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. 

🎤🎤🎤

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.
 
💪 💪 💪
 
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.
🏆🏆🏆 
 
 
#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 
 

How are your negotiation techniques?


#Top Tip 1

What to think about before negotiating?

If you are thinking about negotiating/discounting your service or product to a client; the reasons should be for the value of working with this client.

After discounting from your full/standard prices with a client, it may be difficult to increase the price in future sales.
The value questions you should consider are: will you receive repeat business? Is this sale a large volume? Is this sale of high value?

Does this client have an internal network/referral base that will give you further business?

⚙⚙⚙
 

#Top Tip 2

Only negotiate in person/video conference…

Face to face with a client during negotiations will benefit you instead of negotiation over phone, email, etc.
In person, you can read the expressions and body language reactions of a client.

Read the buying signals (93% is nonverbal communication) from the client e.g., the questions they ask you about your service/product.

Use your judgement to decide when to stop the negotiation and close the sale. It is also easier to have a proposal/deal signed when you’re sitting next to the client.

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#Top Tip 3

Close quickly with less options!

During the negotiation stages close the sale soon, if the client has too long to think about proceeding with the purchase, they are more likely to not proceed or want to renegotiate further.

Clients will take longer deciding if you provide them with too many options; when pitching and negotiating only provide 1 or 2 options to the client to increase the chances of a sale within a shorter timeframe.

⚙⚙⚙
 
 
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 

How to convert sales using Psychology?

#Top Tip 1

Start at the beginning – Create a sales pipeline/prospect list for your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). This could be your customer’s customer, your customer’s competitor, or other business within your customer’s supply chain.

Create a cadence (sequence of actions) with personalised sales touch points, i.e., the communication you have with a prospect while pitching to them.

Examples of communication:

  • Phone call
  • Email marketing or newsletter
  • LinkedIn private message
  • Handwritten letter posted
  • WhatsApp Message
  • Voicemail
  • Send a gift
  • Video Conference/Face to Face meeting
  • Referral

And so on and so on…

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Take your time to develop a sales strategy and sales process to build long-lasting relationships with the customer during the buying journey.

Repeat, analyse, and adapt your sales process to convert more customers effectively!

#Top Tip 2

Each individual prefers different communication styles – visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Ask your prospect how they prefer to be contacted, i.e., by phone, by email? And what is the best day and time to contact them?

⏳⏳⏳

Take your time to research your prospect/future customer via social media, their website, other media channels. Learn more about their personality and interests.

When you find a common ground between you and your prospect, it will be easier to build a rapport with them during the sales pitching stages.

⏳⏳⏳

Signposting is a powerful technique in sales. During your correspondence with your prospect, guide the prospect towards conversion by telling a story/case study for them visualise what the outcome or results will be when they work with you. For example, you will increase their turnover by 22% within the next quarter.

#Top Tip 3

It is challenging to remember all you need to say and do when sales pitching!

Use psychological techniques to improve your memory and sales conversions:

  • Write things down into bite size ‘chunks’, to learn and rehearse information
  • Speak words/scripts aloud (to identify any errors in your pitches)
  • Acronyms help to remember key benefits or features of your service/product
  • Providing evidence of statistics/figures to your prospects will certainly grab their attention!
  • Learning when experience good smells or doing exercise improves memory retention
  • Take the time to practice your pitches until perfect!

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If you would like to know more how Psychology can help you increase your business sales and customers, contact Jamie (details below) regarding his ‘Sales Psychology’ sales training programme:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sales-psychology-try-unique-approach-increase-your-jamie/?published=t

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

What can Psychology teach us about Selling?

#Top Tip 1

A strong rapport with your prospect will secure that meeting, improve conversion during the buying process and build long-lasting relationships.

Bob Burg states the renowned Know, Like, and Trust phrase (KLT)

Why is this important to know?

🔥🔥🔥

Know – You are more likely to win the business if you are referred by someone. Building a strong network of supporters is key to business success!

Like – Have you researched your prospect via their LinkedIn profile/other channels? Do you know their interests? Communication style? Their recommendations? Mutual connections? Etc. Start a conversation with a common ground and your prospect will give you the time to develop relationships.

Trust – Have you provided your prospect with evidence of your service/product? I.e., a testimonial, case study, LinkedIn recommendation.

Tony Robbins –When people are like each other they tend to like each other.”

#Top Tip 2

Personalise your communication to your target market/ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)…

Apply the AIDA concept by Frank Hutchinson Dukesmith:

A = Attention

I = Interest

D = Desire

A = Action

Why is this important to know?

🔥🔥🔥

Your prospect will buy based on emotion. They want to feel that you have spent the time to understand their problems/needs and provide solutions for their business.

