As the marketing sphere continues to quickly shift and grow, the different needs that are unique to each company you work with also grow. This places heavy dependence onto the virtual marketing manager, which is why it is crucial to get the right person on side.
As a Marketing Director, I am obviously pro-automation platforms. In fact, I don’t believe you can successfully activate your marketing across all channels without a solid automation platform. However, there are times when I just need to facepalm and wonder what the hell people are thinking!
The goal of sales is to sell something to someone. You need someone to say “yes” to what you’re offering. There are many techniques you can use to increase your chance of getting a “yes”. One of my favourites is the psychology of persuasion.
We work with a lot of reluctant salespeople and more often than not, the part that they find hardest about a sale is the close. And, the close is critical because without it you (and your company) doesn’t got a return on all the time and effort you put into the sale. It also doesn’t need to be something to fear.
The endgame (and really the whole point) of a sale is for your prospect to say, “yes”. We’ve talked a lot about having a process and what actions you can take to increase the chances you get a “yes”. But how else can you persuade your prospects to buy what you’re selling?
After being born into a broken and dysfunctional home, Sharn Piper was supposedly destined for a life of drugs, gangs and eventually prison. After being expelled from three different schools and being told by teachers and his own Father that he would grow up to be nothing, Sharn almost fell into that exact fate. However, through resilience and a couple of key conversations with certain people, he was inspired to not let his past define his future.
A self-proclaimed “jack of all trades and a master of none” – Air New Zealand’s newly appointed chief executive, Greg Foran, has inspired the team here at Attain with his customer-centric leadership style, a people first culture and a holistic take on leading.
The final part of the story of The Tortoise and The Hare takes a very different track to the other three parts and provides some valuable lessons.
FEDeral Hospitality Equipment’s story shows that good marketing works and is a great example of return on investment (ROI) when the right tactics are implemented.
Much like parenting a houseplant, marketing tactics and content strategy appear risky, especially not knowing for sure what the return on investment (ROI) will be.
Whether you have a big budget or not, you should always put time into researching, creating a thought-out strategy and doing the proper planning. The time and effort will always pay off.
Many companies this Christmas have been exposing the holes that exist within so many families and embracing the real and raw situations that are painfully highlighted every year for a large lot of us – and it’s winning everyone over.
A brand is more than just marketing and a fancy logo – the brand tells your story. Therefore, getting your name out there, and having campaigns around awareness, understanding and education for your brand is an invaluable first step.
Sales activation, making sales happen, may seem a more obvious priority. Others will argue that a balance between the two is needed, but that answer seems trite. Brand building on the other hand, could be viewed as just a ‘nice to do’ — particularly by medium and mid-market companies.
Marketers are always looking for ways their business can stand out from the rest, and storytelling is a particularly strong route for provoking emotions among prospects. Where do we draw the line when it comes to exploiting characters and film narratives?
Understand what you’re good at (and not good at) and play to your strengths. Don’t be afraid to work with others who are good at what you’re not.
Don’t give up. Sales is all about sticking in there – following up and being resilient.
Reputation media, marketing and sales agency Attain has announced a merger with Auckland design agency Brandstorm, under the Attain banner, in a move that adds strong brand design capability to Attain’s full service integrated sales, media and marketing offer.
Full-service means being able to offer a full range of services for a full outcome. In fact, the definition of a full agency twelve months ago is different than it is from today. The full service agency of today and tomorrow needs to offer everything — media, creative, marketing and sales into one seamless offering (including ‘sales’ in the mix is not a typo).
Some companies and organisations have a thankless (but essential) job, for example waste disposal, the department of corrections or property development.
“You manage things, you lead people.”
I love this quote from Grace Hopper because understanding this is your first step to leading an effective sales team.
This year, the top 200 law firms in the UK have produced roughly 188 content pieces each and have increased their online content production by 93 per cent since 2014.
Did you know that cat’s eyes (the reflective road safety devices illuminated by headlights on modern roads) – owes its existence to marketing?
As sales coaches and trainers, we see a lot of sales mistakes.
In fact, I made a ton of mistakes when I was starting out (and still make many mistakes today!) one of my main goals is to have written on my headstone “Here lays Sharn Piper – The most successful, unsuccessful person to ever live”.
Recently I saw a Facebook post criticising Dils Funeral Services. A resident near the North Shore Memorial Park posted video of the Dils crematorium facility belching clouds of black smoke into the air, asking the question, “How are Dils allowed to do this?”
The launch of New Zealand’s newest full-service marketing agency brings together a collaboration of sales, marketing and media experts with the aim of fully integrating the sales and marketing campaigns, teams and functions into one seamless revenue generating department.
Training is a staple of the sports world. It’s how sportspeople and sports teams reach and stay on top of their sport.
How often do they talk about how well they trained leading up to a big match?
I remember when I decided to take up the sport of boxing.
Business is full of processes. It’s how we create efficiencies, measure results, and train new people joining the company.
However, it’s amazing how many people look at me blankly when I ask if they have a sales process.
Without a sales process, you’re ‘winging it’.
I have been asked this question a lot lately. Over the years I have seen hundreds of proposals. Some have been very poorly written proposals that instantly turn a buyer off, others were really well structured proposals that help make the buying decision easier.
You probably know the story of The Tortoise and The Hare.
Once upon a time, a hare was bragging about how fast he was – the fastest of all the animals in woodlands.
Listening to the hare’s boasting, the tortoise spoke up, “I’ll challenge you to a race.”
We’ve all got to the point (for some of us it’s pretty frequent!) where we throw up our hands and say, “I don’t have enough time.”
Normally this is followed by listing the large number of tasks that you still have to do on your to-do list (assuming you have one).
What if the story of The Tortoise and The Hare didn’t end after the tortoise won?
The hare having lost one of the most famous races in history, eventually gathered up his dignity and asked for a rematch.
A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim (Oxford Dictionary).
You’ll find strategies everywhere, from business to board games to battles.
Research would suggest that having a set sales process adds anywhere from 18% to over 50% to your sales results.
BUT there are also losses and restrictions that come from that structure that many love dearly.
When a lot of business owners think of sales they think of cold calling. And when they think of cold calling, they think of one of their least favourite things to do. Which is probably putting it mildly!
https://itbrief.co.nz/story/knock-technology-off-its-pedestal-expert-says
Click here to view the article
https://nzbusiness.co.nz/article/out-skilled-mature-and-inexperienced
https://bizedge.co.nz/story/employers-need-to-get-over-stigma-as-workforce-changes
Imagine your favorite sports team without a coach.
It’s pretty hard too, right? A coach is absolutely critical to the success of a sports team.
That’s why they’re normally in the firing line when their team is underperforming!
A great coach can make the difference between a team doing poorly or doing well.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/fred-adelhelm-teachers-have-the-upper-hand-in-pay-negotiations/
https://bizedge.co.nz/story/how-to-avoid-disappointment-from-seo-cowboys
How do you like to be motivated? What is it that if your manager did, you’d be inspired to go the extra mile?
Keeping your sales team motivated is an incredibly important part of being a sales manager.
However, there is no “one size fits all” approach to motivating people.
https://bravenewcoin.com/insights/new-financial-products-launch-globally-as-crypto-turns-hot-again
https://www.nbr.co.nz/story/how-crypto-craze-helped-fund-kiwi-home-health-solution
There is a saying “there is no point climbing the ladder to success if it is leaning against the wrong wall.” Whoever they are – they are right.
https://www.nbr.co.nz/story/unlocking-healthy-homes-data
Did you start your business to become a salesperson?
Not many people like selling or being thought of as a “salesperson”. They have often started a business or been moved into a technical support role because they are good at what they do and can solve problems for their customers, but they never set up their business to be a salesperson.
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There is a common statement that we often hear from many different people and that is “I’m not in sales”. When T.V shows and movies depict salespeople as con-artists, manipulators, and greasy haired, shiny shoe door knockers, it is no wonder people do not like to consider themselves “In sales”.
The way we date has changed over the years, but there’s still a process for developing a relationship with someone. You can’t just skip to the end – the proposal.
It’s no different with sales.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/104648917/playing-up-we-try-fit20
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/new-auckland-gym-promises-get-you-fit-in-just-20-minutes-week-without-sweating
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How does it feel when you’re at the top of your game?
Whether it’s sports, a hobby or work, when you’re performing well it’s an awesome feeling and the results are pretty spectacular.
Unfortunately, you don’t always perform at that level.
How many times have you heard “no” from potential customers that you’re trying to make a sale to?
I bet it’s a lot.
And I can tell you the longer you’re in sales, the more no’s you’ll get. In fact, most likely, the no’s will far out way the yes’s.
If you dread it when a prospective customer says, ‘let me think about it,’ you may benefit from a process – proposed by New Zealand’s foremost thought leader in sales excellence Bill James – that helps you land the sale from start to finish in virtually one sitting.
