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Find Your PR Sweet Spot

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Establishing the image of your business entity as a valuable and noteworthy presence in its marketplace, and also the community in which it operates, is a worthwhile goal for every business owner. Bringing attention to the distinctive qualities and contributions of your business entity confers respect and confidence and portrays your organization as deserving of your business. The actions that an organization takes to disseminate and manage strategically selected information about an organization (or individual) that is intended to achieve that goal is the function of public relations, and it is part of a company’s marketing strategy.

Marketing, along with its subspecialties, advertising and branding, are discrete methods of communicating with a company’s target customers; business owners typically create specific strategies to activate these segments. All of these processes will, ideally, work in tandem to deliver your company’s message to your target audience—define and establish the desired company image, promote company name recognition, generate and maintain the trust of current and prospective customers that distinguish your organization from its competitors—and encourage sales.

PR vs. marketing, branding, advertising

Communication is the core of marketing and all of its subspecialties. The role of marketing is to build awareness and encourage sales of the company’s products and services by using one or more promotional strategies—for example, email marketing, social media marketing, or content marketing. The role of public relations is to generate media exposure and promote name recognition for the company, with the intention of encouraging (positive) interactions with current and prospective customers and, ultimately, to amplify the renown and respect of the brand. 

The brand is the foundation of the company’s reputation and represents its essence. The role of the brand is to establish and maintain a compelling and memorable image for the company and its services and products; the brand reflects the attributes that differentiate your company from competitors. The brand is often supported by a story that articulates the business vision, mission and core values. The branding process typically entails the creation of a brand identity, a personality and a perception, for your company and its services and products that will define how you would like current and prospective customers to feel about the company when they encounter or interact with its name and/or logo.

The role of advertising is to promote the sale of company services and products by using images, audio, and/or text promotions that a company pays to have featured in print or (audio or visual) digital media outlets that are followed and trusted by the company’s current and prospective customers, with the intention of increasing awareness and encouraging sales.

Media exposure and name recognition

As noted above, the function of public relations is to advance company name recognition and media exposure by facilitating mentions in selected media outlets, for the purpose of cultivating and maintaining a positive image. PR is meant to amplify the brand image by providing exposure (publicity) that presents positive and compelling information about the company that is intended to encourage engagement, customer loyalty and, ultimately, sales.

PR is utilized to give the brand a flattering shout-out that is featured in media channels and outlets familiar to and respected by target customers, professional peers and the community in which the company operates. PR is about creating buzz for your business, to pique the curiosity of current and potential customers and motivate them to experience a positive reaction toward your company.

PR’s principal strategy is storytelling and it’s up to you to shape your PR topic, images, text and narrative to tell your story in a way that achieves your goal. To maximize its effectiveness, design your PR to grab attention and capture the interest of the audiences you want to know about your company (and you). Those who encounter your company’s PR might even become interested enough to visit your website or social media platforms to learn more, or get an update, about your company.

So what does PR mean in real time?

There are about a half dozen subspecialties of PR that businesses commonly use, for example public affairs and crisis communications, but Freelancers and owners of small businesses are mostly interested in media relations as a way to obtain third-party credibility for their company when target customers, along with your professional peers and also the general public, might find positive news about the company supplied by an unbiased source.

Freelancers and SMB owners might consider launching a media relations PR strategy by leveraging your professional knowledge and experience to propose yourself to media outlets as an expert source. An expert source is a knowledgeable source who is invited to provide a quote that is included in an article or segment featured in a print, visual, or audio medium. Serving as an expert source is a desirable opportunity and is usually accessed by way of a relationship with a journalist or editor.

You might be able to initiate media relationship by simply telephoning or emailing business editors or authors of business articles at your preferred outlets. Be advised that Freelancers or SMB owners will be more likely to find success by approaching smaller media outlets. Perhaps an even better tactic can be used by those who place paid advertisements in those media outlets. A savvy and proactive move would be to reach out to your contact in the advertising department and ask for a referral to the business editor or the right journalist. The gatekeepers of most media outlets are likely to look favorably on an advertiser who also has the credentials to serve as an expert source on business topics.

Now when you have a potential story, meaning an announcement or other information that the media outlet’s readers may be interested in, the standard practice is to create and send a press release to initiate contact with your targeted media outlets. Your press release has two functions—first, to clearly and succinctly detail the who, what, when, where and why of your info and second, to initiate the process of cultivating media relationships.

Before you send your press release, confirm the media outlets to approach by telephoning or emailing the business editor and asking if there may be an interest in your story. No editor or journalist is interested in a story unless they feel the story will resonate with their readers or viewers. If you get the greenlight, then quickly follow-up by sending your press release. In a day or two, reach out to confirm receipt of your press release and ask again how the editor/journalist feels about the relevance of your information or announcement.

Yet another PR strategy, albeit one that will entail an investment of several hundred to several thousand dollars, is to campaign for a local, or national, business award. Organizations typically have many categories that provide multiple pathways to winning award. As is demonstrated by the music industry Grammy Awards and the movie industry’s Academy Awards, receiving an award is nearly always considered newsworthy by media outlets. If you’ve got a great client list and/or your sales revenue is solid, you may want to consider this option.

Access your PR sweet spot

  • Earned (unpaid) media PR exposure can be obtained by giving a quote to a media outlet that covers your area of expertise. Register with Help A Reporter Out (HARO), a service that connects journalists with expert sources has resumed operations after a brief closure. Invitations to give a noteworthy quote that addresses the requested subject are selected on a first-come, first-served basis can set you onto your path to amplifying your credibility and could open the door to additional PR opportunities. Stay close to your email.
  • If your budget allows, consider paid media exposure, perhaps by campaigning for a business or industry award that can be utilized to launch a PR campaign. If you win any level of recognition, you’ll be able to include the good news on your website and social media platforms, along with sending press releases to media outlets and channels that your current and prospective customers, as well as your professional peers, follow. From your local chamber of commerce to the Stevie Awards for business, nearly every award, local or global, is a reliable pathway to good PR.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Carl Mydans/Life Magazine. Actress Carole Lombard (1908-1942) and her husband, the actor Clark Gable (1901-1960), attend a movie premiere in Hollywood, CA (1936).

