It’s easy to get caught up in the buzz of new marketing and sales technologies and tactics. And it’s tempting to think the latest and greatest thing will be the solution to all of your concerns. Business success, however, depends on something more. It calls for having certain human behaviors.

As Michael W. McLaughlin writes in his article 10 Things the Top Consultants Do, some people seem perfect for a career in professional services, but they fail because they lack certain qualities. They might be the nicest and most skilled person, but these days that isn’t enough.

In McLaughlin’s experience, top service professionals have 10 behaviors that set them apart from the pack including, being an independent thinker, putting client concerns first and money second, mastering the art of consulting, and being confident without being arrogant.

“There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, which the best consultants recognize and respect,” McLaughlin says. “They know when to back off. If you’re tempted to venture into unfamiliar project territory, check your justification for doing it. Are you being confident or arrogant?”

Also key to your success is your mindset—how you think about your work. Negative thoughts about sales and marketing will prevent you from implementing strategies that can drive your business forward, says Robert Middleton in his article The Only Thing Holding Your Business Back.

“Truth be told, marketing and selling aren’t all that complicated. It’s a series of strategies and tactics that anyone can learn, practice, and implement. Over time, you get better and your results improve. Ultimately, by mastering this process, you’ll earn more money than you can even imagine,” he writes. “And the only things that can really stop you are your thoughts.”

Acting Human in an Online World

The rush to use social media networks for marketing has many people forgetting that this medium requires a human approach just like marketing via traditional channels. In fact, the people you’re reaching out to via social media are like the gatekeepers of traditional media, says Mike Danielson in his article Why Social Media Marketing Must Follow Old Media Rules.

“There are specific guidelines for creating social media posts that appeal to the audience. When building a social media marketing plan, it would be wise for businesses to follow similar specifications that media gatekeepers do. If you ambush your followers with self-serving or ill-suited posts, there is a real risk they will turn their backs on you,” he says.

Use social media networks to focus on buyers’ problems, not force solutions on them, Danielson adds.

“The ‘heavy on the problem’ strategy is useful here because now the company can wrap relevant content about the problem around how their product can alleviate it. In providing this knowledge, the company confirms its position as an industry leader and drives its readers to trust it with their business,” he says.

Developing Trust via Book Publishing

Trust might be the most critical human quality when it comes to succeeding in business. When buyers trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you and to refer you. And publishing a book is one way to elevate their trust in you.
Once you publish a book, you gain almost instant expert status, says Stephanie Chandler in her podcast interview How Publishing a Book Can Generate Business Revenue.

“Any newspaper, magazine, television show or radio show love to interview authors because authors are the experts. They’re the authorities in their fields,” she says. “So, while it might be a lot of work to put a book together, you can create so many fabulous results because you have that book and you can get quoted in major media and your local hometown media and really get known for what it is that you do.”

Additionally, if you can partner with another business and give them copies of your book to give to their clients, you can rev up your referral engine. For example, one of Chandler’s clients wrote a parenting guide. She sent it to local marriage and family therapists, and they started referring clients to her law firm. The firm became the largest law firm in town thanks in large part to those referrals.

What ideas do you have for humanizing your business and creating trust with buyers?

Photo by Micu Radu

When I was in high school, one of my teachers was fond of saying, “Never assume. You make an ass out of U and me.” He wasn’t giving us a tip on how to spell the word, though it is a good one. His point was that incorrect assumptions can leave you and the person you’re making the assumption about in bad light—and more than likely with you looking foolish.

In the business world, however, you have more at risk than looking like a fool. You can lose business, particularly if you make assumptions about your buyers.

One of the biggest mistake sellers can do is assume their buyers are ignorant and that they know better than the people making the purchases, writes Kristin Zhivago in her article The Biggest Sales Lie in Business. The reality is the customer has always been in charge of the buying process—even before the Internet and Google, she says.

“Customers who are about to spend money on services take the time to educate themselves. They keep digging until they find answers that make sense. Their buying process is guided by the experiences of customers who have already bought that type of service,” she writes.

In fact, by the time a prospective buyer approaches a salesperson these days, he has answers to all of his generic questions. That means salespeople must have answers to their very specific questions. They must listen and learn what the customer needs and then explain how their service satisfies that need. If they don’t uncover their full needs and jump in prematurely with a solution—assuming they know what the real problem is—they will either lose the sale or their effort to solve the problem will fail.

Traits of Top Salespeople

Steve W. Martin agrees that salespeople who are modest, don’t assume they know all about their buyers, and don’t act like know-it-alls sell more.

“Contrary to conventional stereotypes that successful salespeople are pushy and egotistical, 91% of top salespeople had medium to high scores of modesty and humility,” Martin writes in his article Top Traits of Successful Salespeople. “Furthermore, the results suggest that ostentatious salespeople who are full of bravado alienate far more customers than they win over.”

Martin says top salespeople are also conscientious and curious. They have a strong sense of duty and are responsible and reliable. And their high level curiosity contributes to their having a strong presence during sales calls and to ask strong questions “to close gaps in information.”

Success in 2012 and Beyond

A firm’s success also depends on its marketing and its principal’s ability to work on challenges facing the firm, not just on client work.

A recent survey conducted by EnergizeGrowth found top challenges included attracting new clients and increasing referrals. But when it came to addressing those challenges, 41% of the people surveyed said they were unfocused and “too busy to work on the business versus in the business,” says Lisa Nirell, CEO of EnergizeGrowth in a podcast interview Top Challenges of B2B Firms and How to Address Them.

Yet when asked how much they’d be willing to invest to address those issues, over 60% said they’re unwilling to invest or don’t know how much to invest, she says.

“If they do believe in learning and they do want to grow, why is such a large percentage of them unwilling to do anything to take action to move their business forward,” she asks. “[They] really have to look deep inside and say, ‘What can I do to make sure I’m not part of that 66%?’”

Longtime marketing strategist Bruce Marcus further says that principals and partners need to play a role in marketing if firms are to succeed.

Under what Marcus calls Professional Services Marketing 3.0, service professionals recognize not only that marketing is an integral part of any practice but that they must participate in and even initiate the marketing process.

They must be willing to compete, change as needed, uncover buyer trends, and truly focus on the client, he says in his article Why Professional Services Marketing 3.0 Matters for Your Future—and What to Do About It.

“Understand that successful marketing is client-based strategy, not a collection of marketing skills and mechanics routinely applied, and that it is client-focused, not firm-focused. ‘This is what I’m selling’ is not the same as selling from a clear understand of client needs,” Marcus says.

Image by Brett Jordan

Make sure you show your clients you appreciate them

When the holidays come around, suddenly we’re filled with the giving spirit. Every organization organizes a food or gift drive, and many of us willingly donate. I’m not knocking those drives; they address a very real need. But that need doesn’t end when the holidays end. Struggling families need care and attention throughout the year.

The same can be said about your client relationships. Your clients need attention and care the entire time they’re your client. You can’t go from regular phone calls and emails to nothing after they sign on the dotted line. Even after you complete the job, you need to maintain the relationship.

Developing meaningful client relationships—the type that creates loyal, trusting clients who not only offer return business but also refer you to others—starts with your lead generation efforts. Prospects need a human touch, says Dan McDade in his podcast interview Lead Generation: Prospects Need a Human Touch.

“There are so many companies now, and rightfully so, looking at marketing automation solutions and other tools. Those are all great, but remember nothing really happens until somebody has a conversation with somebody else,” he says.

That human element can also prevent firms from losing the many long-term opportunities that get “left on the floor” because the prospect isn’t ready to buy. You need a process that moves them closer to the sale, McDade says.

Joseph Riden agrees that being sensitive to a prospect’s financial position will help you win the sale, as well as their long-term business.

“Attempting a close during a company’s cash-critical period can lead to frustration all around and may dissolve trust in a relationship that was carefully built and would otherwise eventually bear fruit,” he says in his article Sensitivity to Clients’ Financial Position Helps Win More Sales.

These days you need to have a sense of a client’s financial position. When you know if they’re in a position to spend, you can better determine if you should move toward the close or if more nurturing is needed until they are able to spend.

“Intelligence about clients’ financial condition, and especially about their cash solvency, can be a key to conserving sales effort and directing it well. It also helps to retain nurtured clients and time your closing actions for a greater chance of winning sales,” Riden says.

Clients’ Experience Critical

In a world where more companies are competing for buyers’ dollars, the experience you provide to clients can set you apart and help you earn their loyalty.

If they believe in your service and enjoy the buying experience, they will keep coming back for more, says Michael W. McLaughlin.

First is the value you provide when you successfully deliver on the promised outcome. Second is creating value—and good experiences—in all interactions with clients, he says.

