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Prospects and Tire-Kickers

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Tire-kickers, those self-absorbed time-wasters who parachute into your life, present themselves as interested buyers, pepper you or your sales staff with questions, raise red-herring objections and then slide away without spending any money. Freelance consultants, business owners and sales professionals regularly contend with “prospects” whose mission in life, it seems, is to squander others’ valuable time. Tire-kickers feel completely entitled to mislead honest working people by feigning interest in products and services that they have no intention of purchasing any time soon.  They also get their jollies by inviting marketing consultants to meet for coffee and discuss projects that have neither official support nor budget.

Tire-kickers are the bane of a Freelancer’s existence.  A method to politely expose and dispose of them is a useful time management skill. Posing questions and raising objections while in the buying process is responsible behavior and all whose livelihoods depend upon making a sale welcome serious prospects, including those who do not buy at that time. How does one tell the difference between a tire-kicker and a prospective customer? It all starts with asking the right questions (but you knew that).

The Zero Pain Hypothesis developed by Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of Human Workplace, assumes that a caller has no need for what you sell and it is an effective template to follow. Keep your tone friendly and helpful throughout. You might be able to persuade the tire-kicker to either make a purchase in the near term, or make a referral to a colleague who has money and motive to do business with you now.

1.  Who?

To whom are you speaking? Get the name, title, company, phone number, email and location of the person who makes contact. Get qualifying info up front and begin to make that person commit to the buying process. Questions are cheerfully answered, but this is not a game, it is business. The job title can help you know whether this person is likely to be the decision-maker or key influencer.

2.  What and Why?

What is the product or service that is being investigated and why is it needed? What business imperative is a priority for the caller? If the caller can provide a logical reason for contacting you and/or describe what has been done that is not  working, then you probably have a genuine prospect. The counter-intuitive genius of the Zero Pain Hypothesis recommends that you offer up an inexpensive, maybe DIY alternative to your services. Tire-kickers should back off once told of a cheap and easy path to what they want. As well, tire-kickers will reveal themselves by their vague and evasive answers to your questions.

3.  When?

Assess the urgency. Is there a deadline for completing the project or making the purchase? If things are open-ended, then you are speaking with a tire-kicker. The Zero Pain Hypothesis recommends that if possible,  you recommend a “place-holder” alternative, an inexpensive band-aid that will help out for the short-term, since there is no defined timeline.

4.  Where?

Where is the organization in the buying process — early stage vendor list making, soliciting proposals, or close to finalizing the decision? Is your questioner the decision-maker and who else may need to weigh in? What is the budget? If the caller has a deadline and/or a budget, then you probably have a genuine prospect. If the caller’s budget does not meet your minimum, then refer back to the cheap alternative. Restate what the project or product means to the caller’s business. If something big is on the line, that person might be able to perceive the “pain” point that your qualifying questions encourage him/her to acknowledge and proceed to talk him/herself into increasing the budget and selling him/herself on the value of your services.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Buying Process Is In Effect

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In 2012,  the global research and advisory firm Forrester Research reported that clients are as totally in the driver’s seat as we all knew anecdotally and that product and service providers have much less influence over purchasing behaviors than we enjoyed a decade or two ago.  We have left the era of the sales process and entered the realm of the buying process.  It is time to readjust your approach to marketing and sales in response to the new reality,  because what was will never be again.  Our clients are making decisions largely without our input.  Many sales professionals and consulting specialists aim to present ourselves as  “trusted advisers”  who guide the sales process and influence customer choices,  ideally for the good.  Say goodbye to all that.

According to the Forrester report,  clients now discuss product and service needs and options with their own team of trusted advisers,  which may include unknown third-party  “experts”  they find on websites like Yelp and Angie’s List.  How far along in the buying process that clients proceed without us varies by industry,  but the report indicates that 65% -90%  of the research process is often completed without assistance from sales professionals or consulting service providers.  By the time the client is ready to make a purchase,  much up-front research has usually been done and only vendor price quotes are needed.

