One of the most important lessons you can learn in life is how to manage your time. And, it's especially relevant if you’re an entrepreneur or on the cusp of becoming one because if you don't learn how to master time management your business won't get off the ground, let alone succeed.
Time is one of your most prized assets. Unlike money once you spend it, you can never get it back.
So, with 24 hours in your day, how can you manage your time better, become more productive, profitable and successful without working non-stop and sacrificing your personal life? And, whilst we're on this subject, how can you ensure that you've not just swapped a job for a job (now called your business) with a lower salary, fewer benefits, more hours and more risk?
Bar humbug. Buggery pollocks! [a pollock is a fish, wink, wink!]
Yep, you've been misled, but don't feel bad. I was taught the same thing too about sellingand it's not all wrong.
You see, whilst people do buy from people they know, like and trust, there's a little more to it than this. And, it affects every bit of sales and marketing work that you do.
So let's be crystal clear…
When it comes to buying, this is not about you. The only reason anyone's talking to you is to meet their own needs, wants and desires – to get their problems solved. It has nothing to do with you so don't pamper your own ego for one more second.
Cue story…
Now that I've cleared that up, let’s pretend your name is Anna (sorry if you're a bloke – just get into character). You love what you do, but you can’t seem to get enough clients in the door. You’re getting pe-ed off, you're feeling discouraged AND you’re worried you might even need to quit this entrepreneurship ‘malarkey' and go back to your job to make ends meet. The thought fills you with dread. You're pursuing your passion for goodness sake! You know people would chunner if you jacked it in. So you take action.
What do you do?
Well as you're smart AND you know what you're doing, you'd go back to basics first. You'd look at your ideal client avatar, your messaging and then how you're selling. BUT [here it is…] You'd do so via a filter of emotional intelligence.
Let me explain…
Emotional intelligence
When I asked a group of entrepreneurs how they felt about the word selling and sales people recently, their answers didn't come as a shock. They largely boiled down to this:
“It depends on how much I want what they’re selling. If I want it, and they know what they're talking about and they're not pushy, then I like the process and the people selling. However, if I’m not sure I want it, or they don’t know what they’re talking about, or they're trying to push something on me, then I don’t like it (or them for that matter) at all.”
Their answers were judgemental, yet insightful as they revealed an emotional connection (or disconnection) between the buyer and vendor i.e.
Emotional desire (if it is what I want)
Intelligence (if they know that they're talking about)
Emotional approach (if they're not pushy)
They all required an emotional satisfaction filter and it's this that's the key to selling (and marketing for that matter). This is the one thing that no one teaches you:
[box]”People buy feelings, not people.” – Jane Frankland TWEET THIS[/box]
Furthermore, the more competitive an environment is, the more they need this; and the more apparent it becomes amongst the suppliers who aren't providing it.
So, if you want more clients and sales, your task is simply to help your avatar feel emotions and to emotionally connect.
Now, there are lots of ways to do this and a tonne I could write about it here, so I'm going to have to tackle this in several blogs. Let's look at an aspect of your sales copy here, which is essential if you're selling online.
Video break
Sales copy
I was reading a blog by Ash Ambirge, from The Middle Finger Project the other day. That woman is smart! And, she talked about this in her blog – selling anything in one paragraph or less. She spoke about product descriptions and how they don't help sell anything. She had a point. Aside from SEO I personally couldn't see any value either, especially after she'd highlighted the obvious! Doh!
The first thing she talked about was building desire. Your prospect or clienthas to desperately want what you're selling. And, one of the best ways to inspire the feeling in your avatar isn’t to describe the product; it’s to describe who they’ll become with the product.
You need to help them envision. Help them picture. Write the story! Empower them. Make them feel good. See J.Peterman for an example.
Sales relationships
There's no denying that writing great copy builds an emotional connection with your avatar, but another way to do this is by building strong relationships with your prospects and clients face-to-face, or over the phone/Skype.
Using Anna as my muse, she used to think that the key to selling her products and services was by showing her clients what she knew and what she could do. In her early days of sales she'd go on and on about features and benefits. When she became wiser, she realised that her clients actually came (and stayed) with her on account of the relationships she'd built with them. They'd come to feel comfortable with her as a person. She made them feel good about interacting with her. And, she'd mastered emotional intelligence to do this.
Now I want to hear from you…
Do you use emotional selling techniques at all? What selling techniques can you recommend? What part of Anna's story resonates with you? Have you tackled it at all? If so please leave me a comment in the box below.
