If you're running a business or in charge of a business development team then you'll have heard from just about everyone that you've got to use social media, in order to drive your sales forward. Furthermore, that if you don't you'll be missing out big time.
Whilst this is helpful, what everyone forgets to tell you is exactly how to do this.
As I'm frequently asked this question, I'm going to help out. I'm going to go through exactly how to contact your prospective customers professionally, for example through sites like LinkedIn and Twitter.
Let's start with shifting your mind set.
The first thing you need to do is to get into a baiting mode (think fishing), or as it’s often referred to in sales – prospecting.
Remember not so long ago, when prospecting was done via the phone?
Of course you do.
Well using social media to contact your prospective customers is actually very similar. The only difference is that your directory or database is now your social media platform, and your voice is the written word, an image or video on that platform.
So, just as you would have done in the ‘good ol’ days,’ when prospecting was done via the phone, you’ll need a place to start, and this is where my fishing game comes in.
If you want to build a website, sell products online, make money with your online course, or simply share your ideas on a blog, then this podcast is for you. In this episode of the School for Winners Podcast, I interview Nathalie Doremieux, co-owner of The WP Help Club. Today’s episode is a special one because it’s not only my first podcast, but it's Nathalie's first interview. I decided to interview Nathalie as WordPress websitechallenges are something that so many of you struggle with and have asked me about.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with The WP Help Club, Nathalie and her husband Olivier, offer website strategy, design and development solutions. The services they provide help you create WordPress websites independently, or as a done-together or fully outsourced services. They also cover autoresponders and Google Analytics too – basically everything you need to do in order to help you get your WordPress website and business off the ground. Hence the name!
In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:
Nathalie and Olivier's route into entrepreneurship
How The WP Help Club came about
The key challenges of building and managing your own WordPress website
The most important tips to keep in mind when it comes to building your WordPress website
The WP Help Club solutions to support entrepreneurs
Or, if you're more of a visual person watch the video here…
Now I want to hear from you…
Tell me what wordpress problems challenge you the most. Is it design, security, backing up, knowing what plugins to use, or something else. Share your story in the comments below.
When I wrote the title to my blog I really thought, can I actually say what I want to say? And, that is, “how do I know who's my real customer and who's just dicking me around?” I came to the conclusion that yes I can, as that's exactly what some customers or prospects can do – they can dick us around!
I'm asked repeatedly… how do I know who my real customer is and who's just dicking me around.
And, my first question back is always … why do you let them?
It was then that I noticed something that's blatantly obvious.
Many of you are not qualifying out your leads or prospects.
So, if you’re struggling to know who your real customers are, I’m going to tell you right now: You need to qualify your prospects right from the start.
I’ll explain.
Why you want to qualify your leads and prospects
I don't think any one would argue that the Internet has changed the way we buy. Most customers and clients don’t wait for a salesperson to call them anymore. They Google everything and get information via the web. As a result marketing meets our prospects far earlier than ever in the buying process – often long before they're actually really ready to engage with a us, let alone buy.
When they're ready to though, it's essential to find out whether they meet your ideal customer criteria.
You see, whilst we're all on a level playing field when it comes to time (we all have 24 hours in our day), no one will dispute that time is one of our most prized assets. Time is money. However, time does not equal money. Time earns money, but money cannot buy time. You can never take it back. It's limited in resource.
As an entrepreneur, you have to be mindful that whatever you say yes to, means that you're saying no to something else.
And this is why you have to qualify out your prospects and customers from the start. In order for you to create a sustainable profitable business, and increase your revenue, you have to value your time.
Needs, wants and logistics
As you know I'm a big fan of ethical, professional selling. I can't stand people who con or rip others off. It's never sat well with me. It's sleazy, it's icky and it's unprofessional!
For me the most important attribute of someone who's selling is the ability to match needs to wants. And, to do this requires you to qualify your leads and contacts. In other words, to work out if the person you're talking to is actually likely to buy from you.
For many, this isn’t as easy as it seems. Here's an example. Most of you have seen the film, Pretty Woman, with Julia Roberts, who plays Vivian. One of the most memorable scenes in it is the Beverly Hills shopping scene, when she enters the designer shop looking cheap and under dressed! The salesperson looks Vivian up and down and instantly decides that she's not going to be a customer. She doesn't ask her anything. Instead, she's rude and Vivian is quickly told to leave – even after she tells them that she has money!
She has the need, she has the want and she has the money. Had the shop assistant qualified her, she would have realised that she was in fact a good customer. And, as Vivian returns to say, “Big mistake!”
The point of this story is that qualifying leads or prospects is itself a major factor in selling. Sadly, the shop assistant had decided that Vivian wasn’t a prospect, because they'd used the wrong qualification criteria. Qualification is about asking the right questions and then thinking without prejudice and presumption.
[box]”Successful salespeople ask better questions and as a result get better sales.” – Jane Frankland TWEET THIS[/box]
So are YOU wasting time with the wrong customers?
That is the question, now, isn’t it?
How do you know whether “I’m on the right track” or “Looks like I’ve cocked up.”
I cover this in detail in my premium training about Selling Made Simple, which will be launching later this Spring.
Warning: If you ignore this exercise, you risk wasting time with the wrong customers and your revenues will show it.
Ok, so now we're getting down to the nitty gritty. What I want you to start doing at the start of your prospect interaction is to start asking better questions. For example, find out whether the prospect:
has a problem you can solve;
has sufficient motivation to move forward;
has access to adequate funds;
has the authority to make a decision;
has you reasonably positioned against the competition.
It’s these points that predict whether you are wasting time or not.
With the ability to qualify opportunities under your belt, you can spend more time with the real prospects. You have time to discover what their real needs are, including the “hidden needs” that they are not even aware of. Then it’s simply a question of presenting the products that best meet those needs. You can only make this happen if you aren’t tied up with the time-wasters.
Now I want you to do something for me.
Step 1: Watch the video!
Step 2: Tell me, do you qualify your prospects so you can ascertain if they are real customers? Share your story in the comments below.
Step 3: Write a list of the things you need to know from your prospect – from the first engagement (when you first communicate via email, Facebook message, phone/Skype call or meeting). You don't have to get all the questions answered in one go, but start to drip the questions in there during your communication. Be as specific as possible.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. And, if you found this post useful on knowing your real customer, sign up for weekly updates (it's free) and please share it with your friends!
According to one source, YouTube has 4 billion daily views, and over 88.6m people watch it on an average day. Whilst this sounds great, the harsh reality is that for the majority of businesses investing in video, they're simply wasting their time. The videos they're producing are disengaging and aren't even being seen.
They are, for want of a better word, creating failures! And, they might as well be burning their hard earned cash!
What’s sad about this, is that in this group of people, I’m betting there’s someone just like you….
Someone who believed that by video blogging they'd be generating the leads and sales needed to build a sustainable business. Someone who believed that Google would be noticing their hard work, ranking them more highly and offering them rewards such as an endless supply of traffic that converted.
Wake up call alert!!!
That isn't going to happen! Well, not unless you get your act together!
Having a video or a professionally shot video is useless unless you address the 4 points I'm going to share with you. But, before I do that, I'm going to tell you why video bloggers fail.
Why do video bloggers (and the videos they create) fail?
I’m going to be frank with you (it's in my name) and therefore I'm going to tell you how I see it. I know you'll appreciate this and expect nothing less.
Most people who start video blogging are egotistical. They see it as their chance to shine in front of the camera – their moment of glory – their chance at Hollywood fame!
I know you're not like most people though. I know you're quite the contrary. I know that the only reason you're contemplating video blogging is to increase your subscriber list and to be of benefit to those you serve. You're a heart centred business who's willing to work hard and expand your comfort zones to get there.
Am I right?
How do some video bloggers beat the odds?
Why do some video bloggers beat the odds? Well it turns out they do several things right.
And guess what? It's your lucky day. I'm going to share them with you here.
1. Know your audience
I know it sounds obvious but don’t forget who your audience is. What’s the purpose of the video, were will it be played, and to what age group? An online video is usually short, snappy and succinct, while an online program can occupy hours. If the aim is to generate interest in a product, your story must be sculpted to generate the need, desire and want. If the goal is to educate, build an emotional connection between the audience and the story.
2. Make the length of your video appropriate
Everyone’s competing for our time now so as a rule of thumb I’d always encourage you to make your videos short and to the point -the shorter the better in fact. The sweat spot for effective promotional videos tends to be 3-5 minutes, although with the new changes some will tell you it's even shorter, for example 1 minute. Either way, with the right production-quality, that’s enough time to grab attention and perk the interest of your audience.
3. Have a great script
Scripting for video is very different than writing ads or PR. As it’s a key element, be prepared to spend a great deal of energy refining your story and reading your script. Sometimes it’s even worth practicing and reading it out loud to others to gauge reactions. Is your message flowing and authentic? Or is it clunky, stiff and contrived? If this is an area you struggle in, find a professional writer for video. And avoid a teleprompter as these make you sound stiff, unreal and BORING!
4. Share and use social media to help
Share your video message everywhere. Embed a copy on your website to show off your work, have a promotional video in your office waiting room (if you have one), share it on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Linkedin and of course YouTube. Use video for your email communication, for your internal communication or for technical support or training. The opportunities are endless.
Tell me video bloggers, are your videos being viewed? Are they converting into sales? Spill all in the comments below.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. And, if you found this post useful, sign up for weekly updates (it's free) and please share it with your friends!
I’m not going to beat around the bush today so I’m asking the question on where you stand when it comes to getting opinionated and being controversial online? The reason I ask is because the answer to this question actually determines how successful you’re going to be with your business.
Getting opinionated is essential for increasing sales!
You see, you can’t create a sustainable business and brand just by providing useful tips and solving your clients’ and customers’ problems. Sorry if I've just dropped a bombshell on you!
Where do you stand?
Forget about being known as a go-to-expert or authority in your niche for a moment. If you want to draw in a crowd in and make sales, then you have to dazzle your audience. And, the way to do this is by injecting style and personality into the mix. You have to show them who you are. You have to communicate to them what you stand for. You have to let them know what your values are, and what your take on things are.
You have to stand up and be counted, and demonstrate that you’re a leader. You have to get opinionated and that may mean getting controversial and alienating people! Yes – even polarization! You have to raise your head above the parapet now if you’re going to crack it online. You have to get used to NOT being a people pleaser and being rejected. You have to get used to pissing people off! God that feels good!
This is not the time for weak, wishy, washy bland blog copy. This is not the time to keep your head down as you may have done in corporate – to keep your j-o-b. Urgh! You’re not working for anyone now. This is your business, So HAVE YOUR SAY! This is the time for liberation and even REBELLION! As creatives we're naturals so bloody go for it!
Remember what Orson Wells said:
[box]“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” – Orson WellsTWEET THIS[/box]
Just to be clear here, don’t turn yourself into someone you’re not. If you do, you’ll not only come across as being insincere, but phony and fake. It'll be very brand damaging and oh so lame! You'll turn your prospects off big time. Be true to who you are – always. Find a way to deliver your voice – in a way that’s you.
Why am I banging on about this so much? Well, it's because I want you to succeed! And, making it happen online is not easy. It requires a ton of work, a shed load of self belief and knowing the right strategies.
And, getting opinionated, injecting style and personality into the mix is one of them!
You see, getting opinionated online really means making connections and this is the key to the whole damn thing. It's the fastest route to growing your business. It's one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use. It demonstrates that you're open to having a conversation. It says that you're a not afraid, and it shows that you're a confident, strong leader. Leaders attract followers! And guess what? When you have followers, you can convert them into prospects and then sales!!!
Success leaves clues. Don’t ever forget that.Those above own it, and their increasing sales success is partly due to the fact that they wrap their content in personality.
Watch this video, where I go through it!
Now I want to hear from you.
Do you get your opinion online? Tell me all about it in the comments below.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. And, if you found this post useful, please share it with your friends!
Let's face it, who doesn't want more clients, customers and sales? The benefits are clear – as sure as night is dark and day is light:
You can feed yourself and the family, pay the mortgage or rent, buy some nice clothes and shoes, and if you're really doing well you can do some travelling!
Whilst this sounds like a bit of a joke, I'm deadly serious. Getting clients and customers is essential if you're going to succeed in business.
So the question is “How do I get clients and customers (with no phone calls, emails or meetings)?” Well the answer is so simple and you'll kick yourself for not knowing it.
Putting your talent, experience, skill set and even CV aside for just a moment, you have to remember how clients aka buyers operate. Judgements are cast within the first few seconds of seeing you and decisions are made in an instant.
Story time
I remember overhearing a story on the train into London one day, which I want to share with you. A business owner was bragging to his puppet (employee) about how he chose his PPC supplier. He relayed how supplier A had been the favourite, but when he showed up for the meeting, he immediately discounted him and chose supplier B. Why? Well it was on account of the fact that he had tattoos and piercings. However, supplier A was not client-facing; he was actually to be engaged as an outsourced supplier. Now, I thought this rather short-sighted of him but, it serves to illustrate my point.
Clients are always looking to buy from people they feel they know, like and trust. They are attracted to those who they aspire to, or who remind them of them.
And, it's for this reason alone that you need to make your first impression engaging with your clients right from the start. When suppliers are sourced it's usually from the web. Search terms and keywords are in-putted and then the results are offered up. So making your first impression engaging with your clients is imperative!
The world's easiest way to get clients to your business
During the last few decades I’ve built a successful business and I’ve also helped others develop theirs from scratch. And, whilst some people may think that I've some natural talent at this, I'm going to share a secret with you:
Learning to position your brand, craft your message and attract targeted clients to your start-up is NOT something you’re born with. It’s a skill that has to be learnt. And when you've got the right person teaching you the skills, you can learn them fast.
That’s why I’m proud to share what I call “The Front of House Technique” with you today.
The Front of House Technique
The Front of House Technique is all about portraying an image to your clients. The first step to doing this is to invest in some professional headshots and PR shots.
You need photographs to reflect the image you want to portray, and this is something I teach on my courses. If your sector is music, then you're most likely not going to want corporate looking shots. However, if you're a designer, coach or nutritionist who has a corporate client base, you may well do.
Your headshots must be memorable and ones that prospective clients feel compelled to connect with. Combined with your unique talent this is what sets you apart from everyone else out there. By having professional headshots and PR shots you create a front of house experience that attracts clients and customers like the moth to the light (when done right).
Your headshots work for you on autopilot – 24/7 – when you're asleep, in meetings and producing or delivering work. I can't stress this enough so, DON'T SKIMP ON THEM!
When you're positioning yourself as an authority and leader in your niche professional headshots and PR shots will be your greatest ally. They will work without moans, groans or complaints on your website, social media sites and also for the press.
Watch this short video
Now in case you are unaware, this is just one of many techniques I’ve developed and teach. Some of the other techniques are available in my premium training courses, but you’ll hear more about that over the next few weeks. So, keep your eyes peeled. And if you’re not on the email list, get on it!
Now I want to hear from you.
While this is a powerful technique to get clients, customers and sales, that supports personal branding as a way to increase clients and sales tell me how do you get clients and sales? Tell me all about it in the comments below!.
And if you have any questions about “The Front of House Technique,” feel free to leave that in the comments as well.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. And, if you found this post useful, please share it with your friends!
Did you know that those who master their message, truly know their clients, and package their online persona as a leader have higher sales and more success in business than those who don’t? Well if you didn't know that, you do now!