Clients like the control of being in the driver’s seat.  A mistrust of sales practices perceived as unsavory,  combined with access to technologies that allow clients to rather easily research product and service needs once they’ve been identified,  are the driving forces behind the client independence.  Many are leery of being manipulated into paying for upgrades and add-ons that do nothing for their objectives.

In the flip from sales process to buying process,  your marketing strategy will become more prominent and your approach to sales will change.  Your marketing must first create visibility and awareness,  so that prospective clients will find your firm’s offerings and second,  create and sustain demand through exquisitely targeted messages and narratives dispensed through channels that clients trust and follow.  Content marketing will continue to grow in influence as it is distributed through your website and all social media outlets that clients trust.

Develop your content marketing to explore and discuss motivating factors that compel prospective clients to research your products and services,  solutions that you provide and benefits that clients receive,  frequently asked questions and how to buy from you.  As has long been said in academic circles,  publish or perish.  When not generating content,  do what you can to get in front of an audience and teach a workshop,  moderate a panel,  or give a presentation and further your brand as a source of expertise.  Remember also that traditional media outlets may still be important to your clients,  so the art of the press release should not be forgotten.

Whither the role of sales?  Rather than being reduced to mere order takers,  consulting service providers and sales professionals will apply their well-honed communications expertise to identifying networking opportunities and building relationships.  Content is king and having lots of good things that demonstrate your expertise come up in a search is a wonderful thing,  but in my town,  no one hires anyone that they don’t know.  If a prospect does not already know you,  then an introduction made by someone whom the prospective client trusts is the next best thing.  No amount of artfully written content will convince anyone to hire an unknown.

Networking will be the queen,  as you meet potential clients and referral sources and take the time to build relationships,  taking an interest in others’ concerns and offering to give before you receive.  The B2B buying process is a tall order for a Freelance consultant,  but we are determined to succeed and we will rise to the challenge.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Don’t Screw-up Your Start-up

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John Osher has business in his blood.  During his 7 years as an undergraduate college student,  Osher started and sold a vintage clothing store and an earring outlet.  On his way to building ConServ,  his first major business venture,  he worked as a cab driver,  plumber and a carpenter.  Second venture Cap Toys,  where sales volume reached $125 million,  was sold to Hasbro in 1997.

When formulating the strategy for his third venture,  which became Dr. John’s Products,  Ltd.,  Osher wanted to start the perfect company and so decided to make a list of everything he had done wrong as he built the previous two.  In 1999,  he used this list when he started Dr. John’s SpinBrush,  an electric toothbrush that retailed for $5.00.  Maybe you had one?  The SpinBrush became wildly popular and in 2001,  Proctor & Gamble bought him out for $475 million.  Enough said!  Below are more pearls of wisdom from John Osher’s list of start-up screw-ups:

7.    FAILING TO HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN TO ADDRESS A SHORTFALL IN SALES PROJECTIONS

“Even if you’ve been realistic about your ability to enter and penetrate your market,  sales projections and start-up and operating expenses,  there are things that happen when you start a new business.  These aren’t a result of poor planning,  but they happen.  Bank rates could go up.  There could be a strike.  You need a Plan B to cover yourself should things not work out within the timing that you want.”

8.     BRINGING IN THE WRONG OR UNNECESSARY PARTNERS

“There are certain partners you need.  If you need money,  you’ll need money partners.  But too many times the guy with the idea takes on his friends as partners.  Many people don’t provide strategic advantages.  Before people are made partners, they have to earn it”.

9.      HIRING EMPLOYEES FOR CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN SKILL

“In my first business or two,  I hired relatives,  but in many cases they were wrong for the job.  It’s hard to fire relatives and friends.  Spend time to handpick people based on skill requirements.  It bogs you down when you hire people who can’ t do the job”.

