Killer Marketing

There are 5 big mistakes you can do that will kill a deal with a big fish. They are:

1. Not meeting the client’s expectations
2. Mishandling a client crisis
3. Taking on more than you can handle
4. Putting all your eggs in one basket
5. Up cash creek without a paddle

Any one or combination of these can not only kill the partnership, but have the ability to take down your company as well. We’re going to take a bit of time to talk about each one of these, in this lesson we’ll cover the first two.

Not Meeting Client’s Expectations

It’s essential you give your client’s exactly what you promised during the negotiation portion of your relationship. If an event does happen where there is no way to meet the client’s expectations, not only do you have to find a way to fix the situation, but you also have to find out where it all went wrong.

A couple of things could have contributed to this problem:

1. Bad salesmanship. This could mean the salesperson was trying too hard to seal the deal and didn’t listen to the client’s needs.
2. Lack of communication. This breakdown occurs between the salesperson and your operations department.

In order to avoid these mistakes, you need to put a clear plan of action into place that all of your sales staff needs to follow:

·         Think before you speak.

·         Give yourself a break.

·         Perfect your process.

·         Pre-format over-deliverables.

·         Stay hands-on throughout the entire process.

·         Define success.

 

Mishandling a Client Crisis

Crisis’ will happen, but how you respond and fix them will define your company and interaction with your clients’. You need to respond quickly and effectively. This will help you gain even more trust and confidence from your client.

Some simple tips can help you deal with any client crisis:

·         Take responsibility and apologize no matter who is at fault.

·         Act swiftly and effectively.

·         Step in and take control of the situation.

·         Never point fingers or place blame.

·         Stay in constant communication with your client.

·         Stay calm throughout the situation.

·         Keep your eye on the ball.

 

Now, that you know the top two mistakes you can make to kill a big fish deal, you’ll know better how to avoid making these mistakes in the first place and know how to put a plan of action into place in case of a crisis.

If you need help with any of this, try our FREE test drive to get all the help you could ever need.

Next time we’ll talk about the 3^rd and 4^th killer mistake you can make in working with big fish clients.

https://www.timetrade.com/book/G6R4K

 

Bring Them Flowers

There are a few things you need to do and consider to prepare for your first face to face meeting:

• Make a list of what you want to accomplish during the meeting.
• Anticipate potential concerns from the client.
• Check to make sure you are completely prepared.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Bring support staff with you.
• Use and respect the clients’ format.
• Always follow through.
• Ask for what you need and seal the deal.
• Simplify your prospects life.
• Find ways to boost your credibility.
• Build and nurture relationships.
• Learn from “no”. Find out what didn’t work so you know how to change it for the next time.

These are all important things to do both before and during your presentation. With confidence behind your company and product you will catch that big fish. The next step of the process is negotiation. This can seem a little intimidating but with a few tips and tricks can become natural to you.
Here are some tips to help you negotiated successfully:

1. Build a pricing strategy and stick with it.
2. Prioritize what you plan to offer. This should include what really matters to you and what you are willing to give in on.
3. Don’t give in too quickly.
4. Negotiated with a person, not a “company”. Don’t let their answer be that they would like to, but can’t.
5. Don’t sell yourself short.
6. Mitigate your pricing. If you go to low you won’t be able to raise it back up and you need to make a profit.
7. Don’t sacrifice quality for the deal.
8. Your services should always count as costs.
9. Boost margins with add-ons.
10. Handle request for proposals with the utmost care.

These are the ways you make sure that both parties are getting the best possible situation from the partnership. Once you start meeting or working together, it’s important to continue to build your relationship so that that representative becomes a big of an ally for you. They are more likely to vouch for you and build on the partnership you have with their company.
We like to call this person a champion. They are champion for your company and can bring a stronger, brighter future to your company. Here are the characteristics of a great champion:

• They are respected by supervisors.
• They are socially networked.
• They think in the best interest of their company’s long run.
• They are able to quickly navigate through the company to get things done.
• They are willing to give credit to another person.
• They share the same business philosophy, values and vision as you.