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8 Hacks to Make 2024 Your Best Year!

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At the top of the year many of you—working or retired, seniors or teens, traditionally employed or self-employed— will develop a list of goals you’d like to pursue and achieve over the next 12 months. You know that identifying a purpose that inspires, motivates and gives direction to your professional or personal life makes you feel confident and is a cornerstone of how you define success.

To get started on your annual plans, dedicate a block of time and use it to make an objective assessment of where you are now and where you’d like to be at this time next year. Commit to writing the rough draft of your emerging goals and begin to flesh out the proposed actions and time lines to carry them out, whether you scribble on the back of an envelope or record your ideas on a white board at a company meeting. You’ll find it useful to include monthly or quarterly milestones as a way to document your progress and perhaps make adjustments as you observe the impact of your action plans on the strategies you’ve developed.

Below are a list of hacks (the good kind!) that I hope will nudge you in the right direction and serve as a general road map for your 2024 annual plans.

1. 5:00 AM wake-up

In the cold, dark winter even those who love early morning can struggle to greet the day before sunrise but you’ll soon learn that the sacrifice will be quickly immediately rewarded with a noticeable spike in productivity that will encourage you to maintain the habit. Here’s the earlier riser secret—as the days gradually get longer and brighter throughout late February and early March, set your alarm to wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual. Every week or two, change the wake-up call to half an hour earlier until you’re waking up at 5:00 AM. Whether you prefer to start the day with a mug of hot tea and a review of email or with exercise, you’ll be off to the races and you’ll win every time.

2. Define your success

Goals help you focus your time and energy and it’s wise to spend adequate time determining the business results you’d like to achieve, followed by creating strategies, action plans and a timetable that serve as the engine to move your plans forward. It’s useful to revisit the previous year’s goals and objectives as you define what success could look like in 2024—you can perhaps build on previous successes or modify that which remains relevant but could benefit from a re-calibration. Your challenge will be to identify reasonable, ambitious, achievable goals for your company and to understand the purpose, impact and ROI of each goal. Finally, you’ll need objective measures for determining success and experts agree that SMART goals are still the best—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

3. Follow the money

To properly manage your business you must understand its financial metrics and heed what those metrics indicate. You don’t have to be an accountant to understand the numbers, but I’ve found that my best and most profitable clients know their numbers. They monitor sales revenue weekly or monthly; they analyze cash-flow reports weekly or monthly; they calculate costs associated with client acquisition; they determine profit margins for their products and/or services and price accordingly. Furthermore, those who operate a service business will calculate the hours devoted to billable and non-billable work that’s performed each week or month. It will also be a good time to reconfirm or reconfigure the metrics, i.e. the KPIs, that will most accurately reflect the performance of any new goals or other initiatives you’ll put into place this year.

4. Nurture client relationships

Clients are the lifeblood of your business and it is obvious that cultivating and nurturing client relationships is of utmost importance. Video meetings, telephone calls and emails are the easiest contact methods available and each has a place in a comprehensive client outreach strategy; however, the most impactful relationship-building activity is a face2face visit. There is nothing like the warm and friendly rush of a big smile and a handshake. You may have had innumerable phone conversations with a client or prospect, and a video call or two as well, but can you say you’ve met him/her until you’ve met and talked in real time? You may find that you develop deeper and longer-term relationships when you meet people face to face.

Online meetings absolutely serve a purpose, but humans (and animals) respond most intensely to physical contact. That psychological fact should give you the motivation needed to attend business and professional association meetings, drop into networking events, or simply invite a client or serious prospect to meet for lunch or coffee.

5. Skills development

Ensure that you have the wherewithal to evaluate and, where appropriate, utilize resources offered by emerging technologies and leadership practices that will benefit your business. You can pay to take professional development courses and/or attend conferences but if keeping costs low is a priority, you have other means to keep your skills current.

For starters, make it a ritual to peruse at least weekly the business section of your local newspaper, so that you’ll obtain information that pertains to your local marketplace. Read also at least one national business-themed publication to keep yourself apprised of national trends and happenings that might eventually impact how you do business or influence how your clients might respond to your products and services.

In addition, promise yourself to read at least two business books in 2024. Improve your understanding of financial management and how that knowledge can be applied to grow your business when you read Financial Intelligence (Karen Berman, Joe Knight & John Case, 2006) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/financial-intelligence-revised-edition-karen-berman/1110913346 . You’ll thank yourself for reading Good Charts: The Harvard Business Review Guide to Data Visualization (Scott Berinato, 2016) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/good-charts-scott-berinato/1122655992 when you learn how to design and present charts and graphs that enhance your next client meeting or speaking engagement. Last, here’s an international list of 25 top-rated consulting themed podcasts for your edification https://podcasts.feedspot.com/consulting_business_podcasts/.

6. Exercise

Numerous studies demonstrate that regular vigorous exercise contributes to a healthy body, greater energy and stamina and sharper cognitive skills. You might play a sport and make a date to play once or twice a week and visit the gym on other days. Or, you might swim, bike or run twice a week and lift weights once or twice each week. If the weather interferes with outdoor workouts, you can always find an online class. The point is to exercise regularly. Early morning workouts are an unbeatable way to wake up and get your energy and creativity flowing. Since you’ll wake up at 5:00 AM, why not start your workout of choice at 6:00 AM?

7. Embrace AI

Exploring how to most efficiently use Artificial Intelligence will probably dominate the technology strategy of most of you this year. You may get some insight from the marketing automation and bookkeeping/ accounting software that you use. Expect a continued rollout of AI tools that will save you time and help business productivity. You will be wise to devote a significant amount of time researching and staying up to speed on these very fast-moving developments. Keep an eye on Microsoft, they are in the lead.

