How to sell more raffle tickets? Hire the top sales rep in the country for your benefit auction.
Smile on! Darby is working.
Here’s the situation:
You’re walking through any modern American mall. Banana Republic is on the left. Crate and Barrel is on the right. And in the middle are kiosks.
Kiosks are mini-stores. They are movable carts which never move. Kiosk workers hawk products like Rosetta Stone language training CDs, NeatReceipts for businessmen on-the-go, and bejeweled faux hair clip ponytails to transform any girl into a rock star.
Some kiosks workers push into the crowd to fish for clients.
“Sit down,” invites the young man selling a ceramic hair straightener, “I’ll style your hair for free!”
To be really good in a kiosk sales job, you’ve got to possess excellent sales skills.
This is cold-calling at its worst.
Or best, depending on how you feel about direct, hard-core sales.
Here’s the scary thought: This job is not much different than selling raffle tickets in your benefit auction.
Compare the similarities.
The top-sellers of kiosks need direct sales skills.
Coincidentally, your top raffle ticket sellers need direct sales skills, too.
Here’s a job description you can use next time you’re “hiring” for the auction raffle ticket-seller position:
- Quickly assess likely buyers in a crowd.
- Approach target in non-threatening way.
- Use catchy line to get her attention.
- Engage target in conversation about wants and needs relative to product.
- Convince target it’s in her best interest to invest in this “thing” (even though she had no idea what “thing” was 20 seconds ago).
- Get target to “sign on dotted line.”
- Be tenacious enough to try and try again, because many will ignore you as they push past you to seek more interesting things.
Imagine how many more THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS you could raise at your benefit auction if your team included the #1-rated kiosk seller in the entire USA.
Let me introduce you to her. Her name is Darby.
In November 2009, Darby was recognized as the highest earning commissioned retail sales rep in the country, selling Verizon FIOS Residential service from a small kiosk at a big mall near Baltimore.
Customer referrals pushed her to be ranked in the top 4 in October and December 2009.
And #2 in September.
Darby has successfully been a consistent top sales consultant for direct, cold-call sales in the ENTIRE UNITED STATES. And if you’re a Red Apple Auctions client, she might be working at your next gala.
So how does she do it? Darby attributes it to actively speaking with everyone! This is direct point of sale, folks.
“Sales consultants only have a 2-5 second turnaround when making a positive and lasting impression on a consumer,” Darby said, “Once a connection is made, consumers readily compliment good sales efforts and good service by purchasing the brand AND by referring friends to make a purchase.”
She adds, “Now I make a difference on the team of Red Apple Auctions.”
Darby is exceptionally friendly, eager, responsible and high-energy. (Even at 6 AM, which I learned the hard way when we flew to work an auction together out-of-state.)
Darby and Poopsie. (Photo courtesy of Darby.)
Of course, Darby is more than just an outstanding sales rep at your gala.
- She has a pet dog she adores. The grungy beast was dodging traffic at a busy intersection when Darby jumped out of her car, pounced on the confused animal, and threw it in her back seat to save it from oncoming traffic. When no one claimed her, Darby gave Poopsie a home.
- She’s got an old home into which (like all of us with old homes) she’s regularly pouring money.
- She’s got an interest in acting. In fact, Darby and I met while working on the set of The Washingtonienne two years ago.
People make the difference, don’t they? In past posts, I’ve featured some of the other Red Apple Auctions floor team.
- Julie can teach you about getting free auction items because she regularly wins sweepstakes.
- Iris penned a few confessions about her work.
- And now, you’ve met a top-sales rep, Darby.
- You’ll meet others, too, as the months roll by.
So … this isn’t a sermon. But it is a reminder that it’s people who will make the difference in your auction.
P.S. Sure, this is a good post. But wait until you read what I’m sharing in “Benefit Auction Ideas.”
(c) 2010 Red Apple Auctions LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Loved the piece on Darby! Her great energy and warm smile are infectious…no wonder she’s a top sales person. Red Apple Auctions is lucky to have her and so are your clients!
Thanks for the comment, Lynn! We all know she’s pretty special, too.
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