Your Business Brand in the Modern Sales Environment…

#Top Tip 1 – How millennials make buying decisions?

Millennials are the first generation brought up in a technology-led world. It is the ‘norm’ for us to research online when deciding to purchase something.

Here’s an important factor that impacts millennials’ buying decisions:

75% of millennials research a company on social media before deciding to buy a service or product from them (Correct Careers Coaching, 2020).

This behaviour is the same for meeting someone in person – and they are a Millennial – they will still check you out online/social media before deciding to buy from you. This research is now part of the face-to-face buying process – the two things are becoming inextricably linked.

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#Top Tip 2 – Your Social Media Channels!

If your business is not visible on social media – will a millennial:

  1. Buy from you?
  2. Choose your service/goods over your competitors?
  3. Get in touch with you to sell you a service or product your business needs?

A C-suite contact I was speaking with last week, asked me – “Jamie do you think you are doing too much on social media.” Those were his thoughts from his generation.

However, for a Millennial who is used to tracking the ‘story of their day’ on social media – what is too much? Their ‘too much’ is likely to be far more nuanced e.g., too many passive-aggressive quotations, too much ‘woe is me’ or too much ‘don’t I look great’, or too many selfies.

We must accept that social media is, for millennials and Gen Z, a vehicle to document their lives, loves, and hates, also to keep connected with their friends. It’s a personal news service for them and applying the mantra to an older generation who didn’t grow up with that, doesn’t change that reality. After all, it’s the Generation X who created the internet. They created the environment for this to happen.

If you think and operate in that way – then you will inevitably be influenced by the products and services, you see online – being experienced by others you respect. You will feel safer doing your own research before deciding to make any investment.

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#Top Tip 3 – The future of digital communication…

I don’t always receive engagement on my social media posts, however, when I speak with my business network, they remark positively about my business Correct Careers Coaching – the majority of these remarks are from Millennials – stressing my company’s services and brand are being seen.

Communicating and the language used to and from Millennials is different! Especially in a changing business world post-COVID-19.

Businesses need to embrace developing their millennial staff to sell differently utilising modern techniques such as social media. They also need an understanding of how to engage with older generations.

This might be as simple as improving their technique on that instrument we call the telephone. Is this part of your organisation’s induction or training programme?

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Jamie works with companies globally to enhance the employee’s B2B selling capabilities for generating and converting prospects. Jamie also improves the sales process and strategy to increase your gross sales by winning and retaining clients. 

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Jamie Martin BSc (Hons), PGCert (Managing Director & Founder)

Correct Careers Coaching – An award-winning Modern Sales Training and Sales Strategy Business.

Jamie@correctcareerscoaching.com and 07599 332178

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemartin111

You Need to Understand your future Client’s Buying Personalities and Behaviours!

*The below will have an analogy with the animal kingdom. 
 
#Top Tip 1 – The Lion

Your Client: Starts the buying process
 
Due to your Lion clients being very sociable, they will understand the reasons for a new purchase (to benefit others) and who requires to be involved. They would be good at delegation or persuading others during the buying process to end with the desired outcome.
 
Unlikely to be concerned with the facts – just want an efficient result.
 
 
Regarding a buying decision: The Lion are the clients to build rapport with, Know, Like, and Trust (KLT) will serve you well when corresponding with Lions during the buying decision process. They understand a need for your service or products but will not be fooled by gimmicks and cliches. Lion’s will; buy from the Lions!
 
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#Top Tip 2 – The Chameleon
 
Your Client: The employees who use your service/product

Your Chameleon client understands from all angels how your service/product will provide a return of investment for them/team/department. This client will likely also be the influencer or closely connected with them – where they will work together to achieve their outcomes for a buying decision. You will need to be prepared to persuade two potential decision makers (User and Influencer) and building relationships with both is vital.
 
Likely to want to know all the benefits and features of your service or product. Testimonials and case studies will be good resources to win the User over.
 
 
Regarding a buying decision: The Chameleon does not have an urgent need and may change their buying thoughts many times during the purchase process. Certainly, nurture the Chameleon but do not go in for the hard sale, the Chameleon wants plenty of time to decide on proceeding. The Chameleon’s would be the amber or red on a traffic lights system.
 
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#Top Tip 3 – The Shark
 
Your Client: Final decision on the purchase or your service/product
 
Your shark client will react to their gut emotion. They would have needed to be convinced by you/other decision makers during the buying process to proceed. If their ‘buy-in’ was strong, usually a quick decision will follow.
 
Likely to be focused on the outcome your service/product provides – a demonstration would be an ideal way to close the deal with the decider.
 
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Regarding a buying decision: The Shark will make an urgent and emotional buying decision to proceed with you or not, as there is a need for your service/product – you need to be swift in your prospecting techniques and follow-up to convert a shark. The Sharks are your money maker, do also consider the volume and value of a long-term relationship when proceeding with a shark.
 
