Tag Archives: Marketing

The ABCs of Marketing Without Money

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Marketing Without Mney

“So I’m going to start the year with an offer. A freebie.” I said as the lunch bunch assembled.

“I printed out what you sent but I haven’t read it yet,” said Chris our Digital Marketing guy.

“Welcome to the club, “said Gail. “I need to have my editing pencil in hand when he gets carried away like this. His headline: The ABCs of Marketing Without Money is a okay but there’s not a clear believable benefit.”

Rick, the guy that can’t seem to retire from Direct Marketing, piped up with “He put it in the subhead: Enterprise level marketing expertly adapted for small businesses. And he carried it through in the opening copy:

Have you noticed how everything you read about marketing seems to be about companies that are vastly bigger than yours?

You know how hard it is for small companies to find resources that understand the limited funds and time you have to build your business?

Over the years we’ve learned how to find enterprise level things that work, sort out the parts that can be done with the limited time and money available to us “Little Guys” and share the secrets with you.

“Guys, I said. “I am right here.”

Bubba said, “Y’all don’t really believe we’ll let that get in the way of the grits do you? I may just be a poah boy from Georgia but I know there ain’t no marketing without some solid branding. Did he mention that?”

“He did Rob,” said Gail. “B is for

Brand. You’re going to have one whether you want to or not. Watch out for charlatans that say they can brand you with a logotype and a slogan. Yes, you need to have a mark that people can identify but your brand will be the sum total of all their interactions with you and your staff, your customers and your reputation. Do your best but don’t believe you can control it.

is what he says.”

Kate, ever the sales doyen asked, “Anything about sales in there?”

Chris said, “I’m looking under S and there is a big long section here about Social Media. But next to it under Q there’s something I’ve heard you say:

Questions are how you turn contacts into contracts. You’re in business to make a profit and to do that you have to make sales.

Getting someone to purchase, regardless of the type of business means you have to understand the problem they are trying to solve, if they have control of the checkbook and when they are ready to buy.

The better your questions and the better you listen the better you will be at closing.

“Could I get a word in edgewise here?” I asked.

“Sure,” they responded.

The Takeaway

“What I tried to do was come up with short pieces of advice that any entrepreneur or small business owner could use as a way to start thinking about marketing their business without having to spend an arm and a leg or sorely needed time to get good results.

Any one that wants the ABCs, including friends and staff, can get it free. Sign up at www.Jerryfletcher.com/profit.html It will be downloaded to you rickety tick.

 

This blog recaps the conversations of a group of business development professionals who meet for lunch each Friday. They discuss what’s new, what’s old, what’s good, bad and ugly but mostly what works. Jerry Fletcher is the ringleader and the one that writes up their comments.

Jerry has been researching and implementing small business marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy for 20 years as President of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

How To Shape A Marketing Mindset

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Karen and I were chatting over coffee the other day and I realized that not every small business operator is in a sales or marketing mode at all times.

Woman developing marketing mindsetChris, young but wise in all things digital asked, “What do you mean?”

“She was telling me about speaking at an industry event and how it had gone.”

Kate interjected, “And she got no sales and no leads, am I right?”

“Yes, Madam Sales, you have put your finger on the problem. What would you recommend?”

Kate took a sip of ice tea and said, “It’s a matter of mindset. You need to decide what the single most important outcome needs to be for you on any day in any situation.”

Rick said, “That’s one thing we do when we build a direct marketing campaign. We try to anticipate what a prospect might do and provide ways to overcome objections, pull them back to considering our solution and give them some reason to buy in. Is that what you mean?”

“Sounds like you have to do it for life,” said Chris.

“Yes and no,” I said. “My friend Karen was unhappy. The first thing I asked her was what she expected to get out of it. She hadn’t thought about it! Then I got her to think through what she would have done differently if she had thought it through. Here’s what she came up with:

  1. Figure out just what you’d like to get from the overall situation and this piece of it.
  2. Act on it. Do what will get you to your goal without damaging the relationship.
  3. Do it again situation by situation.

I call it being true to your mission. When you know why you are in business all you have to do is look at a task or decision and if it keeps you on mission it is the right thing to do. It is the marketing mindset that will make you successful.