8. Strategize growth with your accountant

Your accountant is uniquely qualified to counsel you on ways to promote the stability and profitability of your business entity. All you have to do is ask. Moreover, if you’re percolating an idea of making any major capital investments, or if you envision growth and expansion as goals you’d like to kick-off in the next 12-18 months, a face2face talk with your accountant is your first step. Make it a tradition to meet twice a year with your financial guiding light; May and September seem like good months for a money talk.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©️ Getty Images. Jennifer Capriati won the women’s singles title at Roland Garros/ French Open in 2001

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10 Under $35: Great Client Gifts 2023

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You can run, but you can’t hide! The December holidays are at your doorstep and asking you to respond accordingly. Yes, it is a chore, and you’ll spend some money, but look at the bright side—-the holidays are much more than a gift-giving obligation. Recognize that the December holidays are your best client outreach and relationship-building opportunity of the year. So if you neglected to include current or lapsed clients on the mailing list for your blog or website, or you hesitated because you worried about looking crass, and decided against including clients when you announced that you’d appear on a podcast or would teach a social media marketing class, your opportunity to rectify that oversight has arrived. December is your gateway to redemption, your big chance to show clients that you remember and value them.

The holiday gifts you send, and to a lesser extent the holiday cards you send, give you entree to reach out in January and diplomatically float the idea of receiving an assignment in the New Year. Reach out with a conversation-starting topic that might persuade your client to schedule a voice, video, or face2face meeting so that you can assess and suggest how your products or services can provide solutions that achieve the client’s objectives. After all, the reason that your client gifts and cards qualify as business expenses is because you’re spending money to support the goal of making more.

Below is my 2023 list of business-appropriate, cost-conscious holiday gifts and I hope you like what you see. Every vendor is different, but you can expect your gifts to arrive on time if you ship before December 10 (that date also applies to the cards you’ll send, whether or not a gift will also be sent). Shop on Black Friday (November 24) and Small Business Saturday (November 25) to catch the sales and get more for your money. Be advised that Christmas falls on the fourth Monday and some offices may be closed on Friday December 22, maybe until Tuesday January 2.

1. Dossier Fragrances

Dossier, the luxury fragrance maker, recently launched its third line of scents: the Wellness Collection. The new line includes sage and black tea, rose and basil, ginger and grapefruit scents that serve as a “sensory gateway, inviting you to embark on a fragrant journey toward balance, serenity, and rejuvenation,” says CEO Sergio Tache.

The Wellness Collection will refresh, re-energize, and rejuvenate, giving you aromatic therapy through fragrance for a heightened scent-sory experience. The Speakeasy Collection is crafted with celebration in mind and captures all the bubbly, warm, or even smoky sensations that come with every sip– or in this case, spritz!

Dossier Originals
$29 each

2. The Weekender Dopp Kit

A rugged, classic pouch to keep all your toiletries in order. Outside, it’s built from heavyweight cotton canvas that will take anything your trip can dish out. Inside the sturdy metal zipper, there’s an additional internal zipper pocket and elastic loops to secure your stuff.

https://www.bespokepost.com/store/line-of-trade-weekender-dopp-kit?clickId=0oizTcy5fxyPUBdy6FSGNz3uUkFVy91Px0Jk2U0&a=m_10078&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=IR&utm_campaign=0oizTcy5fxyPUBdy6FSGNz3uUkFVy91Px0Jk2U0&utm_content=Skimbit%20Ltd.&nb_adid=70438&nb_cid=1804&nb_pid=10078&nb_aname=Online%20Tracking%20Link&nb_atype=ONLINE_TRACKING_LINK&nb_asize=&nb_product_sku=&nb_partner_name=Skimbit%20Ltd.&nb_mtype=mediapartner&nb_partner_shared_id=thespruce.com&nb_platform=impact
$35 each

3. Jiminy’s Doggie Dental Chews

Dog owners adore gifts that have their furry friend in mind! Here is a multi-purpose, cinnamon-flavored chew designed to clean teeth, freshen dog breath and reduce oral inflammation while the chew’s flexible, nubby texture cleans teeth and gums. Cruelty-free superfood ingredients make Jiminy’s Dental Chews the sustainable choice for the health of your dog and our planet. The chews come in four sizes. Jiminy’s dog treats and dog food are also available.

https://www.chewy.com/jiminys-grain-free-cricket-cookie/dp/205078

$9.95 each 5 oz. bag

4. The Pasta Queen Cookbook


TikTok star and social media sensation Nadia Caterina Munno, a.k.a. The Pasta Queen, is opening the recipe box from her online trattoria to share the dishes that have made her pasta royalty. In this delectable antipasto platter of over 100 recipes, cooking techniques, and the tales behind Italy’s most famous dishes (some true, some not-so-true), Nadia guides you through the process of creating the perfect pasta, from Pasta Al Limone to Fettucine Carbonara. The book was a New York Times bestseller. See reader reviews here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60321510-the-pasta-queen

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pasta-queen-nadia-caterina-munno/1140976219?ean=9781982195151

$23.99 hard cover

5. Lapgear Tablet Pillow

An unique, triangular-shaped bolster pillow that has a reinforced front pocket that holds your tablet or phone at optimal screen viewing angles, allowing for comfortable and efficient tablet use. The microbead filled cushion allows this tablet pillow to conform comfortably to your lap or any surface while using your tablet. Tuck your phone, device charger, ear buds, or other accessories into the convenient side pocket to keep them handy. Use the snap-on handle to attach the lightweight tablet pillow to your suitcase or backpack when you are on the go. This item is the perfect stand to prop your tablet up and go hands free while streaming your favorite show, shopping online, FaceTime conversations, or playing a game.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LapGear-Microbead-Tablet-Pillow-with-Phone-Pocket-Gray-Herringbone/268528336