Automated social media posts or email marketing is too generic for them!

Any copy you distribute to your prospect should grab the attention of the decision maker. It should be industry and terminology specific. Why should they use your service/product over your competitor? Will it achieve their 2022 goals?

Don’t forget to include a call to Action.

#Top Tip 3

Understand how your prospect prefers to communicate…

Dale Edgar’s research highlights that when we are learning new information, we retain 10% (when reading), 20% (when hearing), 30% (when seeing), and 90% (when doing). 

Why is this important to know?

🔥🔥🔥

When you pitch, your prospect might not retain all the information you speak!

Make sure you have some visuals and a demonstration.

Is there a practical activity you can do with your prospect? This could be possible with a product. If you provide a service, why not ask your prospect to speak with one of your previous clients to find out how your service benefited them.

If you would like to know more how Psychology can help you increase your business sales and customers, contact Jamie (details below) regarding his ‘Sales Psychology’ sales training programme:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sales-psychology-try-unique-approach-increase-your-jamie/?published=t

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

Will Automation Increase Your Sales?


AI (Artificial Intelligence) and technology are improving our efficiency and productivity within business, especially as the digital world continues to enhance, but are we losing the personal approach with our future clients?

If you are going to use automation for selling – make sure it provides you with the return of investment!

#Top Tip 1

  • Research the market for the right automation product for your ICP (Ideal customer profile), consider industry, size, product/service, etc.
  • Do a trial of this product, if possible, does it provide you with the results you are looking for?
  • Have you/the staff had training on how to use all the features?

#Top Tip 2

If you are going to use automation when selling – is it personalised?

✅ Does it reflect your prospect’s communication style? Some people prefer visual over auditory…

✅ Will it be seen by the prospect? For example, if it is email marketing, you might need to customise the settings, so it is received by the reader at the ‘best’ day and time they usually open emails.

✅ How often will the prospect receive something automated? Don’t overdo it or they may opt out!

#Top Tip 3

Types of automation to consider to for your business:

  • Sales Enablement – resources and tools to convert business in to sales
  • Recruitment, onboarding, and employee engagement
  • Data input, processing invoices/claims/purchase orders
  • Chatbots, customer support, IT help

Your staff is one of the most important elements to retain in a business – make sure any automated processes benefit the staff as well as the business.

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

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

Who are your ‘Ideal Customer Profiles’?





You may have heard the phrase ‘I don’t want to work with a bad customer’.

This statement doesn’t necessarily mean that this ‘bad customer’ is annoying or will give you a headache if you work with them, it could just mean that this customer isn’t a suitable fit for your business model.
 
#Top Tip 1

Identify your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

This is a target prospect or company you want to work with or who is predicted to buy your service/product.
These ICP’s could be your customers ‘customers, the competitors of your customers, or a specific industry sector within the business ecosystem.
 
#Top Tip 2

Why this specific ICP?

Are they a competitor of a customer you have already worked with? Is this ICP in an industry you have expert knowledge of? Does this ICP have a similar size of organization, number of employees, or various departments you are used to working with?

Working with a new ICP similar to your previous customers enhances the likelihood of successful results in a quicker timeframe due to you having already done the ‘legwork’ with similar businesses.

The outcome of exceeding expectations demonstrates how effective your service/product is to your new customer, thus increasing customer retention rates.
 
#Top Tip 3

How to convert a new ICP?

You will need to identify their behaviors, e.g., what social media channels do they use?

Social media profiles (primarily LinkedIn) can provide details about an ICP’s personality, communication style, interests, etc.

The more your find out about your ICP prospects, the easier they will be to sell too!
 
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 

How to sell post-covid? The same as you did before…

#Top Tip

Sell on what your current customers say

Demonstrate the value of your service or product to a new prospect during the sales pitching stage from case studies or testimonials you had received from recent customers/clients who have already worked with your business.

Help your new prospect visualise (by storytelling) the outcomes or results your service or product had with other businesses (similar service, industry, size, etc.).

Your new prospect will experience emotional thoughts during your conversation by comparing themselves to their competitors, enticing them to proceed further in the buying process.

This new prospect will be convinced further from hearing real feedback about you and are more likely to proceed in working with you from fear of missing out!

What if you don’t have many testimonials?

👉 Ask your LinkedIn network for ‘recommendations’ and use these as testimonials and social media marketing post

Not sure which testimonials or case studies to quote?

👉 Use a testimonial that reflects similarities with your new prospect (Is the testimonial from a similar industry to your new prospect? Is the testimonial from the same job title as your new prospect? Does the testimonial describe a similar problem your new prospect is experiencing?)

Selling at present couldn’t be easier… let your current customers’ comments do it for you!

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