Advanced Sales & Marketing Strategies Course for FAST Business Growth!

Advanced Sales & Marketing Strategies Course for FAST Business Growth!

Welcome to the Advanced Sales & Marketing Strategies Course for FAST Business Growth!

When you’re starting or growing a business, there are some sales and marketing strategies and tactics that will help you grow your business FAST & Profitably! 

The Sales Game (aka the Sales or Buying Process)

My entrepreneurial motto is to have fun and make money. The more fun you have, the more money you will make. And if you’re not having fun – then who cares about the money!  

If you had to choose between a boring or fun person to deal with in business – who would you choose as a partner?  And selling and business is a bit of a game. It’s a gamble, a risk – hopefully, a calculated risk and not a bet it all on the farm kind of risk. As adults, many have lost their ability to laugh and play at work. 

The following is an overview of what you will learn in this course. As each course is customized for every client and team who takes it, we sit down and determine where the skills shortage is and how to overcome it with some masterful training and coaching by an experienced professional sales and marketing expert. 

Selling

  • Selling is all about listening.
  • Selling is looking at the person individually and adapting to their style
  • Selling is a process and discipline

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People buy from people they Know – Like – Trust

Recommendations and endorsements from previous clients are good to enhance and build trust and reputation.

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Social Selling

Today we are all involved in what is called Social Selling or Social Media Marketing.

Read the book “The Secret” to learn about the law of attraction. 

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Law of Attraction (when selling)

Believe — Receive — Action – Key here is in the ACTION part! Just believing does not work without the action step. 

Key here is in the ACTION part! Just believing does not work without the action step. 

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Prospecting – Who am I going to help today?

  • Know what makes you unique and what your worth is.
  • Know who your ideal target market is
  • Not cold calling
  • Have a list of questions
  • Use words of emotion
  • Ask a question then listen

Talk up the business – ask pertinent questions

Calling people – take the initiative

Use a CRM customer relationships management system to keep track of contacts, leads, prospects, clients. Start with a free version like Zoho or Hubspot’s CRM. Later you can progress to Infusionsoft or Salesforce as your needs get more sophisticated and your team grows. 

Lead nurturing

Email, voicemail – touch people in many ways.

What do you need to do?

  • Practice sales calls
  • Develop the questions you need to ask.
  • Develop your “elevator speech”
  • Build a client list and sponsor list.
  • Role play your calls,

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Know what you want

Ask for what you want.

Be specific about your wants.

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Prospecting

Definition: The search for potential customers or buyers.

When it comes to drumming up new business, like anyone involved in sales, your first big challenge will be to reach the right individuals. To successfully find new prospects for your products and services, you’ll need a hard-working prospecting program that reaches out to qualified prospects and moves them through the sales cycle from cold to warm to hot. Your program must incorporate a range of marketing tactics that, over time, bring prospects incrementally closer to a decision to hire you.

Cold prospects are customers or organizations you’ve identified as well-qualified but that have little or no awareness of your company. They can be reached through advertising, public relations, cold calling, and networking. Begin a campaign of magazine advertising to showcase your unique selling proposition, and set up an ongoing public relations program that targets the same publications. Also, create a prospect list of qualified individuals or organizations, and support your marketing efforts with cold calling. To round out your efforts to reach cold prospects, begin networking within select groups where you’re most likely to come into contact with members of your target audience.

Once you’ve begun calling on top prospects and leads from your advertising and PR programs start to roll in, you’ll need to set up a database using contact management software. This will help you consistently maintain ongoing contact with warm prospects-companies and individuals with whom you’ve previously spoken or met. Initiate a direct-mail campaign to make frequent contact with your database. And support the campaign with sales activities, including follow-up phone calls as well as meetings with prospects generated by your direct mail, advertising, and public relations.

Hot prospects are the ones you’ve successfully moved through the first two stages of your sales cycle. When your marketing program has brought them to this point, you’ll need to get personally involved to supply the “heat” to close sales.

