Change Your Marketing Approach For Success!

Hey all.. guest post from Joanne Black today on the importance of building relationships with your customers. This is not only a core marketing principle but essential for anyone looking to make the most of a down economy.


Yes, the economy is lagging and budgets are cut. Yes, we have competition. Yes, clients are postponing buying decisions. So what?


If you focus on building relationships and implement the sales strategies I reveal here, you'll be able to close more deals and get more sales now. People will buy from you even in a lagging economy -- no matter what your price point.

3 Ways to Get In, Get Started, and Close More Deals


Sales Closing Tip 1: Recommend New Approaches

Good salespeople have always talked about creating value. Now we need to put ourselves in our clients' shoes and be creative. We must get in and get started. Think smart, not big. It's always smarter to have a smaller piece of something, than a big piece of nothing. Begin with a smaller project, a reduced order, or a regional, rather than global, implementation. Get in, and get to know the client. Let them get to know you. Get to know their business.

Sales Closing Tip 2: Create Metrics

Sit on the same side of the table as your client. Work together to determine the best way to get started. Always, always, create metrics with your client. How do you, together, define success? Get agreement that once this project is successful--according to the metrics you've agreed upon--that the client will work with you to identify other sales opportunities within their organization. A successful project breeds a successful relationship, which leads to successful referrals. This means more sales leads and more money for you!

Sales Closing Tip 3: Negotiate or Walk

Yes, the client will want to negotiate on price. That's their job--to build business while watching the bottom line. How many times have you submitted a sales proposal to a client, and had them say, right off the bat, "Great! Where do I sign?" It doesn't happen. We always want to get the best deal, so why wouldn't our clients? If you must adjust your price, then adjust the scale of your project or the deliverables as well. Always get something in return and write it into your agreement.

Maybe the client agrees to write a testimonial or promises to refer you to another business unit in their organization, or to someone they know at a different company. Maybe you barter some of your services. Bartering is an age-old way of doing business, and it makes sense in many cases if you want what they have and they need what you have. Perhaps the client has software that your company needs, or a consulting methodology that could propel your business. You get the picture. Work it out. If you can't work things out, be willing to walk away. It's a tough decision, but it may be your best strategic sales decision. You'll be off to the next client who values what you offer and is willing to pay for it.

If you follow my advice in this article , you will build lifetime customer relationships with clients who want to buy from you over and over again even in a lagging economy. You will get more referrals. And, you will close more sales. So, what are you waiting for? Get in and get started now!

America's leading authority on referral selling and founder of No More Cold Calling®, Joanne Black helps salespeople, sales teams, and business owners get more referrals and attract business fast without increasing the cost of sales. Discover how to turn prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time even in a lagging economy with her No More Cold Calling sales programs at http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com./

Email Your Entire List On A Regular Basis

I recently entered into a debate with a Direct marketing guru about email marketing. It's amazing what you're reminded of when you talk to someone with a similar background and a wealth of experience.

When considering a new campaign, we talked about our list. As you probably already know, studies have shown that the success of any direct marketing campaign is comprised of 40% the list, 40% the offer, and 20% creative. I often have to remind people of that stat when they start commenting on design saying that this box should be bigger, the blue should be a different shade, etc. Sorry, I digress.

So anyway, we're having this discussion about emailing the entire list a few times each month or just simply emailing "new" people who have been added to the list - and obviously purging opt outs. My argument was that if an individual didn't respond to the first few emails, they should be suppressed. I mean why keeping Spamming someone if they're clearly not interested.

My friend said that a lack of response doesn't mean they are disinterested, just that they are not interested at the moment. Hmm.. pretty deep but true. When life events happen, people often move from not interested to very interested and it can happen quickly. So if you stop reaching your audience just before a change, life event, or sudden need - and someone else comes in with an offer - you lose.

The motto of the story is that when using email marketing, don't be afraid to reach out to your audience again and again until they opt out. Chance are that if they showed initial interest, at some point they will be ready for your product or service and you want to be there when they are. Vary your message a bit so that people don't get annoyed. However, don't be afraid of over communicating. A valuable reminder to anyone who using direct marketing!

Marketing Tip #406: Be Genuine

After more than a decade of selling and "being sold", I'm a bit tired. I mean, I like a good sales pitch as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's a bit ridiculous. Whether you're dealing face-to-face with a sales person, landing page, or brochure, the true Art is no knowing that you're being sold.

I mean, it's one thing to say, "buy now and receive a 10% discount" and it's entirely something different when someone understands you need, diagnoses your problem accurately and advises you on a solution that would alleviate your pain.

Many marketers have lost sight of this!

When you design your next marketing piece, I want you to ask the question, "Am I diagnosing a problem and recommending a solution?" If the answer is "no" then you're probably selling. Don't get me wrong, there's always a time and place for hard core selling but the process works much better for all involved if they're not "being sold."

I was given a great example of this during a course I recently took about solutions selling through direct sales and marketing approaches. The story goes something like this. You're out in Colorado on a ski trip and have a terrible fall. You try to get up but every time you put weight on your leg you feel excruciating pain. The medic comes and brings you down the slope to the infirmary. The doctor looks at you, your leg, and says, "We're going to have to operate"! You're freaked out and start asking a lot of questions but the doctor is unresponsive saying he's seen this dozens of times - "off to the operating room!" How do you feel? Compare this to a different doctor, same scenario.

This time, you go to the infirmary and the doctor says, "Hi, I'm doctor so and so, what's your name?" You reply. Then the doctor says, "Tell me what happened?" You give him a full account and he recommends some x-rays and explains, "I think the best course of action is to take some x-rays and see exactly what we're dealing with." In no time the x-rays come back and he says, "It looks like you've broken your leg, here are your options... I recommend we operate and that will fix the problem." How are you feeling?

I don't know about you but I not only trust the second doctor, but I believe that surgery is the right course of action (confident in the buying decision) and would probably use this doctor again - if I'm feeling better after the surgery.

A long post today, but I want you to be thinking about how you market, sell, and meet the needs of your customers! Be genuine.. it goes a long way in building a customers base and remaining profitable.