With any kind of marketing campaign, the goal is to lead to sales. When thinking about any successful marketing campaign, it really comes down into three basic steps, given to me by Nicholas Boothman. Boothman defines it as the KFC model, and it is something that I think about daily during my life:
1. Know What You Want: This comes with analyzing your business or marketing campaign and making a goal. You want to increase sales. You want to hook a certain client. You want to recruit that one kid for your fraternity pledge class. Knowing what you want is one of the easiest things that a person can do (unless you are a girl entering a relationship).
2. Find Out What You Are Getting: This comes with the ability to understand the current state of the business of campaign. You must know the factual evidence right in front of you. For example, I try to sell an advertising space to a local business. The business does not see the point in advertising in my publication, so they reject me.
3. Change What You Are Doing To Get What You Want: This is where you must be innovative. A person will fail at times, and that can be okay, but how do they respond? In this step, you try different methods to get the results that you want. And you do not stop until step 1 matches step 2.
A lot of marketing is learned through trial and error. So you must know what you want, see what you are getting, and change what you are doing to get what you want! Three simple steps that can get your marketing and sales campaign running and growing!
These three steps are borrowed from Nicholas Boothman, an author in the UK.
Showing posts with label Sales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sales. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
5 Tips To Be A Successful Salesman
There are many different types of sales that we must make in our life. High schoolers may work their summer selling Cutco knives or a 40 year old may have a career out of selling suits at a retail store. A recent college graduate has to sell himself to a company to get a new job or a college drop-out may have to sell his entrepreneurial idea to local businesses. As a freshman in college, you may have to present yourself favorably to catch the eye of that perfect girl or, one day, in meeting her parents. We have to sell ourselves to earn trust in friendships, relationships, and businesses. Knowing that sales are found in many different areas of life, we must be constantly aware of how to make sales.
1. Establish Trust: Nobody will purchase or believe anything that you say if they cannot trust you. Establish yourself as a reliable person that can relate well with them. Provide information about yourself, and know that any question that you ask, you must be able to answer as well.
2. Remember The Little Things: When you are meeting with a customer for a second sale or a boyfriend for a second date, prove that you listened the last time you were together. Asking little things about their personal life, such as how their kids are, how their last test went, or how their job interview went will make them realize that you care about them. Caring about your customer outside of the sales situation is vital to making them trust you more . . . leading to more sales.
3. Be Generous At First: While being generous is a trait that you always want to possess, you must be able to draw them in with an act that will make them appreciate you. This could be something as simple as buying a girl a drink, providing a potential client with a free trial of your service (GoToMeeting), or giving them a glimpse of your public relations campaign for them and how you can help them out.
4. Care About Your Product: I know for a fact that I could not sell clothing from Old Navy or happily encourage others to go watch "The Notebook". The reason you want to sell something to someone is because you like the product that you are selling. Selling something without caring for it will come across as laziness or a lack of interest to the client, making them not buy into whatever you are selling.
5. Make Them See Their Benefit: When selling something, the objective is to always fill a need of the consumer. Make them see what they will get in accepting your offer. Let them know that if they join your fraternity that they will always have a 60 strong friends. Make it aware that if they purchase your laptop that it will provide great quality for them. Prove to them that if they purchase your clothing that it will look good and last for a long time. If it does not do them any good, they will not buy it.
I wanted to put a picture of a man, or voice I trust. Who better than Morgan Freeman?
1. Establish Trust: Nobody will purchase or believe anything that you say if they cannot trust you. Establish yourself as a reliable person that can relate well with them. Provide information about yourself, and know that any question that you ask, you must be able to answer as well.
2. Remember The Little Things: When you are meeting with a customer for a second sale or a boyfriend for a second date, prove that you listened the last time you were together. Asking little things about their personal life, such as how their kids are, how their last test went, or how their job interview went will make them realize that you care about them. Caring about your customer outside of the sales situation is vital to making them trust you more . . . leading to more sales.
