Top Secrets of Marketing & Sales

Social media doesn't work. Cold calling doesn't work. Print advertising doesn't work. Email is dead! Whenever an advertiser is unable to make a particular marketing vehicle work, they often blame the delivery mechanism and declare it either dead or ineffective. But what if the problem isn't the marketing vehicle? What if it's just the way you're using it? David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast. Today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about marketing vehicles, which ones work, and which ones don't. Welcome Chris! Chris:                     Hi David! In a previous podcast we talked about the MVP of marketing and sales. What's the marketing message we're communicating? Which combination of marketing vehicles will we use to communicate the message? And which people or prospects do we plan to reach? But today we're going to take a closer look at the marketing vehicles and try to figure out why so many people tend to blame the marketing vehicle when things go wrong.  What's up with that? David:                   Yeah, what is up with that? Well, it's easier than taking responsibility for the failure of any campaign. Because really what we're talking about here in terms of any sort of communication is the MVPs. You know, what's the message I'm conveying? Which combination of marketing vehicles will I use to communicate the message? And who are the people or prospects that I want to reach? So if I post a bunch of social media messages and no one responds... if no one likes it, nobody looks at it, it's far easier for me to blame the media than to ask if what I'm posting is compelling enough. If I run a paid ad somewhere and no one responds to it, it's easier for me to blame the delivery mechanism than it is to think that my well-crafted, beautiful offer is somehow inadequate or unappealing. It forces me to blame myself instead of the medium. And in a lot of cases it's just easier to blame the marketing vehicle or the medium that we're using. Chris:                     But that doesn't serve us much, does it though? Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   No, because when a particular marketing vehicle isn't working for us, it doesn't mean the entire vehicle itself is flawed. It might just be the way that we're using it and when we understand that we're going to be on the path to be able to start to fix these things rather than just become a victim of them. Chris:                     Again, it goes back to the whole piece that we did on who's the buyer and looking at this and saying, what are the things that I need to look out for myself? It's so easy to blame the vehicle, but there's so many things that we can do to improve how we perform on any of those vehicles, including consistency. But let's start with cold calling. Lots of people are not big fans of it. It can be intrusive. It's usually unwelcome and it often disrupts a person's day. But is it effective? Is Cold Calling Effective? David:                   Well, it can be and cold calling is not my favorite form of first contact, but it doesn't really matter that it's not my favorite form of first contact because for some people it works very well. I mean, I personally don't like it from a positioning standpoint, but some people are great at it and they swear by it and they're able to generate customers with it. So from that standpoint, for them it is absolutely effective. That's where I think we run into trouble is just because cold calling is not my preferred method of initiating contact with a new prospect doesn't mean that it doesn't work. So if I say something like, "Oh, cold calling stinks, that doesn't work." It's just not true.

Until you get crystal clear on your basic messaging, who you serve and how you serve them, you'll find yourself attracting either no clients at all or the wrong clients, and your customer acquisition efforts will take a whole lot longer. David:                   Hi, and welcome to the podcast.  Today co-host Chris Templeton, and I will be talking about the idea of getting clear on your basic messaging. Welcome back, Chris. That's my basic message. Chris:                     I like that basic message. You'd think that most business owners and salespeople would already be clear on at least their basic messaging, but that is not always the case, is it? David:                   No, it's surprising how often it's not the case. Very often people think in terms of just their products and services instead of the needs they fill and the problems they solve. And as we discussed in a previous podcast, there's a big difference between product buyers and solution buyers. David:                   And there are always a lot more people who are willing to pay for solutions. So the better we get at crafting our messaging so that it's directed to the things they really want and need in their lives and in their businesses, the better off they're going to be in terms of getting what they need and the better off we're going to be in terms of being able to provide the solutions they need. Chris:                     What do you think the biggest problems are in terms of people developing what their messaging is going to be? Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   I think a really big problem is that much of it is "me focused." It's all about me and my business and what I do and how I do things, and it's not enough about them. It's not enough about the prospects and clients that we're actually trying to appeal to. So if I had to rank them in order, I would say that's first too much me-centric communication. Chris:                     Yep. Product-Focused vs. Solution-Focused Messaging David:                   A second thing I would say is that it's product-focused instead of solutions focused, which is what we were just talking about a moment ago. When we're talking about the product itself or the service itself, then we're not focused on what it is that they're trying to accomplish. And before we can ever get to the solution, we need to sort of stir up the problem side of it a bit. So when we're talking to them about what they're looking to accomplish and what it means in their business or what it means in their life to accomplish this, that's what really gets them focused on the idea that they need it. And so when we leave out this component; talking to them about the issues they're facing before we recommend our solution, then we're missing out because they're thinking of it in terms of something that might be okay to have, but they're not thinking of it in terms of something that they really desperately need. Once again, that comes from focusing too much on our product and not enough on them and what they're looking for. Chris:                     Give people an example of what that looks like and a little more detail in terms of stirring up that need. David:                   Well, it’s depending on what it is that's being sold. If I start talking to you about sales training, for example, “Hey, we sell sales training, we help train salespeople and we're really good at sales training.” People think I don't necessarily need that. Why do I need that? But if we're talking to them about, “Hey, listen, how much are your salespeople costing you when they're out ...

