ARGH! Overload!

I had a vision (not sure why) that, on top of the joy of finally doing what I'm best at, THIS type of business was going to be easy to manage. No customers freaking out, asking me to deliver on an impossible deadline when I had to rely on supply chains from back east and overseas, or screen printers and embroiderers out here. I provide the product - training, workshops, speaking - therefore I control the chaos.

Years ago, there was no big push for "Social Media". Wow! Is that ever time consuming. I know in my business I need to have it to build the know/like/trust factor with potential clients, but seriously!

I've focused on three areas - Facebook (which has had the most response), Twitter (not sure I'm using it right) and LinkedIn (getting NOOOOO response whatsoever). Well, it's there. Permanently. Which is good if someone ever looks me up and goes back through my historical postings. (you can let me know how I'm doing at http://www.facebook.com/getthrival . Please click on the "Like" button at the top of the page!). 

All this is free ... other than the cost of precious time and sleep. I have not done "audience building" though ... which is where the $$$ comes in. How far down that road do I go? Seriously, I'm getting very few clicks to my daily leadership skill and challenge I'm posting each weekday. Some of them are coming from France, UK, Japan, Russia ...?? HOW did someone from Russia find me? And France?

Reality is, I just want to do what I do best - deliver training to teams and leaders who desperately need and want it. All this social media is a distraction, but seems to be a necessary evil. Meanwhile, I've all but abandoned my REAL website, finally getting frustrated enough with the Joomla editor that I refuse to do one more post in it. Must tackle that next week ... oh to have the $$$ to just hand it over to someone else.

Just goes to prove that NOTHING in this world is free. If it doesn't cost you money, it probably costs you time, sanity and opportunity. Spending the money on something more direct to my audience may be cheaper than this "free" cyberspace advertising!

I'd LOVE your comments and suggestions! Please, please, please!

The Rules Just Changed . . . Forever

Searching for direction and answers?

You are not alone.

There's a big trend toward "What does it all mean?" and never before have so many "experts" claimed to be able to help you . . . for a fee.

Have you noticed them?

Some are parrots, regurgitating (plagiarizing) something they read in another blog, on another Website or from an obscure book written ten years ago no one bothered to read . . . or worse yet, from a book just released that was poorly researched and based on what might have worked two years ago.

Others have jumped on a trendy wave of twitter/facebook/linkedIn . . . it all sounds good and if applied the right way can be very powerful, but they are asking for your money, claiming to be "experts" who will show you the right way. It's hard to know just who to trust and buy into.

Still others are loudly proclaiming the "same old same old" from twenty years ago, broadcasting their lengthy experience in the field and hooking a segment of baby boomers who want to believe there's no need to change.

I'm here to tell you,
the rules HAVE changed . . . forever!

In fact, they changed many years ago, but business was great, people were buying, everyone was too busy to notice.

The change has been gradual but never hidden and it's called . . .
women.

Before you click away from my blog, I assure you I love men dearly. I wish I had their ability to focus on one thing at a time and move in for the kill. I wish I clicked with the "Take no prisoners" attitude. But I don't. I never have.

Neither have the other women who are now making 85% of the buying decisions in North America.

Yes, you heard me right. 85%!

How did that happen?

Well, there's no one single factor. There's several:

• The single income family is a dream long gone. More women than ever before in North American history have to work. Notice I say "family". I'm implying kids in that mix. Kids need daycare. Women either work in high-level positions that pay very well, work shifts opposite their spouses or create work arrangements or businesses that fit their life. In all these situations, women no longer need to consult the other bread winner on key buying decisions. They feel quite entitled and qualified to call the shots.

• Divorce is now normal. When I went to school, it was rare to find a child in a one-parent family. When my kids went to school, it was rare to find a kid in a two parent family, especially one that contained his or her original parents. Sad, but true. Women have had to shoulder a lot of responsibility and make all decisions . . . and juggle raising a child alone with making enough money.

• Fewer women bother to marry at all. Many of us just keep working. We waited for the right relationship and it never quite happened . . . or we were just too busy to look for it.
  

With women making:

• the majority of business starts in North America
• the majority of family buying decisions
• the majority of buying recommendations and decisions within businesses
• all their own buying decisions in their divorced or never-wed lives

women have become THE target market.

Who has most of sales copy been geared toward for the past 80 years?

MEN!

