Sales and Marketing Success Stories
Written by Silvia Quintanilla, CEO, Industry Gems
[Contributing Author]
I love hearing stories about how salespeople win new deals. Was it a cold call? Was it a referral? What exactly happened?
I’m working on a series of blog posts where we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I’ll start by sharing how I won my latest deal!
About a year ago I was referred to a prospect (let’s call him Dave the Sales Manager). When I first met with Dave, things looked good, but there was a problem. Dave didn’t control the budget. That’s when he connected me “Rachel in Marketing”.
Rachel was too busy to meet at first, but persistence got me a phone meeting. She agreed take my proposal to the CMO.
Following several conversations, I realized Rachel wasn’t interested in my solution. Dave didn’t have enough influence to push it through, so I backed away from the deal.
Two weeks ago, I received an email from Dave (in response to my monthly newsletter). He let me know that he needed my services again, and that Rachel had left the company. Last week we signed an ongoing deal for services!
How can this story help you? Here’s a list of ideas…
- No More Road Blocks – Keep in touch with prospects who are your internal cheerleaders. They’ll bring you back when the “problem person” is out of the picture.
- Drip Marketing – Send out a monthly reminder that you exist. If your company sends out an email newsletter, get your prospects on the list. They will reach out again when the time is right.
- Career Moves – If you have a champion, keep track when leave for another company. (LinkedIn.com is great resource to keep you updated). It’s an easy way to break into a new opportunity!
Do you have a recent sales win? Email your story to silvia@industrygems.com. I’d love to tell your story on SalesBlogcast! Let’s work together to share tactics for closing more deals!
Focus On the Open Doors
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. -Helen Keller
Am I Expecting Too Much from Networking?
Written by Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions
[Contributing Author]
If you are going to network, don’t dip your toe in the water… Dive in head first!
I am a big proponent of networking and referrals for professionals, from generating referrals from your clients and contacts, to getting involved in formal and organized networking groups.
What I can’t figure out is why people get involved when they don’t want to fully participate or play by the basic rules. A simple example would be someone on LinkedIn who builds a fortress around themselves and discourages people from inviting them to join their network. What is the point of only interacting with people you already know and have a relationship with?
Some tell me it helps them stay in touch with former colleagues, old friends, maybe even high school sweethearts. But if you need an e-mail address to connect, is that really networking? If anything, it probably prevents ‘old’ acquaintances who are not up to date with your e-mail address. If I had your current e-mail, and thought “gee I want to talk to Harry”, I would probably just drop you a note as opposed to running to LinkedIn.
Last week I was invited to one of those organized (call it professional) networking events. You know the drill, once a week, you have to be there or send a substitute, one person per given function or profession. There is the pre-meeting schmooze, the food, then everyone introduces themselves and shares what makes for a good referral. This is followed by a presentation by one of the core members. As the speaker is presenting, two boxes get passed around, one containing existing members’ business cards, the second box holds cards of guests and/or substitutes. Then the meeting wraps up with the end of meeting schmooze.
The speaker last week was of specific interest to me, it was the reason I accepted the invitation. While I did get to exchange a few words before the presentation, we did not exchange cards due to the number of people and intersecting conversations. No problem I thought, I’ll just grab a card from ‘the box’, and things will be fine. Well, much to my disappointment none of this person’s cards were in the box they were supposed to be in, nor were they in the second box. OK, I’ll just talk to them after, and all will be right. I got involved in one conversation after another, and the night ended without ever getting the speaker’s business card.
The next morning I emailed one of the organizers explaining my situation. I asked for the presenting member’s contact info, thinking, they wouldn’t have joined the group if they didn’t want to network… right?
The response I got surprised me. I was told the presenter purposely does not put their cards in the box because they are extremely busy. The organizer offered to forward my contact information and request an introduction.
I always thought networking was a two way street. You can’t put a gun to someone’s head, but at the same time they chose to join a group whose sole purpose is to network and generate referrals. So I have to ask, what am I missing? Am I expecting too much from networking?
Untangling Sales, Service, and Relationships
Written by Hal Alpiar
[Contributing Author]
Sales are made. Services are delivered.
Relationships are cultivated.
First there was just the sale, maybe accompanied by some customer service. Then a pile of years went by and we had customer service followed, maybe, by the sale.
Then – POOF! – the two became one. Okay, whatever works, we said. Then a decade or two later, just when we were getting used to providing service with every sale, somebody had to go and invent CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
And now here we have a tangled fishing line: a confusing mess of how far (and when) to go with customers and prospects.
Tangled fishing line. That’s like a salesperson’s greatest nightmare. Why? Because it takes patience to pull it all apart without getting a hook in your finger! And have you EVER met a patient salesperson? (Right: at the funeral parlor where no one’s ever in a rush and customers wait in line 24/7.)
So if patience is in fact a virtue (my father said it; it must be true) take some deep breaths as you prepare to sit still and untangle the mangled nylon bird nest of customer service and relationship fishing line . . . let’s do it.
Here’s where to start: “Customer Service” in today’s world (you were someplace else?) is what every salesperson must give to every customer and every prospect, with every encounter, every day. Or? Or risk losing business to hungrier competitors. (Yes, Virginia, there is not always “collaboration”!)
But customer service doesn’t guarantee a sale. It only guarantees that the deliverer of customer service will be well-thought-of. It’s true that being well-thought-of doesn’t put food on the table, but being well-thought-of does pave the way to every sale. (When was the last time you bought something from someone you thought was a complete shlunk?)