If you've ever had a conversation with someone who had zero power to make a decision, you understand how frustrating it can be. So today we'll talk about how to get to the decision-makers. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast!  Today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about decision makers. Who are they, where are they and how do we get to them? Welcome Chris. Chris:                   Hi David. Well, it seems that most sales people understand the importance of getting to a decision maker, but many really haven't ever been trained to, have they? David:                   It seems that way. Yeah. Chris:                     Where do they start? Because it really is something that I think a lot of people don't get. As obvious as it is, like how do I actually do it? It’s a whole different thing. Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   Right. Well I think a lot of it starts with identifying who the decision maker is to the best of their ability.  A lot of times we think just because someone's agreed to an appointment or just because we've gotten someone on the phone that they are in fact the decision maker and that is not always the case. So we want to start out by doing whatever we can to only make presentations to decision makers, which means we need to find out upfront as well as we can as much as possible whether or not the person that we're talking to has the ability to make the decision. Chris:                     Talk a little bit about how you have that conversation, because my sense is that one of the biggest issues a sales person has with getting to a decision maker is their fear of asking. What do you suggest that they say to somebody who they're not sure if they're the decision maker? David:                   Okay. Well first thing I would say is never assume that the person that you're talking to is the decision maker. It's really easy to do this but don't!  Because we feel like I've got a live wire on the phone or I've got a live wire that I'm talking to and it's sometimes more fun to just sort of plow ahead and see what happens. But you could be shooting yourself in the foot if you do that. So the best way to do it is simply to ask and to get comfortable with the idea, you know, “Will you be making the decision on this or is anyone else involved?” It's really pretty straightforward. Now before you even get to a question like that, you want to determine whether or not they have any sort of interest. You want to get clear on what it is that you do and all that sort of thing. But once they've expressed interest in what you're talking about, it's a good question to get answered upfront. Chris:                     And I think that typically you've got to that place where they seem to be expressing interest. And now as a sales guy, I'm really excited to keep this movement. David:                   Right! Chris:                     And then to kind of throw a wrench in the works and ask if they're, the decision maker is tough, but the payoff is huge, isn't it? In other words, in terms of not having wasted time and also being sure that I'm getting to the right person who can make the decision. David:                   Exactly. Because the biggest wrench you can really throw into it, is making a beautiful presentation to someone who has absolutely no ability to buy from you. It's a much bigger wrench than simply asking the person if they are in fact the decision maker or if there are other people involved. Chris:                     Let's say that I've gone through the process of having the call,

It's great when people just want to buy our products and services, but product buyers are only ever a small part of the entire market. So how do we get to all the others who could be good prospects for us but don't even know they need our solutions? Target solution buyers! David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be discussing the difference between product buyers and solution buyers. Welcome Chris. Chris:                    Hi David. This is a great topic and really interesting when we look at the difference between a product buyer and a solution buyer, is there really a big difference or is it not that big of a deal? Product buyers are great David:                   Good question. I mean, if somebody just wants to come and buy our product, then that's great, right? We don't really care too much beyond that, but maybe we should. And here's what I mean by that. Somebody comes to us out of the blue, let's say completely unsolicited and they want to buy what it is that we have to offer. Okay, well we can just sell it to them and we can be happy because we made a sale and they can be happy because they got what they wanted. But if we think back to what we talked about in a previous podcast, the idea of creating customers as opposed to just making sales, then we recognize that this is not exactly a great recipe for doing that. And so if we want to really be able to service people on an ongoing basis and turn them into ongoing clients, raving fans, the types of things that we want, then we probably want to move beyond the idea of just getting them what they want and trading products and services for cash and getting to the point where we're really helping them to solve the problems that they have. Chris:                     And when you get to work with a solution buyer, it's a whole different ballgame, and from my standpoint, a whole lot more enjoyable and rewarding. Solution buyers can be even better David:                   Yeah. Because when you're able to help people with their problems, their issues, the things that are really driving them crazy, it is very rewarding. You feel like you're actually helping someone while earning a good living doing it. So, it's sort of the best of all worlds. Chris:                     And that's the fact for the buyer. They're feeling like you have taken this to a place that's beyond just, “Hey, here it is, and this is the price”. And it really is how a lot of people work and don't understand how much more fun and how much more enjoyable what they're doing could be if they were solution providers as opposed to just a product provider. Right? Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   Right. And if people are struggling with this issue, the thing they need to keep in mind is that every product you sell, every service you sell solves a problem.  Because if it didn't, no one would want to buy it. And I mean you say, okay, well what about selling a pack of chewing gum at the grocery store? It solves a problem. That person has a need that they need to fill, I need to chew, and they're going to buy this pack of chewing gum. Right? So it may be a minor need, it may be a major need, but there is an issue. There's something they're looking for. There's something that person craves that they don't have, that they're willing to trade their money for. And as business people, this is one of the main things that we have to look at. What are the things that we can provide that will help people to get what they're looking for? Chris:                     So are we clear with the audience that really focusing on solution buyers is ...