“Sounds like branding to me,” said Rob. “Y’all can’t know every situation your brand is going to get into but you do know what you want it to stand for with the folks that are rubbin’ up against it. That doesn’t change so long as you’re true to what they believe you to be. But if you go kiting off in all directions or you don’t pay attention to being just one thing you’re gonna’ get ditched and that ain’t pretty!”

“You’re right Bubba,” said Kate. The difficulty is going from the way most people operate almost on remote control to a focus on what is happening in the moment and putting all their cognitive capabilities into play to get to the goal set. “

“That isn’t easy”, I said.

“And it can’t be done overnight,” Gail, our resident writer joined in. That old saw about it taking at least 30 days to change a habit is true and when you’re dealing with a behavior like this the recidivism rate is over the top.”

“Didn’t I just say it isn’t easy.” I asked.

“Not as eloquently,” said Bubba.

Kate said, “If you want to act intentionally ask yourself one question as you begin any task: Why am I doing this? If you don’t have an answer, you are coasting. Stop.

Re-read what Karen came up with. Take a little time to think through what your mission in life is. You have a mission, don’t you?”

 

Our Mission: Deliver the marketing knowledge that makes it possible for the “Little Guys” to go it alone… successfully. Learn more at: www.JerryFletcher.com

Jerry has spoken professionally on three continents. His hard-earned expertise is in three business development specialties: Personal Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship “Magic”. Jerry’s speaking site is: www.NetworkingNinja.com

How To Do A Home Page Video That Builds Business

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Chris, the digital marketing director said, “The websites you build videos into keep people on the site longer, get better click through and higher signups. I want to know why.”

Video can hook people on your website“Yeah,” Kate said, “Tell him the formula, Fletch.”

“It’s simple, I replied. “It’s a combination of selling like Kate coaches people to do and a marketing trick I’ve learned over the last 25 years. All you have to do is make a video of your 30 Second Marketing conversation.”

Gail asked, “Is that the thing you came up with to replace elevator pitches?”

“Yes,” I said.

She continued, “The one that is intended to answer the question what do you do?”

“Yup. The answer is what I call a hook. The four elements of the formula are:

  • Hook ‘em
  • Hold ‘em
  • Pitch ‘em
  • Close ‘em

Rick said, “I’ve heard you speak on this. As I recall the hook is hard to come up with but once you’ve got it you’re more memorable and people want to talk to you if only to find out more about you… but that’s in person. A video on a web site is more like direct marketing and that is my bailiwick. How does this work there?

“Hooks can be found or developed in a lot of ways, I said. Here are just a few that have worked for me with clients over the years:

  1. Review customer testimonials for simple descriptions
  2. Try to put what you do in terms a first grader could use to explain what you do to his or her classmates.
  3. Think about what you do from the customer’s viewpoint. What problem do you solve for them?
  4. Put it in words that will force them to want to know more.

“But y’all got to be careful of your brand,” said Rob, our branding big brother. “You can’t say something that is gonna hurt you long term even if it gets their attention today. I reckon tha’s wheah the rest of the formula fits in, right?”

“You’re right Bubba,” I said. “the hook is what everyone remembers but what makes 30 Second Marketing TM work is the rest of it. In order to hold ‘em, you have to find the words that come after You know how… That means you have to know the problem that brings your ideal customer to you. When I train people to do this I try to get them to know the top three problems that their ideal customers are trying to solve. The pitch always starts with the words What we do is… and then explains how you solve the problem for your ideal customers. The close is a specific Call to action.”

“And, Y’all don’t want to be flappin’ your gums too much either, said Rob. Make it quick. If you go much more than a minute and a half they’ll be gone faster than a fox when a beagle bays.

 

Jerry and the marketing lunch bunch will be back next week. Their discussions are always about small businesses marketing tips that are low or no cost.

www.JerryFletcher.com is Jerry’s consulting web site He meets around kitchen and boardroom tables to change the marketing of companies in the Americas. He prefers working with “Little Guys” with 1 to 500 employees.

www.NetworkingNinja.com is his speaking site. He speaks professionally on three continents on how to craft Trust-based marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy…on and off line.

