This is a very common scenario to be aware of when hiring salespeople . Many can be great IF sufficient marketing props them up . If you don ’ t have strong name recognition and a powerful brand to support the sales effort , someone who was a rock star in another organization that has those marketing assets may turn out to be a terrible rep for you . Of course , if you build that level of marketing power , you have the advantage of hiring average people and getting them to perform brilliantly .
Repel Wrong-Fit Prospects
Most businesses don ’ t give much thought to who they DON ’ T want as a customer , often because they ’ re starved for business to the point where they ’ ll take almost anyone . Big mistake . If your target market is “ anyone ,” you don ’ t have a target market — and part of communicating who IS a right fit is communicating who the wrong fit is .
In my business , I make it abundantly clear that we aren ’ t selling instant rice . Success in marketing requires a commitment to doing the work and sticking with a strategy long enough to get it to work . That is the extreme opposite of what many other marketing “ gurus ” will tell you . They ’ re selling easy buttons and quick fixes because those have universal appeal . Who doesn ’ t want a four-hour workweek or seven-minute abs ? It ’ s hard to sell “ homework ” that will produce results over time . However , I know our best client isn ’ t one created with quick fixes and shortcuts . They want a REAL business and marketing plan that will actually sustain them and deliver consistent success , not a Happy Meal with a cheap prize in the box .
To see an example of a letter I recently wrote to MSPs considering doing business with us , designed to not only attract “ right fit ” prospects to us but also REPEL the ones we don ’ t want , go online to MSPSuccessMagazine . com / letter .
Help A Not-Quite-Ready-To-Buy Prospect To Mature
Obviously , not all leads and prospects that show interest will be ready to buy immediately following your initial interaction . Some are just starting the process of buying . Others may have had their interest piqued and , with good marketing , can be developed into a buyer . Good marketing can keep you top of mind and continually develop lukewarm leads into “ buyers in heat ” without the need for a human being to interact .
This can be done with email , direct mail , and social media posts . Of course , a salesperson could get involved and reach out by phone or email to send a prospect the latest report you ’ ve published or invite them to a webinar — all acts of drip marketing to keep that prospect engaged .
This ongoing drip marketing of interesting content is not what most companies do . If you ’ ve ever shown interest in a service — be it online , at a trade show , or in some other context — you know the most you ’ ll get are a flurry of emails , calls , and possibly texts for a period of about a week . After that , they give up , never to be heard from again . This is incredibly stupid and wasteful . Nearly 51 % of our leads convert after six months of follow-up . If I failed to continue to market to them , my company would be a fraction of the size it is today .
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