Giving Up Too Soon

“Great things are not done by impulse,

but by a series of small things brought together.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) Dutch painter

Business owners I meet complain they tried coupons and they didn't work, or the bought an ad or hired a sales force and didn't get the results they were expecting.

A couple things are going on:

1.) inconsistency and
2.) unrealistic expectations

It takes time for new initiatives to take hold and your message must be consistent and you have to be invested in it.

What is your business objective? If you cannot write it down in one or two sentences it's too complicated. If it's complicated, your market won't understand it. Once you pare it down to one or two sentences, select the channels - direct sales force, advertising, facebook, linkedin, twitter, youtube, coupons, etc. etc. etc.

Invest in whatever channel you choose and make sure it supports the one or two sentences you've outlined. If it doesn't re-evaluate and start again.

This approach will not fail you.

Ask the Experts

Since our business is lead generation, my clients want to make sure they are investing their money wisely to generate quality leads that will ultimately result in new business. Almost any business is willing to make an investment they can be sure they will get a return on.

I know for sure that direct calling is the most effective way to build a database of qualified prospects and to learn if they have a need for your service now. I know for sure that if the business imports the data into a CRM and markets to them overtime, they will have a qualified pipeline of opportunities that will produce results over time.

Managing the CRM is the single most basic effective marketing tactic a business can employ. You might be surprised at how many businesses:

1. 
   
   Do not have a CRM at all


2. 
   
   Have a CRM where the data is inaccurate


3. 
   
   Do not consistently update the CRM


4. 
   
   Do not insist that their sales people use the CRM in the sales process


5. 
   
   Do not use the data that is in their CRM for strategic marketing

Establishing and maintaining a CRM is the most basic, necessary lead management step.

After that, there are a host of tools a business can employ: direct sales, telemarketing, social marketing, pr, events and I'm sure more than I am listing here.

Which one the best? In my opinion it's the one the business commits to and manages wisely, continually evaluating the channel for effectiveness. Any tactic can work if you work it.

Since I am not the expert on every channel, I've invited a group of experts to discuss marketing tactics they think are effective and discuss why to give us all ideas on how to increase the effectiveness of our marketing channels and enable us to use our marketing budget wisely.

Please check back for posts from Guest Bloggers.

If you would to submit a topic for consideration, please email me.

Hit the Ground Running in 2010

In 2010 we have two choices, we can can continue to complain that the credit market has dried up or we can hit the ground running and create our own revenue.

Sure, it's easier for an entity to give your business money, it's harder to create it. Creating it gives you more power, more flexibility and I think it's more fun.

Review the basics of sales, commit to them and get to work.

Let's do it, OK?

"You Have to Know Someone"

This is a myth I hear people repeat when they are trying to make a sale or look for a job. It seems people feel outside of the connected inner circle where opportunities flow effortlessly.

I've never been inside that connected inner circle. It never occured to me that there was any easy street path to success in anything I did. I knew I wasn't going to get front door treatment on any opportunity. So I looked for side doors, back doors, hallways, ways to crawl through windows and dig tunnels. In doing so, I created some opportunties for myself.

I have not really experienced sales people getting deals out of sheer luck or connections. There is usually some hard work or strategy behind the win. Don't let yourself fall into the trap of believing there is some secret method you don't know about.

Stick to the Basics of Sales and you'll create your own connections and your own consistent success.

Great Start, Poor Follow Through

I'm working on renting a beautiful apartment on the NW side of Chicago. I have the ad posted in a local newspaper.

A woman from a rental agency contacted me. I admired her creativity. Great place to look for prospects to sign contracts to rent apartments and a great place to scout out properties for your renters. Clever.

She said she had a renter for my property. I felt that was a lie but moved forward anyway because if she's clever getting contracts perhaps she'll be clever in finding renters.

I submitted a contract and haven't heard from her again. Too bad.

I have this experience when I'm coaching and training sales people. They have GREAT intentions when they get going but fizzle out pretty quickly.

There's a statistic that most sales are made after the fifth call. Most sales people call once and quit, 25% call two times and quit and only 10% keep trying.

If the metric is sales are made after the fifth call, if you haven't called at least five times, you are not even in the game. If only 10% of all sales people play there, you don't have much competition.

If you look at your CRM system and note that you have not made five points of contact, get to work!

Social Marketing

Business owners seem to think Social Marketing: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, SEO are the holy grail and business will come flowing effortlessly to them.

Social Marketing, in a way, is the holy grail. It's extremely powerful marketing. It's an inexpensive tool to help build a following, connect with your customers and bring more business to you. It provides immediate, measurable results.