 

Why You Need A Video On Your Home Page

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“The client doesn’t want to do a video for the home page of her web site, Chris said.

Home Page videdo“Why not?” asked Rick. “I don’t know what her company does but I can tell you all the kinds of operations that videos have worked for in direct marketing. With that he started listing them:

  • Consultants of all kinds
  • Professionals like CPAs and Lawyers
  • Health care providers—Doctors, Dentists, etc
  • Personal Care folks like beauty parlors, nail salons and the like
  • Any brick and mortar retail establishment
  • Manufacturers, Distributors, etc

“Whoa there Bre’r Direct” said Bubba, our southern fried Branding expert. “Y’all could just as easily said every company stead o’ running yourself round the pasture.”

“I agree that video seems to work,” said Kate. “But the question is why?”

Bubba continued, “All those first ones he mentioned are situations where the person is the brand and there is no way to be more convincing than for y’all to tell your story the same way you would in person looking right at the camera. Manufacturers and Distributors many times are hooked up with the guy or gal who started the business but the words of someone in the business that speaks to the brand can be just a powerful even when theah name isn’t on the door. ”

Kate nodded in agreement and said, “Cognitive Psychologists tell us that way down there in bottom of our brains each of us is still programmed to respond more positively to human faces than any other thing we see. We’re just wired that way.”

“We give videos time,” I said. “We spend up to a couple minutes without clicking to jump to another screen. That builds Trust and as Rob would say builds your brand. Comscore reported that the difference was over 60% in time spent on a site when there was a video.”

Chris said, “The thing my client is confused about is the cost. She believes she has to have ‘movie grade’ video to put up on the web site. I’ve shown her the level of quality you can get with a home camera and editing software that is free but she’s not going for it.”

“She’s being a woman,’’ Gail said.

Kate snorted and all the guys looked perplexed.

Gail continued, “Women worry more about what they look like on camera than men. But they also have an advantage. If you display the faces of male and female models with equal grooming side by side, men will look at the woman first. So will the women. In other words, women know they will be looked at and either like it or dislike it. She doesn’t like it.”

“But if she is concerned with the ROI of her marketing efforts, She might change her tune given some facts. Video provides the second highest return on investment you can get on-line just behind featured articles with direct links to your site,” I said. “On top of that if you want to know what visitors are really interested in on your site, start tracking the videos they watch and then personalizing from there.

It all starts with establishing Trust and telling people what you do. That short positioning video on the home page can make a web site up to twice as powerful at building business.”

 

Our ”Little Guys” Marketing brain trust will return next week. See you then.

 

Jerry Fletcher crafts Trust-based marketing strategies from his offices south of Portland, Oregon for companies in the Americas and Asia. Learn more and see a home page video at www.jerryFletcher.com

Jerry speaks professionally on three continents on Networking, Trust-based Marketing, and Contact Relationship Magic. Click on a home page video at www.NetworkingNinja.com

 

 

How To Conquer Marketing Overwhelm

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Rick said, “A new client told me he was hiring me because I helped him conquer his fear of being overwhelmed by the marketing possibilities.”

Happy Man“After you said thanks, what did you ask him?” asked Kate.

“He went on to say that it was a relief to know he didn’t have to learn it all and do it himself.”

Chris said, “Yeah, but what does that mean?”

“Let me guess,” I said. “The client is on every e-mail marketing list you can imagine. He or she watches a webinar a week which is always about the next sure thing in marketing on-line. But because each one of them says something different and the client hasn’t invested in any of them the level of overwhelm is like a tsunami.”

“Right,” said Rick. “I took a lesson from Kate. I asked him what I’d said or done that made him feel that way. Here’s what he said:

‘I’ve been trying to figure out how to take my business up a notch and I concluded that the marketing was the key. So I went on-line and searched marketing. I looked at the Business Journal list on-line and every company shown as a client was way bigger than me so I decided to look for on-line marketing help. Good luck with that! SEM, SEO and Certificate programs for pages. So I typed in how to market on line and I looked at some stuff. Before you know it I was getting e-mails from four or five folks about the same programs. So I’d watch a webinar and everything they told me was about how wonderful their new product was and they would be happy to take my credit card order for it…’

“But why did he hire you? I sincerely doubt it was because of your brand,” said Rob, our Branding Guru. What I’m seeing is that there is a glut of information out there. A simple search can make y’all believe you’re livin’ in an e-mail tornado alley. Everybody and his great aunt Hattie is tryin’ to get you to buy their shiny object and showing you checks with big numbers on ‘em.”