P.S. If you know anyone who could benefit from this insight, take a second and send them a link to this post. You’ll be helping me… and THEM!
Here's the truth. There are TOO many people who think they don't like sales or even hate selling. They think it's icky and sleazy, and regularly come out with statements like “I don't like asking for the money.”
Sound familiar?
Now until recently I used to think that if I can just teach these people that sales is a caring profession – it's about helping people (by solving problems or matching needs to wants), and then show them how to sell, all will be fine.
How wrong was I?
You see so many people don't actually have a problem with sales or selling. So many people don't actually hate selling. The problem they have is actually their relationship with money. And it gets worse. It's usually deep rooted.
Now here's a strange thing. You can do very well in sales and still have this problem! However, here's the sting…If you don't address this, no matter how much money you make or how many times money comes into your life, you'll LOSE it.
I speak from experience…
Here's my story [I'll keep it brief]
Once upon a time I was a designer. I loved my work with a passion. I'd been nominated as a Young British Designer, had an agent and was selling my work globally to Hong Kong, Tokyo, LA, New York, Paris and London.
Sounds a bit glam doesn't it?
Sadly it wasn't. I was eating my son's left over scraps, unable to pay the utility bills and I was making next to nothing.
Bummer!
So I struck a deal with the universe when someone advised me to go and get a ‘proper' job!
I said, “I'll give up my passion if in return you reward me with lots of money.” And, that's exactly what happened. I retrained, got head-hunted for a corporate job with great prospects, and then left it to to build a 7-figure business (with the man whom I thought was my soul mate).
The universe was serving me well.
Or was it?
Cue the roller coaster of life! It was early 2002 and the dot com bubble burst was in full flow. My business partner and I were caught out. We'd had the business for 5 years and were faced with a choice – to liquidate or to recover. We chose the latter and then worked like there was no tomorrow. We remodelled the company almost overnight and 2 years later it was more profitable than it had ever been. We'd had a close shave but this was not the worst that was to come (for me).
Several years later my partner called time on our relationship and then decided he wanted the company all for himself. [Muhaha!] I was forced out of my own company in ways that I won't disclose. All I'll say is it was unpleasant!
And this is where the moral of the story kicks in.
Surprisingly it's not on choosing your business partner! That's definitely a subject for another post! 😉
The moral of the story is always to do what you love. Don't chase the dollar. Find a way to make it work. Then you will do great work.
So now for some key points on getting over the mantra of so many entrepreneurs and start-ups: “I hate selling” [but I like making sales!]
By the way I'm only going to concentrate here on your relationship to money (not self worth or rejection issues, which might also be going on.)
The first point I want to make is that when it comes to money you are the economist of you, so you need to decide what you want money for. Do you want it for ‘stuff' to own or for ‘stuff' to experience, or both? There's no right or wrong answer here. It's a personal choice. However, once you get clear on the purpose for your money you have a rudder to guide your purchases, savings, investments and donations. And you get motivated!
A word of caution. You can only get clear on your purpose for money when you get clear on your desired life. And, your desired life is driven by the way you want to feel.
In my case I wanted to feel happy. I knew that being a designer would fulfil this. However, I knew that I couldn't make enough money to support my family as a designer. [I'd tried.] As a result, I chose to find a 6-figure job and build a 7-figure business. The purpose for my money became financial stability.
So if money enables so many of our wants to be manifested, get clear on the purpose, and…
[box]”Let the money follow the thinking but let the thinking follow the feeling” ~ Jane Frankland TWEET THIS[/box]
The second point I want to make is that “money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish but it will not replace you as the driver.” – Ayn Rand.
Video break
For me I'd let the money control me. When I'd struck that deal with the universe I'd sold my soul. I'd relinquished my passion. Money was not serving me. It was controlling me. Money was the one in the driving seat, not me. How did I truly know this? Well the result revealed itself recently.
I bet you're wondering how?
Well despite being a top sales person and being responsible for building a 7-figure business, I suffered (for the first time ever) an inability to do fee-paying work. I'd work for free, but if money were to cross my palms I'd literally run a mile. This meant I wasn't charging for work, sending invoices once work was done and not even quoting when asked. As a hard-core salesperson this still makes me twitch! I clearly had a dire relationship issue with money!
The good news is, help arrived to resolve this and I'll be sharing exactly how in part 2.
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.
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!
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