3. Be Generous At First: While being generous is a trait that you always want to possess, you must be able to draw them in with an act that will make them appreciate you. This could be something as simple as buying a girl a drink, providing a potential client with a free trial of your service (GoToMeeting), or giving them a glimpse of your public relations campaign for them and how you can help them out.
4. Care About Your Product: I know for a fact that I could not sell clothing from Old Navy or happily encourage others to go watch "The Notebook". The reason you want to sell something to someone is because you like the product that you are selling. Selling something without caring for it will come across as laziness or a lack of interest to the client, making them not buy into whatever you are selling.
5. Make Them See Their Benefit: When selling something, the objective is to always fill a need of the consumer. Make them see what they will get in accepting your offer. Let them know that if they join your fraternity that they will always have a 60 strong friends. Make it aware that if they purchase your laptop that it will provide great quality for them. Prove to them that if they purchase your clothing that it will look good and last for a long time. If it does not do them any good, they will not buy it.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Instagram For Businesses?
Everyone’s talking about Instagram after the recent $1 billion Facebook acquisition. In just 2 years the app has aquired more than 50 million users and has become a staple of high school and college kids. With all of the great filters that allow for pictures to look so much better than they actually are, one big question remains: Is Instagram useful for businesses?
This is a topic that I know very little about. First, I want to give my few thoughts on Instagram and business. After those thoughts, I am providing insight and examples of other people.
Instagram is something that can be very useful. The business success stories that I have witnessed with Instagram all involve fashion in some sort. Why? Fashion items are easy to take pictures of. You can put it on a hanger, a person, a pet, or a nice backdrop, and the picture does the talking for itself. People see what they are getting with the item, and if they like the way it looks, then generally that is enough to buy it, or at least like it.
Coach, the famous purse company has 48 thousand Instagram followers. They generally post about one picture a day, and leave it at that. The consistency of their posting has made them an Instagram success. On a smaller scale, a local start-up in the Carolinas called Good Ole Boys has done a great job of taking pictures of their gear and creating a comfort appeal around the brand. They may not have the largest fan base, but they post consistently, interact with followers, and show their items in ways that make people interested in the product.
After doing research, I have realized that my assumptions are pretty much true. With digital photography being a great way to show advertisements, many fashion companies use Instagram successfully. Taking a picture of a dress or pair of shoes and attaching a link to an online shopping cart is an easy way to increase sales. MyHauteCloset is an example of a fashion blogger who was given many items to model and ended up making a nice fashion business just through Instagram.
The other industry that appears to have done this is sports teams. Teams like the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Braves have succeeded on Instagram because they are sports and entertainment focused. A lot of people enjoy looking at photos of their favorite athletes as they play the game they love or goof around in the clubhouse. Sports teams also use it to recap and post photos of promotional events; for example the Atlanta Braves recently had a Star Wars night, and their Instagram shows some photos of fans in Star Wars apparel.
Instagram really has become almost a hybrid of Twitter and Pinterest. You post pictures that appeal to you and you make them look pretty through filters. Then you can comment under them in a short text or post them at somebody. While Instagram will never overpass a Twitter with text or a Facebook with profiles, it is a handy, mobile application that can connect people on a smaller level. Maybe it will get much bigger. Maybe the boom of the Instagram bomb will continue to spread outward, but for now, Instagram is not a do or die social medium for the business world. If you are in the fashion industry, I definitely think that it would be beneficial to have it. Otherwise, do with it as you please. As for me, if I ever get more than 1,000 Instagram followers (@justinsthomason), I will run a 5K in a Batman suit.
Instagram is something that can be very useful. The business success stories that I have witnessed with Instagram all involve fashion in some sort. Why? Fashion items are easy to take pictures of. You can put it on a hanger, a person, a pet, or a nice backdrop, and the picture does the talking for itself. People see what they are getting with the item, and if they like the way it looks, then generally that is enough to buy it, or at least like it.
