One in nine American workers works in sales. Meaning, for those workers, their primary job is to convince someone to purchase something, whether that is cars, jewelry, clothing, or something else. But the truth is, those other 8 in 9 American workers, also work in sales. They might just not realize it yet. Workers, across all fields, spend a huge portion of their day persuading, influencing, or convincing others to make an exchange. You could be pitching an idea in a meeting or handing out brochures at a trade show. In a broad sense, that means we all work in sales. For safety professionals, the better you are with your sales pitch, the safer your work environment will be. Which is exactly why businesses need branded safety solutions to close the sale.
Safety Solutions Salesperson
Whether or not you have had any sales training, safety professionals are in the business of selling safety. For positive changes to take place, these professionals should be good at selling. A good salesman doesn’t start by asking for the sale. A good salesman starts by making the potential customer feel at ease and then works to build trust and a relationship.
Branded solutions can be the key that safety professionals use to open their sales pitch. There are a wide variety of branded items safety professionals could employ. Small folders or booklets could be given to new employees. Placemats or napkins with accident prevention tips could be placed in break rooms.
Selling safety awareness isn’t about the item, it’s about the relationship. You aren’t trying to buy performance. Remember that simple and practical items will work the best. You want to open up a conversation about safety awareness in a way that the person will best hear you.
Make It Practical
Practical items work best at piquing safety interest. Practical items are ones that people use and can never have too many of, like flashlights. You could have a flashlight in your home and still want a backup, or want one for your car. Place a safety slogan on the flashlight, and have them ready to hand out.
Determine an effective frequency for handing out branded items. Depending on your location that might be once a quarter or as frequently as once a month. Consider the exposures faced by your workforce, the effectiveness of current safety awareness programs, changes in the workforce, maintenance schedules, and the introduction of new safe work practices.
Be aware of how you are distributing your branded items. Telling employees to pick up a flashlight out of a box will be much less effective than personally handing someone a flashlight and starting a conversation with them. If you are taking the time to develop branded safety items, make sure you are getting the most out of them.
Ask For the Sale
The best time to hand out your branded item is immediately before you ask for the safety sale. At least at first. Over time you will want to mix things up, but asking for the sale after you hand out the branded item is the best place to start. Other effective times will be greeting employees as they are entering, waiting at the exit as employees are leaving, or meeting with small groups during the day.
Using branded solutions at your workplace can have a ripple effect. The first thing they accomplish is making the safety sale. But branded items can also create buzz at your workplace. Creating buzz means employees are interested, engaged, and, best of all, open to your message. Creating buzz is a huge positive for your safety awareness efforts.
Be Consistent
Intermittent efforts are ineffective. Safety awareness should be like oil changes in your car. Something that happens consistently in order for all the parts to function properly at a high level. To create an effective selling environment you need to maintain an almost continual program of keeping personnel alert to safety practices.
There should be a solid foundation of safety fundamentals, including formal processes, management accountability, and inspections. After that foundation is solid, awareness is key to keep things running smoothly. Awareness includes meetings, posters, slogans, bulletin board postings, and branded safety items.
While traditional approaches such as meetings and posters are important to consistently keep safety awareness at the forefront, you can’t underestimate branded items when you want to make that sale.
Branded items can help bring your safety awareness program to a new level. These items can get the undivided attention of the person you are trying to reach. Branded items could be the difference in making sure that your safety message is heard, understood, and retained.
Just like any other sales position, safety professionals are selling a message one person at a time. Your personal Safeguard consultant can help you with branded solutions that will see you reach your awareness goals. With thousands of items to choose from Safeguard has the branded safety solutions your business needs. Contact Safeguard today to discover all of our winning solutions.