$19.69 each

6. Born to Bloom

Collaborate with Mother Nature to give this combination birthday and December holiday gift that grows and changes every day. Seeds, a glass bottle to grow them in, soil-less growing medium, instructions, and info about what your flower symbolizes are all included. Once the garden has finished blooming, wash the grow bottle and use as a vase. Cork lid doubles as a coaster for the bottle. A lovely gift for gardeners, sentimental types and those who don’t want any “stuff.” (Sorry that I’m over budget here!)

https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/birth-month-flower-grow-kit?clickid=3tTwSAy5JxyPUBdy6FSGNz3uUkFVy6xex0Jk2U0&irgwc=1&utm_source=Skimbit%20Ltd.&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=8444&utm_term=Online%20Tracking%20Link&trafficSource=Impact&sharedid=thespruce.com

$36.00 each

7. Apple Air Tag

The Apple Air Tag is the game-changing remedy for those who habitually misplace keys or wallet and maybe also could use a better way to keep track of a pet. Or maybe they just want to know exactly where their bags are while traveling? The one-tap setup makes it a breeze to connect with an iPhone or iPad all in the Find My app. Selected iPhone models have Precision Finding that will lead users right to your nearby AirTag. If it’s further away, hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network can help track it down. AirTag is compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device running iOS/iPad OS 14.5 or later. All activity will be anonymous and encrypted for privacy.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-airtag/airtag?afid=p239%7C1442537&cid=aos-us-aff-ir-1442537

$29 each

8. Queen Bean Coffee Sampler

The coffee sampler is a great way to explore these fabulous coffees, available in six (6) contain quarter-pound packs. While you cannot chose specific coffees, Queen Bean invites you to provide a basic guideline, e.g., a random sample, sustainable single origins, dark roasts, flavors, decafs, etc. If you aren’t sure what you like, we suggest you order the random pick or send an email to help you figure out your coffee type. When ordering, please use the comment box to indicate if you would like ground or whole bean coffee.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/489146056/coffee-sampler?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=coffee+samplers+gift&ref=sc_gallery-1-1&sts=1&plkey=da64bda243454aefb4e84ebf5bb733cb02c8266e%3A489146056
$29.90 for six (6) + $8.50 shipping

9. Cantaloupe & Prawns

Celebrate the colors and ambience of the Mediterranean this holiday when you choose this lovely (unframed) art print created by Maggie Cowles, a freelance artist and illustrator whose has been shown in galleries in Tokyo, London, Paris and Los Angeles.

https://society6.com/product/cantaloupe-prawns_print?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&sku=s6-21353150p4a1v45&utm_source=cj&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=2114&utm_content=100017238&utm_id=5370367&utm_term=14068151&cjevent=70c9033a84b911ee829514e90a82b821
$27.20 (regularly $34.00)

10. Charity Choice Holiday Gift Certificate

In this holiday season, allow your client gift to demonstrate your company’s values. Charity Choice, an official donation site of the American Red Cross, will enable your clients to support a cause that resonates with them. As your client gives back, you present a positive image of social responsibility for you and your company. You choose the giving level and your recipient chooses the cause to support. You decide the format that your client receives—digital card via email or physical gift card that is mailed either to you or to your client on your behalf.

https://www.charitygiftcertificates.org/#GiveGiftCards

$25.00 each (also $10, $50 & $100)

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©Library of Congress / Science Source. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962) served as First Lady of the U.S. March 1933 to April 1945. She was the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), who served as PTOS March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945.

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Unspoken Desires: What B2B Clients Really Want

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The punchline of today’s story is that your clients say one thing and mean another. Surprise! Those of you who sell or provide B2B products or services know that prospects present themselves to Freelancers and sales reps as dispassionate decision-makers who demand value and aim to minimize costs as they operate in the harsh realities of tech company lay-offs, bank failures, inflation, war and the lingering aftershocks of the coronavirus shutdown. Oh, and they’d also like the products or services they buy to save them time, because time is money.

However Ron Friedman, PhD, a psychologist who studies human motivation, surveyed 2,128 office workers in the U.S, U.K, France, Germany, Spain and Italy discovered some additional, unspoken, motivations of office workers who purchase B2B products or services.

Friedman and his team found that B2B customers favor interactions that cater to certain psychological needs, even when satisfying those needs costs the company more money and time. The findings suggest that what humans really want are choice (control, power), meaningful connections with others (relatedness) and opportunities to grow skills that are important to them (mastery).

Let’s dive in to get more insights and understand how you can leverage these unspoken motivations as you and your prospective clients discuss your products and services.

Choice trumps problem-solving

When Friedman’s study subjects were asked if they prefer to discuss and potentially buy from a B2B services provider a single solution that can solve their problem or help achieve their goal, or be offered two or more potential solutions that they must evaluate and then select their preferred remedy, the ability to choose won out.

When a prospect is presented with a single, presumably effective, solution that’s expected to resolve the goal or problem at issue, time is automatically saved. Still, 58% of Friedman’s study subjects preferred the opportunity to choose and, it seems, the power that came with it. The ability to choose was considered desirable, even when going through the selection process did not provide additional benefits, e.g., better results or money and time saved.

Connection overrules time

Most prospects didn’t mind that extra time was spent to review and evaluate the available options that guide their choice of a solution. Although waiting for a human being to reply to an email or pick up the phone might require twice the time and provided no other benefits (in either case, participants were assured their problem would be solved), waiting twice as long to speak with a human being was preferred by nearly three-quarters of participants (74%).

Furthermore, respondents much prefer to know who they’re doing business with. When asked to rate what they consider to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory customer service delivered by the sales reps and other service providers they interact with, study subjects rated just 33% of vendors they didn’t really know as providing “satisfactory” service, but 70% of vendors who received “satisfactory” ratings were known personally by the respondents. In other words, the experience of close connection and impressions of good service are linked.