“I’m referring to non-project sources of value, such as what your clients learn, how they change as a result of your work, the new capabilities they develop, and how they feel about working with you,” writes McLaughlin in his article What It Takes to Keep Clients Coming Back for More. “Focus on boosting that aspect of value, and you will set yourself apart from others, who typically consider the client’s experience only as an afterthought.”

Empathy can also go a long way toward developing strong client relationships, says Anne Scarlett in her article How to Use Empathy to Develop Meaningful Client Relationships. Economic challenges and individual business hurdles can overwhelm your clients. Your empathy in those situations can go a long way, she says.

“Your empathy can have a meaningful impact on others, not only on their ability to manage the situation, but on their business relationship with you. It can help lay the foundation for a long-lasting client relationship,” Scarlett says.

Make Client Appreciation a Part of Life

Think about how you feel when a company you buy from offers a token of appreciation. JetBlue recently offered TrueBlue credit card owners a free alcoholic beverage on flights in December. Starbucks gives registered buyers a free beverage of any kind on their birthday. Godiva gives registered buyers a free piece of chocolate once a month. Those little things go a long way toward developing loyalty.

Reston Limousine discovered the same thing. After years of thriving without having to do much marketing, the company started to struggle as the bad economy forced buyers to cut expenses. To keep the business going, CEO Kristina Bouweiri turned to her clients. She wanted to thank current and past clients for their business, get to know them better, and ask them for referrals. That’s when she came up with the idea to hold a series of Client Appreciation Lunches, writes Mary Flaherty in her case study A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way: CEO’s Masterful Use of Client Relationship Marketing Grows Revenue by 27%.

Bouweiri enlisted the help of companies in her network who would also want to get in front of these clients, and they created exclusive monthly lunches for the people responsible for ordering transportation services but who often weren’t invited to these types of lunches. Attendees receive a free meal at a high-end restaurant, listen to mini-presentations by the sponsors, and leave with a gift bag of items provided by the sponsors.

“Every month for the last two years, I’ve hosted this lunch,” Bouweiri says, “and in the last two years I’ve met 900 clients. I’ve created a dialog with them. I’ve given [them] access to me personally as the CEO.”

Bouweiri learned that price isn’t the deciding factor. Her clients are overworked and underpaid, and they want more than anything reliable service, she says. When you combine that with a little appreciation, you not only gain their loyalty but you get advocates who spread the word about you.

Photo by woodleywonderworks

Congratulations to Eric Keiles who took home last week’s RainToday Readers’ Choice Award with his article The Sales Trap: Know It, Avoid It.

As we rapidly approach Thanksgiving, we’ve compiled some classic RainToday content, as well as one new article by Joseph Riden, that appropriately focus on client appreciation. After all, without our clients, none of us would be where we are today.

Riden gets us started with a great article on why you must have a keen understanding of your clients’ financial situation. Not only will it help you develop a better relationship with them, but it will give you a far greater understanding of when you should try to close the deal.

Meanwhile, Anne Scarlett takes an in-depth look at how empathy is an essential ingredient when building client relationships, and Dan McDade gives a great interview on why in this era of automation a human touch is still important when attempting to generate quality leads.

Along those lines, Michael W. McLaughlin describes how to create a superior buying experience for your clients. It could prove to be the deciding factor when they choose whether or not to purchase your services.

To cap it off, we return to Mary Flaherty’s examination of a limousine company that used client appreciation lunches to grow revenue by 27%. It’s a perfect example of how generating great client relationships can result in vastly improved business.

So, what do you think? Which RainToday article (or podcast) best exemplifies the spirit of Thanksgiving while also helping you grow your business? Check all of them out below, and then head over to Facebook to vote.

• Sensitivity to Clients’ Financial Position Helps Win More Sales – By Joseph Riden
• How to Use Empathy to Develop Meaningful Client Relationships – By Anne Scarlett
• Lead Generation: Prospects Need a Human Touch – A RainToday Podcast with Dan McDade
• What It Takes to Keep Clients Coming Back for More – By Michael W. McLaughlin
• A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way: CEO’s Masterful Use of Client Relationship Marketing Grows Revenue by 27% – A RainToday Case Study by Mary Flaherty

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Do you know what it means when a buyer touches their mouth during a presentation?

These days it isn’t enough to throw things out there and hope something sticks or that buyers take a bite. When it comes to marketing your services and developing new business, you need a targeted approach. And that starts with knowing who your buyers are and what their pain points are.

As Vickie K. Sullivan points out in her article Instant Guru: 3 Branding Models that Stand Out in Crowded Markets, everyone has an expert opinion and wants to share it. The result is a muddled wall of sound where few people stand out. One way to get buyers to notice you is to become the leader of a movement or a cause.

