“Most of the time, the solution to sluggish sales isn’t more time, it’s more productive time so you start with analysis and move onto strategy and action.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

What’s Working in Your Sales and Marketing?

As a sales trainer and coach I spend a lot of time working with individuals, teams, and groups and the same questions come up quite regularly even from high performing business owners, sales professionals, and others.

As you know if you’ve been following me for any period of time, I’m not a fan of pushy sales techniques or forcing people to buy things they don’t need just so that you can meet your sales targets. My strategy is to help you get in front of people who do need what you are offering and showing them why it’s a good decision to buy… Or not to buy after all, if that’s what you see.

The problem is that if you can’t answer the question, “What’s working in your sales and marketing?” then you don’t know where to start.

How Do You Know That?

If you didn’t answer the question above with some cold, hard numbers about your sales then you don’t have the information you need to make strategic sales and marketing decisions.

Let’s take an example from one of my clients for last year:

  • 23 appointments, 17 clients and $294,600 from referrals
  • 31 appointments, 8 clients and $187,000 from networking
  • 11 appointments, 5 clients and $201,000 from public speaking
  • 28 appointments, 3 clients and $93,000 from book and course sales
  • 40 appointments, 7 clients and $59,000 from articles, social media, and podcasts
  • … etc.

Most of the time, when you run the numbers, you’ll discover that you’re getting about 80% of your sales from 20% of your activity… But often it’s not the 20% you were expecting.

The client I referenced above had assumed that articles, social media, and podcasts were a great investment of time because they created a lot of activity, but when we ran these numbers he realised that it wasn’t delivering the results he had expected.

What Are You Focusing On?

The reality is that we’re all busy people, faced with competing demands on our time and energy. Since I don’t know anyone who has managed to add more than 24 hours to their day, we need to look at how to use what we have more effectively because there’s only so many hours of sleep and recreation you can cut back on.

The fastest and easiest way to get more done in less time is to focus on two things:

  • Determine which activities deliver the greatest return on time and energy invested and do more of those; and
  • Decide what you can do to streamline qualification processes so you can get more sales from less time and energy intense processes.

What Will You Change Now?

My client from the example identified several ways to leverage his time and energy including:

  • Identifying low-profit buyers and funneling them into a more automated qualifying process;
  • Refining his elevator pitch so that he elicited greater interest from qualified buyers;
  • Improving his sales conversation skills and rapport-building so that his appointment close rate for qualified prospects was over 86%;
  • Developing his prospect qualification process so that he rarely met with prospects who couldn’t or wouldn’t buy;
  • Refining his “New Client Welcome Kit” so that he spent less time answering generic questions.

Some of these initiatives are still in the making, but overall his profits increased dramatically and he was able to spend more time with his family and training his staff.

“The foundation of everything you go after (and you should have ridiculously large goals at all times) is simply… being a good animal.”

~ John Carlton

What’s Working in Your Sales and Marketing?

As a sales trainer and coach I spend a lot of time working with individuals, teams, and groups and the same questions come up quite regularly even from high performing business owners, sales professionals, and others.

As you know if you’ve been following me for any period of time, I’m not a fan of pushy sales techniques or forcing people to buy things they don’t need just so that you can meet your sales targets. My strategy is to help you get in front of people who do need what you are offering and showing them why it’s a good decision to buy… Or not to buy after all, if that’s what you see.

The problem is that if you can’t answer the question, “What’s working in your sales and marketing?” then you don’t know where to start.

 

Using Everything You Have to Achieve Your Goals and Meet Targets

You want to reach your goals, don’t you?

Of course you do, or else you wouldn’t be reading this page. There’s a lot of advice out there about setting goals (I’ve shared some of my favourite goal-setting and goal-getting techniques in other posts on this sites). But many goal-setters skip a key element even if it’s included in the technique and that’s like trying to cook a meal with one hand tied behind your back.

Here’s what you may be missing in both your goal setting and sales…

Your senses… all five of them!

  • Sight
  • Hearing
  • Touch
  • Smell
  • Taste

As anyone who has impaired (or abnormally heightened) function in any of these senses knows, the malfunction of our sensory inputs can make life very difficult and increase our stress and anxiety levels… And putting all of them to use can dramatically improve our communication and goals setting outcomes.