Coach, the famous purse company has 48 thousand Instagram followers. They generally post about one picture a day, and leave it at that. The consistency of their posting has made them an Instagram success. On a smaller scale, a local start-up in the Carolinas called Good Ole Boys has done a great job of taking pictures of their gear and creating a comfort appeal around the brand. They may not have the largest fan base, but they post consistently, interact with followers, and show their items in ways that make people interested in the product.
After doing research, I have realized that my assumptions are pretty much true. With digital photography being a great way to show advertisements, many fashion companies use Instagram successfully. Taking a picture of a dress or pair of shoes and attaching a link to an online shopping cart is an easy way to increase sales. MyHauteCloset is an example of a fashion blogger who was given many items to model and ended up making a nice fashion business just through Instagram.
The other industry that appears to have done this is sports teams. Teams like the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Braves have succeeded on Instagram because they are sports and entertainment focused. A lot of people enjoy looking at photos of their favorite athletes as they play the game they love or goof around in the clubhouse. Sports teams also use it to recap and post photos of promotional events; for example the Atlanta Braves recently had a Star Wars night, and their Instagram shows some photos of fans in Star Wars apparel.
Instagram really has become almost a hybrid of Twitter and Pinterest. You post pictures that appeal to you and you make them look pretty through filters. Then you can comment under them in a short text or post them at somebody. While Instagram will never overpass a Twitter with text or a Facebook with profiles, it is a handy, mobile application that can connect people on a smaller level. Maybe it will get much bigger. Maybe the boom of the Instagram bomb will continue to spread outward, but for now, Instagram is not a do or die social medium for the business world. If you are in the fashion industry, I definitely think that it would be beneficial to have it. Otherwise, do with it as you please. As for me, if I ever get more than 1,000 Instagram followers (@justinsthomason), I will run a 5K in a Batman suit.
Friday, July 20, 2012
7 Things "Suits" Can Teach Us About Sales & Marketing
One of my favorite shows for the past two summers has been Suits. Suits, a television drama on USA, is based on two lawyers: senior partner Harvey Specter and his associate Mike Ross. As I was watching this over the past weeks, it struck me that as different as the world of marketing/social media and law are, the core foundations of acquiring and keeping business are the same for all companies. After watching the most recent episode, I made a list of 7 things that Suits can teach us about marketing and sales.
Be creative to get the end results needed
How are you going to get the new business that you want? What makes your product stand out? How are you going to get the end results that you want? Whether it is playing tennis or getting lunch with a potential client or thinking outside of the box to creatively win a lawsuit, Harvey and Mike know to never settle for average. They want to stand out, and know that being creative helps all aspects of their business. Think about how to overcome obstacles. Expect and predict how the market will pan out. Use many different options to get new business, such as promotional events, advertising, networking, and online presence through a website, blog or social media.
Be confident as a person and salesperson
While there is a huge difference between confidence and arrogance, you must believe in yourself and product or service to be successful. Harvey is a lawyer with a witty humor and confidence, but he believes in himself and know that his product is the best. This is why he knows he can win, because he backs it up and has proved it. Why would anyone buy something from you if you seem unsure about it? Being passionate for the product you are selling or marketing definitely helps. Believe in it and believe in yourself, and your chances are a lot better and succeeding.
Care about the consumer
While Harvey believes that he cannot get emotionally attached to a client and that he must focus on the facts and the law, Mike Ross is an emotional lawyer that listens to and believes his clients. Giving bad customer service, ignoring your client, or not listening to the consumer will get your business nowhere. If a customer is treated like a king, they remember it and will spread their experience through word of mouth marketing. In contrast, if they are treated poorly, they will most likely find a rival to take your place while telling others to not use your product or service.
Ask for help if you need it
Since Mike did not go to law school and was thrown into his job immediately, he was inexperienced and did not know many simple things about the law office. While learning on the fly, he had to ask for help from the receptionist, the paralegal, and other associates. It is alright to not know how to do something, but figure out how to make it happen! Ask people for help and do not be embarrassed. Especially if you are new to the industry or company, it is better to do something right with help than to do it wrong by yourself.
