Tag: increase leads

How to Sell to New Prospects

Posted on by Amanda Bedell

We’ve all experienced the excitement and anticipation of attending a crucial industry networking event. With limited time to spare, we understand the importance of maximizing every opportunity to secure valuable customers. From meticulously selecting the perfect attire to ensuring your business cards are flawless, you leave no stone unturned. However, amidst all the preparations, the question lingers: How can you truly excel at making an outstanding first impression?

Let’s dig into this. Before you put together your approach, you’ve got to be crystal clear on who you want to work with. If you go in with a “spray and pray” approach, you won’t stand out to anyone. First, take a look at your notes and the research you’ve done about your prospects, your target audience. Then, decide which ideal prospect will be the easiest to approach for this event.

 

Position Your Business 

A great way to start, and separate yourself form your competition is to make the first move by creating free educational content to teach your ideal avatar something that will get them out a pain point they have. Next, build trust by answering their questions and ask them to reach out to you with other questions on your contact form. This genuine relationship building is essential for your future success.

You can also create a free e-book or online course to offer to your leads. This gives them the information they need to solve a pain point from you, the expert. When you create this freebie and market your free giveaway, it should be easy and automated. But, most importantly, your freebie needs to get the person receiving this valuable information on your email list.

 

Compile Your Prospect List

Start with your lead generation of email leads you’ve made using your freebie giveaway. You’ll want to compile a list of companies you’ve been considering if you’re a B2B business. You never know who will need your service, so send out an offer to everyone on your list that has been identified as your avatar. Don’t overlook obvious choices, whether they are big or small. Even small companies could be big fish in the future.

 

Considerations on Who to Contact First

Once your list is narrowed down, you need to decide which is the best fish to start with. You need to consider a couple of things:

  • Which have the most purchasing resources to spend?
  • Does their company vision complement yours?
  • What are their employee incentive programs related to your products/services?
  • What’s the company’s real need for you?
  • Will the partnership lead you to new clients and prospects?

 

Steps to Selling to Your Prospective Clients

Now you should have a target in mind to start with. Then, it’s time to plan your approach and execute that plan. Here’s the step-by-step plan to help you make a good first impression:

  1. Build and analyze your database. Divide your leads into three different categories: hot leads, great fits, and secondary leads.
  2. Send introductory mailings to your target to introduce yourself, your company, services, products, and your vision. They need to be short, clean, and concise. 
  3. Follow up with your first phone call 2-3 days after they would have received the mailings. During the call, find out to whom you need to be speaking in the future and try to set up a meeting with the right person.
  4. Follow up your phone call with another mailing that thanks them for speaking with you and offering more details about your products/services. Use this letter and the opportunity to set up a meeting to do a presentation.
  5. Follow up the letter with another phone call a couple of days after they would have received the letter. This phone call will help you further develop your relationship with the prospective client. You should also be able to set up a presentation meeting with them. 
  6. Call again a week later if they haven’t agreed to a meeting or presentation. Ask if they received your creative letter and if they have a minute when you can stop by and introduce yourself in person.

Now, don’t be upset if you don’t seal the deal right away. Some people simply take a little longer to woo. This can all be a little intimidating at first, but you can’t go wrong when you know you are offering a quality product/service.

Once you’ve gone through this process and made first contact (and hopefully a good first impression), it’s time to put your best face forward, which means sending the right salesperson to seal the deal.

Unleash Your Business Potential: The Path to $1MM in Revenue Awaits

Posted on by Amanda Bedell

Today, I had an epiphany while writing this blog post, realizing that what I had planned to share might not be what you truly need to hear right now. So, allow me to take a different approach that I hope resonates deeply with you.

Let’s set aside the noise and focus on Web2 — the powerful realm of social influence that holds immense potential for your business. As a small business owner, the social aspect may have been unintentionally overlooked. Take a moment to reflect on your website. Does it simply resemble an online business card or, dare I say, an outdated Yellow Pages ad? If so, it’s time to shift gears.

Consider this: the conversations your prospects have with their peers carry more weight than any message you can create, regardless of its brilliance. Recent research confirms that peers have become the most trusted individuals globally, making their trust and endorsement crucial for the success of your product or service. This holds even more significance as we navigate an AI-driven world. Building authentic relationships and cultivating social proof will be the key differentiators that set you apart from the competition.