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Jamie works with companies globally to enhance the employee’s B2B selling capabilities for generating and converting prospects. Jamie also improves the sales process and strategy to increase your gross sales by winning and retaining clients. 
 
💪 💪 💪
Jamie Martin BSc (Hons), PGCert (Managing Director & Founder)
Correct Careers Coaching – An award-winning Modern Sales Training and Sales Strategy Business.
 
Jamie@correctcareerscoaching.com and 07599 332178
https://correctcareerscoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemartin111 
 

Create, Commit, Close via Sales Pitches… 

The sales pitch meeting:
Every sales pitch is different, every decision maker will want something personalised, and every conversion needs to be bespoke!
 
#Top Tip 1

If you have had no formal sales training, you need to understand the stages of a pitch meeting and how to adapt your approach to the communication style of the prospect. Some stages are outlined below:
·         Introduction
·         Building Rapport
·         Questioning
·         Needs-based Selling
·         Objection Handling
·         Negotiation
·         Conversion
·         Follow-up
 
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#Top Tip 2 – Let’s look at one of these topics in more detail.
Building Rapport:
 
If we are being honest, no one likes to be sold to. The renowned sales term: Know, Like, and Trust (KLT) is even more important now for building rapport. Remember experiencing that ‘gut feeling’. It is similar when selling to another person.
 
A prospect is likely to engage with you through the pitch meeting if you take the time to listen and care about their values and interests. Building rapport should occur early on within the conversation, in my experience, a strong rapport built can make the negotiation and closing easier.
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#Top Tip 3 – And another topic most of us find challenging.
 
Handling Objections:
 
There could be several objections from the prospect, e.g., the costs, the prospect had tried a similar service or product before and did not receive the desired results. Before providing an answer to an objection – you need to uncover if this is the only reason or if there is anything else stopping the prospect from proceeding to buy? This will help personalise a response.
 
Respond with needs-based selling techniques, e.g., what if my service or product solved the problem you mentioned during our conversation? Deliver an anecdote of a similar situation with a previous customer.
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Ultimately, to win sales pitchers, you should focus on the needs of a prospect; how your service or product will make a significant impact on their business in current markets.
 
 
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Jamie Martin BSc (Hons), PGCert (Managing Director & Founder)
Correct Careers Coaching – An award-winning Modern Sales Training and Sales Strategy Business.
 
Jamie@correctcareerscoaching.com and 07599 332178
https://correctcareerscoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemartin111 
 

To use LinkedIn or not to use LinkedIn?


LinkedIn has nearly 800 million members, 55 million+ businesses, and in more than 200 countries across the globe.

If you are not using LinkedIn for business, you are missing out on opportunities with a vast number of professionals!

#Top Tip 1

How to connect with prospects…

You need to give a reason for someone to ‘Connect’ with you. Do you have a mutual/ connection/s? Did you have a conversation at a networking event? Did a business contact advise you to approach this prospect?

Or do you want to use their services? And give them a LinkedIn ‘Recommendation’ ⭐

The WHY is important when sending a connect request. Some people on LinkedIn will be near to their connections quote and will be selective on who they accept.

If your connection request wasn’t accepted – why not ‘Follow’ this prospect instead and you can still engage with their social media marketing.

#Top Tip 2

Engage with your Followers…

Reciprocity! If you, ‘Like’, ‘Comment’, and ‘Share’ on your connection’s post/articles, the more likely they are to return the gesture. The more engagement on your posts will increase the organic reach, as well as the audience of your connections.

The more visible you are on LinkedIn, the more awareness you and your brand will have on this channel.

If you’re going to send a prospect a private message – your engagement needs to be detailed and personalised.

Some examples:

  • Excellent post/article you have just written on LinkedIn…
  • Thank you for liking my post about…                   
  • I see you are interested in… and we are also part of the same LinkedIn group …

Turn a cold contact into a warm relationship by building rapport consistently with prospects on LinkedIn.

#Top Tip 3

Social Media Marketing…

Are you embracing social media marketing? Your competitors will be!

Whether you post daily or occasionally, make sure you do post. The more you do social media posts, the more your current customers and future customers will remember you and be aware of your services/products.

You can post about:

👉 Industry news or your business market updates

👉 Staff achievements and socials

👉 Client wins and testimonials

🔥 Do include a video or graphic – this will grab your readers attention!

Or create a ‘poll’ – a simple question can generate useful insights and statistics to share as a post with your network.

*Don’t forget to add 3 ‘#’ to your LinkedIn posts!

If you require LinkedIn and Social Selling Training for your business (storyboard attached), contact:

Jamie Martin BSc (Hons), PGCert (Managing Director & Founder)

Correct Careers Coaching – An award-winning Modern Sales Training and Sales Strategy Business.

Jamie@correctcareerscoaching.com and 07599 332178

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemartin111