The Sales Evangelist

One of the biggest challenges in business is keeping that constant flow of new customers in the pipeline.  How you brand yourself and your company is imperative in producing growth and recurrent revenue.    Johanne Wilson is co-founder of a Florida-based design agency called COOL Creative. COOL stands for Create Out of Love. Their branding comes from a creative and design standpoint.   Challenges in sales Every company experiences challenges when it comes to sales. Understanding those challenges and learning effective ways to overcome them can increase your sales. It can also clarify your target audience and reveal how to best go about reaching them.   Find effective ways to pitch so you can have a healthy flow of clients and client work. When you do, you’ll create active, recurrent clients that return again and again.      From a fashion standpoint, offer enough product and keep it updated and fresh. The customer will keep coming in to purchase product and will create recurrent revenue.   Change product release times and inform the customer of new releases to keep him engaged..   Strive for constant communication with the customer in order to drive sales. Solutions to challenges Maintain consistent growth within your business. On the agency side, COOL Creative developed a growth plan that would move the sales needle. For example, making an investment in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program provides tools for creating an effective growth plan. Johanne realized that she was spending too much time on client work and not enough on the sales side of her business. As the business leader, she realized she was spending a lot of time on design because she was comfortable with it. She was not investing enough time in the sales side.   She learned that in order to be a good business person, you have to become a good sales person as well.  You must familiarize yourself with the aspects of business that you aren’t comfortable or familiar with.   Prioritizing sales On the fashion side, pushing more on advertising, marketing, social, communication, and partnerships with influential people like celebrities can all help drive sales. Right partnerships can lead to other agencies funneling clients your way. Work smarter, not harder. Identify the areas that need more attention and push toward making those a priority. As an entrepreneur, Donald neglected the sales facet. But once he made sales a priority, everything else fell into place. As a business leader, sales is a necessity. Nobody knows your business better than you.  Nobody can sell it better than you. It can be hard to let go of the things that got you into business in the first place. Identify the areas of business that aren’t as strong. Invest more time and energy into those areas. Business will become healthier and you will be able to serve clients better.   Understand your clients’ issues and the strategies you will use in solving them. Then attach a price tag to those solutions. When you and the client see amazing results from something you helped him with, it’s rewarding. Bringing a client’s idea to life or bringing a business objective to life makes it all worthwhile. Create Out of Love (COOL) speaks for itself when these instances occur. Results of changes Growth is always a good indicator for having made positive changes. You don’t have to do anything drastic: small changes can have big rewards. What are you focusing on? If your head is always down working on the deliverables, which is important, you must make sure there is a strong person on the sales side to keep the engine moving.   Speaking to the creative entrepreneur, don’t forget why you are in business. While it is the creative piece that got you started, you have to get good at the business side, too. This includes sales, accurate bookkeeping, and meeting with other professionals to make sure that the business stays in good standing. "Constant Flow of New Customers" episode resources           You can reach Johanne Wilson online at www.coolcreativeinc.com.  Here you can link to the online shop, Instagram @CoolCreativeinc, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. If you put in a lot of hard work in 2018 but weren't able to close many of your deals, we can help you fix that. We have a new semester beginning in April and it would be an honor to have you join. Visit thesalesevangelist.com/CST. If you haven't already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It's super easy, it's helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Stories provide a powerful opportunity to connect with your prospects, and story selling can push you across the line and even make you more successful than the competition. They can even help you overcome a less superior product because people respond to good stories. Stories as a lifeline Good stories can separate you from your competition. I'm putting together a workshop right designed to help business owners understand the power of stories in the selling process. Many of them are trying to land big contracts without great stories. I call this process edutaining, and it differentiates those who do it well. After all, anyone can talk about their product or service. Not everyone can explain how it solve problems for clients. Not everyone can give specific examples of the difference their product or service made. Your prospect wants to hear why it matters. He doesn't care about your software or widget; he cares about what it can do for him. [Tweet "When you share the story of your widget and the problems it has solved for other people, your buyers will engage. You'll build a connection with your buyer that will make him want to hear more. #StorySelling"] Focus on "why" I'm helping a client build a huge presentation for a corporation her company has done business with in the past. She'll be educating these buyers about her company and its offerings. As she prepares, she's trying to determine what exactly she should say. We're working to provide the "whys" of her company instead of focusing on the "what." Rather than address what they do, what they offer, and what they can create, she'll focus on why they've done those things. Why did you start the company? What makes you passionate about solving this issue? Why do clients seek your products? When she told me the story of why she started the company, she came to life and her excitement pulled me in. She told me about her first client and the series of events that launched the whole company, and she pulled me in. It didn't matter to me that she had been in business for 15 years. The buyers Think about your buyers. Spend time thinking of examples of the ways you help your customers solve problems. Ask yourself what your buyers are most concerned about. Think back to an experience when you helped a client solve an important problem or prevent a crisis for their own customers. Then, weave that into your presentation. In the case of this client, her company had suffered a bad experience because of a product delay, and she was concerned about how to handle the situation. To take the fear out of the incident, she decided to tell a story that directly addressed it. She acknowledged that her organization isn't perfect, and then she addressed how they had fixed the mistakes that happened in the past. She emphasized her company's desire to never make the same mistake twice. "Story Selling" episode resources The TSE Certified Sales Training Program addresses how to provide value to your buyers. We discuss the importance of teaching and educating them using stories, and you can be part of it. This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program, which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in April. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It's super easy, it's helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven't already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single episode, and share with your friends! Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Salespeople often adopt a commodity selling mindset instead of a value-based mindset, which leaves them making less money than they could have made. They find themselves asking, “how low can you go?” Jonathan Dale works with RS&I, a nationwide company with nine branches throughout the United States. They have become the largest distributor and sales agent of dish networks. Anyone wanting the ability to resell dish networks must go through RS&I to do so. They also own HughesNet, one of the largest satellite internet providers. Jonathan manages the Vivint portfolio. As a sales leader, he teaches sales reps how to keep the sales process simple by breaking it down. Jonathan has had so many different experiences with both sellers and partners. It brings a whole other level of complexity to his role as a sales leader. Focus on value He remembers knocking on doors to sell home security systems for a company called Pinnacle. It is where he learned the ‘Art of the Sale.’ Although he didn’t particularly love it, he admits that he did learn from it. The following year, after several failures, he fully understood the sales process and realized he was a salesperson. It required taking a step back and looking at sales in a whole new way. Jonathan believes that salespeople commonly place a stigma on sales, or have a mindset about it, that prevents them from being successful. It is a mindset that they have to sell based on price. Jonathan’s biggest struggle when training new reps in the home security industry is teaching them to become more of a value salesperson versus a commodity sales rep. He wants them to pitch the overall value of the service rather than diluting the service. Let the customer decide what the spending habits will be. The opportunity for a sales rep to make the most money is when the customer is comfortable with where he wants to be.  Often times, as sales reps, we want to fit each customer into the same size box. Yet, at the end of the day, if we try to force that fit, we lose money. Forcing our clients into a package that they do not need only leads to chargebacks. Don’t compete on price Jonathan works with over 350 different retailers that take Vivint as a secondary, tertiary, and even fourth line sale. It is a struggle to get them to understand that he doesn’t want them to compete on price. Instead, he wants them to have a conversation about the value of the service and let the customer decide if the product fits their needs. Sales reps, however, are prone to touting the price because it seems easier. Jonathan made an interesting transition two years ago which was actually detrimental for a few months. He moved from home security sales - a totally valuable sale - to satellite sales which was more of a commodity. He realized he was losing money because he wasn’t committed to the value of the product. Often times, sales reps want to take the path of least resistance - the easier sale. If you can provide the customer with benefits, instead of simply selling features, you create value in your product. By allowing the customer to then determine his spending habits, your earning potential is maximized. Don’t lead with your own wallet When I sold training classes for $10K a class, the most money I had ever had in the bank at one time was $3,000. It made no sense to me. I just couldn’t understand why someone would spend that much money. As a result, it definitely limited my ability to sell. I needed to realize that my clients would get a huge return on that $10K investment - that there was a value to what I offered. [Tweet "Don’t assume what the prospects can, or cannot afford, based on your own wealth. #SpendingHabits"] We don’t know their spending habits or capabilities. Instead, believe that your product is the best in the industry regardless of what the competitors offer. Know that your prospects will pay for it because it is the best product available. Keep it simple Keep it simple, silly!  K.I.S.S is an acronym that Jonathan keeps in mind when he teaches the retail process to his sales reps. Look at the product in total. Do not ‘product spew,’ meaning, do not lecture your prospects on every single detail of the product because that is not what they need. Instead, sell the benefit of the product. Increase the value of the product by explaining the ways it can serve the customer. When the question of price arises, turn it back around and ask the customer what he feels it is worth.  If all went well - if the sales rep has created significant value in his presentation - the customer will be pleasantly surprised when presented with the cost because he has placed an even higher value on it. Commodity selling means to provide the customer with the necessary scenarios to imagine for himself the benefit of your service. Know that value should exceed cost Everyone wants to know what's in it for them. They want to know the biggest return they can get on any investment. As sales reps, keep that in mind. The sales pitch has to continually revolve around it. When the customer can see the value - when he understands what is in it for him -  he will buy. At a recent door-to-door conference, Jonathan was looking for a new accountant when he approached an accountant booth a few rows away from his own booth. They told him everything he wanted to hear. Without even knowing the cost, Jonathan was ready to sign because he immediately understood the value they offered. It was a no-brainer. In the end, the new accountant service was more expensive than the old service he had been using, but to Jonathan, the value exceeded the cost. Keep up with the evolving world of sales As a sales leader, Jonathan spends a lot of time on the road. He ‘gets down in the trenches’ with his sales teams to introduce new ideas and to show them how to make changes that, despite sometimes being more difficult at first, will bring in more money in the long run. He sets the example for his team. In sales, we sometimes get into a comfortable rut regardless of results. We can’t afford, however, to continue down a road that does not deliver results. The sales industry is continually evolving and changing. New ideas and new processes are constantly created. You have to study and keep up with the times. Have fun as well. The sales process can be a fun way to learn about how people think. Figure out how people think and use it to your advantage. Be forward thinking in your sales approach. “How Low Can You Go?” episode resources The best way to reach Jonathan is via email at Jon.dale@rsiinc.com. This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. If you put in a lot of hard work in 2018 but weren't able to close many of your deals, we can help you fix that. We have a new semester beginning in April and it would be an honor to have you join. Visit thesalesevangelist.com/CST. If you haven't already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It's super easy, it's helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

