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A Proven Sales Process Should Educate First, and Entertain a Distant Third
Written by: Leanne Hoagland-SmithArticle Overview: Are your marketing activities focused on wining and dining your potential customers or educating them? Today, education must come first beginning with your own education and then educating your customers.
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A Proven Sales Process Should Educate First, and Entertain a Distant Third
For many years, the marketing activities within the sales process focused on wining and dining the customers and did very little to educate them. Now, with technology and a lot more sales savvy professionals, the focus is on educating the customers specific to how their needs and wants can be met.
If you truly want to increase sales, your must know how your products or services can help your customer meet their known and unknown needs by addressing the real problems. In many cases, effective fact finding discovers the real problems and not just the symptoms posing as problems.
For example, customer service through poor on time delivery is a perceived problem. The need is timely delivery. However, the businesses' existing policies or procedures or even lack of personnel may be the real problem and is reflected by issues within customer service. By educating your customer, you can demonstrate how your solution can be sustainable and generate a positive return on investment.
Educating your customers does demand more of your time because now you must truly walk in the shoes of your customers and if possible your customers' customers. Until you truly know the customers’ concerns or what some call pains, you cannot provide real answers to address those pains.
Now you must truly move out of your comfort zone and begin to increase your own knowledge. Within my business coaching training practice, I have increased my knowledge specific to a lot of areas that 10 or even 5 years ago I would not have considered such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and effective marketing copy just to name a couple.
Recently in working with a new client, when he mentioned technology in health care, I brought up writing prescriptions through PDA's. He was quite surprised that I even new of this technology less alone understood the potential value from reducing errors in reading prescriptions to saving time.
To educate a customer begins with your own education of the ever changing marketplace. By taking that action, you will increase sales and become that trusted adviser to your clients and potential clients. The added benefit is that you can truly enjoy entertaining your customers when the opportunity presents itself.
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About the Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith RSS for Leanne's articles - Visit Leanne's website  Her book, Be the Red Jacket is a no-nonsense and quick read to help discover potential gaps that may be keeping you from your goal to increase sales. The forward is by Evan Carmichael of EvanCarmichael.com Remember if you think you cannot or you think you can either way you are right. (Henry Ford). Sales Coaching Tip: Change your thoughts; improve your results. Click here to visit Leanne's website   Leadership Assessment Leadership Audit For Business Business Building Check List |
Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
I second the request...
Re: Email Marketing, Permission Based
- I agree that a double-opt-in (i.e. confirmed opt-in) system of email marketing is the best method.
Of course, having people confirm their subscription is no guarantee that they will read your email!
Signing up subscribers is only the FIRST stage. The next thing you need to get is their TRUST, and the best way to "get" is not to "sell" but to "give"...
- give freebies
- give useful, valuable tips
- get the subscribers to feel that opening your mail is something WORTH SPENDING TIME ON. Entertain them, make them laugh, but always give them something of value connected to the niche market that your newsletter deals with.
- invite feedback
- use the [[firstname]] tag, and don't be afraid to use it in the newsletter title field either!
Cheers,
David H
Re: On taking Action
- [quote="jvprosperity":1hd0zjku]I was surprised to not see the words along the lines of taking deliberate action within the article.
Do yo think it's an important part of the 6 points Evan summarized from the article or is it implied?[/quote:1hd0zjku]
Hi Andy,
I think taking deliberate action is implied in the six points. For instance, I interpret them as follows:
1. Set your sights on where you’re going - Write your goals down on paper.
2. Educate yourself - Read everyday about your field and even take courses on it.
3. Passion pays off - Enjoy what you're doing.
4. Grow your money - Invest your money.
5. No guts, no glory - Go out and sell your product/service/self everyday as if it were last.
6. The Biggest Secret? Stop spending. - Put aside as much money as you can into savings your account/retirement fund.
Hello From Marietta GA!
- Hello All!
My name is Tim Naylor and I am in Direct Sales! I am glad I have found EC's sites and I hope to learn and share a lot!
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