After twenty years of marriage and three kids at home, I sometimes feel like a broken record. Whether it’s about picky house stuff or big life lessons, there are probably five things I’ve said to my loving brood hundreds of times. I nag because I care. It helps them, and I enjoy doing it.
In my professional life, I’m also a bit of a nag. It helps my clients, and I enjoy it. Most of my business comes from leaders who are smart, open-minded, entrepreneurial, and sometimes a little “all over the place.” They are also obsessed with figuring out how to drive rapid and sustainable growth in their business.
Because I care, here are five sales and marketing mantras I typically share early and often:
It's not about you. On your website home page, does the boldest statement address your customer and their needs? Or, does it only describe your product or company? Is your navigation focused on the people you serve and the problems you solve? Or, do you have standard (awful) tabs like What We Do and Who We Are? Next, look at your emails. Rewrite all paragraphs that start with "I" or "We." Speak to your targets, not about yourself.
Emotion rules. Even with specs, science, and logic in hand, a buyer needs things to “feel right” to take action. Whether it’s with messaging or imagery, there must be a hook that inspires emotion. You want them to internalize, “That’s for me! They get me! I needz dis!” Facts without feelings won't drive leads, even if your product or buyer is inherently technical.
Engage with authenticity. Quality conversations shorten the sales cycle. Data suggests that 80% of sales take five to twelve touches to close. The key to shrinking this number is engagement. Whether the lead came from a website, trade show, sales call, social media, or an elevator ride, authentic and helpful conversation will trump any other kind of follow-up. My clients are forbidden from being "icky salesy."
Know your people. If the first three points feel difficult, it could be because you haven’t taken the time to fully understand your ideal target. In addition to the specific demographic and geographic of your best customer, what is their psychographic? Dive into their hearts, minds, and motivations to hit the sweet spot of why you’re uniquely qualified to help them.
Revenue cures a lot of sins. Despite all I've said above, a stellar sales team can overcome anything. If sales are sluggish, one of three things is probably true: Either you don't have the right salespeople, they're not working hard enough, or they’re not doing the right things. No matter how loudly they complain about marketing, the CRM, time, training, or management – it’s them. I say this from a caring and highly credible place.
The bottom line is that if your business isn't growing as you want, then something needs to change. It’s not rocket science, I know. Then again, neither is remembering to put your dirty clothes in the hamper when it’s literally *right there.*
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If this or my "About You" page resonates with you, send me a message or give me a call. I'd welcome the opportunity to have a conversation.