Are You Ignoring Obvious Cues?

Lets look at two important business applications of this reality:

  1. Motivation: If motivation is a problem ask yourself how well you’re engaging all 5 of your senses in both your goal-setting and your daily action plan. With some quick sensory engagement you can transform your results and reduce the quantity of will-power and energy required to keep the wheels turning.
  2. Conversations & Sales: Sensory awareness is crucial for the successful communication that is at the heart of long-term sales relationships. When you also engage with others on a multi-sense level you can seriously increase your close rate and decrease the anxiety prospects and new clients may otherwise experience.

There’s a reason why successful sales professionals like to visit prospects’ premises: they pick up a lot of sensory clues. And there’s a reason why many of them also like to bring prospects into their own professional environment if they’re on the fence about their investment (and why coffee shops and serviced offices are not the best choice for this interaction) that has everything to do with professionalism, reinforcement, and plain sensory control.

You see, at the end of the day, no matter how objective we pride ourselves on being, as humans we’re also animals who are susceptible to sensory inputs.

A Simple Practice

Here’s a simple goal setting and motivation practice for you to test (And don’t worry you can do it at your desk or when you take a bathroom break without anyone noticing.)

Here’s what to do:

  1. Shut your eyes and take three deep breaths (In-2-3-4-Out-2-3-4);
  2. Keeping your eyes shut listen carefully and notice any sounds that are around you starting very close and gradually letting your awareness extend to a greater distance;
  3. With your eyes shut notice any sensations within your body – then notice the feeling of your body as it touches your chair and your feet on the floor etc;
  4. Still with your eyes shut breath in deeply through your nose and notice any smells that are around you. You don’t need to identify them, just become aware of their existence;
  5. Now, with your eyes shut open your mouth and taste the air as you breathe in and simply focus on your sense of taste (something we rarely do unless we are consciously eating or tasting wine);
  6. If you’re setting a goal or seeking motivation for a task… Create a multi-sensory experience of the achievement you’ll feel when it’s finally completed (or when the next part of it is done);
  7. Finally, just before you open your eyes notice the quality of light falling on your eyelids and then open your eyes and notice afresh the visual details of your surroundings. Really look at them with attention.

Now start your next task or continue what you were doing and notice how your approach has shifted. If you add some movement and a few quick stretches this quick reset will be nearly as effective as a nap or a workout and see you ready to leap into action.

Human Beings Have Sensory Triggers…

There’s a reason why real estate agents encourage owners to bake bread or cookies before an Open House inspection. There’s also a reason why truly successful professional practices choreograph their offices carefully and select decor, fragrance, reading material, and even snacks for waiting prospects. It’s not just because they have highly developed aesthetic preferences, it’s purely and simply to reinforce their message and help qualified prospects buy.

You can use sensory triggers to improve your own productivity and you can also use your sensory triggers to engage more effectively with your ideal prospects and clients by watching and listening to them carefully and by creating a multi-sensory sales process.

Sense, Cents, and Sales

Ready to Confidently Close more sales without discounting or eroding your margins? Yes, it does involve increasing sensory awareness.

The PBA Live Sales Masterclass is included in the 13-week Profitable Business Accelerator enrolment, but there are also a limited number of ‘Live Day Only’ seats available for individuals or teams who want to take their selling skills to the next level.

Interested in the 13-week Profitable Business Accelerator program?

“Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.”

~ Albert Einstein

Identifying the Problem: What Isn’t Working?

The quotation above is often used to justify frequent changes of direction and it certainly fuels ‘shiny-object syndrome’ because after all, if what I’m doing doesn’t deliver the results I’m hoping for, then Einstein tells me I should do something else and, of course, he’s one of the smartest people who ever lived!

Let’s just step back for a moment… We’re talking about business and life, not science.

If I’m trying to solve a scientific or engineering problem this advice holds true. It’s also the rationale behind marketing split tests… But there is an important factor that it doesn’t address: trust and relationship-building and many business owners, sales professionals, and even teachers give up on the cusp of breakthrough.

You need to start by identifying the real problem: what isn’t working?

Do I Need to Change My Strategy or Tactics?

I was talking to Sam, a sales manager, a few weeks ago and he was ready to admit failure. “My team just can’t hit their targets and my manager is saying that it’s my fault. I don’t know what else to tell them that will change the results,” he told me.