10.    NEGLECTING TO MANAGE THE ENTIRE COMPANY AS A WHOLE

“You see this happen all the time.  They’ll spend 50% of their time on something that represents 5% of the business.  Too often, the business owner doesn’t have a view of the whole company.  They get involved in part,  but don’t manage the whole.  Whether I handle this aspect or another,  whether I hire someone to do what I can’t,  I consider how it all fits into the long-term and short-term big picture.  Constantly try to see your big picture.

11.     ACCEPTING THAT “IT’S NOT POSSIBLE” TOO EASILY, RATHER THAN FINDING ANOTHER SOLUTION

“I had an engineer who was very good,  but with every product we developed,  he would say  ‘You can’t do it that way’.  I had to be careful not to accept this too easily.  I had to look further.  If you’re going to be an entrepreneur,  you’re going to break new ground.  A good entrepreneur is going to find a way”.

12.    FOCUSING ON SALES VOLUME OVER BOTTOM LINE PROFIT

“Too much of your management is often based on sales volume and market size.  There’s too much emphasis on how fast and big you can grow the business,  rather than on how much profit you can make”.

I’ll conclude with the final five elements next week. Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Marketing 2.0 : How and Why You Do It

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All those with a product or service to sell must institute a marketing program that promotes those products and services to target customers.  Marketing programs consist of strategies and activities that derive from promotional objectives you would like to achieve for your products,  services,  or the company overall.  Advertising;  writing a blog, newsletter, or book;  speaking at business associations;  teaching a subject that showcases your expertise;  making an in-kind donation to a local charity event;  presenting a webinar;  nominating yourself for (and winning!) a business award;  writing a press release to announce to local media that you are presenting a webinar,  have won a business award or published a book;  networking to meet new colleagues or reconnect and build relationships; and presence on social media are examples of activities that carry out your marketing strategies and have the potential to ensure the achievement of marketing objectives.

For most,  the goal of marketing is to increase sales  (that is, revenue)  by increasing awareness and trust in the company and its products and services and in that way increasing the number of its potential customers.  Marketing is a way to fill the sales pipeline,  as is prospecting for potential customers  (wear your sales hat when prospecting,  although prospecting is not quite selling in the same way that marketing is not exactly selling).  Generally,  marketing strategies are created to produce one or more of these results:

1. Awareness,  so that target customer groups will learn of the existence of your company and its products and services.

2. Perception,  so that target customer groups will think of your company and its offerings in a certain way.  This is the core of brand development; trust and confidence are the primary attributes that you must persuade customers to associate with your company and its products and services.  Depending on your business,  other attributes you may want to attach to the brand are luxury,  practicality,  innovativation or quirkiness.  Reputation management and crisis PR are under this heading.

3. Behavior,  so that target customers will be persuaded to take action.  Your objectives may include attracting new customers;  encouraging repeat business from existing customers;  encouraging sales of higher-ticket items or premium services;  or stimulating referrals by persuading customers to recommend your products and services to others.

Because time and money are limited resources for business ventures large and small,  it is a big advantage to know which of your marketing activities works and if possible,  to also know which activities are effective for certain customers.  Further, it is essential to know how many customers come to your business as a result of marketing activities.

To measure the return on investment ROI of your marketing program,  one must venture into the realm of marketing metrics,  from data analytics to Big Data.  Next week,  we will look at simple yet revealing marketing metrics that will evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing and guide your future marketing activities.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The 5 Minute Sales Call

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I am writing on Valentine’s Day and I confess that I believe in love at first sight.  It does not always happen but sometimes,  one or both members of the couple  “know”  that the other is someone special and that the relationship is probably destined to be significant.   Some claim that they knew almost immediately that they would marry a particular person and that in fact the marriage took place  (I know three such couples).

Business relationships can follow the same pattern.  One or both parties may sense very early in preliminary discussions that there is great potential in the relationship or conversely,  that it is likely there will be no future.  Create some good luck for yourself by making a good first impression and making the most of your first five minutes with a prospective client.  Success lies at the intersection of good fortune and preparation.