As sales reps, we all want to know how to turn a ‘No,’ to a ‘Maybe,’ to a ‘Yes!’ Tamara Thompson is the owner of a creative video production company that brings compelling stories and brands to life; from events to influencers to business owners. It is for those who need marketing assistance or who seek to broadcast their authority across different social media platforms. Video is her forte’. She is very passionate about it and has directed several documentaries. Tamara started using a video camera at the age of 7 and followed her dream into film school before launching her own business, Serious Take Productions, in 2012. She is now focused on building her sub-brand, Broadcast your Authority, to help empower more female business owners – from taking the stage, to gaining media exposure, to implementing video that will attract and keep attention. Tamara knows full well that receiving a ‘No’ in sales is inevitable. She used to take it personally until she read The Four Agreements, a book which she credits with changing her life. MOVING BEYOND ‘NO’ Now, she views ‘no’ with a different mindset. That ‘no’ can turn into a ‘maybe’ and then into a ‘yes’ when you have the mentality and are able to think abundantly in order to handle rejection. Taking rejection personally only allows it to spiral out of control into negative feelings about one’s abilities. The more positivity flows around you, however, the more you are able to deal with objections. To handle the conversation, you have to be able to listen to why they are saying ‘no.’ It is a preemptive process. It is the preemptive way of thinking when entering into any conversation: don’t expect a ‘no,’ but recognize that it may happen and be prepared. When facing ‘no’ as an answer, it is time to discover why the hesitation exists. In this way, you can provide a different solution that caters better to the needs of your clients. As the owner of a professional video company, Tamara knows she has the one-up in many situations simply because, in order to build a relationship with her clients, she needs to know exactly what entices them most and what they need most. As an example, Tamara recalls hosting a ‘sale from the stage event.’ It’s a selling opportunity to a massive amount of people who are then invited to ask questions and to sign up for video retreats. One woman, in particular, had many questions about her unique situation. Tamara was able to zero in on the specific hesitations of the prospect and cater to her needs as a result. Relating to the prospect and fully trying to understand the reasons behind any hesitation is how Tamara is able to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes.’ LISTENING She doesn’t view ‘no’ as a rejection or a lack of interest but rather as a call for more information. A weak seller might give up but a great seller will try to be helpful, to relate, and to listen. When you truly care about the people you are working with and for and want to build a relationship with them, it is easier to steer conversations toward ‘yes.’ Once you understand the struggles and objections, it is easier to respond properly. Tamara is passionate about her business. She is confident that listening and empathy can go a long way in helping sales reps close deals even if they are not particularly passionate about their product. New sellers sometimes don’t know what to listen for. Tamara recommends doing research on any person you hope to speak with. Take time to learn their lifestyle and interests and what their brand and business look like. Then tailor your questions accordingly. The right questions – the right amount of interest in what the prospect is already doing – can open them up to tell you more. Find out why they do what they do and where they want to go. Most prospects are passionate about their business and when they are hesitant to make a change, you can hear it in their voice. Once you understand their goals, you can help them past the hesitation. BEING PERSISTENT If a hesitant ‘no’ is still the answer, Tamara recommends follow-up. Aim for a ‘maybe’ even if it means following-up multiple times, or several months later, because people are busy and can’t always respond the first time. Once the prospect realizes that the sales rep is attempting to provide a solution and to help versus just trying to make a sale, it opens doors. Persistence and the ability to listen to the real concerns of any prospect are Tamara’s key pieces of advice.   Give prospects the opportunity to understand what it will really be like to work with you. #ProspectExperience CLICK TO TWEET   The more they can see the value in what you offer, the more ‘no’ moves to ‘yes.’ “HOW TO TURN A ‘NO,’ TO A ‘MAYBE,’ TO A ‘YES!’” EPISODE RESOURCES Check out Tamara’s video content and learn about upcoming events on the Director Tamara Thompson Facebook page. You can learn more about compelling videos, event videos, and influencer and speaker trailers produced by Serious Take Productions at www.serioustakeproductions.com. This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program, which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in April. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode, and share with your friends! Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

On today's episode, I share why sellers must stay focused on their customers, and why AT&T customer service caused me to switch providers. My phone was disconnected. I couldn’t receive calls from my clients or from my family. This episode goes beyond sales and is more than just another episode. People matter Salespeople sometimes forget that people matter, so let my experience with a disconnected phone serve as a direct reminder about the need for quality customer service. Too often, large companies don’t seem to care about small individuals. As such, I feel a moral obligation to use my platform to share this incident so that others may benefit from my experience. Brand loyalty I remember back in 6th grade when my mom got me a pager from BellSouth. I felt like the coolest kid on campus. My friends could reach out to me and I could send messages to them; it was all very exciting. I got my first prepaid cell phone in 7th grade, also from BellSouth. I became an AT&T customer when they acquired BellSouth and I had no complaints. Eventually, I moved to the Nokia phone with text messages and minutes - and, of course, I chose AT&T.  When I moved away to college, I tried to take AT&T with me but there weren’t a lot of cell towers back then so it couldn’t happen. They released me from my contract and I signed on with Verizon. Verizon was fine but I was excited when AT&T expanded its coverage and I could use them once again with my new iPhone. My family and I used AT&T for everything. It was a sad day when we moved and had to switch to Comcast but it was exciting when we were eventually able to switch back once again. We understand that companies grow, things happen, and changes are made. We didn’t like all of AT&T’s new ideas but we rolled with the punches and kept moving. A lot of plans have changed in the industry. There is a different structure to leasing phones now, for example. They also offer a prepaid plan where, if you pay off your phone, you have unlimited use for just $45 a month through an automatic bank withdrawal. Sounded good to me! Text notifications let you know when the amount will be withdrawn from your account so you can prepare. It was all running smoothly until we noticed some fraudulent activity on our bank card during the holiday season. We decided to cancel the card and apply for a replacement. You can see where I’m going with this … No customer loyalty About two weeks later, AT&T disconnected my phone, so I called them right away. I certainly accept responsibility for my share of the problem but let me tell you what happened. Because my plan had ‘expired,’ they had cancelled my services -  without notifying me. Additionally, the prepaid plan that I had enrolled in was offered only as a limited promotion. To obtain the same plan again would cost me $65 a month. The money was not the issue. The principle certainly was. The customer service representative told me that because the plan had expired, I could not renew it despite that I had never canceled it. My years of loyalty as an AT&T customer were meaningless. What was my incentive to stay with a company that did not return the same level of loyalty, or care, toward me? I didn’t have time to argue. Since I needed my phone for work, I agreed to the higher plan, but only while I courted new companies, namely T-Mobile. I raised