As we analysed the situation it became clear that his focus on building up his team and the activities he had invested time and energy in were delivering results and a change of track would set him back. If he wanted to accelerate his results he needed to do more of the things that were already working. This was not the situation that Einstein was talking about.

The thing that he needed to do was to determine whether he could do more of what was working rather than change track. Because of my extensive experience with sales teams we were able to identify two needle-moving activities that could leverage the foundations he had already put in place and deliver quick results and Sam was up for the challenge. Rather than admitting failure or changing his strategy, he simply decided to implement these acceleration tactics.

Don’t Quit! You’re on the Verge of Success.

Sam was feeling as though nothing he did was working and he thought about changing direction, but when he analysed the situation he realised that his best course was to amp up the things he was already doing.

What about you?

Are you taking the much quoted advice out of context?

I’m the first person to tell clients when they need to change their approach, but not before we’ve analysed their goals, actions, and results in the light of business best practices. Sometimes clients don’t have the data they need to make a wise decision about how to move forward. In most cases, the best strategy is to wait and collect the information you need but that is not always good enough. The challenge is deciding what to do when your resources are already stretched thin anyway because you can’t keep doing what you are already doing, and instigate a new direction simultaneously.

How Can I Tell the Difference?

Metrics are key. Lack of information creates confusion because your ‘thoughts’ about what is working and what is not working are often wrong.

In our 13-week Profitable Business Accelerator we spent some time with each student determining what are the most appropriate metrics for their business (different businesses need to measure some different things) and deciding how to make those metrics visible to yourself and your team. Assuming that you have a solid basis for your activity selection and core strategy, it’s not until you have data to back it up that you can decide whether it’s time to persevere and ramp up your efforts, or change direction and try something new.

Need Some Help?

Need some help with determining what you need to change if you hope to experience the satisfaction and success you deserve this year? A HOWTO Session provides you with the clarity you need to uncover your own blind spots and move forward with confidence and determination knowing whether you should persevere or change direction.

Book Your H.O.W.T.O. Session Today! 

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”

~ Seth Godin

Are You Achieving Your Goals

I was talking to a client last week and he said, “I know the thing that would really make a difference to my outcomes, but I just don’t have enough time to do it well!”

We went through his calendar, his list of activities, and so on, and sure enough there was no space for anything else… So I looked him in the eye and asked, “Do you really think this new thing would make the difference you need?”

“Absolutely!” was his response.

“So, what are you willing you do to make it happen?” I asked.

“Whatever it takes.”

So we started looking at all the things that were taking up his time, attention, and energy. We started with his calendar because if you have meetings and travel back-to-back then you don’t have time to do the deep thinking, writing, and other strategic activities that really move the needle on results.

It wasn’t until after we had cleared his calendar and dropped some activities that weren’t important that we talked about how much time this project would need. That was deliberate. If you tell yourself that you need 4 more hours then you may find those 4 hours, but you won’t uncover all the extra debris in your life.

At the end of the exercise, he realized that not only could he lay the foundations for that project in 4-5 weeks, he had capacity to create some other important opportunities as well, so we brainstormed some follow-on projects. He Voxered me the following day to tell me how encouraged and motivated he now felt.

… All from a simple awareness that something needed to change.

What is Holding You Back?

OK, we all have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, so what makes the difference between those people who accomplish the needle moving activities and the majority who don’t?

It’s not a question of family or work responsibilities and it’s rarely a question of health or finances. I know people with major chronic health problems who have managed to achieve their goals, and people with massive responsibilities in multiple arenas (large teams, large families, parents who need care etc.) who have made things work.

It’s not family connections, luck, talent, or the size of your bank balance that’s an obstacle, either. Most of the people who have turned their lives around or simply set out on a trajectory to achieve their goals from the start would say it’s a question of choices and decisions.

Depending on how you look at it, that’s either good news or bad news. If you want to make excuses, then this won’t make you feel any better about your outcomes. On the other hand, if you are ready to change, then you’ll be glad to know that the results are in your hands.

Choices and Decisions

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”

It’s easy to look at your calendar, to-do list, responsibilities, relationships, bank statements etc and throw up your hands in despair thinking there’s nothing you could change, but that is rarely a true perception of reality.

