| Everyone talks about strategy, but do we really | | | | contacts at the client, then get it transcribed and |
| understand it? | | | | put it into a 3-5 page "study." Then take that |
| There are two types of strategy-business | | | | study and offer it on the website (get emails |
| strategy and sales strategy. Strategy, at it's core, | | | | before you let people download it) and it becomes |
| is "how will we accomplish our goals?" But | | | | your brochure. Throw out all the brochures that |
| business strategy is very different than sales | | | | puff about how good you are-and use the white |
| strategy. I'll leave business strategy to the big | | | | paper to do that for you-in the words of your |
| boys-Tom Peters, Jim Collins and the rest. | | | | clients. There are even companies who do white |
| We'll talk about sales strategy today. Because in | | | | papers (for about $2000). |
| our sales training business we find companies | | | | 2. Have a Seminar (User Forum) for Your Clients |
| have spent very little time on sales strategy. Yet, | | | | and Invite Prospects |
| it is the very thing that can propel enormous | | | | Or have your customers invite their associates. I |
| sales and revenue growth. Sales strategy is the | | | | have yet to see a company who is selling their |
| "how" of "how will we approach our clients and | | | | current customers EVERYTHING they could. |
| acquire them?" Cold calling is a strategy. Direct | | | | There seems to be so much "testosterone" |
| mail is a strategy. Neither are optimum, but both | | | | around conquering the new account that we |
| can work. | | | | forget about easy ways to do it. |
| I prefer companies have a multi-point sales | | | | 3. An Educational Strategy |
| strategy. And "referrals" should ALWAYS be a | | | | I would say one half of your prospects don't |
| component of it. | | | | know the scope of what you do-nor do they |
| Here's an example of one of our clients who | | | | know how to think about your category of |
| came to us for help. They had 3500 customers | | | | solution. Therefore, education is in order. You |
| across the Midwest. Their chosen strategy | | | | must educate them-not to how great you are |
| though, was to ignore a "referral" strategy and | | | | (that's a common blunder) but to what kind of |
| focus on prospects they didn't know-commonly | | | | pain they may be feeling without your solution. |
| known as a "cold call" strategy. Absurd. | | | | Every marketing book says that people are on a |
| My Suggestion: | | | | continuum from UNAWARE to ACTION. One stop |
| My belief is that a sound sales strategy should | | | | on that continuum is COMPREHENSION-meaning, |
| make things easier-not harder. So if you have | | | | they comprehend that they have a problem |
| 3500 customers, I wouldn't make even ONE cold | | | | worth solving. |
| call. I would do several things: | | | | These are a few of the many sales strategies |
| 1. Do a Case Study ("white paper") | | | | that we use in our practice of helping sales teams |
| Go back to those customers and do a "white | | | | increase revenue. I hope these can help you do |
| paper" on how the solution impacted their | | | | the same. |
| business. Have a professional interview several | | | | |