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It's fixed. It's inflexible, so earning more in less time is less about managing time, and more about managing ourselves. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about a subject that is near and dear to many of our hearts, how to earn more money in less time. Welcome Chris. Chris:                     Hi David. In the interest of time, I suppose we should get right down to it. It seems to me that most people struggle with how to get it all done in the time they have available. How do you recommend our listeners get around this really big issue, and common issue frankly? David:                   Yes, many people do struggle with how to get it all done in the time they have available, and so one of the first things we need to look at is what exactly is it that we're doing?  What are the activities that we are engaged in on a daily basis and how many of them really need to happen? How many of them are absolutely critical to our mission, to our success, to everything that we're doing on a day to day basis. Because if you examine the activities you're engaged in, what you will very likely find is that there are things you're doing right now that simply don't move the needle. And so by identifying those things up front as quickly as possible, you can start to adapt and change the things that you're doing so that you're going to be able to better monetize the hours that you're putting into your work week. Chris:                     So, when you look at this and identifying your time, what you're doing with it, I think it's a tough one for people to see. What are the solutions? Is it just getting a to do list together to start to understand that? What do you recommend? Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   Well, a lot of people use to do lists and you're far better off having one than not having one. But if you're like most people with to do lists, you've got way too many things to do and not enough time to do them all. Chris:                     Right. David:                   Which goes back to what we were talking about a moment ago, which is identifying which of the things on the to do list actually need to get done. Because if there are things on there that are simply taking up time and taking up space and that aren't going to accomplish what it is that you're looking to have happen, then you're better off not having them on there. So, what I would say is if you've got a to do list, probably one of the first things that will help you is if you're able to begin to turn your to do list into calendar items. So, I'm moving it from something that maybe should be done at some future point in time to something that I'm actually going to be working on today. And so if I identify the top two or three or at most five things, that I really feel like I need to accomplish today and I turn them into calendar items, then those five items out of the thirty, fifty or a hundred that are on my to do list all of a sudden become actionable. They become a lot more valuable to me because I've chosen them out of all the others to take action on today. Chris:                     That's a great approach and it really gets you to lock yourself in because you've got a little reminder that says, "Hey, it's time to do this project and let's get going." And if you follow that, you really are kind of prioritizing and focusing on what's the most important thing I can be doing today. David:                   Right. Priorities are always more important than activities.

Time after time when I ask our clients about topics they want to know more about, the subject of attracting larger clients comes up.  So, in this episode we'll tackle it head on and address the steps you can take now to attract the larger clients you want to have. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about attracting bigger clients. Welcome Chris. Chris:                     Hey David. Thanks for having me. Bigger clients, nearly everyone in business in sales just loves the sound of that. But sometimes our actions, David, they aren't geared towards getting those results, are they? David:                   No, unfortunately they're not. And a lot of times when I've had these conversations with clients and they talk about the idea of getting bigger clients and then we talk about what they're actually doing, what we find is that they're not in front of people who ever have the capacity to be bigger clients and so it's very easy to pinpoint the problems just right from the get-go. Chris:                     And that is kind of the function of starting in business and just taking anything that works. And then over time just not really doing the things that helped me to get there. But I also think that businesses in general have a hard time with this idea of, you know, how do I go to these people who have the bigger dollars, who are willing to buy from me? And how do I go through the process of positioning? It's a big question for people and I think it's not often well answered by business owners or salespeople, frankly. Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   Yeah, there's certainly an element of fear in a lot of situations when it comes to approaching larger clients because we're afraid we're going to blow it. We're afraid we're going to say the wrong thing, and so in many cases we just don't even approach. It's like the Wayne Gretzky quote, I miss 100% of the shots I don't take. And so many people don't take those shots and as a result, they never get that business. So, I think a good step toward overcoming that fear is recognizing that buyers are human beings, no matter if they have the ability to buy a little or they have the ability to buy a lot.  They're human beings and so if you approach them as human beings and you see if you can provide them with what it is they're looking for, then regardless of the size of the business, regardless of the size of their purchasing power, they're going to be happy to hear what you have to say.  So, to overcome that is to identify, okay, who are some of these people? And maybe getting into conversations with a few of them, trying not to be intimidated, and some of them might be intimidating.  Some of them might just be rude or obnoxious or any of the other disqualifiers that we talked about in a previous podcast. It doesn't mean that that's all of them. You can have a very poor-quality prospect who can be rude and obnoxious and can come across as if they have a huge budget when they actually have no money at all and they're about to go out of business. So, you run into a lot of the same potential issues, whether you're dealing with a high-quality client or a low-quality client. Chris:                     I'd argue that in a lot of situations, those smaller clients, you're going to work a lot harder for a lot less versus larger clients where you're going to work well for an appropriate amount of income and enjoy the process more because you're dealing with somebody who's got good sales coming in, got a good income, and when you're dealing with these people, you want to think of it that way,