A business however, cannot avoid, the "Basics of Sales".

An executive told me recently that her business received 1100 Facebook hits and 25 customers. My reply was 'that's great! Now you have a decision to make, you can either increase your Facebook hits or increase your close ratio. If the metrics are right and 1100 hits bring 25 customers will 2200 hits bring 50? Or is there a way to increase the number of conversions from 1100 hits? These are happy problems.

In addition, the 25 immediate customers don't represent the whole picture. 1100 prospects or clients have increased their awareness of her products and may result in sales later.

This business sells promotional buttons to rock and roll bands. Facebook is a great tool for them. It reaches their target market.

Facebook is not, today, a great tool for a manufacturing firm that sells coil to OEMs. Chances are their customers are not on Facebook and not looking for product information there. By following the Basics of Sales, businesses need to listen to their customers and reach their targets with media that they use and value.

By listening and employing solid sales skills, social marketing is the holy grail and can be very, very powerful.

Charmed Sales People

There's a comment after the Basics of Sales post that talks about the types of sales people that are so charming and attractive, people want to buy from them just because they want to be liked and accepted by them.

It is true, there are some sales people like that out there. I'm not one of them and if you read this blog you probably are not either.

I knew of a guy that bought a truck from a beautiful woman at a car dealership. Her desk was right in the front window of the dealership. He used to drive by just to take a look at her. Sure, it happens that sales can occur based on the sheer charm of the sales person but it's not something you can control and it's not a quality that most of us have.

For the rest of us, the Basics of Sales will work. You'll need the basics whether your job is selling or you are looking for a job or your promoting an idea. You can control and influence the process and increase your chances of consistent success. It's not based on luck or charm.

You'll work with integrity, and attract the kind of profitable customers and opportunities you want. For the charmed sales people they can even work the process and not rely on the chance that someone will be so engaged by them they'll want to buy.

It's fun to work and deliver sound services for a fair process. It's profitable and it feels good to work with integrity.

Don't Lie

I've been receiving cold calls lately where the sales person says "I'm calling to respond to your request for more information about vending machines (or fill in the blank product/service)."

These sales reps are banking on the fact that the prospect is so busy and overwhelmed they can't remember what they inquired about.

I remember. I resent being lied to.

It's a really bad sales practice. Do you want to build your foundation and connection with your prospect based on manipulation?

Connecting and building trust are two key basics in the sales process.

Don't be tempted to skip over them. Connecting and building trust with your prospects will put you head and shoulders above your competition that is acting out of fear and desparation.

Do business the way you want to. Find out what makes you, you and connect with your prospects in a way that makes you feel good. Then you'll start really selling.

Increase the Success of Cold Calls

I received a call from a woman that said 'we'd like to have a lunch and learn for all of your employees'. My response was 'no thanks' and I hung up.

What did she do wrong in her Cold Calling process? Lots of things.

She literally picked up the phone and made a request. Cold calling that way will be filled with rejection.

A different approach would be to target companies that are interested in your service. I don't even know what her service was. I'll make the assumption it was health insurance.

Here's a better way to call.

1. Do your homework before you call - does this company fit the profile of a company that would provide health insurance for it's employees?
2. Check the website - do they have employees? Read their press releases, understand what is important to the company. Check for executive names so you can ask for a specific person when you call.

Now try this: "Good Morning, I took a look at your website and noticed you have a large call center. Do you provide health insurance for those employees?"

Do you see the difference? By doing some research on the company you are starting to build a connection. You're starting to earn the right to ask questions and build a relationship with this company. It will likely take more calls to actually engage them into allowing you to present information on health insurance benefits. With the information you gain from this call, you're beginning to build a database of information so you can continue to target this company. Make sure your track the information in your CRM so next time you call you are not starting all over.

Don't make cold calls. Do your research first the market will appreciate it and you'll increase your success ratio.

Price

There's one theory in sales that the price should not be disclosed until the very, very end. The prospect needs to listen to your features and benefits and understand them fully before you'll give them a number.

As a consumer I find that frustrating. I want to know if the product or service is within the range of something I can afford. Once I know the price I'll be more interested to understand the features and benefits and the value that the price is based upon.

I have two apartments to rent and thought it would be fun to advertise them on a local Chicago blog. A friend suggested a national blog with a local presence. I've looked at the site, read the media kit, sent an email, exchanged a phone call and still don't have a price. I'm getting frustrated with this national blog with a local presence. I think I'll find some edgy Chicago writer with a loyal readership that'll be grateful some advertising revenue landed in their lap.

