I guess it only stands to reason that I didn't know how to build an airplane and VAF got me through so now I'm realizing I don't know how to sell one. Other than putting flyers up on bulletin boards and forums, is there a recognized protocol and method?
Admitting to a methodology for sales is a bit like admitting to witchcraft. Not everyone views it as a behavioral science. However, there are fundamentals.
(1) The purpose of advertising is to generate a contact. An ad will not sell the product. It can only generate a call or (these days) an email.
(2) When answering a call or email, the objective is to set a time to show the product. Although you may arrive at some provisional agreement, a sale is rarely consummated until after the product has been examined.
(3) The only purpose of showing the product is to ask for a commitment. The most common failure in sales is self-inflicted; the seller doesn't ask.
So how to put fundamentals into practice?
Re (1) Comfort = Familiar. The more they know, the more likely they are to move toward a contact. So imagine everything you would ask if you were a purchaser, and when possible, put all those things in the advertising.
Re (2) A good ad sets up a successful contact; your goal is a commitment to come look. People are generally poor at asking questions, digesting the answers, and making an immediate decision. You want to be in the position of confirming details they have already had time to consider, rather than answering new questions. It allows you to spend the phone time asking
your question, which is something like "Want to look at it this weekend, or next weekend?"
Re (3) When they arrive, take the time to really show them the airplane. Not tell,
show. Help them feel it, smell it, and experience it. They won't buy until they are comfortable, and that means familiar. When they are familiar, ask them to buy it. It's not a big deal. Just ask in whatever way
you find comfortable. Even apologetic is fine; "
Well, I guess I should ask if you would like to buy it" works as well as anything. It's really just an icebreaker, a way to put the Big Question on the table. Believe me, they are often as hesitant to do so as you might be. Somebody just has to go first.