David:                   Management Guru Peter Drucker once said, “The purpose of business is to create a customer.” Does that mean just selling stuff or is there more to it than that? Is it really about creating a customer? Chris:                     (Laughs) Oh, it's just selling stuff. David                     Yeah, it’s just selling stuff… that's it. David                     Hi, and welcome to the podcast today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about the idea of creating customers. Welcome back, Chris. Chris:                     Hey David, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. You know, in a way it seems obvious that business owners and salespeople need to be creating customers, but that doesn't always appear to be the focus does it? David:                   No, it really doesn't. I think we lose sight of this and that's why I think it's an important topic to talk about because this idea of creating customers is just so critical to business owners, to salespeople, to anyone who is in the profession or anyone who is required to grow a business, that it really can't be overstated.  When we think in terms of creating customers, there's just such a distinction. If I make a sale to someone, then technically that person has become a customer of mine. But again, if the goal at that point is simply to sell them something and that's happened, well now it moves into the past. And so from my standpoint, the idea of creating a customer means you're finding someone who is likely to come back to you again and again and again and is essentially going to serve as an annuity to grow your business, because you're going to know that over a period of weeks, months, years, that this person is going to help to contribute to what you're looking to build and you are certainly going to look to contribute to what they're looking to accomplish. Chris:                     It seems to me, and I can speak from experience; that one of the hardest things to do is to create that repeat sale, to create that business relationship. And I think it's so easy for businesses to say, ah, let's just move on to the next one. And then they start feeling guilty about not staying in touch with the customer. What's the secret sauce of creating customers versus just making a sale? Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here David:                   Well, if you start with what it is that you want to accomplish, and you go into each relationship with the idea of creating a customer, then a lot of your actions will naturally follow. But if you're just going in with the idea of "I need to make this sale today", you tend to think more in terms of product. You tend to think more in terms of the things that you have to say and the responses you have to get, as opposed to thinking about the person and how can I help this person to achieve their objectives? Because when your focus is on them and identifying their needs and how you can help them with their needs, you become far more valuable to them.  And as a result, you're going to become a far more likely to create the value they need, where they're going to want to come back to you again and again and again. You can't force people to do it. The only way they're going to come back is if they were happy with what you did the first time. So in a lot of cases when we're initiating contact with someone for the first time and we're giving them an idea of what we're going to be able to do for them, they're having to take us on blind faith. They can look at testimonials if we have those on our website or whatever. They can hear what other people have said about us in the past, but until they've actually placed that first order wi...

Talk of social media in sales is all the rage and everyone is frantically trying to crack the code of how to get clients. But is social media really all that different from other forms of customer acquisition? The truth is that getting clients via social media is not just about posting. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be discussing social media and how to use it to get clients. Welcome back, Chris. Chris:                     Thank you David. Nice to be here. You know, let's just get going with social media and using social media to obtain clients. I get this sense that people really seem to see social media as a necessary part of prospecting these days, but there is a whole lot of confusion about it. So, let's start with this: Is social media really necessary for prospecting or is it all just a lot of hype? Is Getting Clients Dependent on Social Media? David:                   Well, that's quite a decision, right? Is it necessary or is it a lot of hype? I would say it's probably both in the sense that it can be necessary, it can be very effective for people, but when it's done improperly, then it really can end up being a lot of hype. One of the things that I see happening, Chris, is that a lot of people think in terms of just sort of pumping out content and putting stuff out there. And the problem with content is, you know, when you even think of the definition of what that is, what is content? It's something that's inside of something, right? It could be bad, it could be great, could be somewhere in between. We just don't know. So, when people take the approach that they're just going to go out there and they're going to go on social media and build a presence out there and just sort of be present, then it might not accomplish their objectives. It will certainly get them in front of people, which can be helpful. But unless you actually have some ideas and some goals in place for it, it's going to be very unlikely to accomplish the objectives they want. Chris:                     So, when you look at what content should be, what's kind of the basic recipe for that? Because I think some people think, well, here's what I'm going to do. I'm just going to put up a bunch of stuff about why you should buy my product. And then I think you get the other end of the spectrum, like you mentioned, where you're just putting up stuff that really doesn't... how's this really helping? David:                   Right. Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here Chris:                     So, when you look at it, what's kind of the recipe that you see as being a great starting point? David:                   Well, there are a couple of aspects of it just in terms of appearing in social media. So, there's the personal aspect. Are there things that you can put up there that will let people know who you are so they can relate to you as a human being? Now, if you love cats and you're posting cat videos every 10 minutes, then that's going to create an impression of you that might not be consistent with everything that you need to go along with your business persona. Right? So, it's a balancing act. What can I let people know about myself that will let them feel like they know me as a person, but that will not necessarily take away from how they're going to view me as a professional? Starting with that and saying, okay, I want to evaluate what makes sense to put out there from a business standpoint. So, if there is something that lets them know about my expertise, that type of content is often very helpful, and people can also go overboard with that. You can get on social media and you can be providing lots of gr...