Now, let’s explore the essence of our discussion: how can this understanding propel you toward achieving $1MM in revenue with a high net profit?

  • Clarity: The first step on this transformative journey is gaining a crystal-clear vision of your desired outcome and truly comprehending your market-dominating position. When you possess unwavering clarity, everything falls into place.
  • Focus: Once your vision is defined, it’s time to narrow your focus. Identify the ONE pivotal task that will make everything else on your plate either easier to tackle or entirely irrelevant. Honing in on this priority will pave the way for significant progress towards your revenue goals.
  • Consistent Action: Success isn’t born out of sporadic bursts of effort but through a steadfast commitment to taking consistent action. Remember the sage advice: “Consistency beats talent every time.” Embrace the power of daily, purposeful actions that align with your vision.
  • Results: Armed with clarity, focus, and consistent action, you hold the keys to building the business of your dreams. The transformation you seek is well within your grasp.

You might think, “This all sounds great, Amanda, but how does this work for real?!”

Imagine you set a goal to lose 20 pounds. You have a crystal-clear vision of wearing a specific dress at the upcoming summer family reunion (clarity). You know precisely what steps to take, such as cooking more meals at home, adding exercise to your daily routine, and creating a schedule (focus). And most importantly, you take consistent action (consistent action). When we set out on a goal, the first days are great! But the middle days, like days 17, 18, and 19, can feel discouraging – they last forever, and you feel like you get nowhere. But, if you persist, you’ll reach days 30, 31, and beyond while watching pounds melt away (and a need to buy new jeans!).

Let’s apply this concept to your business efforts to sort through the chaos. What can you do differently over the next 30 days to test the concept? 

Simply reply with how you’ll test this out, and I’ll hold you accountable for the next 30 days.

I hope these insights resonate with you and offer a fresh perspective.

 

P.S. I’m beta-testing a new program, Flash Coaching— a streamlined system designed to accommodate your busy schedule. It provides a unique blend of self-paced learning through targeted videos and unlimited, high-impact one-on-one 15-minute coaching sessions.

This is a perfect way to dip your toe into what it would be like to have a business coach on your side. Intrigued? Let’s connect >>

How to Keep Your Clients Satisfied and Generate More Leads

Posted on by Amanda Bedell

If your customers aren’t satisfied, you’ve wasted all your marketing resources and the chance of a positive word-of-mouth advertising, Google review, or client referral. Instead, you can satisfy your clients by ensuring you provide them with the basics. Find out what you can do to keep your clients returning for more of your products and services!

 

Provide Quality Products and Services

In today’s world, having the ability to hire cheap labor from overseas can seem like a daunting challenge for anyone in the services industry. However, providing high-quality customer service and services gives you an edge over others who cannot compete with a higher-quality product. Your clients will come back for more when you provide a superior product or service. Even though your service or product may be pricier, you can provide your clients with time-saving services that they value and appreciate.

 

Give an Informative Sales Experience

Don’t just sell when you’re trying to sell – educate! Giving your potential and current clients the ability to learn from you, the expert, is a great way to build trust and competence with your lead or client. Educate and give them value, so they can see the expert thinking you can provide their business.

 

Offer a Guarantee

While some services may not be able to offer guarantees, if you can, this is a great way to ensure that your client will have a good experience. You can offer another or repeat your service and make what’s wrong right for your client. Keeping your clients satisfied with your work is important to uphold a good standing in your community and among your clients.

 

Generate More Leads

To generate more business, there are a couple of simple techniques which you can employ in your business.

  • Build your database with a contest
  • Email your clients with educational articles, discounts, or other incentives
  • Offer a free online course, e-book, or another incentive for people to join your email list

 

As long as the reward is directly related to your product or service, you can get more people interested in your business by generating excitement around you, your product, and your services. So why not get started today?

30 Ways to Effectively Market Your Business

Posted on by Amanda Bedell

A step-by-step guide to creating and executing a successful advertising campaign

Have you spent thousands of dollars on radio or Facebook ads and seen zero sales from the advertising spend? Maybe you’ve been burned by a marketing consultant that promises the world only to fail to deliver results… today, I want to lift the veil on how to create a successful advertising campaign. 