Minute 1   Grab attention

Create  “verbal packaging”  that portrays your product or service as relevant to prospective clients.  Communicating the relevance of what you sell comes from knowing what clients value about your offerings and deftly articulating those benefits for prospects as you describe why,  where,  when and how to use your product or service.   If you’ve had time to prepare,  then do your homework to get a good sense of that individual’s business and construct a personalized pitch.  Your product/service must solve a problem or create a competitive advantage.

Minute 2   Talk details

If your prospect either admits that what you sell is needed,  or at least continues to listen with interest,  then ask a few questions to find out where you stand.  Is there a specific and immediate problem or goal?  What is the time-table? Float solutions that your product/service will provide.  This stage allows the prospect to visualize the process and outcomes of doing business with you.

Minute 3   Propose solutions

Explain further the solutions that your product/service will provide and persuade the prospect to define the goal or problem if that has not been done so already.

Minute 4   Establish timeline

Lay out a road map for implementing your solution and completing the sale.  Define the operational processes that will be followed to put your product/service in motion.  Now the client will know that he/she must agree,  or decline,  to proceed.

Minute 5   Close sale

Tell the prospect what has to happen to enable the sale.  Confirm that you have a sale   (“Are you ready to move forward with this and when would you like to start? You would like the project to be completed by what date?”).  Offer to send a contract or confirmation email to lay out the steps,  the timeline and project milestones.  Confirm the project budget and negotiate/agree on the project fee  (or hourly rate),  the amount of money that must be paid to you before you begin working and when future payments will become due.   Confirm payment options.   Say thank you and shake hands with your new client!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Scalable: Add A Wholesale Distributor to Your Product Sales Channels

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Are you a Freelance solopreneur who has a tangible product to sell,  one that you feel is ready to get into the hands of many more customers? You have an efficient and reliable means of production worked out:  you may manufacture it yourself,  or have a great team working for you,  or you have a reliable wholesale source who sells to you at a competitive price.  You fulfill requests for product on time and seldom back order.

The product is sold on your company website and is also available in a network of local stores.  Sales are brisk and there are lots of reorders.  You come to see that without wider distribution,  you are losing money.  You conclude that it is time to look for a third sales channel,  a wholesale distributor .

Congratulations! Selling your product through a wholesale distributor is a big step,  a real validation of your business acumen.  Be a real pro and take a minute to understand what will persuade a wholesale distributor to include your product in their mix.

A distributor is a middle man who makes money from products he sells to a wide range of retail outlets,  so he will take on only those products that he expects to sell quickly.   Show that you are a good risk by demonstrating healthy product sales both from your website and at retail outlets.  Be prepared to sell your product to the distributor for less money than you sell to retailers.  The distributor needs to see a certain profit margin before he takes you on.  Moreover,  the distributor must buy inventory and so must invest in much more product than a typical retail establishment.

The advantage for you is that your product will be much more widely available.  Another advantage for you is that many more retailers will stock your product when it is available through a wholesale distributor,  because they prefer to purchase a wide array of merchandise from a limited number of vendors.  It is too time-consuming to deal directly with many small vendors,  interacting with numerous salespeople and invoicing each separately.

Distributors also prefer business owners who have multiple products,  because it is favorable to their administrative costs.  It is easier to sell several products from one company,  so the more products you manufacture for sale,  the more attractive you are to a wholesale distributor.

When your sales are strong and the time you spend selling individually to retail outlets becomes unwieldy,  it is time to contact wholesale distributors to see if you are considered a good prospect for them.  Ask the retail establishments to whom you sell who you should contact and ask for a reference.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Post From the Trenches: Cold Calling

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Even experienced sales professionals wince a little at the thought of dialing up an unknown person and attempting to persuade him/her to entertain the idea of doing business.  Those who perceive themselves as busy often never answer their phone.  Those who are reached usually decline the offer.  Yet if by some stroke of luck you reach a VIP,   prepare yourself to both deliver a pitch that will keep the prospect on the phone and hit a single to keep the inning alive.