Everyone knows that it's far easier and less expensive to sell the clients we already have and yet very few put in the time to consistently engage and re-qualify their existing clients. It all boils down to the Five Levels of Qualification. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast.  Today co-host Chris Templeton and I are here to talk about all the benefits of engaging and re-qualifying your existing client base. Welcome Chris! Chris:                     Hi David. Thank you and welcome. I bet most salespeople and business owners feel like they're doing a pretty good job of engaging their clients, but what is it that you mean when you talk about re-qualifying them? David:                   Well, it's a couple of things, and I think probably you're right. Most business people do feel like they're doing a reasonably good job of engaging their clients. Some feel like they know they should be doing more or they should be more consistent about it, but most people at least know they need to be engaging their clients. What many of them don't seem to recognize is that every time you bring a new prospect through the door, obviously you need to qualify them to find out whether or not they are essentially qualified to do business with you. Do they have the need, the desire, the money, the budget, the willingness to spend? And if they don't have those things, then they're not really qualified. And the same thing applies to clients. When somebody has purchased from you, it doesn't mean that they're automatically going to purchase from you again and again and again. So we need to consistently re-qualify our clients to find out where they are in that process so we can determine when we need to be in touch with them, what we need to be in touch with them about, so that we can continue to advance the process and get them what they need. Chris:                     But one of the things that occurs to me is that for a lot of people, we take that initial qualification and assume that nothing's changing. I almost wonder if a lot of us stopped really listening for what's changed and re-qualifying really would help in terms of seeing what's new. It's almost about listening, isn't it? David:                   It really is and I think for a lot of people they seem to think that whatever qualification they did the first time around was like a life sentence and it's just going to stay that way and it's never going to change. And the fact is that it pretty much changes or resets each time someone orders from you after they've gotten what it is that you have to offer. How long is it going to be before they need it again? Is it going to be a minute or is it going to be a month or is it going to be three years? Because the answers to those questions are really going to be determining the ongoing value of the clients you’re bringing through the door and taking the time to re-qualify them. Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here Chris:                     Also keeps you aware of what new opportunities are, that sort of thing. But do you qualify an existing client the same way you would qualify a new client? David:                   You do essentially, obviously your approach is going to be slightly different because you know them better. But really what you need to find out is where they are in terms of the buying process. And one of the things that very few salespeople and business owners realize is that every single prospect you will ever come into contact with will fall into only one of five levels of qualification. That's it. Every single one. A lot of times we just think in terms of well they're qualified or they're not qualified or I'm not sure if they're qualif...

Success in sales is dependent upon intelligent repetition of contact, without being a pest. We need to be able to reach out to people lots of times, in lots of different ways and keep them engaged with us and very few salespeople have mastered this skill. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast! Today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about how to create intelligent repetition of contact with prospects and clients. Hi Chris. Chris:                     Hi David. Thanks for having me. I'm really, really excited to talk about this one because I think it's so, so important. Repetition of contact, you know, it seems that any sales position requires this. What is it that gives you the sense that salespeople aren't doing this or maybe just as importantly, aren't doing it well? David:                   Couple of things, if you've ever heard a salesperson say, “I don't want to be a pest,” that to me is a screaming red flag, right? Because what that generally means is they're not following up with people enough. They're not being in touch enough because they don't want to create waves. They don't want to bother the person or whatever. And to me that's a function of not being very clear about your outcome for the conversation because your goal is not simply to follow up with people and get on the phone and nag them until they're ready to buy. If you are doing that, then yes, that's being a pest, but don't do that. You know? Think in terms of what you actually want to accomplish, have reasons and excuses for contacting people so that when you are reaching out, you're actually providing value in the conversation, in the communication. If you do that, you'll be advancing the dialogue. You'll be helping your prospects and you will not come across as a pest. Chris:                     And I imagine that the other thing is that if a sales guy says, "I don't want to be a pest," especially to a potential client, they already feel like they are one. David:                   Well, yeah, because you're planting that thought in their mind, the fact that you're thinking it and then let alone vocalizing. Even if you don't say it, if you're thinking, “Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to be a pest,” it's going to come through in your voice and you're not going to sound as confident as you need to sound and it's not going to be helpful.  If you actually say it out loud, “Hey listen, I don't want to be a pest.” Then immediately their thought is you just said you don't want to be a pest. I now have to process the word pest in my brain and then draw a line through it because you're saying you don't want to be that. And maybe just by saying it, you're being a pest. So, I think it could be a self-esteem thing, but if you can just sort of get over this idea that you're being a pest. Part of it though, and I always believe that confidence is tied to competence. If we're good at what we do, we're going to feel a lot more confident doing it. And so if you're not quite sure what to do, what to say, who to approach, how to approach them, then yeah, you're going to feel like that. And you might feel like you're being a pest, so if you're feeling that way before you go into the call, ask yourself, "Okay, what can I do to add value in this communication so that what I'm saying to them is helpful to them." because then that way I can be reasonably assured that I'm not being a pest. Schedule a Strategy Session Click Here Chris:                     Isn't a big piece of that in terms of adding value in a conversation about really being focused on your prospective client as opposed to focused on selling the product? David:                   Absolutely.