If you knew that you had a sure-fire solution to your problems, then you would almost certainly find the time and resources you needed. So why do you let the days and weeks slide past as you wearily put one foot in front of the other like an ox team plodding in circles as they draw water out of a well?

There are two main reasons why people do this:

  1. They can’t see any alternatives.
  2. They aren’t really sure that their solution will work.

Often the solution is to talk to someone who understands both business and personal change. In the course of my NLP training and business coaching I’ve worked with people whose doubts about their ‘sure-fire solutions’ were extremely well-founded, and others whose fears were engendered by self-doubt. Both of these types of people found long-term solutions that lead to their success and satisfaction, and I’m glad I had a part in that. Left to themselves they would either have wallowed in inaction, or taken a path that lead to failure.

Do You Need Some Help?

Whatever time of year you’re reading this, today is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on where you are today, and what you would like to change by this time next year. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who has the knowledge and experience to help so that you can get the clarity you need to move forward.

A HOWTO Session brings clarity and helps you focus on what you really want so that you can make the decisions you need to make. Book your session soon!

Book Your H.O.W.T.O. Session 

“What you focus on changes your behaviour – for better or worse.”

~Chandell Labbozzetta

The Angle Changes the Meaning

I love drawing and sketching. It’s fun looking at ‘ordinary items’ from different perspectives because the angle you are viewing from affects how you see them and changing your perspective can complete change their meaning.

It’s the same in our lives. When you take a different angle on a familiar situation or behaviour you often discover something completely new. This is particularly powerful when it’s a question of addressing situations or people which cause you frustration because an apparently minor shift can create totally new possibilities.

Shift Behaviour by Changing Your View

In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) there is a simple technique that helps you shift your focus. Traditionally, it is used to help resolve inter-personal conflicts but it is also helpful in problem solving because it helps you look at your problem through new eyes which then opens up the possibility of new solutions.

Recently, I was at a personal development course and we were exploring our attitudes and reactions through a series of games that challenged us to shift our focus. The exercise forced me to look at my behaviour from different angles, and that simple shift caused it to change… in an empowering way.

What fascinated me most is that the change was brought about not by focusing on changing the behaviour itself, but simply by shifting my point of view.

A New Perspective Creates Unimagined Possibilities

Think about what this could mean for you (and for the world).

It’s a common aphorism that the thinking used to create a problem cannot also be used to solve it, therefore…

If you would like to find innovative solutions that may not require as much compromise, you need to step away from your current approaches and look for something new.

So, here’s a question for you: are there situations or behaviours you would like to change (or need to change), or so that in twelve months’ time you can look back and say, “Wow! I can’t believe how far I have come!”?

If so…

What Would It Take to Create a Completely Different Solution?

Here at LifePuzzle we believe that when a problem is created, a solution that is within your control is also created. Over the years we’ve worked with companies, teams, and individuals and helped them transform their outcomes… Even when change seemed impossible.

One of the characteristics of human beings is our ability to adapt and grow. When you realise that the reality you experience today isn’t something that has to be true tomorrow you are ready to take personal responsibility for change.

In our Corporate and Team programs we don’t just work with the group as a whole, we also work with individuals because each person has the potential to be the difference that makes the difference.

It all starts with a HOWTO Session that brings clarity and helps you focus on what you really want so that you can make the decisions you need to make. Book your session soon!

Book Your H.O.W.T.O. Session

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret Method few People Use

When I ask business owners what they want most, there are a few top answers including:

  • More time;
  • Better business skills; and
  • More profitable sales;

But when we boil it down, it really turns out that what they need is more appointments with qualified prospects… because that turns into less time wasted and more profitable sales.

I love the fact that this is their biggest desire, because the solution is right there in front of you: a piece of equipment that you already own and use often… your mobile phone.

It makes sense, when you think about it. Email and social media are overcrowded, you may even be overwhelmed by text messages, but when you call, you stand out.

Maybe you find cold calling intimidating… even terrifying. Lots of people do, including the team I worked with which was the basis of my book, “Confident Closing”. But, it’s a great way to create opportunities, make appointments, and generate income, and, if you use it in conjunction with social media and email, it doesn’t even need to be all that “cold”.