Cold calling is prospecting and it is not the time for selling,  but rather for determining whether there can be an opportunity to sell.  Hitting a home run is not on the agenda.   During the call,   confirm whether the prospect perceives a need for your product or services and ask for a meeting.  In advance,   you will have researched the company and will be able to anticipate basic information that may be requested.

But first,  one must reach the prospect.   We all know this is increasingly difficult,  but 8:00 AM and 5:30 PM are good times to call: there are usually fewer distractions at those times.   If you have the prospect’s mobile phone number,  text a concise and tantalizing sentence about how your offerings might help the decision-maker to achieve an important goal and request a time to talk,  in person or by telephone.   If you do reach a warm body,  here are some hints that will help you execute a successful cold call:

Write a script

Identify yourself and your company.  State your product or service.   Confirm that you’ve called at a convenient time.   If told that your timing is not good,  as for a better time to call.   If told that you’ll be given a minute,  thank the prospect and say that you will be brief.  State an outcome achieved  (or problem avoided)  when using your product or service that is relelvant enough to intrigue your prospect and entice him/her to keep listening and ask for a couple of details.  Concisely fill in with a couple of pieces of information.   Ask how the need in question is being fulfilled now,  so that you can position your product/service.   Ask the prospect what  specific information would be appreciated and if he/she can see how what you are selling might be useful.   Ask permission to extend the time limit on the call and also offer to schedule a time to speak in person.

Speak with the decision-maker

In general,  there is no reason to speak with a gatekeeper,  unless that individual is able to facilitate access to the decision-maker or provide accurate information about competitive products and services that the decision-maker is now using.  Ideally,  you want to speak only with the person who has the authority and budget to green-light your presence.

Pursue prospects with big-money potential

Active pursuit of small budget clients is a waste of time.   Because they have little money,  small clients agonize over budgets and will do whatever possible to limit your billable hours.  Unless your goal is to gain experience,  let the small clients come to you.

Name drop

People usually trust those with whom they share a common relationship.  In other words,  if you are trying to get in the door somewhere,   obtain permission to use the name of a person whom the prospect trusts and respects.  Also, ask the referral source to speak on your behalf should the prospect want to check you out.

Make your cold call a dialogue,  a two-way conversation.  Listen to your prospect and respond to questions and objections.  Be pleasant and professional.  Even if you don’t do any business,  that prospect might refer you to a colleague.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Perfect Pitch

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“The goal of networking is not to gather sales leads,  but to start business relationships and that begins with a conversation and not a sales pitch”,  asserts presentation and communications coach and author of The Anti-Elevator Speech (2009),  Cliff Sutttle.  Whether you’re at the Rotary Club lunch,  the gym or your second cousin’s third wedding,  eventually someone will ask what you do for a living.  For Freelance consultants and business owners,  a well-crafted elevator pitch is your answer.

The original idea behind the elevator pitch was to have something to say about your business to a potential customer whom you met by chance.  Presumably,  the two of you would be in an elevator and you would have about one minute to tell your story.

An appropriate elevator pitch presents you and your business offering in a casual,  socially acceptable manner.  To use your elevator pitch as a sales pitch is always wrong.  Someone whom you’ve just met is not a candidate for a sales pitch.  Delivering a sales pitch when you should deliver an elevator pitch will soon make you a social pariah.

While it is true that a Freelance consultant or business owner must constantly seek out potential customers,  it is important to first,  verify that one is speaking to a potential customer and not to someone making polite conversation and two,  communicate in a manner that is not perceived as selling.  Focus instead on solving a need and building a relationship and formulate an elevator pitch with a style and substance to communicate that.