Now, that you know how to negotiate for what is best for both parties and build on relationships, we’re going to talk about how to use your fish’ power to the best of your benefit.
If you need help with any of the negotiation or courting process, try our FREE test drive to get access to a wealth of great tools and resources to help you be successful.
www.twfics.com/myguidedtour
Or book a 15 min. Consult:  https://www.timetrade.com/book/ZJHNM 

Who's Your MVP?

In the last post we talked about making first contact with your prospective big fish and how to make a positive first impression. Today we’re going to talk about feeling out the personality of your prospective big fish to match the right salesperson to the fish.
You need to do this in two steps:

1. Profile your salespeople’s personalities.
2. Match the right salesperson to your target fish.

There are essentially three different selling personalities:

• Sage
• Pal
• Pit Bull

The Sage
This salesperson offers knowledge, experience, comfort and trust. They can make a concerned customer feel at ease. In order to be successful they need plenty of information, a demo of the product/service, references and case studies, if possible.

The Pal
Much like it sounds this is a salesperson that shines at building relationships. They can instantly relate to the prospective client and make them seem like old friends in no time. They work best with clients who are looking for friendship, information and in a similar peer group as the salesperson. This can include anything from age and culture to hobbies and nightlife. While, sharing experiences can be beneficial to creating a new relationship, your salesperson must always keep it professional and dignified. The resource’s this personality type needs is help pairing with the right client, entertainment (or schmoozing) budget and the right information to meet the client’s needs.

The Pit Bull
Obviously, this personality type is a little more aggressive than the others. They are all about business and the bottom line. While this may seem harsh to a lot of people, there is a set of business people out there that want the same thing and respect someone who can get down to business and the benefits of a partnership. This salesperson will need to be trusted with a little authority as they will likely be closing deals on the spot. They’ll need plenty of resources and access to products and services. They are best placed in environments where they can work independently, exercise their authorative discretion and seal deals quickly.
These can all be successful when each is used in the right selling environment. You can easily see how matching the right salesperson for the client can secure more big fish and for a longer period of time.
If you need help figuring out which of your salespeople fit into these three areas, try our FREE test drive and work with one of our amazing coaches to get your big fish plan in action.

Q & A FREE 15 min. consult:  https://www.timetrade.com/book/G6R4K
www.twfics.com/guidedtour

Marketing Book Case Study- TWFICS Business Growth Syste

The Situation

A professional services company had a handful of junior sales reps, all of whom were missing their numbers. The CEO was frustrated because they had a strong direct-mail program that was producing a very high call-in rate. However, the call-in conversion rate was quite low and generating far less revenue/sales than projected.

Analysis

TWFICS went in to study the client acquisition process from beginning to end. Clearly, the direct-mail campaign was working based on the number of pieces that were sent out every month and the high percentage of prospects calling in from each mailing. The sales reps had good selling skills and used a traditional consultative selling process. However, the company's offerings were simple and straightforward. We discovered that the prospects calling in were ready to buy and didn't need to go through a consultative process. So the sales reps were actually getting in the way of the sales!

Changes Made

We took one sales rep out of the client acquisition process for one day and had his incoming calls answered by an office assistant whom we asked to play customer service rep. At the end of the day, the number of call-in conversions was up significantly. We immediately replaced all of the sales reps with customer service reps. Since the company wanted to keep the sales reps, we moved the handful of sales reps to outside sales with a major account acquisition strategy and execution plan.

The Result

Sales tripled in the first thirty days from the direct-mailing call-in conversions! One sales rep left the company within three weeks. Another sales rep set the world on fire and closed two major accounts a week with corporate licenses after a thirty-day ramp-up period. The others did moderately well, gaining 1 major account a week with corporate licenses after a thirty-day ramp-up period. Total revenue from the new major account division was an additional 29% at the end of four months.

