile (a virtual storefront)
Merchants post deals to showcase their products
Loyalty Campaigns promote repeat visits and a steady pipeline.
Please check out Cogster.com and register for FREE today. Whether you’re a business owner or a local consumer, Cogster can provide value directly to you for joining your local economic pipeline. Remember, great deals are out there for everyone. For more information, please email me at steve@cogster.com or call (814) 861-5351. I’d be happy to hear from you.
Tags: Arnold Tilden, CBICC, Cogster, Local, pipeline, Sales, steve bisbee