the question on social media and found not only that people seem to love T-Mobile but, at the same time, there have been an increasing number of dropped calls with AT&T service. It is definitely time for a change. Two-way street The lesson behind this story: remember that your customers and your clients are people. Cultures change and some companies get stuck in archaic ways of thinking. [Tweet "When a company chooses to rest on its laurels instead of seeking ways to continually improve, customers will leave. #CustomerExperience"] They will move to businesses that give them attention; ones that are more nimble and flexible. Don’t let your business model be stuck in the past, unwilling to deviate from the old standard. Are you flexible? Do you bend to help your customers or do you expect them to bend toward you? This month, as we focus on client success and customer service, I urge you to evaluate the way you treat your clients. Are you putting the people who pay you first? “Why AT&T customer service caused me to switch providers” episode resources  This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. If you put in a lot of hard work in 2018 but weren't able to close many of your deals, we can help you fix that. We have a new semester beginning in April and it would be an honor to have you join. Visit thesalesevangelist.com/CST. Check out BombBomb, Loom, Wistia, and Soapbox to help you make emotional connections with your prospects by embedding videos into your emails. If you haven't already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It's super easy, it's helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

As sales reps, we often forget that we can show our customers love through effective onboarding. We invest so much of our focus on getting new customers that we don’t necessarily think about how we can deliver an awesome experience once they’ve committed. Jamie Masters has been a business coach for over 10 years. She has interviewed close to 500 millionaires and billionaires in business in order to learn what they actually do, as opposed to what is written about them in books. As a result, she has extensive knowledge about how successful people run their businesses. THE NITTY-GRITTY DETAILS She says business is never pretty and certainly never perfect. But there are many cool ways, she has learned, to make the nitty-gritty details easier, better, and less stressful. Many entrepreneurs and salespersons are visionary, big-idea thinkers who sometimes find themselves frustrated when they try to implement their ideas. It is imperative that they find someone who can help accomplish all the minor details; to help with the nitty-gritty. Jamie used to work as a project manager – she identifies as a Super Geek – but yet even as the owner of her company, she struggles when dealing with details. She just hates it.  Her right-hand operator, however, has no problem handling details, for which Jamie is eternally grateful. Business owners and salespeople, generally speaking, have many similar qualities. Most of the time, for example, the owner is often the salesperson for the company, particularly in the beginning. It can be difficult, however, to concentrate on the visionary quality and relationships of the business without having to worry about dropping things. BACKUP PERSON Having a backup person who can help with the nitty-gritty details provides that opportunity. The freedom to maneuver without worry makes a huge difference. Jamie knows from experience that people are usually super-excited about a sale at the beginning. But if important details are dropped as the process moves along, the customer will begin to have reservations and will doubt the legitimacy of the product and the sales rep. There are ways, however, to automate the sales process which will not only allow you to keep your customers but will impress them. If you are successful in sales, the process will only repeat itself – hopefully, many times over – so why not put a system in place to make it easier for everyone? When a company is organized, when it has a great system in place, it is exciting, as a sales rep, to execute the vision. It is exciting to share a level of expertise with your clients. It makes the clients feel important and valued as well. THE PROCESS If, for example, you can’t find the onboarding documents to send to your new client, or you don’t know which revision to send, it only creates confusion and unnecessary stress for everyone. As a business coach, Jamie’s clients begin by walking through each step of their current process to evaluate what works and what doesn’t work. Each piece – every email, every document – is analyzed from the viewpoint of a prospect and a client. Are the forms up-to-date? Are they relevant? Jamie learned of many instances when a client was turned off by the onboarding experience despite the broad value of the product or service. They simply would decide to look somewhere else. If money has not exchanged hands yet, however, you are still in the sales process. Onboarding does not begin until a payment has been processed. She prefers to frontload the payment and to begin the onboarding experience after. Handshake deals require a lot of work up-front but offer no guarantee. Of course, it does depend on the industry. It is important to know and understand the differences between those requiring high-touch and those that are low-touch, for example. YOUR STRENGTHS Jamie’s operator keeps things running smoothly and makes sure Jamie is doing what she needs to do. Salespeople don’t always think about the benefit of having an assistant but they should. Jamie believes it is important to decide how much you are willing to invest in the onboarding of your customers. If you are dealing with high-touch sales, for example, the number of nitty-gritty details can be overwhelming. In some instances, it can involve sending welcome packets and gifts. It just depends on how you want to set it up. Jamie usually sends a welcome packet to increase the level of touch. Her customers also have the opportunity to follow up with a person via an online forum. It enables her to gain as much information from the client as possible so that she can, in return, ensure that she meets their needs. LOVE LANGUAGES The 5 Love Languages is a book with an online quiz that Jamie recommends. It will let you know if the use of love languages is appropriate for your industry. Jamie discovered that, for a business coach, it is completely appropriate. Each person thinks differently about things. Some clients might love to receive gifts, for example. Jamie sends very tailored gift packages to her clients to make them feel special. The contents are unique, interesting, and useful, and the effort makes her business stand out. It is also a way to acknowledge the sometimes large amounts of money your client has invested with you. It is a handwritten note but on a larger scale.  The time and effort spent personalizing the interactions you have with your client will deepen the relationship with that client. Something as personal, yet as simple, as an actual phone call also shows that you care and are willing to go above and beyond the usual. The goal is to reduce the number of touch points without sacrificing value. When the process is automated, you can maintain the number of touches without creating more work for yourself. Then, instead of sending one overwhelming welcome packet, you can divide the content into several gifts. It is why Jamie prefers payment up front. It allows her to then focus on collecting the data she needs to learn more about her customers so that she can find the best way to proceed with the onboarding experience. She sends one email or questionnaire at a time so that no amount of required paperwork takes up too much of her client’s time. It is all automated. The forms or emails are sent only as the information is needed. In this way, the client is never overwhelmed with nitty-gritty details. EMPATHY FOR CUSTOMERS Jamie’s newest program, Ownerbox.com, is for busy entrepreneurs who are all working 60 hours a week. The last thing they want to have to do is more paperwork, which creates more work with no results for the effort or the money. Jamie doesn’t allow them into the site or the program at the beginning. Instead, they receive one video which she personally views with them. She does not want to overwhelm someone who is already super busy and stressed. She strives to make sure their experience is smooth and simplistic. It helps to imagine herself as the customer and to then tailor the onboarding experience the way she would want to experience it. Sometimes, as sales reps or business owners, we are too close to our own work. We continue to do things a certain way because ‘it has always been done that way.’ It is easy to see the gaps in another person’s process and realize how small tweaks along the way can make a huge difference. GAME TIME Think about what you can do to make the process easier. What can you do to create an experience that will excite your client?   Focus on the things you do best and hire an assistant to take care of the nitty-gritty details that you don’t enjoy. #Outsource CLICK TO TWEET   It has been said that ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.’ As entrepreneurs, it is sometimes all we do! We gain another client but then scramble to find the right documents. The whole goal is to gain more clients and make more sales, but we can’t do that when we are distracted by the nitty-gritty. Jamie strongly believes that it does not take a lot of time to rethink and clarify your onboarding experience. Something as simple as knowing the client’s birthday and setting up an automated system to send out a card will return dividends. YOUR SOFTWARE Nine times out of 10, people don’t like the software program they have. All software has problems but knowing your software well and making it work for you and your team is vital. Make a commitment to the software program you’ve chosen, learn it, and love it. It will save you time in the long run. Jamie insists that we make time now in our calendars to take action on everything discussed here today. While it is not urgent to the onboarding process, it is important because it will make all the difference in the long run. Spend an hour and make the necessary tweaks. “EFFECTIVE ONBOARDING” EPISODE RESOURCES Jamie has kindly put together an entire landing page of checklists and other information especially for TSE listeners. Find it at www.eventualmilllionare.com/TSE. You can also learn more about Jamie and her team at www.ownerbox.com. This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program, which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in April. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode, and share with your friends! Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

As entrepreneurs, many of us run into difficulty, especially when we are just starting out. The key is tobe bold and take action. Dr. Tye Caldwell is the CEO, co-founder, and visionary behind the success of ShearShare. Realizing what the future could hold for both the beauty and barber industries, he created a platform for licensed professionals to move from working in their homes to working in salons, barber shops, and spas. This created not only opportunities to work in places where they could be classically trained, but created an opportunity for increased income as well. Dr. Caldwell has been in the industry for 25 years. He’s an instructor with a doctorate degree in professional barbering and cosmetology and co-owner of an award-winning salon. Dr. Caldwell is also the author of Mentored by Failure, a best-selling book about how to be successful in the industry. CHANGING DYNAMICS When he approached his wife, Courtney, with the idea for ShearShare, she admits to being hesitant. He reminded her how they used to have stylists on a waitlist who wanted to work at their salon, but that it was no longer the case. Instead, he had stylists who just wanted to rent a space for one or two days a week. Courtney liked the old-school way when stylists signed a long-term contract and became part of the team and the culture. But her husband was persistent. He knew he’d rather collect some money on the empty chairs than none at all. It was a success. Everyone loved the experience and flexibility. So much so, that they began to call other salons to find spaces for stylists who were traveling. Word got out quickly. More and more stylists called looking for spaces where they could work by the day. Fast forward three years and the Caldwells knew they were on to something. The beauty industry, as a whole, has been archaic for years, according to Dr. Caldwell. With only four ways to actually work – by commission, by renting a booth, in a salon, or as an employee, stylists were unable to work where and when they needed. ACCESS OVER OWNERSHIP The Caldwells wanted to change that and they knew technology was the key. These days, because of advancements in technology, people can press a button to get a ride, to have food delivered, or to rent a room in someone’s home instead of a hotel. The beauty industry needed to be more on-demand as well. Because they both serve on advisory boards for beauty schools and barber colleges, the Caldwells knew it was something the next generation wanted. ShearShare is the first mobile app that allows a stylist to rent a salon or barber shop space by the day. Taking three years to fully develop and implement the idea allowed them to realize the different ways it would, and would not, work. The industry is fragmented in some areas which made it difficult. Barbers differ from salon stylists who differ from cosmetologists, for example. The Caldwells had to consider the viewpoints of the various professionals and they had to consider both sides of every issue from an owner, and user, viewpoint. TAKING SHAPE Once they listened to what the stylists and clients really wanted, the app began to take shape. Users, for example, want to know that the stylist is licensed and how long the stylist has been in the industry. Users also want to see pictures of the salon, read reviews, and see map locations. The Caldwells had no idea, however, about how to start a business or find investors.  They only knew that the app they wanted to create hadn’t been created yet, so they drained their savings account and hired someone to build it. Looking back now, Courtney is glad they spent three years as a concierge service. It allowed them time to learn the questions that stylists always asked as well as the expectations of the host salon. They learned the required data that the app would eventually need to succeed. The app works similarly to an Airbnb app in that the Caldwells are paid a percentage of the booking fee whenever a stylist reserves a space. Word-of-mouth is the best way to grow in the beauty industry so the Caldwells visited salon owners and attended many stylist events to fan the flames of interest. DETERMINATION The fear of rejection never entered into their minds because they knew rejection was simply part of the process. Instead, they were determined not to quit. Many entrepreneurs sit on their ideas because they are waiting for approval from someone else. The Caldwells understood from the start that not everyone would sign on right away, or realize their vision. It is easy to give up when those around you don’t share the same dream. Once they plant a seed of doubt in your mind, it is easy to talk yourself out of trying to achieve your dream. The one-percenters of the world take that next step. It is how we know the name Oprah Winfrey, or Tyler Perry, for example. They are the people who kept with it. They