To do that, first, we must understand why people buy products or services. Every purchase is an emotional response. People always buy a higher emotional state. They’re buying for one of three reasons

  1. to solve a problem or stop pain
  2. an experience that feels good 
  3. for certainty 

To develop emotion and a call to action, the majority of successful professionals use a succession of information-based commercials. What we find is that information-based advertising is much more effective compared to usual brand-based advertisements.

Here, I want to share with you that the principles used to put together high-impact (and oftentimes, high-priced) ads can be adapted to fit your needs and offer you similar results. 

Here are some ideas for creating and executing a successful advertising campaign:

  1. Put together a short report that you’ll automatically send to prospects when they contact you. This should include a short description of your business and what you specialize in. Don’t forget to include case studies, samples, or other proof of your success.

  2. Develop value-oriented “yellow page” like ads.

  3. Consider newsletters as a way of educating and informing customers about your industry and the services offered.

  4. Offer a free lecture or webinar to raise awareness of your business, but make sure the content is relevant to your target market and that the presenters are well-known in the field.

  5. Buy an existing business, improve marketing and grow this new business faster than a “from scratch” business.

  6. Always test different versions of your ads to determine which ones are the most effective.

  7. Use direct mail marketing to grow your business.

  8. Put together a database of previous customers and send them new information.

  9. Offer incentives such as frequent purchasing benefits, loyalty programs, or referral programs.

  10. Approach large firms who may need your services and negotiate a deal to be their exclusive expert in your field.

  11. Offer a 24-hour information line with a regularly updated recorded message. Make this available to all current and prospective customers/clients.

  12. Donate time or materials to local charities to show support in your area.

  13. Offer public clinics for the general public to come along and discuss what they need that’s free and approachable.

  14. Organize seminars your customers/clients can pay to attend by putting together a high-perception value package.

  15. Approach local newspapers by offering to write a weekly column about your area of expertise. Don’t ask for a payment, just a byline, and bio.

  16. Develop a weekend or other destination seminar for customers/clients, not only does this give you an action-packed weekend with the most important people, it gives them a tax-deductible business adventure.

  17. Take a good seminar and turn it into written form as a home study, member site program, audio, or video program.

  18. Approach large companies and offer to give seminars to their employees, investors, or management.

  19. Be proactive with your marketing plan.

  20. Trade for your marketing. Offer products or services instead of payment.

  21. Be willing to bring in new clients, even if at an initial loss because it will likely pay off later.

  22. Adjust your marketing budget to maximize the potential income from them for the following year, and try to postpone advertising costs for the following year to offset your expenses.

  23. Make offers to target markets or target market businesses to pay them for referrals or shared databases.

  24. Offer loaner products to replace equipment that’s being repaired or refurbished.

  25. Give away something free to everyone who brings in a print version of your advertisement. This is a great way to see which ads are giving you the most bang for your buck.

  26. Continually consider what new products/services you can offer to current customers/clients.

  27. Develop a mail order division of your company.

  28. Offer a proposition to your competitors to trade customers/clients you were both unsuccessful in selling to.

  29. Use different marketing tactics as an excuse to attract new customers/clients with new offers and goodies.

  30. Offer a “you-pick-a-price” program. This is especially good for products you just can’t seem to sell.

So now you have it: 30 ways to market to other professionals and businesses. Other great ways to get your name out there for little or no money are as follows:

  • Get engaged in your community-volunteer, donate to local events, etc.

  • Join your local Chamber of Commerce and attend networking and other activities throughout the year.

  • Join local, state, or regional professional associates for further networking opportunities.

  • Become a board member of a local organization.

Advertising should never be your only method of marketing strategy, there are numerous ways to get your name out there in a way that feels personal to potential customers/clients.

 

“Many companies have forgotten they sell to actual people. Humans care about the entire experience, not just the marketing or sales or service. To really win in the modern age, you must solve for humans.” – Dharmesh Shah, CTO & Co-founder of Hubspot.

 

If you’re not sure where you start with your marketing plan or how to reach out to your local community, competitors, customers/clients, and others who could influence your business in a highly positive way try our GUIDED TOUR to experience the tools and resources we have to boost your business to the next level and beyond.