Gail said, “I know exactly what that feels like. Happened to me this summer. This group helped. All of you got me to stop buying into the silver bullet theory of internet marketing. You made me stop and look at the numbers and what was working for the various clients you serve. Here’s the way I wrote it down one Friday afternoon:

Information by the ton
Hundreds of products
No insight into what works and what doesn’t
———————————————————-
A single coach
An approach matched to my needs
Test, Measure, Analyze and Reset”

I said, “So the net result is that the client believed that the insights you offered would overcome the glut of information and that you would work to make the marketing plan a living thing based on results.”

Rick said, “That’s one way to put it, but I think it is bigger than that. The client trusts me. And I’m not going to breach that trust.”

 

The marketing lunch bunch will be back next week. If you’re finding yourself drinking from that information fire hose, stop it! Watch this space for advice on how to find that singular coach that can help you market your business.

www.JerryFletcher.com is Jerry’s consulting web site He is changing the marketing of companies that meet around kitchen and boardroom tables. He prefers working with “Little Guys” with 1 to 500 employees.

www.NetworkingNinja.com is his speaking site. He speaks professionally on three continents on how to craft Trust-based marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy.

How To Sell What They Want To Buy

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“I heard you say that serendipity is not why sales close,” said Kate as she took her seat.

Expectations“That’s right, I replied. “Jim, one of my clients, was speaking at an event with a top mergers and acquisitions guy. Each made the same point. In their view the organizations and individuals buying companies were buying what they believed the purchased outfit could do in the future. Past achievements were just that…past. The M&A guy focused on the shifts in valuation away from basic accounting data to critical evaluations of people and processes. Jim pointed out that in privately held businesses, the founder/owner is so much a part of the business that purchasers are particularly interested in who is going to be running things when he or she leaves. Buyers are basing the purchase price on projected performance. ”

”That is exactly what some research on resumes uncovered,” Gail chimed in. “If you have two candidates that are equal in every other way the candidate perceived as the one that will deliver on higher expectations is the one that gets hired. Been there, done that and got the T-shirt is not enough. Getting the interview starts with the cover letter not the resume. If the letter is more than a transmittal and shows a little flair while voicing career expectations the candidate has a better chance of getting through the door.”

“Welcome to my world,” said Rob. “What you two are blithering about is Brand, plain and simple. One of the best definitions I’ve ever heard for it is that Brand is a promise. It is the sum of people’s expectations fulfilled. It is the mouthwatering first taste of the chocolate chip cookie you smelled baking in the mall. It is the relief you know those over the counter pills will give you for your arthritis. It’s what makes that two hour ride to Granny Elders for one of her Sunday dinners worth it…both directions.”

“Anticipation is what gets them,” said Chris, our digital specialist. “I keep going back to print to understand the direct marketing side of digital campaigns. The deeper I get into the swipe file the more I find that the successful campaigns get people to respond for reasons other than features and benefits. Sure, you have to have that information but the real hook is what the prospect thinks they will get for making the purchase. Sure you have to solve their problem but the solution needs to be as they see the solution, not as you do.”

Rick said, “Your mention of a swipe file reminded me of a letter I keep on the bulletin board by my desk. For years the Wall Street Journal used the same letter to generate subscriptions. It is on monarch sized paper which makes it look like it is from an executive on his personal stationery. It carries the Journal logo at the top and is about a four page letter. It begins with a paragraph that sets the scene on a beautiful spring day 25 years ago when two young men graduated from the same college. It fast forwards to today when the same two men are attending their college reunion. One is a manager in a company. The other is the company president. The rest of the letter deals with what made the difference.