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The best method of prospecting is by asking for referrals. Word of mouth recommendations are the most effective.

Before you can ask for a referral you need to build up a solid reputation. People will recommend those they like or trust.

Asking for referrals

Ask for a referral. Ask if you can write your own referral blurb as this will ensure that you are represented the way you want to be and it takes the hard work away from the person you are asking for a referral.

An e- introduction (sample)

Dear xx

I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague——————–, who works with busy business leaders like yourself, who need an organized detail person to help them focus more on revenue producing activities and not admin work.

I suggested that you would be a great person for ————– to meet and feel completely comfortable asking if you would be open to meeting her for 30 minutes. After meeting she and exploring how you are currently operating, you may discover that she could really help you and really benefit your bottom line.

Based on what I know about working with ————, your 30 minutes will be well spent, even if it’s just to explore other ways you might be helpful to each other.

Thanks in advance for giving this your thoughtful consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Finding your prospects

Define your target.

Search for prospects on LinkedIn and Google

Reach out to prospects. Investigate who you know in common. Ask for a referral.

Expand your prospect base gradually and continuously.

Develop a spreadsheet to keep track of who you make contact with.

Selling is a process

Selling is not immediate gratification. It takes time and involves hard work and effort.

People and prospective clients don’t want to be pressured into a decision. They can sense desperation therefore to be a good sales person you always need to be relaxed.

How to succeed at selling?

To succeed at sales is simple but not easy.

Role Playing:

During this course, we will spend a lot of time interactive role playing your ‘spiel’: 

  • everything from your opening statements,
  • to the questions you ask,
  • to overcoming objections
  • to asking for the order
  • how to cope with a NO and still get the order!

Just like professional athletes train, train and train for the big game day, entrepreneurs SHOULD NOT practice on real prospects but have a safe environment where they can practice their pitches, their sales conversations, get feedback on what’s clear, what confident, what’s confusing.

DO NOT PRACTICE on a actual potential client.

  • Find a prospect

Find a prospect that wants or needs your product, services or expertise. Make contact with them. Ask pertinent questions to determine what they need. Demonstrate your value and show the prospect how you can be of value to them.

  • Define your ideal target market

Research who your target audience is.

Who are they?

Where do they hang out?

What are their demographics – age, income, profession, interests, gender, geographical area

The narrower you can define your target audience- the better you can understand their needs and thus you can tailor your message to specifically suit their needs.

  • Sales – It’s just a conversation

Relax – that is the key when talking to a potential client.

Pretend that you are talking to your new best friend about their problems and challenges.

Be natural avoid the “sales pitch mode”

Ask questions and listen to what the client has to say. Listening is the key to determining “how you can be of service”

  • [bctt tweet=”Being in sales means being of service to others #Entrepreneurs #Selling #BizDev ” username=”SmallBizSalesCo”]Aims of the sales conversation

Your main aim as a salesperson is to help your prospective client to achieve their dreams and goals. Not fulfill your sales goal.

Making the sale is the by-product of a successful sales conversation.

See if there is a need/want —- Convince them that you are the solution —–

Then charge enough to make a decent living from the service you offer.

Be curious – Ask questions

Explore what the potential client needs.

Discover how you can be of service and alleviate that need.

Have a list of qualifying questions to determine if you are on the right track. Do your services and products match the potential client’s priorities?

No match ——- No sale

Ask relevant questions —- guide them gently down the path you want them to travel —— offer them a viable solution to their problems.

It’s your job to educate your prospective client about other more viable solutions to their problems.

Listen well

Listen actively to what the prospective client needs and then only say what is most important.

Example

If you have 10 benefits that you can offer the client but the client only needs 2, it’s not necessary to bore the client with the 8 benefits which are not relevant to the client.

Sales is personalized to suit the client’s needs – There is no template. Scripts do nott work since you cannot anticipate all possible answers.