• Picture the last car commercials you've seen.
• Think of the last fax you received for some great speaker guru coming to town.
• Consider the realty ads that appeal to you and those that don't.

I've recently hooked into Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero's "She-Factor Copywriting Bootcamp". She latched onto this concept a few years ago when she rightly realized that the sales copy she was writing was repelling women and yet, most of the decision makers she knew were women.

The light bulb flashed to life and her research began.

Even ME, as a woman in sales and marketing, have been afraid to "exclude" men by writing toward ... well, myself! Lorrie's research showed that
female oriented sales copy still works on men!

Who knew?

So, by marketing toward men, you lose your woman audience
BUT
By writing to women, you gain the attention of 85% of buyers, PLUS you don't lose your men.

It doesn't take any marketing guru or trend expert to tell you what you need to do here:

• We know that people will buy from those they know, like and trust.
• Look at your website and all your marketing. Does it build trust with women?
• What can you do to speak directly to the concerns of the women in your target market?
• What benefits will women gain from using your product or service . . . that women truly care about?

If you do a lot of sales writing and want targeted tips, I highly recommend Lorrie's help.

Simply looking for help on a specific project? I'm happy to give you a hand. Leave a comment on this blog and I will respond ASAP.

SALES ... the Big White Elephant in the Living Room

A friend of mine is a creative genius. Every thing I think of creating he has either done, attempted or "could probably do it pretty easily". He should be a multimillionaire with all the talent, brilliance and inherent skill he has. His portfolio of past projects is impressive and diverse and his desk is plastered with sticky notes, each with creative and viable ideas "to work on".

So why isn't he rich?

One BIG reason is he keeps saying "I'm no good at sales."

Sound familiar?

So many entrepreneurs struggle in the sales department. Many who do their own sales become very discouraged at results versus effort, while feeling like fish out of water the entire time. Other business owners complain that sales people they contract or hire promise the world and don't deliver. So many sales courses have great information, but few seem to make a real difference besides sparking renewed confidence for a brief period of time.

What is the secret to the sales factor?


Here's the #1 key:

Sales without a proper marketing plan in place is like walking uphill on rollerskates ... a whole lot of effort with little or no progress and much exhaustion and frustration.

If you hire a sales team and have no solid marketing in place for them, you cannot fault them for struggling, losing momentum and eventually disengaging. Your marketing should be aimed at your perfect customer to attract the right kind of leads to your sales team, who then do what they do best, leaving you free to do what you do best.


Here's the #2 key:

Marketing without a proper sales plan and follow up structure in place is like buying a new wardrobe, taking a lovely picture of it and throwing it away.

Your marketing MUST be followed up be consistent and targeted sales effort by people who CARE and believe in the value of what you are selling or it will simply be a permanent reminder of money and effort that amounted to nothing.

• Most sales leads are the result of marketing.
  
• Marketing enhances and authenticates your sales efforts.
  
• The two go hand in hand and one without the other is dead or very weak at best.

People will buy from who they know, like and trust.

• Marketing creates awareness (know),
  
• attracts people who identify with your message (like) and
  
• creates the impression that you have been successful enough at what you do to broadcast your abilities to the community (trust).

Follow that up with a personal and caring sales approach and you have the recipe for customer engagement, followed by tremendous word of mouth ... your least expensive and most successful advertising method.

By the way, if you've created a satisfied customer,

• ALWAYS ask for a testimonial and a few referrals.
  
• Ask your customer if you can contact them at a later date to see how your product or service is working out for them and then
  
• MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP! Emails or snail mails should always have an easy way your client can supply feedback and a reason to. I guarantee the phonecall is more effective at creating customer relationships, loyalty and even more positive word-of-mouth. It also gives you a chance to ask for MORE referrals!!!
  

Anyone can sell as long as they CARE about what they are selling, who they are selling to and have consistent and caring follow up. With the right marketing methods in place and a targeted sales and follow up plan, you will have more time and budget to concentrate on developing all of your other BIG IDEAS for your business!!!

Want quick, effective and inexpensive sales skill development?

• Find out how you show up when you are in your own "Sales Mode".
  
• Identify your customer's "buying style".
  
• Learn to "style shift" authentically to serve your client more effectively.

Purchase CRG's Sales Style Indicator and unlock your Personal Sales Potential.

Online Sales Style Indicator (SSI)