Many businesses spend a ton of money recruiting salespeople, but then ignoring the ones they have. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast, today co-host Chris Templeton and I are here to talk about the terrible practice of spending lots of money to recruit new salespeople and then spending little to nothing to help the very people that they've recruited. Welcome Chris! Chris:                     Thank you, David. Well, what are you so worked up about on this one? David:                   What am I worked up about? I guess I'm worked up because I've been doing sales training and marketing training for much of my adult life. Nearly all of my adult life has been involved in sales and marketing in one capacity or another, and when I see this practice, it just sort of drives me crazy because it feels like people are saying they don't care about their salespeople or they certainly don't care enough, but what they're saying is, "Hey, glad to have you aboard, now I'm going to go find somebody else!" Right?  It's about piling up and stacking up salespeople with the idea that it's sort of a revolving door and some people will spin out and some people spin in and the good ones might or might not stay. And I just think it's such a short-sighted practice. And as I mentioned in a previous podcast, I've done a lot of work in the promotional products industry where this practice is rampant.  There are ads everywhere trying to recruit other people's salespeople. So the whole goal is that I want to try to get people at other companies to come work for me, right? And other people at those companies are trying to get my people to work for them. So there's this whole thing going on where it's this big sales person swap and they're so focused on creating this vortex of salespeople moving from organization to organization to organization that they forget that once they've recruited these people, if they were to simply help them a bit; simply train them on what's going to work well and what's not going to work as well, that they can be more successful.  Their business could be more successful, their sales people can be more successful. It's more success all the way around and I just think this is ignored or avoided entirely too much. Chris:                     I one hundred percent agree with you. Talk about what you can do to help a manager to change from being, “Let's see what sticks on the wall” to really taking care and helping their salespeople to become better at what they're doing. What is required in a sales manager's mindset to make that transition David? David:                   Well, part of it is the salesperson or the sales manager rather, and part of it is the ownership. If the ownership is not willing to put any sort of funds behind it, then it's just not going to happen. But if a sales manager can just think in terms of,  “What can I do to help and nurture this salesperson so that this person can get in front of the right people, be more likely to be saying the right things, be putting the best foot of the business forward?” That's the thing that drives me crazy, is the idea that a business would spend tons of money to recruit someone in and then just turn them loose and say "Go ahead, knock yourself out." In the promotions industry in particular, a lot of times these people are independent contractors and so management will very often use that as an excuse.  They'll say, “Well they're independent contractors so we can't force them to do anything.”  Which is true, but you can offer it - and the ones who are likely to take you up on the offer are the ones who are going to be the ones you want to keep. Cause the ones that don't want to do it anyway; they don't want to learn anything new, they don't want to grow. They're not going to be as valuable. So simply by offering salespeople the option of learning things that would help t...