Experiences that expand horizons

Human beings enjoy learning new skills and being exposed to new experiences. It makes life interesting and expands our horizons. It’s good for self-esteem. Keep that affinity for learning in mind as you discuss your product or service with prospects as you simultaneously show respect for their expertise.

The process of acknowledging the prospect’s skill set, I.e., mastery, and providing a learning opportunity starts when you offer the choice of potential solutions to the problem or pathways to achieving the goal, as noted above.

When you are hired to work on a project (another empowering choice that the prospect, now a client, gets to make) and carrying out the client’s preferred solution, you can as well satisfy the (unspoken) desire to learn by giving him/her an inside look at how you apply the solution and make it work. For your client, this can appeal to the desire to keep his/her skills up to date in a rapidly changing economy and workplace.

What might these findings tell us about the rising popularity of marketing automation? Freelancers and other business owners have used the software to facilitate engagement and bring in point-of- service online sales. New and returning clients have gravitated to contactless interactions where, other than choice, psychological motives are not addressed.

Since 70% of Friedman’s survey respondents feel positively about customer service interactions when they are handled by someone they know, that does leave 30% who are OK working with someone they don’t know (contactless engagement). Also, the power of choice remains, which is an important factor for most.

Finally, prospects who explore your products and services on your website or social media platforms always have the option to contact you (or your team) and initiate direct conversations when choice, connection that may lead to relatedness and learning opportunities that expand mastery can take place.

Thanks for reading and welcome spring!

Kim

Image: © Netflix/ Mark Bourdillon. L-R Matt Lucas, Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding of The Great British Baking Show illustrate our unspoken desires.

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Moving the Needle on B2B Sales Deals

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Selling B2B professional services is no day at the beach, as you’ve probably deduced by now. Getting B2B sales deals across the finish line can be an uphill marathon that leaves you face down on Heartbreak Hill. Unlike your B2C colleagues, you can’t ride the wave of multi-million dollar product launches or other advertising campaigns to convince prospects of the amazing benefits that your product or service delivers.

Moreover, there are no impulse buys in B2B, no equivalent of customers adding candy to their shopping basket while waiting in the check-out line. Your marketing campaigns and sales pitches speak to business goals with a deadline and problems that must be resolved.

On top of that many, if not most, B2B services that Freelancers provide are unlike the various software as a service products that can be easily compared and evaluated, feature by feature. Once a prospect has found you, it’s necessary to pitch your solution in a narrative mix of hard facts and soft skill intangibles that portray you and your capabilities as an effective and trustworthy choice.

In some instances, you may even work to convince a prospect that there actually is a problem to solve, that something can be done in a faster or easier way. As a result, the sales cycle of the typical Freelance consultant is long. So what can you do to keep the pipeline filled and your cash-flow positive now and into 2022? There are some cultural shifts to keep in mind as you consider strategies that you might implement.

The Great Resignation factor

In the early 2000s, I started to notice that important contacts at companies with whom I worked regularly disappeared in about two years. Not good! So much of obtaining repeat business depends on relationships. It costs you money when an ally leaves a prospect’s decision team. You may not know where they’re going next and they usually don’t take you with them by introducing you and your services at their next assignment

This phenomenon is detrimental to the future of your business. The Great Resignation factor (addressed in the September 7, 2021 post) has heightened this trend. Freelancers are advised to include this reality in client pursuit and post-project client retention strategies. You can’t control what will happen, but knowing that a change is brewing gives you the opportunity to ask who will join the project discussions, so you’ll have a chance to begin building a new relationship, starting with an email introduction.

The 2021 LinkedIn Global State of Sales Report, which surveyed 7,500 B2B buyers and sellers in 11 countries, advises sellers to stay current with intel about project decision-makers and stakeholders. The survey found that 25% of decision-makers either change roles or leave the company in a given year. The survey also found that unfortunately, 85% of sellers reported that they lost at least one sales deal, or that a deal was delayed, because a key stakeholder left his/ her job. Of the many advantages acquired by tactfully remaining in touch with the primary decision-maker and influential stakeholders of every potential sales deal is receiving updates regarding who’s on and who’s off the team.

The Work From Home factor

Some companies have at least temporarily continued the work from home protocol for their employees when possible, but many have begun asking staff to work on-site at least 2 – 3 days/week. Still, the practice throws cold water on face2face sales meetings. The 2021 State of Sales Report indicates that B2B virtual selling gives the advantage to buyers, however McKinsey reports that 76% of B2B buyers prefer in-person sales meetings, or at least a telephone meeting. when evaluating a product or service that they’ve not used before. Zoom is convenient but apparently not considered ideal for first time meetings.

When appropriate, McKinsey found that 46% of B2B buyers say they’ll make purchases online online, but only 10% do so. Notably, 46% of B2B buyers feel it’s too difficult to compare the available products online. These buyers also are dissatisfied by the frequently slow responses to their inquiries.

The Digital transformation factor

Warning: 70% of digital transformation initiatives fall short of expectations. McKinsey reported that companies achieve the best results when a combination of human and digital interactions create a hybrid buyer’s journey. Because prospective buyers appreciate fast answers to their basic questions about your products and services, installing a chat bot and adding a FAQ tab to your website will expedite the delivery of information and facilitate a satisfying buyer’s journey that instills trust in your company and its solutions.

If you are tech savvy, explore and evaluate UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) digital tools. The free Adobe XD starter plan lets you design digital features that maximize the impact of touch points along the buyer’s journey, after-sale service experience and other customer service experiences that you’d like to enhance. Think carefully about how much digital interaction your prospects and clients will appreciate and strike a balance between digital and human communication.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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5 Smart Sales Questions

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“To get the right answers, you have to ask the right questions,” said business strategy and management expert Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005), author of pioneering management insights and founder of the Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont College in California. When your goal is to sell a product or service to a prospective client, knowing which questions to ask and when to ask them can make a big difference in your ability to make sales and generate revenue that keeps your company alive. Actionable information is worth money, even when you learn that who you hoped would be a prospect is not. Knowing when to cut bait and pursue other avenues is a good thing.

