However , I think many of the things they should be worried about aren ’ t even considered , such as the fact that they haven ’ t added a single new client in months , and they have ZERO sales and marketing systems in place to replace a lost client or to prop them up against a stiff competitor or a downturn in the economy .
Here are a few other things you SHOULD be extremely terrified of IF you ’ re currently unaware of what ’ s going on and disconnected from the management of it :
1 . Not Knowing What Your Employees Are Saying To Clients And Prospects
Like the thrill of haunted houses and scary movies ? Then allow me to suggest a totally free way to experience such thrills that will leave you unable to sleep at night : eavesdrop on what your employees are saying to clients and prospects on the phone . A chill will run up your spine , guaranteed .
Consider this recent interaction I had at a sales checkout at the airport when buying a snack for my flight . The salesperson (?) says , “ You know , this is eight dollars ,” with an incredulous look on her face and an emphasis on the EIGHT DOLLARS . I reply , “ Yes , I know ” ( I actually didn ’ t , but didn ’ t care anyway ). She persisted , “ Are you sure you want to get it ?” At that I replied , “ No ,” and walked out to buy it somewhere else . Oh , but that doesn ’ t happen in YOUR company , with YOUR techs , sales and operations people , right ?
A friend of mine with a dental practice was told by a patient of his that she overheard the receptionist telling a potential new patient that the Doc was MUCH more expensive than other dentists in the area because he had three kids in private school . I have required clients to let me listen to inbound call recordings of prospects generated from Google AdWords and was utterly floored by what was said and how poorly the calls were handled . On MULTIPLE occasions , I ’ ve heard techs tell a prospective client who called in and inquired about whether or not they could assist with an IT project , “ We can ’ t help you . We ONLY do managed services ,” and then proceed to give the phone number and website of a competitor . Recently , we caught a sales rep telling a prospect the company he was calling couldn ’ t help him , but he had a side-hustle business that could do it , cheaper .
To fix this , the first thing you need is a playbook of HOW things should be done in your business , with processes , rules and scripting for how the phone is answered , how a client is taken care of , how an upset customer is talked to , how an appointment is booked , how an appointment is confirmed , etc . But MORE important than that is checking for COMPLIANCE with those rules and scripts . Everyone likes to do the rah-rah team motivation stuff , but hardly anyone will do the auditing and enforcement piece . If
" If you are EASY to ignore and cannot tell me a single compelling reason why a prospect should hire you over the dozens of competitors vying for your business , that should scare the crap out of you ."
- Robin Robins
you aren ’ t willing to monitor what ’ s actually going on to ensure actual compliance with your processes and scripts , then don ’ t bother having processes and scripts .
2 . The Lack Of A COMPELLING Reason For A New Prospect To Meet With You
The other day I worked with a client who was desperately trying to break into a new market they said they had extensive experience and background in . I get on the phone to help in crafting their website copy and an offer to get them in and use throughout their marketing . When I asked them to give me a SINGLE ( not multiple ) reason for their ideal prospect to meet with them , they came up empty . I tried a different angle : What are the top 3 biggest problems you can solve for your prospects ? Nothing . . . just vagueness : “ We make their systems stay up and running .” Geez . How about ONE problem you can solve ? Nothing . Okay , so tell me what you know about your competition and where they are failing ? Who are these clients already buying from ? No clue .
Frustrated , I told them I couldn ’ t help them and refunded their money . I can ’ t work with someone who is that clueless not only about their chosen target market but also about what they bring to the table — and then expects ME to somehow give them a magic pill to get customers to flood their doors waving checks . Look , this is Business 101 : Money goes to perceived value initially ( marketing ) and then REAL value after they buy . If your prospect cannot instantly see how working with you will greatly benefit them , you need to go back and work harder on your value proposition . Further , a unique selling proposition ( USP ) has to be in your DNA , not some tagline or sales letter I write . And YOU need to know your customers , market and competition THOROUGHLY . That is not my job , and it ’ s shameful for anyone calling themselves an entrepreneur to be – and stay – ignorant of these driving business forces .
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