moved past the rejection and the negative comments. Look at the people who are doing successful things and know they are doing so because they put their mind to something and because they possess the willingness of heart to achieve it. Focus on your dream, stick with it, and keep pushing. The Caldwells were able to lean on and support each other. They had no technical background upon which to build the app but they knew people who could. And they had already proven the marketability of the idea. MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE Despite the complications and challenges, they knew it could be done because they had listened to their customers. They knew the struggles of both the salon owners and the stylists. The Caldwells were able to bridge the gap by talking to people on both sides of the industry. The Caldwells credit the beauty industry community, which they have been a part of for over 25 years, as the foundation of their success. Instead of emailing or posting on Facebook, for example, they send text messages to their community. They know from experience that it is the best way to reach a stylist or a barber; folks who don’t carry their laptop to work. They found a way to use today’s technology to meet the new demands of a business that has been around for generations. ADVICE FOR NEW ENTREPRENEURS Dr. Caldwell knows that you must turn your idea into a solid plan. Then, find a mentor and build relationships with people who can give advice and breathe optimism into the plan. In the case of ShearShare, they had a friend who was able to connect them with app developers, who in turn told them about a contest for new businesses, which pushed them into an incubator. It all boiled down to having solid relationships. When Courtney thinks back to the early struggles, she is thankful that they had people they could rely on. It got them through the days when things weren’t going as planned. She is also thankful that they were not afraid to make cold calls. Don’t ever think that someone is too busy or too successful to help others. Courtney has found, instead, that once people realize you are trying to do something positive, they are willing to give back and help.   If the idea is good – and you put in the work – you will get the dollars. #Work CLICK TO TWEET   The best piece of advice she ever received was from her husband: “Just jump. Grow your wings on the way down.” “BE BOLD, TAKE ACTION” EPISODE RESOURCES You can learn more about ShearShare at www.shearshare.com. The Caldwells are also on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If you’d like to follow Dr. Caldwell’s crazy life as a startup founder in the beauty and barber space, you can find him on Instagram at drtyecaldwell. This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program, which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in March. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode, and share with your friends! Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Emotional connections are an important part of life but sometimes sales professionals forget that those emotional experiences can help us make genuine connections with our prospects. In some cases, those emotional connections can help us close more deals. On Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing some ideas for ways that you can build emotional connections with your prospects. TSE CERTIFIED SALES TRAINING PROGRAM The TSE Certified Sales Training Program began as a result of my inexperience as a seller. I wasn’t a great sales rep, but I went through training that transformed me. I created TSE Hustler’s League, which was my own version of a sales training program. Since then, that program has evolved into the TSECSP. You can take the course alone or with a group to gain from group coaching. The new semester will begin in April. CONNECTING WITH BUYERS Salespeople often overlook the importance of connecting with buyers on an emotional level.   People make decisions emotionally, but they justify them logically. #EmotionalConnection CLICK TO TWEET   At some point in your life, you were likely interested in someone but you were afraid of letting that person know. You might have even been rejected by that person. Imagine your buyers in that scenario. They encounter emotional experiences daily. They have problems and challenges daily that they need help solving. If you step into that role, you have an opportunity to create emotional connections. BEST CLIENTS Think back to those clients you’ve successfully brought on board. Perhaps they were afraid of losing their jobs if they couldn’t solve a problem at work. Or afraid of losing track of invoices. Or unable to follow up on opportunities that came through their pipelines. They likely signed on with you because you were able to demonstrate to them how they could solve a problem. You created a connection by helping them. SENDING EMAIL If you’re sending email as part of your prospecting process, are your subject lines boring? “Join us for a free webinar.” Your prospect doesn’t care about your webinar. He cares about his problem. He doesn’t care about your business or your product until you show him how it can help him. Tap into his struggles to help him care about your business. If you’re dealing with finance directors who are frustrated with the invoicing process, try this subject line: “Dave, are you frustrated with these invoicing situations?” That may not be exactly his struggle, but if the rest of your ideal customers are struggling with this issue, it’s likely that Dave is, too. If Dave is, in fact, frustrated with this issue, he’ll likely click on your email. When he opens it, the first line will include his name, and will immediately tie back to that subject line. “We’ve helped more than 10,000 finance directors solve the problem of not being able to process invoices on time. We’ve helped them avoid miscalculations and lost invoices.” PROVIDING SOLUTIONS Once you’ve made an emotional connection with your buyer, you can offer the solution to his problem. Then, after you’ve explained the remedy you offer, you can invite him to join your masterclass or webinar. It’s possible that your prospect won’t respond to the first email because he’s busy, but you can grab his attention with email number two. When you demonstrate your understanding of his pain and his challenge, he’ll likely feel connected to you. USING VIDEOS Videos help you build emotional connections because the prospects can hear and see your emotion. Tools like BombBomb, Loom, Wistia, and Soapbox allow you to embed videos directly into your email so that your prospects have an opportunity to make a human connection. That 20- or 30-second video allows them to hear and see your emotions. You can share an experience you had in the past or a solution you’ve provided to a previous client. Sellers who do this well throughout the pipeline can tap deep into emotions. It’s one thing to tell a prospect that you can save him $50,000. It’s quite another to talk about the extra fees that a company is needlessly paying each month because of missed reports and missed opportunities. People lose their jobs over those kinds of issues, and VPs feel the pressure to fix those problems. When you can demonstrate how your company can prevent those people from losing their jobs over missed reports and missed opportunities, that $50,000 savings feels more personal. BUILDING VALUE Build value in your stories and demonstrations. Tap into their frustrations. Reiterate their challenges and explain how you can help them tackle those challenges. Work to build emotional connections. This stuff works, which is why we share it here. “EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS” EPISODE RESOURCES This episode is brought to you by the TSE Certified Sales Training Program. If you put in a lot of hard work in 2018 but weren’t able to close many of your deals, we can help you fix that. We have a new semester beginning in April and it would be an honor to have you join. Visit thesalesevangelist.com/CST. Check out BombBomb, Loom, Wistia, and Soapbox to help you make emotional connections with your prospects by embedding videos into your emails. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