“Buyers like causes for two reasons. First, causes give them clarity about what the expert provides and how to use their perspective. Second, it makes the thought leader a “messenger” for a bigger cause that the market can adopt,” Sullivan says.

But before you take the lead for a cause or begin diagnosing a problem and provide advice, you have to know who your audience is. What type of buyers do you hope will follow you?

Targeted Marketing

Targeted marketing is always important, but it’s critical when firms are preparing for partners or leaders to step down, says Sharon Berman in her article Marketing: A Succession Planning Tool for Professional Services Firms. As a firm moves towards succession, it needs to develop a strong foundational marketing strategy. Marketing only when you have time is not an option. It must be done consistently, and it must be focused.

That same focus applies to presentations you make. As Tom Kennedy explains in his podcast interview 3 Essential Elements of Successful Sales Presentations, your audience always comes first. You want to know where your audience is coming from and what you can learn from them, he says.

“It’s always about them. The ‘I/me’ talk is terrible. The ‘let’s start with about us’—they don’t care about us. They don’t want to hear about us … unless [it's] about us and what that means to them,” Kennedy says.

Once you know your audience, then you determine what result you want to accomplish and what your message is. Define those things first and then build your presentation around them, he says.

Reading Buyers Correctly

Buyers will accuse sellers of not being truthful, but sometimes buyers withhold information or don’t answer questions truthfully. Often their body gestures provide clues, and it’s up to you to read them correctly, writes John Boe in his article The Truth about Your Prospect’s Lying Gestures.

Sometimes this happens because buyers have difficulty saying no and will tell you they’re interested in order to avoid conflict.

“As the pressure of making a decision builds, prospects will frequently use half-truths or lies to either stall or disengage from the selling sequence,” says Boe. “While their words say yes, their body language indicates no. By being able to recognize the inconsistency between your prospect’s words and his gestures, it is often possible to flush out their concerns, overcome their objections, and make the sale.”

Then there are times when buyers will do something during a presentation that indicates they don’t believe what the person is saying, he says. They might cover their mouth, which means they don’t believe what’s being said, or touch their eye, which means they don’t believe what they see.

“When you encounter one of those gestures during your presentation, it is a good idea to gently probe the subject matter with open-ended questions to encourage your prospect to voice his concern,” Boe says.

Successful selling and marketing starts with knowing and understanding your ideal buyers. How well do you know yours?

Photo by Stuart Pilbrow

We all love a bargain. We love when we can get something of value for less. And reductions in price pique buyers’ interest and can create cash flow for a company. So, you might think lowering your price would be a win-win situation. Not necessarily.

As Mark Hunter points out in his article The Dangers of Discounting Your Price to Create Cash Flow, reducing your price can have negative repercussions on your firm. For example, if you cut your price for one customer, other customers and prospects could find out and also want a lower fee.

“If all of your current and potential customers are going to find out, then all you’ve done is move yourself into a permanent state of always having an issue with cash flow. The reason is simple: you’ll now be selling everything at a lower price,” Hunter writes.

Not only that, but if your competitors find out, they could also lower their price and then you’re caught in a “pricing death spiral.” Everyone cuts their prices until one goes out of business or leaves the marketplace to focus on something else.

Lower Price, Lower Value

There’s also something to be said about your perceived value if you have low prices. For example, Advanced Technology Consulting, Inc. (ATC) started out working with anyone and often gave information and time for free. When it tried going after larger clients, those buyers were leery of the free services, writes M. Sharon Baker in her case study Consulting Firm Attracts Large Clients, Grows Revenue 50% Using Implementation Fee and Guarantee. They also worried about ATC’s size and its ability to deliver.

To fix that and show larger companies that they had their best interests at heart, ATC started charging an implementation fee and spelling out exactly what ATC was going to do to earn that fee.

“With the agreement, we show companies that we have some skin in the game so we become true partners rather than just a company peddling services and begging for someone to give us a chance,” says David Goodwin, co-founder of ATC.

Are You Doing a Thorough Job Selling?

If prospects aren’t buying at the price you set, there’s a good chance you aren’t doing a thorough job selling, adds Hunter.

“A thorough selling process means you need to ask enough questions and follow-up questions—and listen—until you are certain you understand what the customer wants. The more you focus on the fact that what you have to offer is of value to your customer, the less appealing discounting becomes as the only way to close a sale,” he says.

