If you’ve ever looked at the sales process then you already know that people buy from people they know and trust.  If you haven’t thought about it, now is a good time to consider what I call the “headwinds” in the sales process. 

Not all of you are involved in selling products or services, but all of us are buying things and most of us have a hand in our organization’s development or our company’s revenue generation. That means selling is a universal subject worth taking a few moments to better understand.

Selling is hard.

It’s even more difficult when your sales representative is unknown, selling for a company that lacks familiarity, and is in a new territory.  Not much is more difficult than that.  It’s a road game and the wind is in their face. They’re an unknown quantity in an uphill climb. That means they’re facing defeat and unless they’re exceptional, some proverbial wheel spinning is certain to occur. 

Get KnownBetter4Business Development

So, what can be done to get some wind at their back and make the sales process a little easier and even palatable? 

For decades I coached sellers on cold calling, and during the 90’s and the aughts I did my own share of knocking on plenty of doors. Over the past 14 years, I’ve seen the value of integrating advertising and marketing with our client’s sales efforts. Selling is easier when the wind is at your back, and that lifting breeze comes in a variety of forms. Billboards, digital marketing, television, radio, and print advertising all enhance building awareness. Branding, marketing tools, and lead generation software can make a difference in the right situation. Even things like social media, event marketing, content creation, and sponsorships will assist your developers and representatives in gaining access. 

Old fashioned cold calls can still work. Combining them with the power of good marketing and advertising simply makes so much more sense. If you’re not sure how to integrate all these tools, it’s a good time to talk with a company like ours. Interrupting advertising and marketing can make all the difference in easing entry into new customer and consumer relationships – and that means a more effective sales process.

Remember the old saying, “curiosity killed the cat”?  Well, the lack of curiosity has done-in more than a few businesses and leadership teams.  Strong questions make a big impact.

We’ve all watched the lawyer movies and know the basic concept of never asking a question, to which you don’t already know the answer.  That makes sense in the court room, but skilled leaders know the value of asking genuine questions to gather new information.  That information can shape your sales approach, your company’s direction, the way your solution is framed, and a whole lot more.

That’s my premise and it’s one I stand by.  Opening questions in the sales cycle can get the conversation going. Gathering information sets the stage for better understanding. Good listening typically starts with strong and planned inquiries. Trial close questions can close the deal, for sure. So, what’s happened with the concept of asking good questions?

Get a lot More4Your Business

I’m not sure there is one specific answer, but rooted in the reply is the fact that some people seem to want to be the ones who know everything.  So, if you know what the person is going to say or are convinced you have the answer, then why ask the question?  Really! Why ask the question?

For the information gathered is the reason why.  To get to the heart of what’s on the person’s mind. To better understand their circumstances, goals, objections, and a myriad of other benefits.  It’s a basic, but important reminder.  Put more thought into asking better questions.  Not comfortable in a social setting, or on unsure footing with a boss or a co-worker?  Start by asking a few good questions.  If you listen and pay attention, you’re likely to get more good questions and gain valuable insight.  That’s the power of asking questions.

Uncovering problems, improving processes, learning why something works the way it does, or why it isn’t working at all, are all ways to gain new business and solidify the business you have.  It’s also the way to recruit new employees, retain your key talent, and build better relationships with those who work with and for you.  Think again about the value of a good question (or two) before that next big meeting with your client, prospect, or boss.

What will you ask first?

We get it. It’s a big commitment. You don’t want to invest all your time just to get hurt again. You want someone who listens and communicates, someone who supports your growth and grows with you, and most importantly, someone you can trust.  

When it comes to choosing a long-term partner, there’s a lot at stake. Finding the right customer-relationship-management system is a big deal (Well that took a turn, didn’t it!).  

Customer-relationship-management is a technology system that centralizes communication between your company and your customers. It does so by keeping a record of all customer communications via marketing and sales tools, such as digital leads and email campaigns. Known asa CRM for short (a nickname? so adorable!), CRM systems help ensure consistent messaging across various platforms for a business and serve as an effective lead generation tool.  

Things to do before you say yes.  

As you start to think about taking the next step with a CRM, we’ve written down some tips to consider before it comes time to define the relationship or “DTR” as the cool kids say.  

✏️ Know your needs.

CRMs help to strengthen communication with customers. Where is there opportunity to improve relationships? What are current communication roadblocks with your customers or stakeholders?Define your goals and have a clear strategy for what you’d like your CRM to improve. 10/10 do not recommend going into a relationship without clearly defining your standards and expectations.

✏️ Do your research.  

Check out various CRM platforms. Compare costs and identify integration opportunities.Does the CRM connect to your email campaigns, social channels, and sales tools?There’s no shame in considering all your options.

✏️ Gather internal and external input.

On your team, who will be using the CRM the most? Bring them into the conversation. Ask your employees for their thoughts and concerns. Also, see what other businesses utilize. We use Constant Contact as our CRM, but we’ll get to that later. Keep gathering input! Investing in a CRM is like investing in a long-term relationship – you want the people most important to you to support the big decision.  

Red Flags!

No matter how much work you do on your end, some partnerships aren’t meant to be. Avoid the heartache by identifying toxic traits and red flags in potential CRM systems.Save the Taylor Swift record, gallon of chocolate ice cream, and tissues for later. 

🚩Isn’t supportive 

A supportive CRM partner is there for you throughout your data and marketing sales journey. A little handholding can be nice. If your CRM isn’t user-friendly or doesn’t provide training and educational opportunities for you and your team, maybe it’s time to cut that negative energy out of your life.  

🚩Doesn’t communicate  

Hidden extra costs revealed after onboarding? Rolling outa major change to your main dashboards without proper notice? No, thanks! The right CRM will have honest, timely communication with you in order to foster success. If not, maybe it’s time to say you’ve met someone else.