Some people say that education is never wasted. I completely disagree. My feeling is that unapplied education may be the biggest waste of all. That's why the LAIR Method, our 4 step success cycle is so powerful David:                    Hi and welcome to the podcast. Today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about education, specifically education designed to help businesses sell better and how that education is always wasted unless it's being applied. Welcome Chris! Chris:                     Hi David. This is a fascinating point and it's interesting that you would take a well-known phrase like education has never wasted and completely turn it on its head. Are you just trying to be provocative? David:                   No, not at all. I think the reason that I'm saying it is because I really believe it. Every time I heard that expression, even as a child, I always questioned it. I'm like, what do you mean education is never wasted? It seems to me that if you learn something that you never ever use, then that's kind of a waste. I think it's part of the reason why as a child there were some classes that I just couldn't get into because I felt like I was never going to use this information. Now, I'm not suggesting that people use that as an excuse not to learn stuff. On the contrary, what I'm saying is that if you're learning something, particularly something that's designed to help you to sell better or improve your business or improve your life, then definitely learn it to the best of your ability, but make sure that you implement it as well. Chris:                     It's a great, great point. If we're not applying it, there's just not a whole lot of point in it is there? David:                   None that I can see. Chris:                     So rather than learning what to do, a lot of salespeople simply wing it. What's the likelihood of that working? I mean, that will work won’t it? David:                   Well it might, but it's pretty much slim to none. Out of a hundred salespeople who wing it. There might be a small percentage who may do great with it. It's entirely possible, but the people who actually are taught: what to do, how to do it, who to approach, how to approach them, what to say, how to say it - have a much better likelihood of success because they're not trying to reinvent the wheel. And that's where, particularly in a career like sales, if you don't take the time to learn how to do it right, you're going to spend many months or years figuring it out and essentially blowing it on high quality prospects. If you're in front of a good quality prospect and you don't know what to say and you're just winging it and saying the wrong things, then you can spend a long time getting it wrong. Not selling a lot of stuff, giving your company a black eye and really not valuing the time of the person you're interacting with. Chris:                     Well, it's interesting that you say that because almost the underlying assumption is that I'm a sales guy and I ought to be doing this on my own; and I'll betcha you think that managers probably should be doing more to help their salespeople be better sales people? David:                   Well, I think it's certainly helpful if you are a sales manager and you have the salespeople under you, then yes, certainly helping the salespeople you have should be a critical and important part of your job. And a lot of sales managers are good at what they do and they really help their sales people to grow. There are some who sell as well and sometimes there's a bit of a competition there and they always want to sort of show how they're better than the people they work with. That sort of dynamic is rarely good in sales, but when you get a sales manager who really understands that his or her job is to help the people that th...

In sports, MVP stands for most valuable player. In The MVPs of Marketing & Sales, the letters MVP stand for Message, Vehicles and People. These three components are arguably the most valuable things you can focus on if you want to communicate effectively and dominate your market. David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast. Today co-host Chris Templeton and I are here to discuss The MVPs of Marketing & Sales. Welcome Chris. Chris:                     David, thank you. Great to be here. You know, for years you've been talking about the MVPs of sales, but for those who don't have the benefit of really understanding what you mean by that, help them to understand what the term MVPs of sales means. The Most Valuable Players of Marketing & Sales David:                   Okay. When we think in terms of The MVPs of Marketing and Sales, it's just like the most valuable players in sports. But when it comes to marketing and sales, it stands for something different. In marketing and sales, MVP stands for Message, Vehicles, and People. So essentially what we're asking is what is the marketing (M)essage that I want to convey? That's the M part of it. Which combination of marketing (V)ehicles am I going to use to communicate the message? And then who are the (P)eople or prospects that I want to reach? When you get these three things right, your promotion is almost inevitably successful. And if you get just one of them wrong, it's inevitably not successful. Chris:                     It's like a three-legged stool. David:                   Exactly. The MVPs of Marketing & Sales: 1.) Message What Message do you want to convey? Chris:                     And so, the first leg of that stool is messaging. I think a lot of people don't have a clear understanding of the value of messaging, what it means and how to be consistent about it. David:                   Yeah, most business people communicate a lot, right? We're communicating all the time. We're interacting with people, we're having conversations. But very often what we're saying is not strategic. We're not necessarily thinking about it in advance. Maybe we don't think in terms of it as messaging. We just think of it in terms of communication. But the idea of the messaging is to think in advance. What do I want to happen as a result of this interaction, this conversation? Whether it's a discussion with someone, or a sales call, whether it's an email, social media post, whatever it is. What is the goal of the communication? What do I want to happen as a result of having this communication? Let's say it's early stages and I'm just meeting someone for the first time. If I want to get them comfortable with me, obviously the messaging is going to be different than if it's somebody that I've been talking to for a while. Same thing if we've been talking about putting something together and we're trying to get a sale closed. Communication is different, but it's always strategic. We should always have some sort of goal in mind when we initiate that message. Wanting More Sales Chris:                     I think a lot of people have a tendency to say, oh, I just want the sale. And I imagine a big piece of what you're talking about with your clients is, wait, what are the steps? So talk a little bit about that in terms of messaging and, and the results you're looking for. David:                   Okay. Well, most salespeople, if they are thinking, "I just want the sale," and that's true, they're probably going to want the sale. That's perfectly natural. But it's very unlikely that you're going to make the sale in that first conversation unless you're selling something very inexpensive. Something that's very easy for someone to make a decision about.