The right elevator pitch will open doors for you,  business or social.  Your elevator pitch is a verbal business card.  It introduces you and your business to those who inquire.  Follow these steps and create one that works for you:

!.  The Hook

Cliff Suttle recommends that you give a short,  accurate-yet-vague statement of the ultimate benefit of your product or service.  A financial planner might say that he/she helps clients sleep well at night.  A web designer might say that he/she makes sure that potential customers get answers to their questions about your business.   A marketing consultant might say he/she builds communication links between the business and its customers.   After the hook is given,  say no more.  If the questioner wants to know what you mean,  then there will be a follow-up question.

Sales and marketing guru Geoffrey James,  author of the soon-to-be-published book Business Without the Bulls**t,  recommends that in the hook,  position your firm in one sentence that describes who you are and the primary service you provide,  with a focus on benefits and outcomes.  One who facilitates business strategy meetings might say  “In a one-day session,  I get my clients to reach consensus on pursuing a half-dozen relevant and achievable business goals that are guaranteed to deliver measurable results.”  If the questioner asks how you do that,  then proceed to Step 2.

2.  Differentiate

Defend the claim you made in Step 1 and give two or three reasons that show how your services are superior to competitors’.  Years of experience, marquee clients,  a special proprietary system or patented methodology or scientific data published in credible journals are how you make your case.  Client testimonials on your website or LinkedIn page add credibility to your claim.

3.  Conversation

If your questioner continues to show interest,  he/she may just be nosy,  may be a competitor trying to get information on how you do business,  or may be a genuinely interested prospect or referral source.  You won’t solve the mystery until you get that person talking.  When you ask if your area of expertise happens to be a concern at his/her company,  or note that he/she sounds as if they’ve encountered this situation before and inquire as to how it is being handled now,  the answer will reveal true motives.

4.  Meeting

If it makes sense to continue the conversation,  then ask your questioner for an opportunity to meet and continue what has been started.  If your questioner turned prospect  suddenly seems hesitant,  then ask  what less than optimal previous experience gives him pause, or what you can provide to ease his/her mind.  If your newest prospect seems enthusiastic, then ask how to get on his/her calendar and the preferred mode of contact and time to reach out.  You’ll be on your way to building a profitable business relationship.

Thanks for writing,

Kim

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Transform No Into Yes

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Here is the scenario: Percolating in your brain is an idea for an interesting initiative that you are certain will work well in the organization of a good and steady client.  You figure that you may be able to sell them on it and create a paying project for yourself.  You speak with a couple of people and identify the decision-maker and key influencers.  You vet your idea through an influencer,  who supports it and gives you the green light to approach the primary decision-maker.  You make the appointment.

Over coffee,  you make your pitch.  The decision-maker is pleasant,   yet starts backing away from your concept,  even though you’ve verified its usefulness via your influencer.  How do you get to the heart of your client’s objections,  successfully overcome them,  save the sale and get paid?

The late,  great sales guru Zig Ziglar,  motivational speaker and author of several sales training books,  once said that every sale has five obstacles: no need,  no money,  no hurry,  no desire and no trust.  The Freelance consultant as salesperson’s  job is to uncover and overcome whatever mix of these objections and persuade the client that the proposal is worthwhile and will make the client look good to superiors and peers.

Realize that  “no” does not always mean  “no”.   Sometimes clients say no when there is limited time and energy available to evaluate what has been proposed.  The need may be relevant,  but other matters take precedence and your proposal is not perceived as urgent.  As a result,  the decision-maker is not inclined to address the issue in the near future and it is easier to decline.

Alternatively,  you may not deliver a sales pitch that inspires either desire or trust (confidence).  Homework may have been done to confirm the need and identify key players,  but it is still necessary to communicate a narrative that will convince the decision-maker to take that leap of faith and put him/herself on the line for your proposal.

Budget constriction is another frequent objection,  regardless of the state of the economy.  When conferring with your influencer,  it is always important to find out if  there is available budget to support your proposal and also gauge what will motivate your decision-maker to petition for funding.