Why? Well it’s because they bring their character to everything they do. They make it crystal clear as to who they are, what they do, and how they do it. They attract publicity through their energy, persistence and leadership.
You see I believe that a leader is born and not made. A leader is willing to step up when no one else is. Whether they’re leading a team of one or a team of thousands, or even millions, a leader is always willing to say say ‘follow me'.
And, it’s this trait that attracts clients like the proverbial moth to the flame.
Established stars like Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Dan Kennedy, Brendon Burchard and Tony Robbins are perfect examples to illustrate the point, and you can see rising stars like Derek Halpern, Gabby Bernstein and Marie Forleo applying the same principles. They all use the same tactic to promote their work. They all bring their unique character to everything they do.
Now, whilst I feel quite confident that I’m on the way to doing this with my brand, the funny thing, (and I’m fess-ing up here) is that I’m guilty as charged for not knowing this as a highly effective marketing strategy. Oops!
Thankfully as a creative at heart, I’ve always liked being unique and I’m pretty used to never ‘quite fitting in.’ Just picture me, as a Director, with my high heels and dress in a male dominated IT environment, and you'll get the picture. You see, I’m confident to make up my own mind as to whether to follow the crowd or not. I like my ‘take on things.’ I speak up when others don’t – for things I believe in and know to be right. Perhaps being the older sibling has helped me step into the leader role. Who knows!
Anyway, I want to share this top tip with you, as it’s huge for your business. Clients choose to work with you because of the quality of the work you deliver; but clients choose to say with you because they love your character.
[box]Clients choose to stay with you because they love your characterTWEET THIS[/box]
By bringing your energy, vision, hope, determination and unique view on things, you add that ‘je ne sais quoi’ that drives and influences them in their daily lives. I've been in business and sales too long to know that people always buy from people, and clients either want to be like you, or they want to be able to relate to you i.e. you remind them of them!
If your character is strong, opinionated and positions you as a leader in your field, then you become the trusted advisor, the go-to person – the one to turn to for help. Developing your online persona as a leader is one of the strongest influences you can use to be memorable. Copycat and samey-samey won't differentiate you. It won’t attract clients, publicity and it won’t convert into sales.
However, that doesn't mean to say that you have to create an online persona or brand that's different for the sake of being different. That would be dumb and could potentially lead to brand suicide. I've seen that before!
You need to keep your integrity in tact.
Packaging your brand and yourself as a leader takes strategy. As an entrepreneur it's your job to define your image and your message so no one misunderstands who you are and what you stand for.
So, to help you with this, here are 10 tips to help you define, or even redefine your online persona as a leader:
Communicate your why, purpose or life mission.
Demonstrate that you practice what you preach and always lead by example.
Be genuine, approachable and reliable.
Get opinionated. Show you’re not afraid to stand up for something you believe in, even if it goes against the grain.
Share your stories of perseverance and those where you’ve failed and also overcome adversity.
Share your interests and passions outside of business.
Under promise and over-deliver.
Be inspiring and encourage others to overcome their hurdles.
Develop a unique methodology or system that offers added value.
Give back to your community in as many ways possible.
These are only starting points, it's up to you to own your online persona as a leader and present the face you want to be known for to your clients consistently.
What are your thoughts? Are you comfortable stepping into the limelight and crafting your online persona as a leader? Have you had any good or bad experiences by doing this?
Please share your experiences and feedback in the comments below as I’d love to hear.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. And, if you found this useful, please share it with your friends!
They say that sales people are the easiest ones to sell and pitch to. However, unless I’m unique I’d disagree. Selling to sales people is hard work, as they understand exactly what you’re doing to them. They understand the sales cycle and if they’re any good, they know exactly how to craft a perfect sales pitch.
Anyway, following on from a post I wrote on crafting a 30 second sales pitch, the next thing you'll need to master is how to present and pitch in person. Imagine a longer version of the sales pitch. Well, it's a bit like that. The best way for me to describe this and the benefits is actually through a story.