The Common Mistake

Literally 99% of all companies that we evaluate have no company-wide sales process or, even worse, an ineffective sales process. This is like a football team not using the same playbook or defending against a running game when the opponents are playing a passing game!

Get your questions answered. Set up a FREE 15 min. consult:  https://www.timetrade.com/book/G6R4K

www.twfics.com/guidedtour

Dare To Dream

www.twfics.com
Pre-Congratulations! If you work with TWFICS you will have made a decision that sets you apart from 99.9% of all the other small business owners. You’ve set your sights on transforming your dreams, desires and goals into reality. And you are taking action!

There is no mystery why so many businesses fail. They lack effective strategies, systems and marketing knowledge and live and die by the fallacy, “Build it and they will come.” You will set yourself apart from those businesses destined to fail.

Your program will be the cornerstone to your new business success. The TWFICS manuals are the result of 20 plus years of experience in marketing, sales and consulting to companies around the world. The strategies and techniques we will share with you have been tested and proven to work and get results.

What Can You Expect To Learn By Working With Our Program?

How to;  Improve sales and marketing efforts.  Increase profitability.  Develop client relationships.  Structure day-to-day operations.  Provide effective staff training. Maintain an up-to-date database.  Increase back-end sales.  Reduce unnecessary wasteful overhead.  Implement effective time management

Because every business is unique (whether they recognize it or not) we do not believe in using a strict methodology. The TWFICS Program is designed to allow you to focus on your uniqueness while building your business to its maximum potential.

We look forward to working with you and adding your name to the growing list of businesses we’ve helped to get to the next level. Let’s get started! info@twfics.com

Dream Fulfilment – 
"If you can dream it, you can do it."  -Walt Elias Disney

There is nothing accidental about true success. It starts with a dream, develops into a plan, erupts into action and arrives at its desired destination.

Today is the start of a New Year for you and your business. It can be very helpful to identify what things are important to you in both your personal and business life. Running your own business can take a great deal of time and energy, so it’s a good time to explore how your business is affecting your overall satisfaction. It also gives you the opportunity to alter your priorities for both your personal and financial success in the upcoming year!

Some clients want to brush this aside to jump immediately into new marketing campaigns and strategies. This is understandable but would be a huge mistake. We all know of people who climbed the ladder of success only to find it propped against the wrong building. You don’t want to move too quickly. Together we will work to have you achieve your goals of more sales and higher profits by following proven successful business and marketing strategies.

Your program is far more than a set of business reference manuals. Imagine your program is a Limitless Profit Machine waiting to be turned on. With the guidance you will learn how get the most out of your program so that you and your staff can reap profits long after the program is over.

“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it. ” - Albert Einstein

We agree with the genius above about the value and importance of questions to define what a client's problems are before we determine the best plan of action.

We will be asking you questions that get you to think about success, effective marketing, smoothly operating systems and a powerful, profit generating machine.

We will encourage you to dream of what your business is capable of becoming with the right strategies, tactics and implementation. Once your dream has been established, together we will utilize your program to bring it into Reality.

www.twfics.com/myguidedtour

15 min. Q & A for your business:
https://www.timetrade.com/book/G6R4K

The Perfect Bait

In the last post we talked about how to learn about your big fish and prepare for the first contact you’ll make with them. This first contact is essential to your success. You need to instill confidence in them. They need to know you can fulfill exactly what you are offering on time, at a good price and at the quality you promise.

Today we’ll actually go through the big approach and how to make that perfect first impression. Before you put together your approach plan, you need to choose with big fish you’re going after. Take a look at your notes and the research you’ve done about prospective fish. Then decide which one will be the easiest approach to start out with.