The key thing however is that the recipient of the letter was constantly in front of the writer. He was focused on the desire of the reader to succeed. (If you’d like a copy ask in a comment.)

Kate nodded. “Now you know why I ask some of the questions I do,” she said. “A lot of sales people try to rush it. I find that the less I try to close the better off I am, particularly if the price is substantial. The questions I find most helpful are ones like:

What do you expect to happen if you go ahead with this?

What will happen next when we put this in place?

Afterwards, how do you think things will change?”

“If you’re going to sell what they want to buy you need to understand the emotional impact of the purchase on the prospect,” I said. “That is true whether you selling in print, on line, or face to face.”

 

Jerry and the crew will return next week.

Jerry Fletcher crafts Trust-based marketing guidance for the “Little Guy” adapting enterprise level approaches that work for little or no money and time. Learn more at: www.JerryFletcher.com

Jerry speaks professionally on three continents. Learn more at: www.NetworkingNInja.com

How Little Guys Can Find Their Briar Patch And Win At Marketing.

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Briar Pach Marketing“Every small business has to figure out how to market with limited funds and limited time,” said Rob. “The problem is they get all wound around an axle trying to do branding and pushin’ to beat the odds on social media and they wind up just getting tired and feelin’ like Enterprise level operations are gwan to whup on ‘em.”

“Hold it’” I said. I’ll bet not everyone here knows the Brer Rabbit stories, Bubba. That is what you’re talking about, not the Nebula in the Star Trek show, right?”

Rob replied, “I’m talkin’ rabbits not rockets. You see, Brer Rabbit was a ‘Little Guy.’ He used his wits to beat Brer Fox time after time. That is the secret no matter what kind of business you have. Sure there are times when massive amounts of money poured on an opportunity are going to get the Foxes share but a little ingenuity can go a long way to making your business successful.”

Kathy said, “I see where you’re going with this. You want folks to look at the Briar patch as their happy hunting grounds. It’s like telling a cold caller not to go into that high rise looking for business.”

“I’m not familiar with the stories,” Chris said.

“The stories are about a very clever rabbit. I responded. He continuously turned the tables on just about all the other critters in the woods. Even though he was little, his ingenuity kept him alive and well-fed through adventure after adventure. Once when captured by Brer Fox he pleaded not to be eaten saying, ‘Please don’t fling me in that briar patch’ each time the Fox suggested how he might be cooked. The fox flung him. Brer Rabbit laughed and scampered to safety through the home of his youth.”

“Nice summary for a Yankee,” said Rob. “The key thing here is that there are differences between Little Guys and Enterprises. In my view here’s what you can take advantage of:

  1. You don’t make committee decisions. You don’t have to check a bunch of schedules and wait until everyone is available. You can have a meeting in a heartbeat and make a decision before the Foxes, Bears and other big critters can find the conference room.
  2. On the other hand you can use the same sort of scheduling and contact management software to keep track of your team as well as your customers, prospects and suspects. And because you’re operatin’ in your briar patch you know those folks a lot better than someone who is not used to thorny interactions.
  3. You can easily monitor your marketing campaigns in real time and adapt the analytics developed for internet usage by your out-of-the-briar-patch competitors. In simple terms, use your ingenuity and your ability to move quickly to win on your terms. Remember, you need far fewer sales than the enterprises to have a successful business.”

Gail took a sip of iced tea, stirred it and said, “So what you’re saying is that the Little Guys really have an advantage. The combination of ingenuity, decision speed and desire, no, essential need, to know how things are going moment to moment provides an edge, an edge that is the key to winning.”

“Couldn’ta said it better myself,” said Rob.

Do you agree? What other Brer Rabbit differences would you add? Let us know with your comments.

 

Jerry and the whole menagerie will be back next week. See you in the Briar Patch.

Jerry Fletcher builds trust-based marketing strategies for Little Guys. Small businesses introducing themselves, new products or new services that are taking their business up a notch. Learn more at: www.JerryFletcher.com

Jerry is an international professional speaker and consultant. Learn more at www.NetworkingNinja.com

How To Find Your Golden Key To Automated Client Development

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You were saying, “Little guys need automated marketing, too, just like enterprises.”