Ask a handful of questions that first, confirm that your prospect is ready to do business and next, guides the prospect through the sales (buying) journey is a pillar of the thriving company you want to build.

“How long have you been in business? Who are/ what kind of customers do you serve? What big plans are in the works now?”

Set the stage for your sales conversation by obtaining background info that gives context to why there is a need for your product or service and the role it would play in achieving company objectives, or solving/ avoiding a problem.

“You appear to have steered your company successfully through the pandemic troubles. Was there a big change, or two, that you decided had to be made to adjust to the new business reality?”

The coronavirus pandemic left no business unscathed, not even those that saw a big increase in profits, like liquor stores and delivery services. That you’ve thought to ask this question and the preceding demonstrates to the prospect that you’re interested in the business and that it’s success means something to you. Successful sales professionals, including business owners and Freelance consultants, usually aim to become a collaborative partner, a reliable and trusted resource, for the client.

“Did anything fall through the cracks as you shifted gears during the pandemic? Is there anything that was not previously a worry now emerging as a challenge?”

Here is the question where the pain is revealed. Now you’ll learn what’s keeping your prospect awake at night and what your solution must address. You continue to earn your prospect’s trust, which is invaluable. You are closing in on the sale because you’ve shown that you care enough to want to understand company leaders are grappling with and are trying to do.

“So, what will success look like?”

This question helps the prospect to define the desired outcomes and deliverables of the project, something that, surprisingly, the prospective client and his/ her team may be a little fuzzy on, Maybe the decision to ask for a meeting with you was to find out what you, and perhaps a competitor or two, can offer in terms of helping the company achieve necessary outcomes?

“What’s new? What’s next? What help might you need to make it happen?”

A question designed to do more business with clients you’ve worked before, that is, repeat business. It really is easier in terms of time and money spent to do more business with clients who know you than to bring in new clients (but a business needs both types of clients).

“What’s new?” lets the client update you on what’s been happening with the business since the last time you’ve worked together. “What’s next?” opens the door to the future—- what initiatives are on the drawing board? “What help might you need to make it happen?” is, you guessed it, a way to help the client envision a role for you as plans for a sustainably profitable future are made.

Whether you’ll speak with your prospect on line or face2face, the questions presented here will politely and unambiguously get the sales process flowing in the right direction. Your prospect will be called upon to reveal his/ her intentions about doing business. In an always-appreciated show of empathy, your questions will invite the prospect to acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on his/ her organization.

Describing the pain point that (could be) a factor driving the necessity of the project you’re there to discuss and clarifying the expected outcomes (success) and the deliverables of the project will be confirmed. If you’re trying to get back in the door and get repeat business, the final 3-part question will help you and the client to segue into that possibility. You can continue on with question two and address the impact of the pandemic or question three and get an understanding of pain points that may be driving factors. You’ll have a good chance of making a sale!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Spices and rice bring women to the market.

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LinkedIn Special Report: B2B Selling in the COVID era

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In our uncertain times, for-profit organizations have elevated selling, the means by which revenue is generated, to the highest priority. Sales revenues are the life blood of a business and enable its survival. As a result, sales professionals are under significant pressure to identify, connect with, engage and bring in new clients, as well as obtaining additional business from existing clients.

No surprises there. Making sales is the role of sales reps. It’s just that thanks to COVID, the playing field has undergone a seismic shift. Once-thriving industries, most notably restaurants, hotels and fitness, have been greatly diminished. Commercial real estate sales and leasings are staggering, as legions of white collar professionals cobble together DIY offices and work from home. How can sales representatives reach prospects when they’re usually no longer in the office? How can they introduce themselves and their products and services when they can no longer meet prospects face2face?

Virtual technology has solved most of the communication problem, but virtually enabled conversations do not make it easy for sales reps to meet and lay the groundwork for building new relationships. Furthermore current or previous clients, who now work from home, are often overwhelmed as they strive to meet the new and growing expectations of their jobs. Receiving a request from a sales rep to schedule yet another videoconference call does not spark joy.

LinkedIn has issued its fourth annual State of Sales Report after interviewing some 1,000 B2B buyers and sellers in several countries, including Brazil, Canada, France, the UK and the US. Here are some key takeaways.

Good data matters

To clarify and justify their buying decisions, the report found that 49 % of prospective B2B buyers feel that objective data is a required element of a sale and data- driven decisions have grown in popularity in the COVID era. Data adds value. Sales professionals need only to determine which metrics matter to the prospect?

Doing some homework and asking a few questions is the way to learn what information will persuade your prospect. Now when you send an email to request a videoconference call, you can tempt your prospect with a couple of data tidbits that signal you understand what matters. Now you present yourself as being a problem-solver. Present some data and ask what other information will be useful.

Getting to know your prospect as you get to know their business challenges and objectives is part of engagement. Demonstrate that you’re not just trying to make a sale, you’re trying to help the prospect do solve, or avoid, a problem.

Be a problem-solver

Problem-solving emerged as an attribute that 47% of B2B buyers value highly. As always, effective selling means knowing the customer. One way to engage prospects is to ask about their business and learn as much as politely possible about why and how your product or service could help the organization achieve important objectives. In short, what do they really need to do and how can you help them get there?

Furthermore, you might ask prospects how they did what they need to do before you and your product or service came along? Now you’ll pick up some useful intel on competitors and know how to position your offering as superior, as you assume the role of problem- solver.

When sellers focus on client objectives and provide meaningful data it’s possible to position oneself as a problem-solver, if not as a trusted adviser and collaborator for the prospect. In this way B2B sellers earn trust. For 75% of B2B buying decision-makers, the amount of trust that they have for a seller is the number one factor that leads a buyer to do business with a particular company.