So often, as sales reps, we neglect to realize that the customer journey starts with the prospect experience. Sean McDade, PhD, is the founder and CEO of PeopleMetrics; a software and services company that helps organizations measure and create a better customer experience by listening to their customers and prospects.  Sean is also the author of “Listen or Die: 40 Lessons that turn Customer Feedback into Gold,” a book about how to listen to your customers, clients and prospects in order to create a better experience for them. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Any time that a company interacts with a customer or prospect, they are providing a customer experience. It could be a digital experience on a website, an in-person experience through a meeting with a sales rep, or customer experiences via contact centers or online chats. A great company is one that consciously manages those interactions to create positive experiences for their customers. As a sales rep, the experience you give to your prospects is very important. The prospect’s interaction with a sales rep sets the tone for the experience he can expect as a customer. This is especially true if you are selling B2B products, software, professional services, or any high-end consumer products that a prospect is likely to spend significant dollars on to purchase. A sales rep can increase the value in the sales process by answering questions in detail, by solving problems, and by reducing pain for the prospect. The metric used to measure customer experience is substantially higher for sales reps who add value over those who do not. When a prospect feels that he was lied to, or misled, at the beginning, it is difficult to recover. The great sales reps are the ones who set the tone for a great customer or client experience over the long-term. As for the sales reps who are not setting a positive tone – Sean believes they are creating the very real possibility that the client will churn in the future instead. MARKETING VS SALES Marketing sets the brand promise. They set the expectations but it is up to the sales reps to bring it to life. The prospects will remember their conversations with sales reps long after they’ve forgotten the marketing campaign. The sales rep has more credibility and is more effective, as a result, in setting a positive – or negative – tone with the prospect. POSITIVE PROSPECT EXPERIENCE PeopleMetrics measures various attributes by sending a survey to each prospect to determine the experiences that the reps create. In this way, Sean has found the prospects always feel that value has been added to their experience whenever a sales rep is able to provide these five things: Be prepared. A great sales rep is one who is super-prepared. They know the prospect inside and out; the reps don’t ask questions that are easily found online, for example. Be comfortable answering questions. A great sales rep understands their prospect’s situation and can suggest solutions. Be a good listener. A great sales rep listens more than he talks and will really understand the needs of the prospect as a result. Be knowledgeable about your product. Be able to answer questions beyond what is already available online. Be proactive. Be timely and follow-up.   When you add value to the experience, the prospect will not only be a client that buys more, he will be a client that provides referrals. #Referrals CLICK TO TWEET   Referrals are key, especially in the B2B market.  At that level, buyers actually seek out referrals from other buyers before making big decisions. THE CONSULTATIVE SALE REP As sales reps, we sometimes feel as though we are simply taking orders when, in truth, we should aim to be more of a consultant for the buyer. The company we work for should be one that values the consultative element: providing training, experience, and hands-on opportunities for the sales reps to really learn the product well. As an example, Sean has a great rep at his company who is generally tasked with opening doors by understanding the prospect’s needs, identifying problems, and introducing solutions. On his own time, the rep learned the product inside and out to the point where he can now read the reports the analysts write for similar-type prospects. He knows the industry, the language, and the company so well that he is extremely credible as a result.  The value that the company placed on his training continues to pay off. Unfortunately, a lot of smaller companies are unable to provide training, so it is up to the rep to become consultative through proactive measures. Learn as much as you can about the product and the industry and talk to account managers who are servicing similar products, etc. LEARNING YOUR CUSTOMER As sales reps, we don’t need our buyers to know all about our business. Rather, we need to learn as much as possible about theirs. We need to be able to help them see their blind spots and identify their weaknesses so that we can create a great prospect experience by providing solutions. Nothing annoys a buyer more than having to answer questions simply to bring a sales rep up to speed, especially when it is something the sales rep should already understand. Instead, if you can offer the buyer insight into the many ways that your product can reduce their pain, or further them in their careers, you are already ahead of the game. You’ve got the inside track. It reminds me of a story where a sales rep friend of mine was shadowing a more established rep. The established sales rep, however, was also a really cocky and arrogant guy who didn’t feel the need to do any research on his prospects before a call. He was confident that his knowledge of the product would be sufficient to land the sale. Long story short: Because the sales rep failed to take the time to research an acronym that he had seen on the prospect’s website, the sales rep misused the acronym and was unable to recover. It was a horrible experience that could have been prevented with a little research. THE STATISTICS PeopleMetrics researched 800 B2B buyers and discovered some fascinating reasons as to why they buy or don’t buy. Seventy-eight percent of B2B buyers actively seek recommendations from their trusted colleagues as their first step toward a purchase. They rarely look online or make a choice based solely on an interaction with a sales rep. Seventy-six percent of the time, the recommended company wins the contract. The losing providers, on the other hand, are almost never recommended. Furthermore, the sales rep makes a huge difference as to whether or not a company is recommended. Sixty-one percent of B2B buyers that bought something report that the sales rep provided high value: he was consultative and he was prepared. He provided a positive prospect experience. And here’s the kicker: the sales rep that provided the high-value experience for the B2B buyer got bigger contracts – up to $100,000 more within the 800 buyers. THE CHAMPION CYCLE Seventy percent of B2B buyers who experience a high-value meeting recommended the provider to others. It is a cycle that goes around and around and around. It all comes down to the experience that the sales reps have with the prospects. Sean highly recommends reaching out to your prospects after interactions with your reps. Ask them what they did well and what they could do better. At PeopleMetrics, the survey takes less than a minute and they regularly see a 75% response rate.   