DDIN Library

HOW TO SELL A CHICKEN

Details: Written by Robert Larson

Note: I first wrote this article over 30 years ago. The premise of the article is a valid today as it was then. “Sizzling” may have become more sophisticated over the years, but it is still just as valid today as a marketing tool as it was in the late 70’s. I have updated the article to be relevant into the 21^st century.

You may say, but, we don't sell chickens. I say it doesn't matter, it’s the idea we sell and how we sell it. An old truth in marketing is that you sell the "sizzle", not the steak. Now let’s be realistic, how on earth can that relate to selling cutting dies? We do not eat cutting dies. Cutting dies do not have any special flavor, or do they?

Let me explain. One chicken in the supermarket is probably just as good as another. It took a gentleman named Frank Purdue (5-9-1930 to 3-31-2005), the president of Perdue Farms in Maryland to put his name on his chickens and chicken parts. He started to sell the idea (that's right, the "sizzle") that his chickens were better than all the rest. He put his personality behind each sale. On TV, his ads featured himself and his chickens. He made you look for that package of Purdue chicken when you went to buy a chicken. Often, you paid a little more for a Purdue chicken than other brands, but, you were happy with your purchase.

Now, let's look at your company. To be perfectly honest, as a diemaker or a diecutter, your products or services are probably no better (or worse) than many of your competitors. Of course you think that your products are the best, but how do you convince a customer that your product is the best and should be the product that he or she wants to purchase? With a bit of creativity and imagination you can develop your own brand of sizzle.

When I was manufacturing cutting dies at Boston Cutting Die Company in Boston, Massachusetts, I knew in my heart that I produced top of the line quality cutting dies. I also knew that several of my competitors probably also could produced dies of equal quality. Then why were my dies better than theirs in my customer’s eyes? Why did they buy from me and not from them?

Simply put, it was the "sizzle" we presented to our customers. We had a very professional and informative company brochure. The brochure was written to inform customers on how to order dies, it explained cutting die terms, it taught them how to maintain their dies and oh yes, it also told them about the types of dies we manufactured and the cutting surfaces that we stocked and sold. More than just selling the product, it created the that certain "sizzle" of interest to present and potential customers. It was informational vs. sales oriented. Imitation and copying is the flattery of a successful venture. Our competition copied our ideas in our brochures, so we knewours was a successful brochure.

We displayed our dies at trade shows in a very nice exhibit accompanied by well prepared sales literature. We belonged to and participated in industry associations where we wanted to meet current and potential customers. We presented ourselves with an image of being competent professional diemakers and diecutters. We put forth an image of professionalism.

We also offered a unique service that we called the “Cutting Die Laboratory” A customer or potential customer could send us their problem materials that they needed to diecut. Our professionals in the Cutting Die Laboratory would analyze and test the material on our range of cutting dies and diecutting presses. We would finally recommend:

The best type of cutting die to cut or trim the material.

A cutting press system to use with their diecutting application.

The best type of cutting surface to use on a cutting press.

I can now disclose after many years that the Cutting Die Laboratory existed primarily in our minds based on years of many success experiences with providing customers with our solutions. There was no special room or physical location for our Cutting Die Laboratory in our factory. One day an engineer from a company called and wanted to do some research in our laboratory. He was ready to purchase his airline ticket to come to our location.

I had to bite the bullet and admit that there was no actual Cutting Die Laboratory with a sign over a door that said “Cutting Die Laboratory”. Our laboratory was our whole business with all of our people of many years of experience utilizing all of our cutting dies and diecutting press systems. The Cutting Die Laboratory was our imaginative “Sizzle” to offer our customers creative solutions to their diecutting applications.

Sure, it cost money to promote this image. We looked at the cost as an investment in creating new sales and customers and also maintaining present customers. From our letterhead, sales literature business cards to packing slip, we looked good to our customers along with our Cutting Die Laboratory.

With over 2500 customers spread across America and international locations, we simply could not afford to make a personal sales call to each and every customer. Our main points of contact with our customers were by telephone, fax and written communications, plus our brochure. Those were the days before the Internet and websites. We did have one customer in

This was where we showed our "sizzle". That is how our customers saw us. When they sent in an order for cutting dies, they were not purchasing just cutting dies, but, "BOSTON" cutting dies from the Boston Cutting Die Company. We sold them on our professional image, our "sizzle".

If our dies or service did not meet our customer’s expectations we lost their future business. We may have not received that original order if we had not presented ourselves properly in the first place.

I believe that there are three common elements of making a sale – quality, service and price. We always stressed quality and service. The third element, price is also a crucial part of a sale. In truth, I strongly believe that you can only offer your customers two out of the three. If your sales efforts are focused primarily on low pricing or meeting a competitor’s price, it is your quality or service that most likely will suffer. Most customers want quality and service at a reasonable price, not necessarily the lowest price. You ruin your "sizzle" when you sell primarily on price.

Take a long hard look at how your customers perceive your company and product lines. Are you presenting the best "sizzle" to sell your products? In the cutting die marketplace where your dies are displayed alongside your competitors, how confident are you that the customer will want to order and use your dies? Are they just the same as the other guys. After all, isn't a cutting die is just a cutting die. They are all the same as long as they cut the material and are cheap!!!

How do you add value to your dies to make the customer want your dies? It's the creative marketing sizzle you add to your common everyday cutting die. If Frank Purdue could create magic with a chicken, can't you do it with a cutting die?

Ah, yes, you have to show your customers that certain sizzle or magic in your dies, in your company. Of course it’s image building. Your present customers and prospective customers want to feel good about doing business with your company. Your sizzle pays off in your customers eyes.

In today’s super competitive marketplace your company has to be savvy on how you present your sizzle on the Internet. Your website has to show more than just your products. You have to educate your customers as to how they can benefit from using your company as well as your dies as their source of supply. You have to show them how they can improve their diecutting operations by using the expertise offered by your company. In essence, you have to look good in their customer’s eyes.

So, learn from Frank Perdue’s “sizzle” experience. If he could put the sizzle into selling his chickens then you as a diemaker or other type of manufacturer can figure out your own special way of putting your sizzle into your company’s sales promotions. Be creative. Think outside of the box.

At Boston Cutting Die, our Cutting Die Laboratory was integral parts of our sizzle-making. It worked as it brought new customers to our company. We truly became a solutions company. One final comment. That engineer that had a material cutting problem did come to our company. We provided a solution that solved his problem and we produced his cutting dies.