And don’t get caught up with the idea that there’s a secret sales technique or process that will help you close sales, warns Michael W. McLaughlin in his article You Don’t Need a Sales Technique. You Need Creative Ideas. Your expertise and creative ideas will get you farther than any three-step plan or technique, he says.

“Every hour you spend learning about the latest sales “secret” diverts your attention from what really matters: building the expertise that your clients want and need,” McLaughlin writes. “If you want to speed your sales efforts along, let your expertise, creativity, and ideas lead the way.”

Showcase Creativity and Expertise

One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise and creativity is through content: articles, blog posts, podcasts, videos, etc. You can write about challenges your prospects might be facing, offer advice, and show how you helped companies overcome those challenges.

You can post that content on your website or in your blog, but you can also use it in advertising, says John Jantsch in his podcast SEO, SEM, and Advertising, Oh My!

“I still believe that for most businesses this idea of advertising content, advertising the ability for people to learn about something or to get information that they want, is really the most effective way to promote with advertising—as opposed to trying to promote your business or sell your products or services,” he says.

But in order for content-based marketing and advertising to succeed, you have to know who your ideal client is, what type of content they like, and what websites and social media networks they visit, Jantsch says.

Help Buyers through the Sales Process

Not only can you use content to pull potential buyers to you, but you can use it to nurture the relationship and help buyers through the sales process, writes Joseph Riden in his article Using Content to Propel Buyers through the Sales Process.

“High-quality expert content is the magnet that pulls clients onward through your sales process,” he says. “Your offers are their stimulus to move ahead. Publish continually. Send appropriate content to each phase group. Broadcast a steady stream of thought leadership themes.”

You should also use content to maintain current client relationships, Riden advises.

“Content for this phase keeps you top of mind. You can send polls and surveys, price comparisons, information about giveaways, research findings, upgrade enticement, your ratings, reviews, testimonials, information about webinars, training, success stories, case studies, and handy device applications and software tools,” he says.

You can also give clients content to share with referrals, Riden says. Such content includes polls, surveys, research, recorded seminars, and success stories.

When your content-driven sales process is in full motion, it’s only a matter of time before you have a fully referral-driven practice, he says.

Photo by Tim Parkinson

Every prospect is different. Every client is different. Heck, every service professional is different. So, every business development or sales conversation you have and every relationship you develop will also be different.

There are a few things, however, that stand true when developing new business for your firm no matter whom you work with—or want to work with. Here’s a look at a few of them.

Dos

Approach Prospecting and Sales with a Positive Mindset:
For many, including service professionals, thoughts about sales conjure up an image of the typical bad salesperson. That combined with self-limiting thoughts such as “I hate sales” can severely hinder your sales efforts.

“As long as you think you hate selling, you’re not going to do it with passion. And because you’re not going to do it with passion, you’re going to reinforce [that self-limiting record],” says John Doerr in his podcast interview, Sales Is Not a Dirty Word.

Service professionals need to adopt sales methods and strategies that work for them, their personalities, and their preferences. When they do that, and approach each conversation with a positive mindset, they will like it more, and they will see better results.

“You will do the things that you love to do and have fun doing. Why not make selling one of them?” Doerr says.

Cross-Sell Your Services:
It costs five times more to sell a new service to a new client than it costs to sell an additional service to an existing client. Yet many firms focus their business development on new client acquisition. That’s a big mistake, writes Janet Ellen Raasch in her article, Time for Lawyers to Overcome Their Reluctance to Cross-Sell.

If you do your job well, your existing clients already know, like, and trust you. You’re already in! And you can more easily sell them new services or sell them services provided by another branch within your firm.

Raasch’s article focuses specifically on lawyers, who say lack of time, lack of awareness of what other services their firm provides, fear of selling, distrust of colleagues, and no compensation for cross-selling are what holds them back.

But with the help of the firm’s marketing team, and the support of firm leaders, lawyers (and other service professionals) can get over that reluctance.

“Cross-selling is a proven way to lower costs, shorten sales cycles, increase client retention and business, and strengthen law firm culture and morale,” says Phil Nugent, managing director at NCG Strategic Marketing in Raasch’s article. “Do not let your lawyers use compensation concerns—or any of the above challenges—as an excuse to hold your firm back in today’s highly competitive environment.”

Nurture Client Relationships:
Reston Limousine and Travel Service, Inc. discovered it needed to enhance relationships with existing clients if it wanted to survive the recession.