🚩Refuses to grow  

Your CRM should grow with you. It needs to lift you up, not bring you down. Letting go of a CRM that doesn’t allow for customizations that help your businesses process improve may indicate that your relationship is going in different directions. Just like Ross, sometimes you want to P I V OT your strategy. Cue the Friends theme song!

Don’t settle! 

Did your potential CRM pass the red flag test? Congratulations! You are one step closer to finding the one (if only real dating was this easy...). Before there’s a ring on your finger, make sure the CRM checks all the boxes below to ensure you are choosing the right partner.  

✅ Practical

Complicated relationships aren’t worth it. Your CRM offers all preferred features and user-friendly practices and aligns with your industry goals.

✅ Adaptable

You’ve got big dreams, and your CRM needs to keep up. As a long-term partner, a CRM must be able to handle your businesses’ volume of marketing and sales data.

✅ Trustworthy  

All relationships are built on trust. A CRM houses all valuable data in one place, and it should be someone you can rely on when life is chaotic.

Having second thoughts?

We might just know the perfect someone for you.

At 5PointsCreative, our agency and a few clients utilize Constant Contact as a long-term CRM partner. SharpSpring offers reliable marketing and sales integration in a user-friendly format.  

By choosing SharpSpring through 5Points Creative, you’d have a real-life customer support team making sure you’re utilizing all strategic advantages. We’re basically the90’s rom com bestie.  

Lean on us anytime at:
5pointscreative.com/SharpSpring

Mister Starr was my 10^th grade geometry teacher. I didn’t do so well in his class. I do, however, remember him clearly reminding our class to “check your work.”  Admittedly, even when I checked it; I got a lot of problems wrong.  However, when I went back and checked what I was doing, I often found mistakes in my computations.

Today, when I write or do proposals, checking my work often results in me improving the product or finding a stronger way to communicate what I am trying to convey. Proofing your work is paramount to successfully completing a project, yet . . .

How often do we take a shortcut or completely skip that step?

Time is critical, and that proposal or piece of copy or social media post must get handled right away. We don’t have time to get a proofer on it. Frankly – you don’t have time to skip that important step. Trust me when I say, there isn’t a mistake made at my company that I haven’t made myself at some point in the last decade. Shortcutting the proofing process is one oversight I must confess to making more than once.

It’s an oversight I endeavor never to make again. Admittedly, I probably will, but there are always consequences when we do. 

Some Examples4You

Typos don’t just happen to regular folks like you and me. Here’s a perfect example of a network telecast in the NBA Finals on a major national broadcast.

It’s not just spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If you want the best example of one of these errors that went uncaught you can message me on LinkedIn and I’ll share it with you personally so you can say, “wow."  

A proofreader will catch things that cause confusion too. Like the time I worked for an NBC affiliate, and they wanted us to sell commercials in an ice-skating sports special called, “Ray Charles on Ice." That event title could mean a lot of different things.

Often when we write we know what we mean, or we eliminate key words in a push to simplify, or to fit copy into a tight space. That can create problems too.  I’m sure this North Carolina convenience store marketing team didn’t intend that their sign would read the way this one does.

By now you get my point. “Check your work” like Mister Starr said. Get a fresh set of eyes on what you produce. And make certain that proofreading is a key part of your process.

Some of the best ideas are stolen (may I more politely say borrowed). 

Over 30 years ago I was a TV sales manager who called on businesses and ad agencies in Michigan. One agency founder had a fun title on his card, and I remembered that.  Fifteen years or so later, when I started my company, I decided I wanted to have some fun with our titles, as well.  Internally we all know what we do, but externally, we like to poke a little fun at the formal titles and let our experience and sunny outlook shape the language that distinguishes us. 

It's an attention getter and it’s on purpose. 

The same approach may not work in health care or finance.  It might not be great in city government, non-profit work, or in the legal profession.  But, in the world of advertising and marketing it’s a wonderful icebreaker.

And it’s intentional. 

A Different Look4Our Agency

In the past, some folks have questioned whether it comes across as unprofessional that we have a Quarterback, a Marketing Therapist, a Client Whisperer, or a Creative Alchemist.  It might do just that. People could prefer to know they are dealing with a Director of Operations, an Account Lead, or a Creative Director, but then again, they eventually figure it out and by then they are curious. 

If it does scare someone away, it probably wasn’t meant to be or wasn’t going to be a great fit for our team anyway.

It isn’t the only way we try to be unique or approach things differently, but in the universe of getting started in a business relationship, it presents an interesting calling card. We’ve done things this way for almost 14 years and it’s one of those special touches ­­that has become a habit and a part of our fabric. 

Recently as we onboarded four new employees, it gave us a chance to help them pick fun titles, stretch our creative brains, and remind everyone why it is we do what we do on our email signature and business cards.

Different is good. 

I thought so when I met the Big Cheese in 1992 and I know so now as an Advertising Czar.

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Fonts matter.  

So often in business a great deal of time is spent focusing on what we’re writing and that’s important. At the same time, it’s important to evaluate the appearance of what is written. Taking a closer look quietly makes a difference in the way copy is presented.  

I have three distinct perspectives from which I write business communications.

Intentionally, I have different signatures for each of three organizations in which I’m involved, and I use different fonts (and often colors) for each one. Sometimes when I am writing I find it helpful to present the emails in the style that represents that company’s branding or approach.  

So, I’d encourage you to think about the whole idea of evaluating the appearance of what you’ve written and understand why. Take the time to pause and double check tone, approach, and confirmation of clearly communicating your message.  

It’s not a multiple personality thing.  Don’t worry.  It’s a multiple font thing and it’s intentional.