Golden key to CRM“They do,” I replied, “but they don’t have the time or money to use a system built for an enterprise. They need to squeeze as much juice out of the systems they use as they can. The good thing is that entrepreneurs are always trying to find ways to provide a better deal.”

“So what are you recommending?” asked Chris.

“Mo’ importantly brer CRM, are you telling them the whole story? I mean it’s like the difference ‘tween a shovel and a backhoe. Which is better, ‘pends on the size hole you got to dig. So are you tellin’ folks to get the enterprise software and use just part of it or systems built for the little guy that don’t cause as much stress on the wetware?

“Yes,” I answered. “I’m just trying to give the ‘Little Guy’ an edge. But I have to tell you there is a CRM system that is integrated with an inbound marketing solution that I’ve telling people about lately. The neat thing is their support team goes above and beyond to help. I was trying to get the two synced during that hot weather spell where it was over 95 for 3 days. Between my computer being in that heat and what that did to internet connections I thought I would never be able to use Big Contacts and Active Campaigns. The guys at BC ran tests using my database, made a video of it and sent it to me to see what could be done with a decent connection. And they made sure the sync took so I could use AC. (That’s Active Campaign not Air Conditioning).

As I go forward setting up a store on my web site for Marketing Without Money TM and other digital products I’ll be investigating more services that are developed and optimized for small businesses.

What I like about this solution is the simplicity. You can load all your contacts into Big Contacts using a CSV file. You can track them via company and individually by name. You can tag them so it is easy to maintain multiple lists inside your complete list. Those of you that have seen me present CRM Magic know that the list of things I believe are ideal in an integrated system include:

  • Contact Manager
  • Calendar
  • Automated Actions
  • Regular E-mail
  • E-mail Marketing (including Mobile)
  • Auto Responders
  • Web Landing Pages
  • Forms Linked to Auto Actions
  • Easy integration with Social Media

I wrote that list over two years ago when no low-cost, easy to use system was available for the ‘Little Guy’. It’s almost like they were listening.

But don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself. Here are the links again:”

Big Contacts           Active Campaign

Jerry and his mob (I know that’s a bunch of Kangaroos but we’re not down under at the moment) will be back next week. No one ever knows what marketing for small businesses topic will overwhelm their lunch.

Consulting:    www.JerryFletcher.com

Speaking:     www.NetworkingNinja.com

How Enterprise Solutions Can Be Adapted For Small Businesses

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Sometimes the top selling software solutions are dead wrong for the “Little Guy,” I said.

The "Little Guy's" secret to using Enterprise software “But, Fletch,” Kate said, smiling, “The secret is that sometimes you just have to use part of it, not all of it to get your money’s worth.”

“You’re right,” I said, “That is one of the things I found out working with Kamind, my client that literally wrote the book on implementing Office 365. It was developed for really big companies but priced so that even small businesses or solopreneurs can afford it. Having the suite of office software that Microsoft offers available all the time including all the updates is why most folks look at signing up.”

“But that is only the sprig of mint on that mint julep,” Rob drawled. “I checked it out when you told me about it and there is a great deal more. You can have up to five machines in an individual network and all of them are sync’d. In otha’ words the e-mail comes into all of them and if you delete it on one it deletes on all. Even a solo can use that!”

Rick, our Direct Marketing pro said, “But wait, there’s more.”

He was pelted with dinner rolls.

After regaining his composure, he went on, “There’s all kinds of stuff built into it for collaboration so if you have work teams in your small business you can use SharePoint to keep everyone connected and all the files up to date. Or you can use Lync to have a meeting on-line with high–def video and audio screen sharing. The pricing is a steal compared to what you’d have to put out just upgrading the office suite alone.”

“You guys sound like a commercial,” I said. I agree that’s one where the value is unquestionable. Even if you only use a tenth of what is there the price is right. But I was thinking more of CRM systems. I recently took a look at the top 10 systems according to the industry magazine. Every single one of them was so ‘robust’ an untrained person would not know where to begin to implement it. The run of the mill sales person would find it ‘daunting and not very helpful’ while the marketing staff would need weeks of training to begin to build, implement and analyze campaigns.”