President and CEO Kristina Bouweiri “decided to tap into the company’s client database. She wanted to thank current and past clients for their business, get to know them better, and ask them for referrals. That’s when she came up with the idea to hold a series of Client Appreciation Lunches,” writes Mary Flaherty in her case study, A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way: CEO’s Masterful Use of Client Relationship Marketing Grows Revenue by 27%.

Those lunches have increased awareness of Reston Limousine’s services, enhanced client relationships, and created a targeted referral system that includes several business partners.

Without any new advertising programs or major large contracts to account for the spike, the company increased its revenue by 27% following the launch of the Client Appreciation Lunches. It’s grown to a total of 150 vehicles and generated $16.6 million in revenue in 2010. Projected revenue for 2011 is $18 million.

Don’ts

Get Dazzled by Hot Prospects:
It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of an impressive prospect contacting you about your services. But before you begin jumping through all of their hoops, you have to consider whether they are the right client for you, warns Jill Konrath in her article, Don’t Be Seduced by the Allure of Hot Prospects.

“It’s so easy to be tempted by these opportunities. And when you yield to this temptation, you make fatal mistakes—ones that can totally derail your sales efforts and cause you to lose the business,” Konrath writes.

When you willingly jump to fulfill a hot prospect’s requests, you put yourself in the “nice” seller category, she says, but that doesn’t help you win their business.

“While hot prospects may hold the promise of big paychecks, there’s often much that still needs to be determined if it’s a good fit for your company,” Konrath says. “Don’t be overeager. Instead be ruthlessly realistic. Detach from the fantasy and assess your true chances. Bring up the tough questions.”

Ask Prospects Bad Questions:
Asking a prospective client good questions can be incredibly powerful. But just as there are powerful questions, there are lousy ones. Some are so bad that the person you’re speaking with might kick you out of their office, writes Andrew Sobel in his article, Questions You Should Never Ask a Prospect.

Questions you should avoid include closed-ended questions, judgmental questions, sarcastic questions, leading questions, and clichéd questions, he says.

What’s a clichéd question? “What keeps you up at night?” is one example.

“Salespeople have been using that question for as long as there have been things to sell. In reality, most people aren’t going to share what really keeps them up at night until they develop some trust in you. Client executives tell me this is a lazy question because it shows you haven’t done your homework and thought about the conversation in advance,” Sobel says.

Other clichéd questions to avoid: “What has surprised you?” and “What question haven’t I asked you?”

“Remember, good questions are sincere. They reflect a genuine curiosity. They are open-ended. They get at the “why” of things. They explore implications. They challenge assumptions. They help you connect on a personal level. They demonstrate your familiarity with the issues,” Sobel says.

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Do you have any dos or don’ts to add to this list?

Illustrations by: OCAL

Think about it. What’s the last thing you want when you’re looking to buy anything—financial services, software, web hosting services, a car, a refrigerator? I say it’s a pushy salesperson who’s interested only in getting a commission check. It’s someone who will not leave you alone until you agree to the sale or storm off furious. It’s someone who cares nothing about return business and strong customer relationships.

The better way for salespeople to behave is to show buyers how their lives will be better if they buy from them, says RAIN Group co-president John Doerr in his podcast interview, Don’t Convince and Coerce Prospects, Influence Them.

You want to influence them, he says. Ask questions, make recommendations, and share ideas. Use your influence to guide them down a certain path. That’s a lot different than coercing them.

“If I set the agenda by sharing certain ideas that I have, that’s influencing people down a certain path. If I summarize and communicate the impact of taking a certain course of action, and let people see what may or may not happen if they choose that course of action, that’s influence as well. And finally, if I just recommend an action, the influence that I might have because I’ve shown myself to be an expert and I’ve developed trust with a particular person, all those things are helping to influence the sale,” Doerr says.

How Confident Are You?

Your sales success also depends on whether you sound confident in what you’re selling and the value you provide to clients, says Matt Heinz in his article, Why Your Sales Are Struggling. If you are desperate, you will say and do anything to try and win the sale. (Think of Jack Lemmon’s character Shelley Levine in Glengarry Glen Ross.) You could find yourself lowering your price, which can be detrimental in the long run.

“It’s tempting to lower prices and create aggressive offers to sell your services. But those offers, while they have the potential for a quick bump in sales, have a downside. They can immediately put you in a position where you’re competing on price and failing to justify a premium price for a premium product (and result!),” Heinz writes.

Make Sure You Sell to the Right Buyers

If you find prospects still aren’t interested in what you’re saying and show no interest in buying from you, then you might be targeting the wrong buyers. That’s sales mistake number one, according to Heinz.