With FullCircle Management's services our minimum pricing for a TeleIntelligence B2B calling program is approximately $8,400. That's the price a company might spend on a trade show booth, on a print advertising page, or a direct mail piece. Our programs show consistent measurable ROI. If $8,400 scares a company I'd like to know sooner than later.

Our CRM, SalesInSync, is $30 per user per month - the cost of one lunch per sales person. If a company will not invest $30 a month in their sales person, I'd like to know sooner than later.

My philosophy is to put your number on the table and begin negotiating from there.

People Love to Buy

People don't like to be sold but they love to buy -- Jeff Gittomer

I conduct an exercise in sales trainings. I ask the participants to describe the worst sales rep they ever dealt with.

The replies I get include "they lied to me, didn't know their product, seemed desparate for the commission, didn't act with integrity, I got a bad feeling from them, they didn't follow up."

My response is "just don't do that. You will be head and shoulders above your comepetion."

The Best Day to Call

Sometimes reps will tell me they don't want to call on Monday because it's the start of the week or Friday because it's the end of the week or in the morning because people are starting their day or in the evening because people want to get home.

The best time to call is now.

If you can make a connection with your prospect and offer value, it's always a good time to call. Watch the patterns of your calling and mix up the times. You will find executives and decision makers early in the morning, late in the evenings, on the weekends and during the holiday season when other employees are taking off.

Your metrics in calling will be for every 15 calls you make you might get one or two that are willing to talk to you. That's a good metric. If you're making 15 calls and getting one or two, celebrate, that's right where you need to be.

One or two new prospects a day will keep your pipeline full. If you stick with it, and call daily, you'll be guaranteed success.

I promise.

Earning the Right

"Don't confuse Activity with Productivity" -- Unknown

Did you ever get the feeling someone is trying to sell you something?

I was introduced to a woman who does public speaking for a living. I approach all connections tentatively. I want to really get to know a person before I give them a recommendation or invite them into my busines circle.

The woman had high energy, was very flashy and extremely enthusiastic. I took a look at her website. To me, it looked like lots of fluff and no substance. I could be wrong. I haven't gotten to know her yet.

We tried to schedule a meeting. Our schedules didn't permit so I suggested a phone call. I didn't hear back.

I then received an E-zine from her in my email in box. I hit unsubscribe. She hasn't learned about me or my business. She has no idea what I want to accomplish. At this point I'm not open to receiving marketing materials. She hasn't earned the right to send me the information. She hasn't asked for permission. She has not yet been invited into my business circle.

Making a genuine connection with your prospect is one of the Sales Basics.

When sales reps make lots of contacts and send out a volume of marketing materials they think they are being very productive. The truth is they have a lot of activity going on but no real thoughtful approach. Once in a while a connection sticks and they might get lucky. I wonder how many they alienate with their approach?

What makes You, You?

“Dare to be yourself.”
André Gide (1869–1951) French writer, Nobel Prize winner

I never intended to be a sales person. I was a marketing manager and provided sales support. A sales job came my way. I thought it would be fun. I took lots of sales assessments that firmly reported I did not have the right personality for sales. I'm not extroverted. I am analytical, thoughtful and follow through on initiatives I start. I'm not the life of the party but am the one who makes sure everyone is enjoying themselves. I am not motivated by money but expect to be paid fairly for what I produce.

I went to sales trainings that taught me the basics of sales:

• Identify prospects that are good targets for your service
• Connect with those prospects
• Listen to the prospects, understand their situation
• Analyze how your product/service can benefit them
• Present your solution by matching the features of your product/service to what they care about
• Offer pricing that is profitable to you and based on value to them
• Provide a contract that is fair to both parties
• Execute well
• Record all the information you captured about the prospect in a database (CRM) so that you can sell to them continuously
• Have fun with it.

One day as I was making my calls I thought "what makes Alicia, Alicia?" The answer, I thought, was "I will work just as hard making sure that you get good service and a quality product as I've worked to sign your business."

I started using that as my closing statement. The deals starting closing one by one.

What makes You, You?

The Basics of Sales

When I provide consulting to an organization or develop training sometimes I get the feedback "this is so easy." Sales sure is easy. All you have to do is follow the process thoughtfully.

• Identify prospects that are good targets for your service
• Connect with those prospects
• Listen to the prospects, understand their situation
• Analyze how your product/service can benefit them
• Present your solution by matching the features of your product/service to what they care about
• Offer pricing that is profitable to you and based on value to them
• Provide a contract that is fair to both parties
• Execute well
• Record all the information you captured about the prospect in a database (CRM) so that you can sell to them continuously
• Have fun with it

That's it. Easy.Just do it.

Don't forget the most important part -- have fun.