When selling,  it is necessary to present the details that the client needs and wants to make the decision,  no more and no less.    It is important not to give too much information,  or you could confuse the client or open up a can of worms that will turn on you.  Neither can one be vague.  Give all relevant information and express it clearly and concisely.  Describe the benefits that you expect will be important to the client and paint a picture of what’s in it for him/her.

Steve Strauss,  business attorney and columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine and USA Today newspaper,  recommends that you  diplomatically let the client know that you know your proposal is a good one for the organization because you’ve taken the time to verify its usefulness.  Don’t immediately fold your tent if the client hesitates or declines.

Instead,  ask if there is any additional information you can provide,  or some other accommodation you can make to allow him/her to feel  comfortable with approving the deal.   Show the client that  you are prepared to confront and resolve questions and doubts.  You might save the sale and even if you don’t,  you may be able to position yourself to successfully get another proposal approved when timing and funding are on your side.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Millennial Client

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The Millennial Generation has arrived and they are hotly pursued.  Millennials represent the future and everyone wants a piece of the 21 – 35 year-old market segment.  While prospecting,  you may have encountered a Millennial gatekeeper,  the boss’s young assistant.  Those in their early thirties will also be decision-makers,  so it’s time to make sure that your marketing message and sales strategy are appropriately tailored.

Millennials have been even more heavily chased by Corporate America than Baby Boomers.  They grew up in the age of product tie-ins to books and movies,  video games,  24 hour television,  music videos,  social media and cell phones.  They have been on the receiving end of 360 degree media bombardment for their entire lives.  As a result,  they excel at picking apart a marketing message.  They respond to what they feel is an authentic story about a product and they do not want a slick marketing message.

Michele Serro,  former associate partner at IDEO,  a design and innovation firm and founder of Doorsteps,  a New York City-based online tool for prospective homeowners that targets Millennials,  has done extensive research on this generation.  Serro found that for Millennials,  the marketing message is nearly inseparable from the product itself.

She found that to influence this cohort,  a holistic marketing approach is necessary and authenticity is essential.  “Millennials can sense when they’re being marketed to or told a story”,  Serro says,  “and they are extremely impatient with irrelevant information.”  A  “canned”  sales spiel will get you nowhere with Millennial decision-makers.  If they feel that your message is false,  you will be labeled as untrustworthy and that will be a deal breaker.

Your sales pitch should be the story of your product: a believable narrative that explains what your product does,  who your service is meant to benefit and how what you’re selling will help your Millennial decision-maker resolve or avoid a problem,  make the organization look good,  or service their organizations’ customers more effectively.

Because they’ve been forever immersed in social media,  Millennials are accustomed to interacting directly with the purveyors of the products and services that they use.  Facilitate that expectation of engagement:

1.  Make the text on your website read like a conversation and design your ads to reflect the content marketing style,  which is also conversational in tone.  Your message will be somewhat personal and casual.  It will allow your Millennial client to connect with,  understand and trust what you’re selling.

2.  Respect their intelligence and never dumb-down your message.  Millennials are ambitious,  as evidenced by their heroes Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.  Present your information in a fast-paced way that has some whimsy.  You can be sincere or you can be clever.

3.  Work with their short attention spans and spread your message via tweets,  a constantly updated interactive website,  regularly updated blog posts,  YouTube and podcasts and content marketing type ads.  Make all postings smart phone friendly.

4.  Give them the opportunity to engage with your brand.  Start a dialogue that facilitates a conversation and set the stage for product loyalty.  Ask questions they’ll want to answer.  Create meaningful content that focuses on building community.  Not everything should be a sales pitch.

Nancy Robinson,  Vice President at Iconoculture,  a Minneapolis consumer research and advisory firm,  says that Millennials can become your loyal clients. “They’re loyal,  but that loyalty has to be earned and renewed.  They expect customer service,  they expect the product to be good,  they expect the product to work.”

Thanks for reading,

Kim