My 9-Step Cold Calling System

  1. Know your product or service inside and out;
  2. Make a list of all the reasons it would be worthwhile purchasing it;
  3. Uncover all the questions prospects might ask about it;
  4. Find meaningful answers to those questions;
  5. Create a script to explain your product or service, record that script, and learn it by heart;
  6. Think of 3 ‘hook statements’ you could use to introduce yourself. These are things you could say that would make your ideal prospect really curious about your solution and you can also use them if you need to leave a voice message. Have a 10 second version ready as well;
  7. Identify 10 people who would be ideal prospects.
  8. Mentally prepare yourself for the call and visualise a successful outcome.
  9. Pick up the phone and test your ‘hook statements’ and script by calling your prospects. Do this in a single block while you’re in the mood and have momentum. If a person doesn’t answer, leave a voice message using one of your ‘hook statements’.

You’ll notice this is not an effortless process – like most things that get results it takes real work and thought, but you’ll be surprised at how many appointments you can actually generate using this process…

I usually end up with about 8 or 9 appointments from every 10 calls, if I’ve chosen my candidates properly (and I often close almost 85% of my appointments), but anything over 3 out of 10 represents a significant number of potential sales and, if you’ve done a good job of outlining your product or service during the call, you can expect to close over 70% of your appointments.

When people ask me in sales trainings how they can turn their no’s into yes’s, I get a creeped-out feeling because the underlying assumption is often: How can I manipulate everyone into saying ‘yes’ to my sales pitch? And those are the kind of sales techniques that make sales people feel scummy.

The truth is that you want people to say no if your product or service isn’t right for them and you always want people to know that they can say, ‘no’ if the product doesn’t fit their needs or their budget. However, if you’re hearing a lot of no’s from prospects who really are qualified candidates then there are two underlying problems you need to consider.

The Two Main Reasons that People say ‘No’ are…

  1. Certainty: I’m not confident that your product or service is really the solution I need; and
  2. Trust: I’m convinced about the solution, but I’m not sure you are the right person to deliver it.

Either of these can be deal breakers… or at the least deal delayers, so it’s important to look at where those objections are coming from.

In the 13-week Profitable Business Accelerator course and with many of my private coaching clients we work on exactly HOW you can increase the levels of both trust and certainty in prospects to make it easier for them to say ‘yes’ with confidence.

Increasing Certainty

This affects your prospect’s confidence in your value proposition and reduces rejection on the basis of doubt and fear about your solution.

Indications that you need to work on building more certainty into your presentation are:

  • Questions about price;
  • Technical questions about specific features and benefits;
  • The prospect is looking at different solutions to the problem (rather than different solution-providers)

You can increase certainty in the value of your solution through your elevator pitch and your presentation. You know that you’ve done a good job (or that your solution doesn’t fit) when your prospect’s focus changes from “What will I do?” To “Who will I get to provide this solution?”

Increasing Trust

This relates to your prospect’s confidence in your ability to actually provide the solution. It may be based on their perception of your capacity and expertise, the degree of relationship and rapport they have with you, and their existing relationships with other providers of the same solution.

Indications that you need to work on developing more trust through your presentation are:

  • Questions about capacity and timing;
  • Questions about process;
  • Indications that they are talking to (or plan to talk to) other providers of the same solution.

You should work on increasing the level of trust you engender by ensuring that your appointment-setting script and follow up process builds your prestige and fosters relationship; that you presentation materials highlight your expertise, and by changing your proposal and post-appointment follow up process.

Learning how to build relationships that foster both certainty and trust is vital for your career as an influencer and high performer so if you’re hearing a lot of no’s during your week (sales, relationships, career etc), identify where they are coming from and take the necessary steps to engender more certainty and trust in those around you.

Once you do this, you’ll find it’s much easier to get to ‘yes’ and your sales closing rate will skyrocket.

STOP selling on your terms. START selling on theirs.

Stacey was talking about her ‘failure’ to land a client…

“I must be charging too much or else I said something to turn him away. I thought Jon was ready to sign the contract, but it’s been three days and he hasn’t contacted me yet.

“Wait a minute, Stacey. You can’t just assume that things have fallen through like that. There are lots of reasons why he might not have got back to you. Have you tried calling him?