Was the meeting valuable? Was the rep prepared? And most importantly – do you have any concerns related to moving forward? This is a beautiful question because, as sales reps, we waste a lot of time chasing leads that are going nowhere. This question offers a non-confrontational way for a prospect to let us know if our product is not a good fit. Then we can focus our efforts on prospects who are. E-COURAGE The survey is sent to every decision maker in the group who attended the meeting.  Sean does not recommend, however, having the sales manager call the prospect with the same survey questions as it is unlikely they will provide completely truthful answers. People are more likely to provide honest feedback via digital means than in person. THE NET PROMOTER QUESTION “How likely would you be to recommend our product or services to a colleague?” Sean is working with a company that is taking this one step further. Their sales reps call and thank every single customer who provided a 9, or 10. This simple act has resulted in even more referrals! The mindset of most sales leaders is very hard-charging, or maybe marketing owns the customer experience side of things. Once the sales leader recognizes customer experience as a revenue-generating opportunity, he is more likely to implement it. Sean recalls a client who left a meeting feeling very confident that he had landed the sale only to receive lukewarm feedback.  As a result, he was able to get on the phone and determine where a misunderstanding had occurred. He was able to turn it around and make the sale. PeopleMetrics Valuable prospect experiences can be easily and systematically incorporated in very low stress ways. At PeopleMetrics, they are super passionate about the prospect and customer experience.  Their software automatically sends the survey to your prospects. Once prospects complete the survey, the company sends an email alert of results along with recommendations on how best to proceed. PeopleMetrics also provides the ability to focus on which reps are doing well, and which ones might need more assistance. It is a complete solution for improving the prospect/customer experience by helping companies listen to their clients. The prospect experience is the key to delivering a great customer experience that can hopefully last a lifetime. Take the guesswork out of it.  Know how your sales reps are interacting with your prospects. “CUSTOMER JOURNEY STARTS WITH THE PROSPECT EXPERIENCE” EPISODE RESOURCES You can reach out to Sean via email at Sean.mcdade@peoplemetrics.com , or find him on Twitter @smcdade. Learn more about the company at Www.peoplemetrics.com. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode. Share it with your friends who would benefit from learning more. This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in March. This episode is brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. Mailtag.io will give you half-off your subscription for life when you use the Promo Code: Donald at check out. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

When you’re working to stand out from the pack, there are 3 simple things you can do to offer exceptional customer experiences. In this day and age, it is easier now that ever before to stand out by offering a great experience because so many others, quite frankly, are not. We can get almost anything we want quickly and easily. That focus on speed, however, eventually causes the quality of the customer experience to decline. Think about it. So many organizations focus on speed in order to beat their competition or to attain the numbers, that they neglect to put their customers first. While it is certainly possible to have both, it takes effort. The bar has been set low today. When we focus on the speed at which we deliver our product or service, or focus only on finding and getting new customers, we neglect the people we already have.   THE BUCKET ANALOGY We neglect the people we already have that are easier to sell to … the ones who can give us referrals … the ones we can upsell ….We neglect them and waste our time running back and forth, here and there, instead. It is the bucket analogy all over again. We work hard to fill our buckets by bringing people in only to have them fall straight out the holes in the bottom. We need to be sure to plug those holes so that our hard work doesn’t drain away. One of the things we can do to show love and care and respect to our current customers is to woo them, right from the start, with a great experience. What happens too often is that we knock on doors, blast emails, and get their attention with great marketing messages. We sell them on a dream or a vision, and we deliver our product quickly. But we neglect to consider our client’s experience. EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES YOUR CLIENT’S NAME Dale Carnegie once said that “a person’s name is to him/her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” It’s true.  We can be in a large crowd but if someone calls our name, we immediately turn around. We want to know who knows us. Using your client’s name in conversations creates a more personalized experience. It is as simple as “What can I help you with today, Amanda?” I know for sure, that if you are going to call my company or connect with me, I will respond much better if you use my name. Be sure to address your client the way he prefers to be addressed. For example, does he sign his emails as ‘Dave’ or ‘David’? If you aren’t sure, just ask. The simple task of asking about something that is important to him shows that you care.   HOW YOUR CLIENTS MAKE MONEY If you plan to teach them how to save money, or how to bring in more money, you best know how they already do it. This is why it is important to study how various industries work and operate. If your client is a nursing home, for example, a simple google search can help you understand if the client makes more money via patient stays or from insurance payments or Medicare payments. Having a basic understanding makes the conversation so much easier. When the client knows that you understand the challenges he faces, he’s more likely to listen to your solutions. PERSONALIZED INTERACTIONS Send a thank you note at the very end of your conversation, even if it is the first meeting. “Dave, it was amazing to connect with you last week” or “I look forward to talking to you again soon, Amanda.” It doesn’t have to be elaborate or lengthy. In fact, what you say in the note isn’t as important as the fact that you took the time to send one. It is great to send an email as well, but a thank you note demonstrates a higher level of care. It gives an added touch. Additionally, the thank you note will be delivered 3 or 4 days after your conversation. It serves as a nice reminder of the conversation, and it helps you stand out. You can also personalize your presentations. Use your client’s logo and tagline in every presentation you make for them. It is another added touch that shows you care and that you are willing to take the extra step. It will help you stand out significantly over your competition. If you can combine these 3 simple things that offer exceptional customer experience with the delivery of amazing speed, you are going to be totally fine. I’m sure of it. “EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES” EPISODE RESOURCES This episode is brought to you in part by our TSE Certified Sales Training Program, which teaches you to improve your sales skills, find more customers, build stronger value, and close more deals. The next semester begins in March. This episode is also brought to you in part by mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. It’s super easy, it’s helpful, and I recommend that you try it out. You’ll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss a single episode, and share with your friends! Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com