Improv

Improve your sales presentation skills by taking improv training. It helps you to think on your feet.Take time to compose an answer

Listen —— Process ———- Personalize your answer.

People buy from people they KNOW – LIKE – TRUST

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar ( motivational sales guru)

Be enthusiastic and passionate about your product. Prospects pick up on your enthusiasm and passion.

Show prospects that you care, that you see them more as just a “cash source”

How to become someone people like

Demonstrate that you are interested in the person you are dealing with. Establish the beginnings of a personal relationship. Inquire about what is important to that person – family, causes, hobbies etc. It’s not all about business only.

Be aware of the person you are with. Learn to read body language and facial expressions and adapt accordingly.

Allow people to expand on what they are talking about. People love to talk about themselves and their issues. Ask pertinent questions which will give you better insights as to how you can be of benefit to this prospect.

How to become someone people trust

Show the prospect that you care about them. Site similar cases with other clients and show how you have benefitted them. Highlight results and outcomes using fact based numbers if possible. Be genuine.

Know your value

The key to knowing your value is confidence. You have to know what you can offer someone – what skills you have that make you unique.

  • Write a list of all your skills and accomplishments. Your experience is valuable. Know what benefits you offer and talk about them with pride and confidence. Modesty is not an option.
  • Know the value of your experience and charge accordingly. Be competitive in the market. Research what others who offer similar services charge and work accordingly. Do not give your expertise away cheaply.
  • Demonstrate what benefits you will bring to the table if hired. People are interested in what they can get out of the deal

Discipline and Persistence

Sales is not instantaneous. It takes time to make the prospect travel down the road you wish him/her to go.

A good sales person is persistent and disciplined.

Studies have shown that it takes more than 5 – 8 or more contact attempts to get a prospect. Thus you can’t give up.

Sales takes practice. You have to read, research, question – your bosses, colleagues and fellow entrepreneurs, in order to learn about the sales game.

Work diligently on sales demonstrations and presentations as this is the complete package. Be confident about what you are saying and how you are saying it. Know your content and be able to answer questions about what you are delivering.

Make the calls. Put in the effort and only then can you reap the rewards.

  • Practice – Sales calls
  • Develop the questions you can ask
  • Develop a client list
  • Develop your elevator speech.
  • Role play

PRACTICE – PRACTICE – PRACTICE

Elevator Speech examples:

Hi, I am XXX and I am a multi – tasking miracle worker. I have 20 years of experience with coordinating projects, managing budgets, keeping staff motivated and clients happy.

My superpower is creative problem solving and streamlining processes to achieve maximum results. In short, I create calm out of chaos. How may I help you simplify your life today?

Elevator Speech – Intro email (Patti’s suggestion)

Do you need a multi-tasking miracle worker?

My superpower is creative problem solving and streamlining processes to achieve maximum results. 

I create calm out of chaos, taking a huge load off of your shoulders. 

I have 20 years of experience with coordinating projects, managing budgets, keeping staff motivated and clients happy. 

How may I help you with the pesky details so you can deal with more important things, like closing more business?

Respond with a YES please call and I’ll get in touch.

Networking

A networking event is an opportunity to meet potential clients and make yourself and what you offer known to others.

You never know who the person you are talking to might know, who requires your services.

Homework:

At the networking event you will be focussing on promoting xxxx. Your target is to meet at least 3 potential clients by asking them qualifying questions. Know who you wish to connect with like business owners, corporations, and individuals who are looking to xxxx – the problem you solve. 

Breaking the ice – Questions to ask

What brings you here today?

How can I be of help to you today?

Are there any milestone events in your life that are approaching soon? Can I help you make your event a memorable one.

Intentions for networking

  • Meet and talk to at least 10 people at the event.
  • Get business cards and share yours.
  • Ask pertinent questions and answer questions as completely as possible.
  • Follow – up as timely as possible – within 24 hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

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