“No.” Stacey’s voice was glum. “This is what happens all the time. I think prospects are excited to work with me, but then they disappear.”

Stacey was making a common assumption that was killing her results… and her enthusiasm. Maybe you have caught yourself thinking the same thing:

She assumed that her prospects were as preoccupied with this one problem and its solution as she was.

What is Goal Setting?

The truth is that whatever problem you solve for clients is just one aspect of their business. They are busy fulfilling their responsibilities and solving a range of problems so even if the problem you solve is urgent, it’s not the only thing they are thinking about.

How to Handle This Reality and Make Everyone Happy…

  1. Follow up consistently. If necessary use more than one mode of communication. Your desire not to be a pest may be holding both you and your prospect back from achieving your desired outcomes. Presumably you have already had a conversation during which your prospect demonstrated their need of a solution and you explained your expertise in that area. Therefore, you already have a clear invitation to be involved. Don’t back away until they tell you to do so. Silence does not equal rejection.
  2. Ask questions and discover exactly what your prospect needs to make a decision. The chances are that their decision making strategy is different from your own and it’s your job to discover what it is and tailor your communication to meet their style.

These two simple techniques can transform your business results because suddenly you discover that the problem was never your solution or your price, it was ‘just’ a communication problem.

The Importance of Communication in Business… Not Just in Sales

I coach a lot of management and project teams, as well as sales teams because effective internal and external communication lies at the heart of business success… and is responsible for many failures as well.

Here are some of the key elements required for successful communication:

  1. Understanding your own preferred communication styles and strategies;
  2. Identify others’ preferred communication styles and strategies;
    Effectively use a variety of communication styles and speak to different strategies;
    Ask questions so you discover what people are really thinking rather than assume you know that;

When I asked Stacey how she responded when people seemed to ‘disappear’ and whether she followed them up and asked questions like ‘What do you still need to help you make a decision?’ Stacey’s expression said everything I needed to know.

She was judging her prospects by herself. Since she made decisions quickly after one discussion and hated saying ‘no’ she assumed that silence meant, “I’m definitely not interested but I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Things might not have changed, but she was facing a real shortfall so she decided to call Jon and ask him if he was still interested in her proposal.

“You were right. He wasn’t trying to shut me off!” was Stacey’s text to me that afternoon.

Communication is just as important in teams… and it’s even more important to know what it takes to get your team members on board since you’ll probably be working on many new ideas and projects over time. 

Maybe you only need to hear an idea once before you evaluate it and make a decision, but Sally needs to hear it at least three times… and Jim will need to be reassured constantly that it’s the right move. Once you understand the dynamics you’re dealing with you can build your communication around them and you’ll find it easier to get the support and resources you need.

Communication Makes Good Things Happen

You won’t win every deal, and you won’t get support for every idea, but if you know how to identify other people’s communication styles and strategies, ask good questions that enable others to express their opinions and needs, and have a variety of tools to help you communicate effectively you’ll soon discover that more exciting things happen around you than ever before.

…why perfection is the enemy of progress.

Are you in the middle of a project that seems to keep expanding and growing no matter how much time you spend on it?

I always used to get stuck with this kind of mentality. It stopped me from:

  • Attending events because I didn’t have all the materials I might need;
  • Following up on networking opportunities and contacts;
  • Finishing my brochures, book, and other resources;
  • Publishing programs and courses that would help others;
  • Updating my website… etc.

I lost count of the opportunities I missed because of my striving for perfection, which was often a fear of judgement.

Finally, one of my mentors took me aside and said,

“Chandell, how many more times are you going to let the boat sail without you? Your first draft is better than no draft and done is better than perfect.”

He then went through my list of projects I’d been working on for more than 2 months and asked me how close to finished they were.

My responses were honest but basically added up to: ‘almost ready to…’ or ‘just waiting for…’ or ‘I still need to…’ and then he called me on it: “What would it take to finish this?” By the end of the following week I had:

  • Published my book;
  • Launched a new website;
  • Enrolled 80 people in 3 new programs;
  • Finished my speakers’ kit and sent out copies to interested prospects;
  • Followed up on 13 hot prospects and enrolled 11 in coaching programs;
  • Doubled my monthly income;

Not only did I have a sense of accomplishment, the momentum and energy generated by all those finished projects was enormous.

