March 16th, 2010
How to be yourself, have fun and sell a ton on stages and teleseminars!
I want to introduce you to a friend of mine, Lisa Sasevich, also known as the Queen of Sales Conversion. She’s about to rock the “speak to sell” industry AGAIN with her BRAND NEW teleclass!
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
9pm UK * 2pm Pac * 5 PM East
Lisa is going to reveal a BIG AH-HA she recently had about what she REALLY did to sell over 7-figures speaking last year (and it’s the OPPOSITE of what you’ve likely been taught!)
Here’s what you’re going to learn on this revealing free call:
• Discover the ONE THING Lisa did differently than everybody else that caused her to not only have a 7-figure year but ALSO enjoy the most amazing clients. (She did the opposite of what you’ve likely been taught to do when you speak-to-sell…and it worked!)
• EXACTLY what you need to have in place to putting together a life-altering talk that feels GREAT to share without giving away the store! (AND has your ideal clients WANTING to invest with you.)
• How to instantly create hunger and desire for your products and services without being “salesy”
• Lisa’s BIG secret to attracting 100% of EXACTLY the perfect clients and none of the, well, not-so-perfect ones
• A simple technique that Hollywood uses to capture attention and sell tickets all the time that will work for you too!
And much more….
Here’s the link to reserve your spot in this complimentary teleclass…
http://bit.ly/sellingsecrets
Best Wishes,
Bernadette Doyle
www.clientmagnets.com
Tags: attracting clients, chasing clients, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, sales strategies, sales strategy, Selling, Success Secrets, teleclass, teleseminar
Posted in Business & Money, Business Plans, Business Success, Cash Flow, Presenting, Sales Motivation, Success Secrets, Teleseminars, teleclass | No Comments »
March 8th, 2010
“Begin with the end in mind.” Stephen Covey
Have you noticed that there seems to be a trade-off in every aspect of marketing and sales? Whether it’s trading information, trading money for products or even trading a free item for contact information….The reciprocity touches all parts of your business.
One aspect that’s important in reciprocity is that you have to give before you get.
I’ve always encouraged the use of speaking engagements as a way to establish your expertise in your field, generate leads, and hone speaking skills. All this is done whilst selling your product and offering valuable information to the audience. But there’s another trade off that can take place during a speaking engagement, and that’s gathering key marketing information for future use. Not contact information, which is another opportunity in itself, but information that allows you to develop an empathy towards your client’s business.
At the beginning of each speaking engagement, take a few minutes to talk with the audience and establish a relationship. Ask them what they’re looking to take away from the speech. Notice the key issues that come up over and over in their responses.
This is valuable information that will help you understand the issues that your clients are facing. Not only will you be able to develop empathy for them, you will also be able to transfer those issues into your marketing materials as well. The more you are able to empathise with your clients’ needs, the better you will be able to meet those needs.
The same can be said for overcoming objections. Empathise with your clients’ objections to your product or service. It could be the cost factor, or the ‘it won’t help my business’ objection. Use that information within your speech to address each of these points and detail why they are not valid objections.
When you’ve gathered important, helpful information from your audience, you’re going to be giving the same in return. Your audience deserves that since they’ve taken their valuable time to attend your talk. At the same time you’re “planting the seeds” of need and overcoming objections whilst offering valuable content.
It is this content that will help people arrive at their own conclusion after your talk. That conclusion should be that the next logical step they take is to accept the solutions that you present to them. When a client reaches the conclusion on their own that they should buy your product, it’s so much more powerful than when it’s done through a direct sales presentation.
Setting up your speech to give the audience the opportunity to make their own conclusion will help seal the deal of any special offers that you’ve put together for that event. Whilst making immediate sales is a nice feature of speaking engagements, the information trade off can be invaluable to your business.
Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. She publishes a free, weekly newsletter for trainers, speakers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com
Tags: attracting clients, buyer behavior, chasing clients, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, sales strategies, Selling, targeted marketing, targeting clients, types of buyers
Posted in Business Networking, Business Plans, Marketing, Money Making Ideas, Presenting, Sales Motivation, target audience | 2 Comments »
February 19th, 2010
You can compete with the big name players in your market. You can attract corporate clients to buy your services, whether they involve negotiation skills, presentation skills, sales skills, or dealing with difficult clients and colleagues.
Sometimes, the idea that you’re at a disadvantage to the big companies is more in your own head than it is in your potential buyer’s eyes.
Here’s a simple formula to follow when competing for big business:
Be confident in your ability to deliver your product or service +
Distinguish yourself from the competition =
Clients will jump on your offering rather than you having to compete for their business.
Don’t be intimidated by the larger businesses who offer services similar to yours. Don’t let the heavy hitters in your area give you an inferiority complex.
Your business actually has a massive advantage over these bigger players…
• Many of these larger structures tend to offer fixed programs and fixed courses. There’s usually not a lot a room for customized, pick-and-choose type training. You’re not restricted in a way that a larger company would be. That actually means you can have a lot more flexibility for your client. You’re much more able to be responsive to their needs.
• Big companies tend to send in a very charming and persuasive sales person to close the sale. They go in with all the glitz, pretty brochures, maybe they even take the client out to lunch. Then they outsource to the most inexpensive person they can find to deliver the service, still charging the client a premium rate. Clients soon discover that the person who is actually put in front of them to deliver the training, do the consulting, or whatever the service is, doesn’t have that experience, that credibility or that authority.
Make it obvious, in your marketing material and also in your sales meetings, that the person the client meets going in, is going to be the same person that their end users meet. Without actually saying anything negative about the bigger company vying for their business, you’re planting a seed of doubt. You’re not badmouthing the competition, but you are giving the client something to think about that they may not have before. Where possible, you always want to sell yourself on your strengths as opposed to just going in and knocking the competition.
• When your business card is basically your name, you can sometimes feel, “I haven’t got the weight. I haven’t got this huge impressive organization behind me.” But, you have to start seeing that as a real advantage. Don’t underestimate a client’s ability to appreciate the fact that your business success hinges on your delivering the very best. You’re not just following some automated process. You’re really engaging with them and really getting to understand their business, so you can make recommendations based on your expertise and what you’ve uncovered as their real need. You’re literally staking your reputation on your service.
So, just because you’re not as big or as famous as some of the others, doesn’t mean you’re at a disadvantage. You’ve got to start to think about, “What do I have that these guys don’t have?”
Bernadette Doyle is a small business marketing expert. Get more tips and advice at http://www.clientmagnets.com
Tags: attracting clients, buyer behavior, chasing clients, Market share, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, sales strategies, sales strategy, Selling, Success Secrets, targeted marketing, targeting clients
Posted in Advertising, Business & Money, Business Plans, Business Success, Cash Flow, Marketing, Money Making Ideas, Presenting, Sales Leads, Sales Motivation | No Comments »
January 15th, 2010
When I first started my business, I would schedule speaking engagements with any group that would listen. I would have spoken to the local garden club if they would have had me. Why? Because giving an informational talk helps you make personal connections, raises your profile and gives you an opportunity to make sales to a group whose defenses are down.
Some of you have responded that it’s all fine and dandy to recommend giving speeches, but they didn’t know the first thing about how to get bookings. So I’d like to share some tips for you to help you get your speaking ‘gigs’.
1. Start Small
My first suggestion is that if you’ve not had speaking engagements in the past, don’t start off on a grand scale. Most people assume they need to be speaking to a conference of hundreds of people. I recommend you start small, perhaps with an audience of 20 to 40 people. It’s a good size to get you comfortable whilst giving you the opportunity to test ideas and approaches.
2. Approach Networking Groups and Organizations
Your first step towards a booking is to take a look at any networking groups, ones to which you belong or groups in your area of expertise. Chances are they have monthly or quarterly meetings. Offer up your services to the meeting coordinator or organizer. When you offer to speak, make sure you explain why your topic is relevant and will be a good fit for the meeting.
Even if you’re not a member of a local networking organization, you can take steps to locate one. Check trade publication, magazines, even the Internet. Determine who in the organization is responsible for booking speakers and contact them by telephone and offer your services.
3. Tailor Your Talk
Make sure to tailor the speech to fit the needs of your particular audience. You may need to put a new spin on your speech.
4. Establish Yourself As The Expert
Once you get your first few speaking engagements, you’ll see bookings begin to snowball. As you establish yourself in the market, people will begin to contact you rather than vice versa. Typically after a speech, someone in the audience will approach you and ask you to speak to their group. So you’re not going to have to make calls to book each and every one of your speeches. In addition to that, by giving speeches, you are establishing yourself as the expert in your field. Once you’ve become the expert, people will contact you, you’ll get more bookings and make more sales.
So take the first step towards booking your first speaking ‘gig’, starting small is fine. You’ll find your bookings and your audiences will begin to grow with each and every speaking engagement.
Bernadette Doyle is a small business marketing expert. You can read more of her articles on her blog at http://clientmagnetsblog.com
Tags: Inspiration, Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Personal Productivity, Success Secrets
Posted in Business Networking, Business Plans, Business Success, Marketing, Motivation, Personal Productivity, Presenting, Speaking, Speaking Engagements, Success Secrets | 4 Comments »