“Make sure you understand who the right decision maker is for buying your service. Is that person different from the eventual end user? Is there a third “influencer” that needs to be on board before the buyer will sign?” Heinz says. “How well you understand the purchase and decision making ecosystem within the buying organization can make a big difference in whether or not you can quickly get to a ‘yes.’”

But even before that, you have to make sure you correctly identify the market that you can serve, says Bruce W. Marcus in his article, Setting Realistic Objectives, Part 1.

“There are three aspects of a market that must be considered—its size, its needs, and its location—and all three must be viewed carefully in formulating objectives,” Marcus writes. “How large a market can you realistically serve? What are the parameters of the market’s needs that you’re prepared to serve effectively? What geographical limitations are realistic? Do you have the skills to succeed in a particular market?”

Don’t set your sights on a certain market segment if you’re unable to serve it.

Those are three things that can contribute to sales success. What other factors do you think can help you succeed?

Photo by: Deb Walker

How many of you have taken to the social networks when you’ve been unhappy with a company’s service? Posted on their Facebook wall when you couldn’t get someone to respond to you? Tweeted your unhappiness? Or posted comments on Yelp? I suspect a lot of you have. And if you’re doing it, you know your customers are also doing it.

We’ve been given so many venues to connect with people and share our thoughts and opinions, and we—as well as our customers—are increasingly vocal about our experiences. That’s a great thing when customers say good things about you. But when they say negative things, watch out. The picky, fickle, and vain customers of today will quickly leave you when not satisfied, and they’ll tell the world about their unhappiness, causing others to not even consider you.

What you must do, then, is turn those “wired and dangerous” customers into “wired and loyal” customers, write Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson in their article, Turn Picky, Fickle Customers into Loyal Clients.

There are a few things you can do to make that happen and keep customers from abandoning you, all of which revolve around giving exemplary customer service, say Bell and Patterson. Start by monitoring all mentions of you on the web and take all comments and complaints seriously. Catching and resolving issues early is essential.

“Research reveals a strong relationship between effort and satisfaction,” Bell and Patterson say. “When a client found an experience to be both satisfactory and effortless, they were three-and-a-half times more likely to say they were loyal. It means the concept of ‘first-call resolution’ may need to take a back seat to ‘first-contact resolution.’”

Become Irresistible

Customers today are also “crazy busy,” says Jill Konrath. They’re going as fast as they can to produce products, provide services, meet deadlines, resolve problems, and keep their businesses going. But you can capture their attention—and their business—if you can understand their thinking and show how you can help them, she says.

For example, buyers won’t listen to you if you present them with complex ideas. They don’t have time to sort it all out. They also won’t change anything if they think it will inhibit their careers. And if your service looks the same as what they currently use, they won’t switch. But they will pay attention if you keep things simple, demonstrate a strong business case, and minimize the risk of working with you, says Konrath in her article, How to Make Yourself Irresistible to Crazy-Busy Customers.

You must also be prepared, adds Konrath.

“If you aren’t prepared, you aren’t credible. In fact, you’re just like every other self-serving salesperson. Make sure every meeting with you is well worth their time,” she says.

Don’t Depend on Gravy. Get Out and Prospect

A little “gravy” in your sales diet is a good thing. New business simply falls into your lap. But if you rely on that easy business, or go on the “Gravy Diet,” you could starve. Successful salespeople know they have to take control of their future and have a system for getting new business, says Landy Chase in his article, Want to Lose Sales? Try the ‘Gravy Diet’.

That means you have to prospect for new business or potential customers will pass you by. You could provide a fantastic service that’s unique compared to nearly everyone in your field, but buyers have no idea. You need a system that includes marketing, referrals, branding, networking, and integrity, Chase says.

Generate Referrals

Referrals—absolutely, you think. That’s how you prefer to generate new business. But are you asking for referrals, or introductions, the right way? Or are you inadvertently pushing clients away and causing them to not refer you?

If you ask for a referral with an open-ended question—such as “Who else do you know?”—you will cause the client to resent you, says Colleen Francis in her Q&A, Avoid this Mistake When Asking for a Referral or Testimonial.

“Clients resent it when you go to them and ask them to do a whole bunch of work for you,” she says. “Asking for a referral in that open-ended statement won’t get you any referrals … because your clients have other things to do.”

Instead approach your client with the names of specific companies you would like to work with whom you think your client can help with, and say something like, “I was thinking that these engineering firms in California—A, B, and C—would be a really great fit for our business. I’m wondering if you can help me with an introduction,” Francis says.