“So what is the small business to do?” Gail asked.

“We ‘Little Guys’ have to understand the strategic importance of what the enterprises are doing and put those parts that make sense to work for us. We need to seek out products that are a little simpler but capable of handling the tactical implementations we can afford both in terms of time and money. In the last week I’ve found myself sharing the solutions I’ve found with a distributor, an application development company, an association, a high-tech entrepreneur, a non-profit and a retailer.”

“Does that have anything to do with the product line you are working on?” Kate asked. “I know you consult on contact management and develop the campaigns used by companies from solos up to enterprises to sell their products and services. Is it different when you have to deal with the infra-structure as well?”
“Yes,” I said, “But that part of this discussion is going to have to wait until next week, I’ve go to dash.”

 

Jerry Fletcher, Networking Ninja, Marketing Rainmaker and Contact Relationship Magician is an International Professional Speaker and Marketing Consultant. This former Ad Agency CEO, PR agency founder and World Class Direct Marketing Agency COO crafts Trust-based marketing to build businesses, careers and lives of joy.

Consulting: www.Z-axisMarketing.com Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com

Marketing is Using Single Sale Secrets to Convince Multitudes to Buy

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Markerting is multitudes, Sales is Singles“Most of the presentation was like looking for a light switch in the woods.” I answered Gail. “What every entrepreneur needs to understand is that to be successful their product or service needs to appeal to the multitudes but the only way to be sure that will happen is to understand why the single sale closes.“

Rob drawled, “let me get this heah straight…a light switch in the woods you say. Either they or you are confused.”

“Yes and yes,” I said. “I was speaking about Contact Relationship Management to a group of young entrepreneurs. Their expectation was that a CRM system should go from initial contact to final sale…seamlessly.”

Chris asked, “So what did you do?”

“I remembered what Kate said last week: Marketing is multitudes. Sales is Singles.

That seemed to get through to them. I used these examples:

  1. You’re sitting in an audience at a conference and the speaker tells a story about a signature act –an action taken by Johnny, a young grocery bagger that kept people in the line he was working even when the store manager opened several other registers. Afterward you ask the speaker for advice on how to apply this marketing principle in your shop. She tells you the Signature Act is not marketing, it is sales. It can have a marketing impact but it is meant to make a difference one on one.” More? See the article in Resources on my consulting web site and search Signature Acts on this Blog

Marketing is multitudes, Sales is Singles.

  1. Then I went interactive. I said: Those of you that would like to have more money to build your business, please stand up. The whole audience was on their feet. Then: If you’re willing to accept a loan from family and friends, please stay on your feet. About 10% sat down. Followed by: If you’re willing to give up stock in the company to family and friends for funding, remain standing. About 80% stayed on their feet. How many of you are willing to work with venture capitalists? Fewer than half remained standing. And last, how many of you are willing to give up control of your company for funding? Only a scattered few were still on their feet.

“All of you,” I said, “want money.” “Only a few will sell out. Each group responded to the key element for them. Each group can be approached with the promise that works for them. But every sale is singular. it is reached between you and your benefactor. There are no enmasse sales.

Marketing is multitudes. Sales is Singles

Part of the difficulty is that there are so few people that understand both traditional and digital marketing plus the age–old myopia and fear regarding sales. Well it leads to this kind of confusion.”

Kate piped up. “Fear of sales?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. Entrepreneurs find themselves having to sell every step of the way. They have to sell their ideas to get others to join them and then they have to find the money to keep the vision alive and they find themselves having to convince alpha and beta testers. They would prefer to turn the business development, the marketing and sales of the company, over to someone else. But the customer, whether it is the banker or the buyer, wants to speak to them.”

What every entrepreneur needs to understand is that to be successful their product needs to appeal to the multitudes but the only way to be sure that will happen is to understand why the single sale closes.”

 

www.JerryFletcher.com is where you’ll find way too much information about Jerry’s consulting services and experience. Sign up for The Whole Enchilada there.

www.NetworkingNinja is Jerry’s Professional Speaking web site. Keynotes, Workshops Rates, Dates as well as audio and video samples.