Expect change

In sum, 70 % of survey respondents feel that leading through change is now a required competency for sales managers and is more important than it was five years ago. Sales leaders are wrestling with the question of what the change in the business environment means for their organization and their team. In a separate LinkedIn survey of sales managers conducted in March 2020, 55 percent of the 200 respondents feared that a decrease in their sales pipeline is inevitable.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Over tea, Moroccan Berbers (Amazigh) build a relationship and discuss the potential sale of a rug.

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Pandemic Sales Tactics

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The New World Order ushered in by the coronavirus has forced all Freelancers and business owners and leaders to learn to be resilient and to steward our organizations in ways that are forward-thinking and flexible. Selling the company’s products and services to generate revenue has taken on an even more central role. There is heightened recognition that the roles of marketing, branding, public relations, advertising, networking and social media are to encourage sales, to attract qualified prospects and convert them to customers.

Now that the COVID era is here, whatever your company previously did to promote sales must be adjusted to get in step with the new reality. As of this writing it appears that we won’t return to “business as usual” anytime soon, if ever. Consider this the wake-up call to update the selling protocols at your organization and prepare to compete more effectively in today’s marketplace.

Selling is the purpose

As noted, it is no longer possible to put the components of a company’s sales process on automatic pilot. Nurturing the brand, revving up the social media presence, strategic networking, targeting of content marketing posts and the like are all relevant but bear in mind that those activities are the “way to the way.” The way a company survives is by making sales. The purpose of a company’s sales process is winning business and that function is the real-time measure of all your imaginatively conceived business strategies.

It’s vital that the sales team (that means you, Freelancer Friend and small business owner) the information and other resources needed to sell effectively, because there’s less business available now.

Start by learning what your clients fear and what they’re prioritizing, in response to how COVID has impacted their organizations. You have likely been in touch with your current clients at least once or twice since the shutdown and subsequent (partial) reopening but if you haven’t done so, send a New Year’s card and follow it up with an outreach themed phone call or email—you’re just checking in to see how the client is doing. How’s business? How are they managing? Listen well and empathize.

Deliver what customers value now

Dive into the social media accounts of past, current and prospective clients to get intel on how they’re communicating with their customers and discover what is being promoted now. The goal is to obtain insights into as many specific reasons as possible that might incline clients and prospects to do business with your company rather than the competition.

You want to understand the issues that may drive customer decisions. This is also your method to discover any obstacles that could potentially impact the use of your products and services, for better or worse. Remember that COVID has collapsed some industries and revitalized others.

Based on what your investigation shows, forecast the perhaps now revised client needs that your organization can address, what new (or ongoing) problems you can help clients resolve. Then, build a strategy to capitalize on what you’ve learned and repackage your offerings.

Map the new sales process

Get used to it, your sale will most likely take place by videoconference. You’ll be at an advantage when sales calls are with clients you already know. When meeting with new prospects you’ll have to work a little harder, but that is always the case. Regardless, do yourself a favor and hire a videoconference tech for three hours to set up your call and monitor it in progress, and allow yourself to focus on how to use your platform’s technology to communicate and connect with your prospect and sell.

Consider presenting a (video) show and tell for a product sale or a pre-taped video testimonial featuring a happy client who’s had a good experience with the product or service you’ll discuss (client success story/ verbal case study). Call in a guest speaker on your team who is an expert on using the product (engineer or the product manager) to provide additional information, take questions and reassure the prospect. If selling a B2B service, a few slides that show the ROI would also help the sale.

Perfect the sales experience

If the prospect is working at the office, or if you happen to know his/ home address, why not add a flourish and have lunch or coffee and pastry simultaneously delivered to the prospect and yourself? You and your prospect can still enjoy a meal together, relax and begin to bond, even if remotely. Morning meetings could benefit when coffee + is delivered at the start, but lunchtime and other afternoon meetings will probably be best served when food is delivered at around the half way point.

Thoughtful planning that keeps the client at the center of the sales process will guide your organization to refocus its sales process in ways that benefit client expectations and the experience. Relationships and referrals that will set your venture on an upward trajectory begin here, with how you manage the sale.

Thanks to all of you for reading my posts! YourHappy New Year,

Kim

Image: Actress Myrna Loy (R) sells cigarettes to actor William Powell (L) and his wife Diana Lewis at a 1940 Franco-British War Relief charity event held at the Cocoanut Grove supper club in Hollywood.

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# Red Light

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So off you go, on a mission to reconnect with clients you haven’t worked with since the four month long COVID-19 shutdown began. You gracefully maneuver to position yourself to grab some billable hours before all of your Paycheck Protection Plan money runs out. You’re also on the hunt for new clients, maybe picking up the thread on leads you were checking out in the first quarter, before the rug was pulled out from under.

If good fortune prevails, you’ll bag a live one and generate some much-needed revenue. But do keep your senses tuned to any “off notes” while you and the prospect discuss the project specs. You are trying to work with this person, or someone on his/her team, and by no means do you want to walk into a toxic environment because you will fall. You will not be able to perform at your best. You will not be able to use that client as a reference.

it is important to notice and acknowledge the behavioral cues displayed and statements made by every prospective client. Do not get carried away by a seductive mix of need and excitement. Yes, making money is the point and you may also crave a project that you find not just lucrative, but also exciting. There may be a special skill that you own but rarely have the opportunity to display and at last you could be able to flaunt it.

But if the prospect makes you feel uncomfortable before the project work has begun, the smart Freelancer must find the strength to stop and walk away from someone who is already telling you that they’re a jerk who is out to hurt you. Assuming that this individual even pays the full amount of your invoice, in the end you will have to admit that the money earned from working with this guy or gal was not work the aggravation.

The best damage control that a Freelancer can take is to stop the process and walk away. Let’s examine a few examples of bad guy/ gal behavior:

“I’ve tried working with Freelancers before. I never get what I want.”

