You are free to use the material from these articles in whole or in part on your web site or eZine (email newsletter) as long as you include the attribution below and also let me know where the article will appear. "This article is by Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Robert's web site is a comprehensive resource on marketing for Independent Professionals. For free marketing resources and valuable marketing tools visit http://www.actionplan.com"

Marketing Articles on Persuasion Selling the Future When meeting with a prospective client, you're trying to understand their problems, determine their objectives, explain your services and outline the many benefits of working with you. But what if it's not going anywhere? No matter how much you ask, how well you present your advantages or how sincere you are about helping this prospective client, things don't seem to be clicking. In that case, I suggest selling the future. What I mean by this is going beyond outlining objectives, value and measures of success (which most of us don't do a good job with to begin with), and helping the prospective client get in touch with their real motivation to take action, to move in a new direction. This motivation always lies in the future and it lies inside the client, not outside. You need to go beyond the surface and discover their highest aspirations, their most compelling dreams. How do you do this? Once you've learned about their situation and problems and discussed objectives and outcomes, what you need to do is dig deeper and learn why those solutions or outcomes are important to them. You're really always asking the same question: "If you got X, then after you have it, what do you want that's even more important?" But as simple as this might seem, the ultimate result can be very powerful..... You: "If we handled this problem for your company what would be different than it is now?" Prospect: "Well, I think we'd be much more productive." Y: "And if you were more productive, as productive as you can imagine, then what would you want that was even more important?" P: "We'd be more profitable, more successful. Our products would sell better and our customers would be happier." Y: "And if you were more profitable, more successful, with happier customers, then what would you want that was even more important?" P: "This would be a great place to work. We'd have fun, energy would be high and we'd all love working here." Y: "And if it became a great place to work and you had fun and energy and and you all loved working here, is there anything else that's even more important that you'd want?' P: "No, I think it would be great if we could achieve that!" Y: "I think so too. I'd love to work together with you to help yopu get there. This is exactly what we do for our client companies. When would you like to get started?" P: "Right away!" What happens in this process of selling the future is that your prospect gets in touch with what they really want, what's really important to them. And when that is clear, people become motivated to move heaven and earth to get that result. If you have helped facilitate this process, they will see you as a partner in producing that result. You've asked the right questions, you've listened, you've resonated with what was important to them. You've clicked. Doesn't it make sense that this would dramatically increase the chances of them working with you? I challenge you to start selling the future to your clients. It's what they want. Help them see it and then help them get there. What work could be more exciting than that? Taking a Fresh Look at Selling In his book, "Marketing Your Services" (by the way one of the very best books on this topic), fellow marketing consultant, Anthony Putman, makes a rather radical statement about selling. He says to avoid "using persuasion" He doesn't say to avoid "being persuasive." What's he talking about? Have I told you that when asked what the stereotypical salesperson sells, the most common answer is "used cars"? We look at selling as the same thing as selling used cars! A wonderful image don't you think when we're out there trying to get new clients? That's what Tony is talking abut. We click into this inauthentic salesperson persona and try to start persuading people. Needless to say, it's a big turnoff. We come off as manipulative and sleazy. Using persuasion in this context means using techniques before focusing on relationship. It means having your whole attention on getting the sale, not on how you can serve. It means listening only so you can get your prepared pitch in, not really hearing concerns. Good, professional salespeople are very persuasive but they don't use these outmoded persuasion techniques. So how does one succeed in "being persuasive" instead of "using persuasion?" Good question. Here's a few ideas. 1. Set the stage for any sales meeting, whether on the phone or in-person with a statement of purpose: "What I wanted to talk with you about today was how we can reduce your attrition rate." With this statement of purpose the conversation becomes focused. There is no hidden agenda and you learn quickly whether or not you are on the same page. 2. Make sure the majority of the time is spent in asking questions and really listening. The more you know about your prospective client's situation, the better you know if you can help them or not. Don't just accept answers at face value. "Question into" the answers you get to learn more. "You think you're losing people because there is poor communication in your company - tell me why you think that makes people want to leave." Too many people just jump from question to question, never really getting to the heart of the problem or understanding the issues involved. 3. Ask questions not just about problems and the current situation, but questions about the future and about aspirations. "Well it makes sense that you want to keep your people and you want to save money in hiring costs, can you tell me what you might be able to accomplish if you had a more stable workforce?" A question like this might uncover the hidden motivator that will move a prospective client to action. When they tell you their dreams you start to realize that your service can truly help them achieve those dreams. When you start to get excited about their goals, your excitement is contagious. It makes them want to work with you. 4. Asking for the business can actually be the easiest part of the selling process if you've really connected with the problems and the desires of your prospective client. At some point in the sales conversation it's your turn to "invite" them to take the next step. "As I explained, our program is guaranteed to reduce attrition by a minimum of 50%. (assurance) When that happens I