Every person on the planet knows something that someone else doesn't. With an online home based business it is critical that you know more than your customers. It doesn't have to be 10 levels deep and require a university degree to get to that point. It just needs to be a bit more than your customer knows and have the back up to know the answers they may ask.
The joke about the tourist in Africa comes to mind.
The tourist says to the guide what happens if a lion charges us?
The guide says don't run. I have a gun to protect you.
The tourist says what happens if your gun jams?
The guide says then run.
The tourist asks, aren't your worried about getting eaten?
The guide says, no. All I need to worry about is running faster than you.
Its the same with you being an expert. You just need to be able to be ahead of your customer. Make sure you know every detail and specification and application usage of your product.
Blackwoods Gladstone, a national chain that sells all products needed in industrial workplaces, purchases a 220 cfm Drum Lid Vacuum and resells to a company called Pacific Aluminium.
This would be classed as a technical sale where I needed to answer a lot of technical questions.
The 220 cfm Drum Lid Vacuum is a high powered fluid recovery system that can be fitted with a dry filter kit. Pacific Aluminium were going to use it for oil and sludge in pits. Dale, a technical officer at Pacific Aluminium initially telephoned to get advice and was interested in one of the smaller units which I quoted for.
First email contact from prospect - click to read email
My First email response - click to read email
I have sent him images of the smaller units with the technical details and he emails back with the images in his email.
Prospect second email - click to read email
My second email response - click to read email
Prospect third email - click to read email
Prospect fourth email - click to read email
I send him a quote for the smaller unit. He then rings again and we discuss a larger more powerful unit ( and one with more profit). He then advises that Blackwoods will be paying for it as Pacific Aluminium can't pay by credit card and unless I can offer an account for them and they will pay 90 days later they will have to go through Blackwoods. I advise that 90 day payment is not an option and I would rather get less profit and Blackwoods pay up front.
I then get contacted by Blackwoods.
Blackwoods first email - view
View Purchase Order
Blackwoods want to get things moving however I don't know what size unit I'm selling, a 48 cfm or a 220 cfm. The PO says a 220 cfm but I need to confirm as I haven't heard from Dale at pacific Aluminium.
Rachell from Blackwoods contacts Dale and then she gets back to me advising that it is a 220 cfm unit.
Blackwoods third email - view
Blackwoods fourth email - view
Blackwoods fifth email - view
My response email - view
It is always a good idea to email tracking information to your client so they can see the progress of the shipment.
View tracking email
View Invoice
View Payment
Breakdown of sale and gross profit
Sale AUD$2086
Cost of Drum Lid Vacuum 220 cfm;
- Galvanised lid with lock band - $42
- Yellow silencer cut and painted - $90
- Venturi reverse system installed - $147
- Wand and floor tool - $70
- 3 metres anti-static hose $51
Total cost - $400 - Gross profit - $1686