This prospect either doesn’t understand how to write and explain the project specs; doesn’t know what actions will achieve company goals; doesn’t understand and refuses to provide the support or authority a Freelancer needs to successfully complete the task; is a rabid micro-manager who is never satisfied by any work other than his/ her own; or cannot/ will not allocate the budget to hire a Freelancer who is able to do the work.

Do you see yourself swallowed by a giant whirlpool? You should. Stop. Turn around. Walk away.

Prospect don’t trust your references

You’ve supplied two or three solid references, clients for whom you’ve done work similar to what the prospect is looking to get done and the clients were very pleased. You exceeded expectations and created a positive experience. But the prospect is not convinced. Your references are not good enough, as far as s/he is concerned.

A dear friend of mine has often said that there are some people who will not take Yes for an answer. This prospect is not ready to become your client, for whatever reason. Maybe the prospect now feels uncomfortable with outsourcing this project to any outside expert?

Whatever. You cannot satisfy this individual. Shake hands and say goodbye, while you can still pretend to smile.

Prospect questions your fee and the value you’ll bring

The shutdown caused most businesses to take a significant financial hit and the impulse to keep all costs low is in the air. Freelancers are wise to be flexible about balancing their project fee against the work that clients need to do to get their ventures moving forward and the lower budgets that clients now live with. However, exploitation is never acceptable and must never be tolerated by a Freelancer.

Before your proposal is in writing, project specs should be discussed, including a ball park budget figure. Using that information, Freelancers can with confidence draw up a proposal with budget and submit it to the prospect. In this way, there will be no surprises. When the prospect shares some indication of the earmarked project budget along with the project specs, the Freelancer will quickly know whether or not s/he can do the job for that price.

But when the prospect wants to be secretive, it’s a bad sign. People need to be transparent and if they don’t want to do that, it will be unpleasant to work with them. Moreover, if the prospect alludes to the fact that his/ her team has the ability to do the job themselves, you may need to diplomatically hint that they might need to do just that because the work to be done demands a certain amount of time and skill.

You are willing to be flexible, you are willing to do a smaller piece of the job for the money that the client has suggested for the entire project, but you cannot give your work away. Then shut up and hear what s/he says in response. The specs will either shrink or you’ll walk.

Project timetable and other guarantees are unrealistic

Timetables and deadlines may require some help from the client if they are to be met and the smart Freelancer will put into writing the kind of resources that the client will provide and by what date. Furthermore, in certain cases the full scope of the project cannot be known until the work has been started. Obtain as much information as possible about the project specs to minimize risks and promote client satisfaction.

If you’re having trouble either reconnecting with current clients or signing new ones, you may need to tweak your pre-COVID-19 business model. Things have changed. No one has a written-in-stone game plan. Pivot has become the word of the month, if not the word of the year. Your first assignment may be to get a fix on what services are in demand now and how you can package and promote your entity to be considered a trustworthy and reliable purveyor of those services.

When speaking with current clients, even if you send out an email to say hello and get the ball rolling, ask how doing business has changed and make it known that your goal is to help them cross the river without taking any more of a bath than they may have already done.

When approaching a prospect, a version of the previous question can be asked, perhaps as a statement, “As you and your team work to help the organization regain its bearings and serve your customers in the way they now want, or legally must be, served, I’d love to talk to you about how I can help you do that efficiently and cost- effectively.”

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Kim Clark. Massachusetts Avenue leaves the Back Bay and enters the South End.

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Rethink the Customer Experience

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Well now this seems obvious, doesn’t it? Like the divide between BC and AD, the au courant paradigm shift is Before Coronavirus and After Coronavirus. Navigating life and business will change in ways that we cannot necessarily anticipate.

It is safe to assume that our clients are anxious to get back to the office and into the driver’s seat, to work on generating profits. But it’s probably also safe to assume that clients are uncertain about how to make things happen again.

In the After Coronavirus world, their reliable golden touch business model may no longer make the cash register ring. What were once considered business best practices may no longer apply. There may be new public health regulations to follow, such as the number of employees who can work on site at a given time, or the number of customers who can enter the premises, all in observance of social distancing.

Many businesses have lost a great deal of money as they simultaneously paid employees, rent, insurance, utilities, software licensing fees and other fixed expenses. The owners/ leaders are relieved that the doors are open again but there can be confusion about what “open for business” will look like now, at least in the short term. Added to the list of worries may be the possibility that certain employees might continue to work from home until further notice and the impact that will have on productivity, work flow and team communication.

In the After Coronavirus business environment, nearly every operation will undergo a shakeout and no one can predict the length of that period or the needs of the business as the new normal unfolds. As a result, the client experience that your organization has dependably provided will have to shift in response. The usual benefits linked to the usual client touch points have already lost their relevance and luster.

As noted in previous posts, trust, dependability and communication will be among your most valuable intangible competencies and may I also suggest that you add good listening skills to your toolkit? Listening, empathy, trust, dependability, flexibility, agility and big-picture thinking are the qualities and skills that will help you to help your clients rebuild. Listen actively and figure out your strategy.

Face2face meetings I think will be most useful as you refresh client relationships, but there are also ways to make virtual meetings both fun and profitable.

Surprise and delight your client by adding a personal touch to a virtual meeting with a take out order that arrives 10 minutes before the meeting start time. Send over something tasty, be it afternoon tea complete with scones or gourmet pizza and Italian sodas. Deliver the same menu to yourself and your team. When the videoconference goes live, tah- dah! everyone will share a meal and a memorable experience, whether simple or elaborate.

Your services may also need to adapt to the new universe that your clients now inhabit, so do your best to customize your offerings. Furthermore, your usual payment payment schedule, if not the pricing itself, may need to be adjusted. While keeping an eye on one’s own revenue and cash-flow needs, do what is possible to encourage sales and make pricing attractive.

As your clients rebuild, they bring you with them. None of us will get through these trying times alone. Collaboration and cooperation are the way.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph: Kim Clark. Bank of America office on Washington Street in Boston, MA 02111.