About two years ago I met a highly respectable figure from my corporate world who was selling (in her spare time) some premium beauty products. Now I'm not actually really that interested in lipsticks, moisturisers or make-up. You see, I'm not a that much of a ‘girly girl.' However, I do use them, and I do care about whether they work, are affordable and are tested on animals. Anyway, to cut a long story short, as much as I didn't want to admit it, by the end of the demo (or pitch) I wanted to buy the products.
Why? Well it really was on account of her two-minute pitch. It had been so persuasive it changed my attitude and turned me from a sceptic into a believer. Actually, it did better than that. It transformed me into a brand evangelist. From that day forth I've sung the brand's praises to hundreds of people.
The lady knowingly used five techniques to sell and pitch to me. Anyone can adopt these techniques to pitch just about anything—from products to services to themselves.
1. Passion and enthusiasm – demonstrate it! Passion sells! If you're not passionate about the service or product your selling then your listeners i.e. your prospects and customers won't be. A great tip is to say, “Now here's something I'm really excited about.” The reason this works well is because you’ll automatically think if they’re excited, maybe I should pay attention! Your prospects are giving you permission to have fun and to show excitement.
All too often, business professionals and consultants get into a presentation mode, and lose their personality and enthusiasm. My good friend and mentor Marie Forleo has a key condition for her business – it has to be fun, and Richard Branson has the same attitude – if it's not fun, why bother? In my opinion too many business owners, and sales professionals are subject to dull pitches and presentations. Death by PowerPoint still exists. So, it’s time to step up and inject some energy and excitement into your pitch.
2. Connect – find a personal connection. The easiest way to do this is to spend a few seconds talking about something fairly mundane. In Britain we usually talk about the weather – don’t ask me why but we do. In my experience, I’ve often spoken about my children or if there’s a sporting event on, that also works well. Pick something that’s topical but not confrontational! I’ve also seen this work well with family run businesses, where the owner has told his or her story of how they grew up with the business and products. By doing this, they showed they cared about the product or service too and weren’t just being paid to pitch something with which they had no personal connection.
Remember, people buy from people so they always need to like the person behind the product, unless they can’t get it anywhere else – in the world! Having raised funding before and spoken to several venture capitalists, angels and VCs the message that is consistent is that they invest in the people behind the business and not the product or service. So always pay attention to your audience who want to make an investment in you. Make them feel good about the person they're buying from.
3. Benefits – sell the benefit and not the feature. Marketers often fall into this trap as well. This is a critical persuasion technique so always identify the potential problem before offering a solution. Let me give you an example to drum this message home. It was something I learnt and applied to my own business and it was responsible for gaining consistently 2 new leads per month, which translated into about £12,000 sales. The new customers then became long-term clients who bought regularly and for over a decade. They spent hundreds of thousands of pounds with us.
The example involves the story of the hole and the drill! Think about it, when you need to drill a hole in the wall, if you don’t know about a drill, you’d be a bit stuck, as you wouldn’t know what to use as your tool. So you’d Google your problem, looking for the solution. You wouldn’t put in ‘drill.’ So ask yourself: What are you really selling? Often the answer might surprise you.
4. Stories sell and facts tell – so tell stories. From my experience, this is by far the best way to do this. Tell a story as to how you solved a problem. Stories create connections between people. People remember stories far easier than by any other communication message. It’s how we learn. So tell more stories and you’ll stand apart.
5. Educate and inform – teach us something new. If you can teach something your audience didn't know before, you'll have their attention, and perhaps even have their money! Every successful pitch has the three Es – educate, entertain and engage. So create a positive association with a product or service and you’ll have the ability to persuade your audience with every pitch.
So I wish you well with your pitch. Please let me know how you get on with your sales pitch and sales experience. Let me know what has worked for you and even what hasn't and also what you struggle with when it comes to your pitch and sales. Please share your experiences and feedback in the comments below as I’d love to hear.
Finally, thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!
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