There are a series of things to go through in choosing which fish to start with. They are:

• Position Your Business
• Compile Your Hit List
• Select the Best Target

Position Your Business
You need to position your business to make the first move by listing your revenue streams, id and list your operational procedures, where your fish is initially positioned, your big-customer research, and putting it all together.
Compile Your Hit List
Start with a list of all the companies you’ve been considering. Then narrow it down to the ones who know could use your products or services. Don’t overlook obvious choices, whether they are big or small. Even small companies could be big fish in the future.
Select the Best Target
Once you’ve got your list narrowed down, you need to decide which one is the best fish to start with. You need to consider a couple of things:

• Which have the most purchasing resources to spend?
• Does their company vision compliment yours?
• What are their employee incentive programs as they relate to your products/services?
• What’s the company’s real need for you?
• Will the partnership lead you off-course?

Now you should have a target in mind to start with. It’s time to plan your approach and execute that plan.
Here’s the step-by-step plan to help you make a good first impression:

1. Build and analyze your database. Divide your leads into three different categories: hot leads, great fits and secondary leads.
2. Send out introductory mailings to your target to introduce yourself, your company, services, products, and vision. They need to be short, clean and concise.
3. Follow up with your first phone call 2-3 days after they would have received the mailings. During the phone call find out whom you need to be speaking with in the future and try to set up a meet with the right person.
4. Follow up your phone call with another mailing that thanks them for taking the time to speak with you and offer more details about your products/services. Use this letter and opportunity to set up a meeting to do a presentation.
5. Follow up the letter with another phone call a couple of days after they would have received the letter. This phone call is to help you further develop your relationship with the prospective client. You should also be able to set up a presentation meeting with them.
6. Call again a week later if they haven’t agreed to a meeting or presentation. Ask if they received your creative letter (the second one) and if they have a minute when you can stop by and introduce yourself in person.

Now, don’t be upset if you don’t seal the deal right away. Some people simply take a little longer to woo. This can all be a little intimidating at first, but when you know you are offering a quality product/service, you can’t go wrong.

Once you’ve gone through this process and make first contact (and hopefully a good first impression) it’s time to put your best face forward, which means sending the right salesperson to seal the deal.

If you need help putting together your approach and make a good first impression, try our FREE test drive to work with a coach and have access to a wealth of great resources and tools.  

Book a FREE 15 min. Q and A with the first link below to discuss your business needs.
https://www.timetrade.com/book/G6R4K
www.twfics.com/mygudedtour

Untangle the Red Tape

In the last post we talked about how to bring the big-company mindset into your business and your team. This will help you overcome the mental obstacles that will keep you from being successful. Now, that you’ve learned how to overcome that, we’re going to talk about who your fish is. It’s important to know about the fish you are looking for before you put a plan together. We’re also going to take a moment to talk about the potential “red tape” you may encounter along the way.
The most important thing to know about your fish is their purchasing habits and procedures. There are four main things you need to work on in order to be successful:

1. Responsibilities: You need to know who has influence over purchasing, who does the actual buying and who can kill a deal if they want.
2. Get on Their List: You need to know how to get on their list of people to buy from. Your name needs to not only be on the list, but at the top of it and in as many categories as possible for the more interaction. Ask about a procurement program and what you need to do to go through the application process.
3. Lingo: You need to learn the company’s unique language and communications methods. These could include report names, buzzwords and even the nicknames they have for their employees.
4. Fiscal Budgets: It’s essential you know the fishes fiscal budget, so you know exactly when they are planning their expenses for the year.

Now that we’ve talked a little about what you need to know about your fish, let’s a quick look at the “red tape”.
Bureaucracy might as well be a four-letter word with the emotions it stirs in all of us. “Red tape” is a necessary evil, but one you can use to learn from. There are two ways to learn from their system:

1. Analyze their activity.
2. Review their correspondence.

Being an outsider looking in can have its advantages too. If you hate dealing with the “red tape”, imagine how their employees feel dealing with it. If they need to crunch some numbers, offer to do it. If they need more info, make sure you are giving it to them in a user-friendly way.
The things we talked about in this lesson will help you prepare for the big approach. If you need help with any of this, try our FREE test drive to find the right tools to get the job done.

www.twfics.com/myguidedtour
Or email mailto:info@twfics.comfor a FREE TWFICS 7 day full system trial