Okay, so if customer service is the blanket under everything, where does CRM come in? Doesn’t the customer service blanket require the creation and maintenance of a relationship? After all, how can a salesperson service a customer with whom she or he has no relationship? Good point. Except CRM implies (infers? ascribes?) longevity to the word “relationship.”
(Need “first dates” or — on the opposite end of the spectrum — “in-laws” be mentioned here?)
Salespeople are paid for productivity. There is simply not enough time in life to build and cultivate a relationship with every prospect.
CRM begins AFTER the sale is made. Not before and not during. Though during is sometimes a good time to start smoothing the surface that the relationship road is to be built upon . . .
You’ve made a great decision, Ms. Customer; where do you plan to use this wonderful new product?” (Take mental note if you’re not writing.) “Oh, it’s for your daughter at college? Where does she go? What’s her major?” (Take mental note if you’re not writing.) And yes, it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of “Why Ms. Customer; I can’t believe you could possibly be old enough to have a daughter in college . . . “
Are you now thinking about how to get everyone else in the girl’s dorm to buy one from you? Special campus discount? Free delivery? How many business cards can you include?
There’s no magic here. For the time being, just treat everyone every day the way you would want to be treated, and you’ll never have to deal with any customer service shortcomings. Relationships are for down the road . . . each one you pave.
Are You In Touch With Reality?
Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be. – Jack Welch
Does Your Website Set Up the Sale?
Written by Charles Warnock, eNeighborhoods
[Contributing Author]
If people can’t find your product or service, they can’t buy it. Your site visitors have questions like: What is it? What’s in it for me? Why should I do business with you? What’s it cost? How to I learn more?
If you’re not answering those questions quickly, it’s costing you sales.
So how do you fix it? You can start by applying the Elevator Pitch formula to your web site and apply these key points…
- Create an engaging and memorable first impression
- Explain what you do and how it benefits your clients
- Demonstrate credibility and expertise
- Determine if there’s an opportunity to do business together
First the Bad News
If you think the four goals are difficult to achieve in person, they are even tougher online. In person, you may have several minutes to present yourself. Online, you’ve got four to eight seconds to engage.
Everyone has experienced the frustration of jumping from site to site because the information you’re after is missing, or it takes too long to find. It’s amazing how many companies, even large ones, maintain low-performing websites that don’t enable sales.
Here’s the Good News
There is a huge competitive advantage for companies that take extra steps to present the online version of an elevator pitch. I call these sites “Sales Enablement Websites.”
More good news: The web is the most measurable marketing channel to date! Here are a few simple ways to measure your key objectives:
- Bounce rate – How many people visit one page of your site and click away? You have 4-8 seconds to capture attention, and then it’s off to Google for another spin of the wheel.
- Click Paths – there are many free and inexpensive tools that enable you to see how people navigate through your website. If they jump back and forth from page to page and exit, they didn’t see the value.
- Return Visits – When people have problems to solve, they are looking for a product or service to help them. Return visits and bookmarking are a good indication that you are offering relevant content and visitors consider your site a good resource.
- Conversion Events – Online sales are the best indicator in knowing whether you have a true Sales Enablement Website. But even if you don’t sell online, events like subscribing to a blog or newsletter, downloading a white paper or requesting a demo are hard evidence of fuzzier marketing goals like relevance and engagement.
What effective website strategies are you using to set up the sale?
Using “FREE” to Turn Your Sales Strategy Right Side Up!
Written by Silvia Quintanilla, CEO, Industry Gems
[Contributing Author]
If you think the concept of “FREE” has run its course and no longer motivates buyers… Think again!
In his book Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely shares how Amazon.com used “FREE” to dramatically increase sales.
Amazon’s strategically offered free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount. For example, a book priced at $16.95 might ordinarily come with an additional $3.95 shipping charge. But if the customer’s order exceeded $30, shipping was free!
The allure of free shipping was so enticing, people ordered a second book (even if they didn’t need it) just to get free shipping!
Along the way, Amazon discovered that sales in France were not increasing. Was it because French consumers weren’t swayed by free offers like the rest of us? Further research revealed that Amazon was charging 1 Franc (the equivalent at the time to 20 cents) for shipping.
When France changed shipping to make it free, sales soared just like everywhere else. Isn’t that amazing? It’s wasn’t about the 20 cents… it was the idea of “FREE” that made the difference!
Free offers work on me too. Recently, I received a sales email from a company that offers Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services. I get these types of emails all the time and normally I delete them right away. But this email… was different.
It was personalized. The salesperson checked out my website and shared specific details showing she had done her homework. The real clincher came when she offered me FREE ideas that would help drive more traffic to my website! I immediately accepted her request to schedule an appointment.
I also use “FREE” to attract new clients. I offer my subscribers a free report every month. It takes me about five to six hours to put together. Although it is a significant time investment, I almost always gain a new client project in response to the report!
You too can use “FREE” to your advantage. Brainstorm creative ways to incorporate it into your own sales process.
Here are a few ideas to get your started…
- Free Trial
- Free Evaluation
- Free Consultation
- Valuable Advice
- Free Samples of Work
I’ll end with an important point. “FREE” is good, but don’t go overboard. Only make the offer when it can lead to something bigger. All it takes is one great idea to make your sales opportunities increase dramatically!
Share your own experiences. What FREE offers have influenced your buying decisions and/or your business strategies?