Have you ever had a GREAT lead for your business and totally dropped the ball? Why on earth does that happen?
Most business owners are passionate about their business but marketing and sales is often the least favorite hat. To do a good job in this area its important to be comfortable in the marketing and sales hat or to figure out how t outsource it. To do this, create a style that fits you for marketing and sales. Sales, has such a negative stereotype. Many feel uncomfortable trying to "sell" people. It's the used car salesperson stereotype that we all live with. The stereotype is dishonest, pushy and only interested in the sale. We run from it and avoid it. The sales person paradigm can be sifted and changed. You can choose to do it differently and make it a comfortable fit for you. The image can be changed with your knowledge and confidence in the product or service you offer. When you know the value of the service or product and BELIEVE in that value you are instantly a better sales person because you have an honest passion.
To ease into the sales person hat start with your passion, then create a sales style that works for you that is in alignment with your operating values. When you operate an honest business then a dishonest marketing style is unnecessary and doesn't feel right. Create a style that's yours; that talks of value and shares knowledge/information that people can use. People are more attracted to you and your service or product when you are selling value and benefits and not the service/product.
Dropping the lead can happen because of the discomfort with selling. Step one is getting comfortable with marketing. Step two is building an effective follow up system. Establishing a policy or system for your business takes the guess work out of following up. Sure you can choose to do different things with different leads, but having an outline of your process gives you a format to follow. Your follow-up system should have multiple "touches", not just a follow up email but a follow-up system. Create a plan that has at least 5 steps in it. Use different media and make your follow-up unique, noticeable. You are following up to build a relationship and be remembered. Just the fact that you have followed up gets you noticed because most businesses don't effectively follow-up. Adding value to your follow up makes it more memorable.
Instead of dropping your leads, pick them and build relationships that turn into clients. Your effective follow up that provides good value and information results in new business, new relationships and increased confidence.
About the Author:
Donna Price is a business success coach. Get her free report "The 8 Keys to Business Success" at:
http://www.bizology.biz/special-report.html
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295
Date Published :
Aug 12 2008