Was I 100% happy with them all?

No, but I was overjoyed at the results of my actions and nobody complained about the quality. In fact, most of them were signing up for the next program and the one after that.

So, let me ask you… are you sick of looking at boats sailing without you?

When would NOW be a good time to…

  • to… send your 1st draft to an editor/ reader;
  • to… publish your website;
  • to… follow up contacts even if you don’t have all your materials perfect;
  • to… launch your challenge, program, course;
  • to… reach out and ask about that speaking opportunity;

Decide TODAY that you’re going to sign off on that project and not wait any longer to perfect it because perfection is the enemy of progress.

“When would now be a good time?”

P.S. In the Profitable Business Accelerator Program we look more deeply into why you are seeking perfection and how to get things moving forward so you develop the habit of grasping opportunity rather than missing the boat. If your business isn’t delivering the results you’d like to see, maybe you’d like some support and motivation. Our last session for 2019 starts in September:

Check Out the Details & Register

... Because it is Hurting Your Business

Harry Potter found his invisibility cloak extremely useful… but you don’t want to wear yours.

An invisible business is in big trouble. So is a forgettable business.

So, how do you make yourself and your business memorable?

The answer:

You reach out and tweak the emotional response of your target audience… just about any emotional response will do: anger, fear, insecurity, laughter, happiness, irritation, nostalgia…

Memorability Beats Sophistication

Do you remember any of the marketing jingles you heard years ago?

Every time I clean the bathroom I think of the Spray ’n Wipe ad that starts, “The cleaning it was easy, even though things were real greasy…” I can still hear my Mum singing it… frequently with a few variations that had my brother and I rolling on the floor squealing with laughter… and the laughter still wells up in me, too.

Maybe you remember, “We’re happy little Vegemites…” or “You’ll live much more, with a roller door…” or one of the others. Unsophisticated… maybe. Annoying… perhaps. Effective… definitely.

I’m confident that if I played a few bars of the jingle, I could get you to sing along. Even if you skipped a few words the product would be clear in your mind. I won’t even bet on the outcome, because that would be stealing. I’ve tried it at events and it works every time.

Does Your Pitch Evoke That Response?

It should. And to create that response, you need to strike an emotional chord, and you need to repeat your message regularly… long after you are sick of hearing it.

A response… any response is better than blank stares.

Look, successful politicians have their haters as well as their fans because they stand for something recognisable.

You will know that you’re really onto something that stands out when you start getting hate-mail as well as fan mail.

So the question is… when you share your sales message do you get polite responses or do you get enthusiastic interest and questions?

It’s often not until you start to think about how you want to make your ideal clients feel and what you can do to evoke that feeling that you come up with a marketing message that is truly memorable… because it evokes emotion.

Lead Generation

If you want to close more sales, then your best tool is to have a USP and Elevator Pitch that creates an emotional response in your prospect. Hey, if they throw up when you point out their problem it means you’ve struck a nerve… and they probably won’t forget you in a hurry.

When you focus on the primary emotion your ideal prospects need to feel just before they buy and craft a pitch that evokes that, you’ll get more opportunities to have meaningful sales conversations and that means you’ll end up with more sales.

Maybe you want prospects to feel:-

  • a sense of trust
  • warm, secure, and comfortable
  • challenged
  • angry or frustrated
  • confident
  • or….

Does your current USP evoke this kind of reaction? If not test new variations on every prospect and customer until you find a USP that does. Existing customers like to feel an emotional response too. If you meet this need, you’ll keep them longer. They’re also more likely to refer you to others if they feel enthusiastic (or even angry about their problem) than if they just feel a dogged neutrality.

“We buy on emotion…. Then we use logic to justify our decisions (especially to our spouse or business associates.”

Ask yourself:

  • If I heard my USP would I get excited about my offer?
  • Would it evoke curiosity & enthusiasm?

If not, it’s time to revisit your USP this weekend and add some emotional zing. Keep working on it until even your family members are fascinated when you tell them what you do.

It’s one of the first things that we work on in the 13-week Profitable Business Accelerator because it can quickly transform your sales closing rate from 20% or less into 80% or higher and immediately affect your profits.

You can learn more and find out when the next program is starting here:

https://businessgrowth.mykajabi.com/masteryoursales

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