Consider All Possibilities, Not Just the Tactic of the Week

We’ve said it before, the strategies you use to attract new customers depends on what your buyers prefer. If they actively use social media, then you need to network with them there. If they respond better to email, then you need to communicate with them via that platform. You can’t adopt a strategy or tactic simply because it’s new and sounds exciting.

In fact, when EPIC Translations needed to generate new business it went back to a marketing tactic many businesses have dropped since the explosion of online marketing—direct mail. Only it added an online twist to its campaign, writes Mary Flaherty in her case study, Firm Combines Direct Mail with Online Features to Increase Sales.

The company sent a postcard to a highly targeted list, and on the postcard included an online call to action so that it could better track responses. The postcard directed prospects to a specific landing page, and it had a QR code that people could scan to get information.

Imran Virk, director of sales at EPIC Translations, said he decided to explore direct mail because he noticed not many companies were using it.

“Don’t be afraid to be different and try tactics that have worked in the past,” he says. “What can actually get somebody’s attention now? Believe it or not, people do pay attention to something that they receive in the mail. I know I certainly do.”

Photo by kymillman

“Can I trust you?”

That’s my first thought whenever I begin researching service providers. Whether it’s a lawyer, accountant, vet, or hair colorist, I need to know that I can trust them. Do they know what they’re doing? Will they have my back? Will they make me feel like a valued customer?

I’m not the only one who feels that way. Your prospects and clients are in the same boat. Are you doing all that you can to demonstrate your expertise and value—and make them feel comfortable with you? Do they trust you?

Equally important, says Charles H. Green, is whether you trust your clients. In a strong client relationship, trust runs both ways. You’re both taking a chance and putting faith in one another. Your client trusts you’re doing all that you can, and you trust that you can discuss things openly—even negative things—without fear that they will abandon you.

“If you don’t believe in the power of trusting and being trusted, then you won’t achieve either. You will be suspicious, and others will be suspicious of you,” writes Green in his article, Good Trust Leads to Good Business.

Now consider the value you offer. Are you trying to win sales by beating your competition—doing the same as them but touting it as better? That’s a tough one because buyers usually end up deciding who to go with based on price. If you want to capture their attention and break away from the pack, start creating new alternatives, says Ron Karr in his podcast interview, Why You Need to Stop Trying to Beat Your Competition.

When you go into the mindset of creation rather than competition, “you tend to be able to cross-sell a lot more of your … services because you’re selling on an outcome that they’re not currently realizing and they want to do it. And when you get to that point, you get to be known then as a trusted advisor. And if you get to that level, well, then frankly, there is no competition,” says Karr.

Demonstrate Your Expertise and Trustworthiness

If you want to show prospects you are skilled, provide unique value, and are trustworthy, start writing. A few years ago when I was looking for a therapist, I received recommendations but then I did a web search of them to learn more about them. Those who wrote blogs and provided advice in social forums rose to the top of my list. They provided an opportunity for me to get to know them better before picking up the phone to call them.

More businesses are discovering the value of such content to not lead to immediate sales but to eventual sales, writes Eric Rudolf in his article, 9 Non-Technical Ways to Increase Website Traffic.

“Are you an IT consultant? Start a group for people struggling with ERP implementations. Do you provide accounting services? Start a group for people who have questions and concerns about their taxes. Helping people without expectation of profit is a great way to not only build credibility, but to also drive web traffic in the future—when members of your social group are finally ready to make a purchase,” Rudolf says.

As you write, be careful with your writing. Make sure you don’t have typos or misspellings, use correct punctuation, and use complete sentences. I might be more critical because I’m editor (oh, how I hate the misuse of your and you’re), but other people will notice as well. And as Ernest Nicastro points out in his article, Misused Words that Lessen Your Credibility, bad writing can cause you to be less credible.

In your writing and in your communication with prospects, clients, partners, and co-workers you want to put your best foot forward. That means you have to write carefully. It’s one thing to email friends and family members. It’s another when the things you write represent your business.

Writes Bryan Garner, in the preface to the third edition of his Garner’s Modern American Usage: “There aren’t just a few dozen trouble spots in the language, or even a few hundred. There are several thousand of them. Given the critical acumen of many readers, for a writer to remain unconscious of these pitfalls and write whatever sounds close enough will inevitably lead to a loss of credibility. Vague intelligibility isn’t the touchstone; precision is.”

Photo by David Dufour