In the past you've said that market leaders think, act and communicate differently than the rest of the population. What do you mean by that? And how can people start thinking, acting and communicating like a leader? David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today co host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about communication, how market leaders do it compared to the rest of the population. Welcome Chris. Chris:                     Hey David, thank you very much for having me back. I sure am enjoying these conversations. I'm super excited about this one because leadership is something that is so important, so missing in business, and when you say that leaders think and they act and they communicate differently than the rest of the population, talk about what that means from your standpoint. Need Help with This? Schedule a Call David:                   Okay, well first of all, when I talk about leaders, I don't necessarily mean presidents of organizations or chairmen of boards, things like that. When I talk about leaders, I simply mean people who other people look at as someone that they want to pay attention to and people who lead tend to communicate differently. They tend to be more focused. They tend to be more authoritative in a lot of cases, generating good ideas, engaging people, all that sort of thing. And most people don't really think about it, they don't focus on it. And as a result they end up meandering around and just having sort of boring conversations and hopefully every now and then they'll hit on something that moves people. Chris:                     So how do you make that change when you switch to really becoming a leader? What do you think are some of the more important characteristics around that? David:                   Well, in terms of communication, I think it really begins with the idea of wanting to, once again, as we talked about previously, help other people and how can I get to that as quickly as possible? You know, a lot of people today talk about content like this podcast is content. A blog post is content. A social media post is content. It's all content. And what some people do is they just go out there with a whole lot of words and hope that occasionally some of their words will connect up in a way that means something to someone. And I find that rather inconsiderate of the listener. One of the reasons that I've hesitated in the past to have the kinds of conversations that we're having now is that I wanted to make sure that it stayed focused, that it stayed on track so that people are able to get something from it. Chris:                     Right. David:                   And if we started wandering off on crazy tangents, then it loses its value. And so I think that from a leadership standpoint, it means really thinking in terms of what is going to help the other person, what's going to help this prospect? What's going to help this client? What's going to help this person that I would like to be able to establish some sort of business relationship with? And if my communication can then reflect that, then it's going to be better all the way around. I'm sure you're familiar with the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Chris:                     Dale Carnegie. David:                   Yeah! So, the basic concept of that book is that if you talk to other people about themselves, they'll think you're the most interesting person in the world. And what I think leaders do and salespeople who are leaders certainly do this, is that they make it about the other person. They make it about the prospect, they make it about the client,

You talk a lot about market domination, is that just for effect or are you serious about it? David:                   Hi and welcome to the podcast today. I am joined once again by my co host, Chris Templeton, who is here to challenge me on the idea of market domination. Welcome Chris. Chris:                     Hey David, thank you very much for letting me be your interrogator for this podcast! David:                   Work me over, man. Work me over. Chris:                     Domination. You know there is a lot of talk about domination and I don't think from a business standpoint we really understand what it is. So, is it a serious word? Are you serious about this, David? David:                   Well, I'm serious about it to the extent that I believe that in every market there are leaders and followers, someone is leading the parade, and someone is following. If you're leading, then you're dominating. Essentially, you're going to be a recognized force in the market. And if you're not dominating the market, then what that means is there's business that you are absolutely losing out on. So for example, if I'm in the market for any kind of item, pick an item, pick an industry. Chris:                     New speakers for my computer. David:                   Okay. I'm in the market for a new computer speakers, so if I think of new computer speakers, what are some places that might immediately leap to mind? I mean it could be whatever... Office Max. Chris:                     Amazon? David:                   Yeah, it could be Amazon. Yeah, of course. Amazon, right? It could be Staples. It could be any place that sells speakers, but there are names that immediately leap to mind, right? You said Amazon right away. I deliberately skipped them because they're such a great, obvious example, but in other words, you hear something, and something leaps to mind. The people who leap to mind are the ones who have that top of mind awareness, which results in market domination. David:                   If I think I need computer speakers and I immediately think of Staples or Best Buy or whatever, and I get in my car and I go there, then if you sell computer speakers, you're never even going to have a chance at that business. Right? Because I didn't even think of you. So, market domination means that you'll at least leap to mind. We named three or four different places that leaped to mind for us. Now. One of them would get the business, the others wouldn't. But those that didn't even leap to mind, they don't have a chance. Because otherwise what I would have to do is do a Google search or try to figure out where I wanted to go. Ask a friend, “Hey, where did you get your computer speakers?” And then I'd have to take action to try to find another place. So, without that level of awareness, it's impossible to dominate markets. This is particularly true for those who sell B2B. So I am very serious about the idea of domination, but I also recognize that not everyone's going to be able to dominate at the level of an Amazon where people think of anything and they say, okay, I'm going to go to Amazon to get it. Or I can go to Amazon to get it. But the advantage here, and I think a really important distinction is the fact that just because someone dominates any market, whether it's Amazon trying to dominate anything, it doesn't really matter because there are people who will say, Oh, I need computer speakers. I'm going to go to Amazon. And there are other people who are going to say, I need computer speakers, but I'm sure not buying them from Amazon. Right? So, but they know about it. So, they have the opportunity to buy from there. And most businesses in most markets, no matter what they do, whether it's lawyers or doctors or salespeople of any kind,