Give a simple message
Harvey makes all of his clients know: Hire me and win. It is that simple. Using too many words or an inconsistent message will confuse people. They may not be able to know what service they are getting. They may not be able to know what the product does. Being intentional with your message and marketing and making it easy to understand will go a long way in getting and keeping business.
Make people happy
This goes along with caring about the customer, but it is actually acting it out. They are your clients. You are offering your product or services. Make sure that you remember, they do not necessarily need you. You need them. They are the ones that choose whether to give your business a chance, so treat them well. Make sure that you respect them, their opinion, and do your best to get them the results that they expect, just like Harvey and Mike.
Create trust through honesty
Harvey and Mike are always honest with their clients. In the world of sales and marketing, being deceptive or exaggerating can be easy, but it can also create trust issues. In the long run, these things will come back to bite you rather than help. If you are honest with your customers, showing them respect and building trust, then they will go to bat for you. Another thing: if you mess up, create a bad batch of products, or offer a bad service, be honest about it. It can be humiliating or tough, but if you mess up, you have to take responsibility for your mistakes.
Be creative to get the end results needed
How are you going to get the new business that you want? What makes your product stand out? How are you going to get the end results that you want? Whether it is playing tennis or getting lunch with a potential client or thinking outside of the box to creatively win a lawsuit, Harvey and Mike know to never settle for average. They want to stand out, and know that being creative helps all aspects of their business. Think about how to overcome obstacles. Expect and predict how the market will pan out. Use many different options to get new business, such as promotional events, advertising, networking, and online presence through a website, blog or social media.
Be confident as a person and salesperson
While there is a huge difference between confidence and arrogance, you must believe in yourself and product or service to be successful. Harvey is a lawyer with a witty humor and confidence, but he believes in himself and know that his product is the best. This is why he knows he can win, because he backs it up and has proved it. Why would anyone buy something from you if you seem unsure about it? Being passionate for the product you are selling or marketing definitely helps. Believe in it and believe in yourself, and your chances are a lot better and succeeding.
Care about the consumer
While Harvey believes that he cannot get emotionally attached to a client and that he must focus on the facts and the law, Mike Ross is an emotional lawyer that listens to and believes his clients. Giving bad customer service, ignoring your client, or not listening to the consumer will get your business nowhere. If a customer is treated like a king, they remember it and will spread their experience through word of mouth marketing. In contrast, if they are treated poorly, they will most likely find a rival to take your place while telling others to not use your product or service.
Ask for help if you need it
Since Mike did not go to law school and was thrown into his job immediately, he was inexperienced and did not know many simple things about the law office. While learning on the fly, he had to ask for help from the receptionist, the paralegal, and other associates. It is alright to not know how to do something, but figure out how to make it happen! Ask people for help and do not be embarrassed. Especially if you are new to the industry or company, it is better to do something right with help than to do it wrong by yourself.
Give a simple message
Harvey makes all of his clients know: Hire me and win. It is that simple. Using too many words or an inconsistent message will confuse people. They may not be able to know what service they are getting. They may not be able to know what the product does. Being intentional with your message and marketing and making it easy to understand will go a long way in getting and keeping business.
Make people happy
This goes along with caring about the customer, but it is actually acting it out. They are your clients. You are offering your product or services. Make sure that you remember, they do not necessarily need you. You need them. They are the ones that choose whether to give your business a chance, so treat them well. Make sure that you respect them, their opinion, and do your best to get them the results that they expect, just like Harvey and Mike.
Create trust through honesty
Harvey and Mike are always honest with their clients. In the world of sales and marketing, being deceptive or exaggerating can be easy, but it can also create trust issues. In the long run, these things will come back to bite you rather than help. If you are honest with your customers, showing them respect and building trust, then they will go to bat for you. Another thing: if you mess up, create a bad batch of products, or offer a bad service, be honest about it. It can be humiliating or tough, but if you mess up, you have to take responsibility for your mistakes.
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