think you'll really get the opportunity to become the leader in your industry. (acknowledge stated goals) The way we start is with a complete review of your hiring process and interviews of managers in all departments. (matter-of-fact process) I could start as early as next week. (availability) Does that work with your schedule?" (confirmation of their availability) The only reason we need to "use persuasion" is when the value of what we have to offer doesn't really address the needs of the prospective client. Fancy and manipulative closes, leading questions, and other less-than-savory selling techniques have no place in your repertoire. If you truly believe in what you have to offer and do your best to find out what's needed you'll "be persuasive" without a lot of "persuasion" or effort. Is Selling a Talent, A Skill, or a Process? Sales is all of the above. And if you're going to be successful in your small business you've got to first understand sales and then master it. First of all, there are many misconceptions about sales. Sales is about deception. Sales means being pushy. Sales is manipulation. And if you believe these you're going to have a very hard time. How about a change of belief? Sales is about honesty. Sales is about listening. Sales is about helping. If you start to think of sales in this way it will be a lot easier for you. After all, don't you want to be an honest, listening, helping salesperson for your services? The good news is that excellent salespeople are exactly this way! So lets take the ideas in the title one at a time... Sales as a Talent. You are actually a born salesperson who lost the talent as you matured. It used to be easy to ask for things and to "make your case." But you got "professional" and stopped doing what was natural. So don't worry about talent. Just learn the skills and the process. Learn some basic Sales Skills and all the talent will come back to you naturally. The key sales skills? Simple. Listening for what people want and need. Asking questions to find out more. Presenting what you have in terms of both features and benefits. Answering objections and questions with logical arguments... And finally, simply asking your prospect to take action. Yes, it takes time and practice to master these basic skills, but the truth is, they are at the heart of all selling. How about Sales as a Process? To me this is the most interesting part of selling and often the most important. Selling, especially for high-end products and services is a multi-step process that can take quite a long time. It is not a one call proposition. So for your particular situation you need to map out the process from A to Z before anything else. For instance, here's my sales process for selling marketing consulting services to a larger client. 1. Pre-qualification - They call as a result of a referral or from marketing I've done and I find out something about their needs and their situation. I tell a little about what I do. 2. Information - I make sure they have enough information about me so they can at least determine if I might be able to help them or not. For this I send them a brochure or direct them to my web site. 3. Appointment - If I can help them and they are interested, I set up a presentation. 4. Presentation - I then give them a presentation on the 6Ps of Marketing so they better understand where I'm coming from and so they can see the possibilities of us working together. 5. Needs Assessment - Next I find out everything I can about them in a face-to-face meeting to determine exactly what they need, their budget, etc. 6. Proposal - I write up a very specific proposal outlining exactly what objectives we will accomplish and how I will go about doing it. 7. Negotiation - We discuss the fine points of the proposal and come to an agreement as to how we'll proceed. 8. Consummation - The client signs the proposal (contract) and we start working together. To do this whole process successfully you need to be aware of what step you are on at the moment and clear about what step you want to get to next. For the sales process to be successful, you must actively guide the process. If you don't it can go in any direction. This guiding of the sales process is NOT manipulation in the traditional sense, but it IS control. And believe it or not, prospects like to work with someone who is in control, who knows where they're going, who knows what do do next. So yes, sales is a Talent, a Skill and a Process. But perhaps understanding the process is the most important. If you do, you are likely to close a great many more sales.   Telephone Magic After a very involved discussion with a client last week about turning telephone conversations into appointments, I remembered once again what an art this can be. You know the scenario: You have a "live" prospective client on the line, but by the end of the call, for no discernable reason, you haven't set up an appointment, let alone turned them into a client. They ask you to mail materials or say they'll look at your web site and get back to you. Not only do they not call back, they won't even return your calls! Depression ensues and the nagging thought that a regular "9 to 5" wouldn't be such a bad idea right now. I was trying to remember when this turned around for me. I can't recall if it was one big realization or simply a slow increase in my telephone skills over time. But some- thing definitely happened and now when I receive a call it turns into a client close to 100% of the time. Many years ago, when I was a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, I had assembled a mailing list of several potential chamber members to see if they could use my services. I wrote a one-page letter and followed up by phone a few days later. I remember, even today, the queasy feeling in my stomach as I picked up the phone. One of the first people I reached was a corporate psychologist. I had prepared my opening "pitch" and I fumbled through it.... "Hi, this is Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. I sent you a letter last week about my services. I work with small professional businesses to help them improve their marketing. I really have no idea if you are currently looking for help in this area, but I wanted to follow-up and see if there might be a connection." Well, perhaps I lucked out that day. I had caught this corporate psychologist at a good time and he started to talk. And talk. And talk. And I stated to ask him questions and really listen. I don't think I could have "sold" him anything if I had tried. I just clung on to the phone and listened as hard as I could. At the end of half an hour or so he had pretty much told me the story of his business and his struggles with marketing. And then I said something that has served me well for many years: "It sounds as if I can help you. What I suggest is we set up a meeting and discuss exactly how in more detail." He was more than willing and, ultimately, I turned that meeting into a very good consulting project. What I now do on the phone (although most people call me) is really pretty much the same and it works just as well. I unfailingly do the following five things. 