SALES INSIGHTS
# 1 - DELIVER CONSISTENT MESSAGING
One of the great disconnects — which I discussed in my first book , How to Win Clients and Influence People : Create Instant Credibility and Gain an Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition — is that the interactive marketing component is amiss in a lot of companies . In these organizations , the language and terms that the salespeople use when interacting with prospects doesn ’ t line up with what the organization used in its digital and print marketing campaigns . This causes the prospects to lose confidence in what the organization is saying .
All of the messaging you use in your digital , print , and interactive marketing strategies needs to be consistent . If the messaging your customer receives when they interact with your sales team isn ’ t consistent with the messaging they received during the automated portion of your selling process or what they read in your magazine , they are going to get confused . When a customer becomes confused , they are far more likely to walk away from the sale than attempt to reconcile the differences in messaging .
# 2 - HAVE A PROCESS
A Customer Relationship Management ( CRM ) process like HubSpot , Salesforce , or Zoho is key to maintaining smooth and consistent relationships with your customers . When someone raises their hand because they ’ re interested in what you ’ re selling , you want to ease them into that sales conversation and start with a very small commitment .
For us at Tulip Media Group , we start with a 30-minute introductory call focused on learning about the prospect ’ s company and objectives . This helps us determine if our programs would be a good fit for their organization . If we decide we can help them , then we ’ ve already obtained all of the information we need to design a program and prepare a demonstration tailored for them .
We use the information obtained in the automated portion of our selling process and in the introductory call to nurture the lead as we move the potential Client-Partner through the manual component of our selling process . In the second call , we share the customized program with them and receive their feedback so we can refine it even further to meet their needs . By the end of the process , we ’ ve arrived at a solution that is optimized for them and use that to ease them into a strategy call to develop the recommended strategy and direct them into the final confirmation call where we ask for the sale .
You don ’ t want to run into any speed bumps as you are bringing your sale to a close . When a prospect gives you a verbal YES , you want them to become a formal client as quickly and easily as possible . That ’ s why it ’ s important to have a seamless selling process designed to guide them over the finish line .
# 3 - ROLE PRACTICE
A little tip I learned from my good friend and sales guru Jack Daly is to role practice with your sales team . Note that role practicing is not the same as role playing . Jack is always careful to make that distinction . The idea behind role practicing is the same as preparing a sports team to play in a professional sport . You wouldn ’ t expect an NBA coach to send his team out without countless hours of practice . The same goes for your sales team . When you role practice internally with your salespeople , they learn your messaging and how to make their interactive marketing consistent with your digital and print marketing strategies . By doing this , you ensure your team is ready to win the sale when the time comes .
My coauthor , Jessica Embree , and I cover this topic in depth in chapter 14 of our book . In this chapter , we talk exclusively about the steps you need to take to get your customers to YES after those leads come in from marketing . You can pick up your copy on Amazon at www . TM . Media / DoubleSalesUS .
Don ’ t waste your marketing dollars . Make sure you bring your leads across the line as sales for your company through consistent messaging , smooth processes , and continuous role practice .
Good luck .
Andy Buyting ' s thought leadership journey started when he published his first business book in 2007 and first magazines in 2009 . Since that time , he has leveraged custom magazines and online digital content strategies to establish himself as a leading authority in content marketing and brand positioning . Through his company , Tulip Media , Andy and his team make these content marketing strategies and tools accessible to their Client-Partners .
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