1. I ask a lot of questions and really listen--with no agenda 2. I don't pitch my services or try to convince them of anything. After all, I don't know if I can help them yet. 3. When they ask me a question, I answer briefly and then ask them another question until I really understand them. 4. I try to learn about their objectives, not just their current situation. I want to know if they have a vision that things can be different and that they're open to getting assistance. 5. Only when I'm certain I can help them and that they are open to that help, do I suggest we get together for an appointment. I know this sounds too simple, but you can't argue with success! If turning phone calls into clients isn't working for you, I suggest you give these five steps a try as well. Turn Solutions into Dollars This past Thursday during the monthly TeleClass on "Selling Your Solution", we got into an interesting area that was unfamiliar to many. We discussed what it meant to "monetize your solution," or turn the solutions you offered into bottom-line savings or revenue increases. I'm convinced that the failure to do this contributes to an untold number of lost sales. Simply put, people don't buy because they don't see the bottom line value of working with you. So how do you monetize your solution? Let's come at this from the perspective of the sales conversation. You're meeting with a client and learning about their needs and desired objectives. You realize that what you offer can produce a bottom-line result. The company is experiencing a high attrition rate. Employees are leaving and the prospect needs to keep hiring. You ask what the cost of attrition in the company is. You don't accept a general answer. You ask specific questions like the following, and write the answer down on a piece of paper. You want to get ball park figures and be pretty conservative. OK, what is the percentage of attrition you are experiencing yearly? What does that work out to in the number of employees you need to replace in a year? And what is the average cost to replace a new employee? And what do you figure it costs in terms of training this person and getting them up to speed and productive? Great. So we have about 500 employees a year that you need to replace at an average cost of $30,000 in replacement and trainingÝÝcosts. That equals Fifteen Million dollars per year as the current cost of attrition. Is that right? What we've been able to do with companies like your is reduce attrition by a minimum of 25%. That would mean a conservative savings to you of $3.75 million per year. Now I'm not sure that saving $3.75 million is a high priority for you. This will take some hard work and commitment on your part.ÝÝDo you think this is worth pursuing? What you are doing here is having the prospect give you the data from which you make a simple calculation that shows what the problem is costing. Then you throw it back on them and ask them if they are committed to solving the problem. OK, here's another one for a career coach. You've said that you've been struggling to achieve some very important goals, but things keep getting bogged down. Do you mind if we take a hard look at what that is costing you? OK, you want to move forward in your career. You know you could be earning more money. What do you think you should be earning every year? OK, that's about $20,000 more than you're making now. Over five years that's $100,000. What would you do with that extra $100,000? You want to be able to take a big overseas vacation every year. Where do you want to go? Why do you want to go there? WhatÝÝwould it mean to you to achieve this goal? Great. In the past five years of working with people as a career coach, I've helped more than 70 people increase their income by 30% orÝmore. I think your $20,000 per year increase is actually pretty conservative. This will take some commitment on your part, but if you're willing to go for it, I'm willing to take you on as a client. And I promise to attend your going-away party for your first big vacation! When do you want to start? Here the coach is both tapping into the financial difference her services will deliver and the dreams the financial goals will help fulfill. Now clearly, this is not something you come up with on the spur of the moment. What you need to do is some soul searching about what you are really offering your clients. If what you provide just "makes people feel good," you're going to have a tough time marketing and selling yourself - especially in this economy. Marketing Flashes on Turning Solutions into Dollars * The first thing you need to do is find an area where you can make an improvement for your clients and attach a dollar figure to this improvement. For some, as in our attrition example above, it's relatively easy, but what if it's hard to measure? * Say you're doing leadership program. What's a leader worth? Ask your client to pick two current employees - one leader, and one who would not be considered a leader (but who has potential). Then ask them what the leader brings to the bottom line in a year's time. Ask what the other person brings. The difference is what it costs for this person not to be a leader. * Take team building: how do you monetize that? Do the same comparison with a team that is highly productive vs. a team that is less than productive. The differential is what it costs to have an unproductive team. Of course you really need to dig in here and come up with a figure they will agree with. * What if your service cannot be monetized? You do therapy or graphic design and the ultimate results are more intangible. Find a way to make these results more tangible and get your prospect to sell you: "This new design is going to give your company a whole new identity. Tell me what this will mean to your company over the next ten years. What will it mean if you don't have a new identity?" * Here's where the soul searching comes in: You need to deliver a service that actually will produce that result. But most Independent Professionals are selling a process: Leadership Training and Team Building. Stop selling those and start selling the results. It's a big shift. It will take a lot of work. It will change your life. Return to Index of Marketing Articles These articles give just a taste of what you'll find in the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. Check it out!