The biggest mistake made in marketing—and a reason that success can be so elusive—is not clearly making the case for who you are and what you offer, even if that must change to keep up with the environment we are in these days.
At a business function, when someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Many sales people and especially sale managers simply say, “I’m in sales.” Oftentimes, however, when that question is asked, because of misconceived perceptions about the industry, your black-and-white answer actually repels people.
For the past months I have been asking sales and sale managers how they answer this question and if their answer would have people wanting to talk with them more or less. Ninety-five percent of them answer with a response of “less.” The perplexing question I then have to ask is “If you know what you say will have a negative response, why don’t you say something different?”
Every firm needs to have a refined firm story to assist in marketing and client acquisition. And it is important to have a compelling opening line for your story. Without this, you may never get the chance to share it. Even the classic elevator pitch, typically one to two minutes in length, is too long-winded for an informal initial introduction. In a world of ever-decreasing attention spans, less is definitely more.
To build success in sales, people first have to know about you and know what you have to offer. You need to identify your professional brand. This is the first step in making a name for yourself and building recognition in your community.
Your mission: Aka your elevator speech. In a couple of sentences, explain your role in your organization. How do you help people? What qualities do you offer no one else can?
Example: I'm a caring and knowledgeable financial advisor who is passionate about helping clients build wealth and create successful retirement outcomes. Try the following: For the past year I have help people like yourself become part of my exclusive client list by providing you with true value for the money you are spending on my product and service.
Personal information: Make a list of the qualities, interests and hobbies that make you "you." Be honest and specific. Explain how these qualities and attributes can benefit your clients and help you grow your business.
Example: As a husband and father, I can relate to other families' needs and desires for the future. My problem-solving skills help me dig deep to uncover clients' needs and suggest solutions to take care of those needs. As a result, I do more cross selling and get more referrals.
Professional information: List your professional accomplishments and goals.
Example: Accomplishments: Senior sales manager for the last 5 years. Obtained advance course and practical designations in my field. Working on "xyz" designation.
Example: Professional Goal: To continue to build a successful practice with 30 "A" clients and 200 total clients within five years.
Your unique value proposition: Challenge your competition. Don’t “bad mouth” the competition but challenge them to live up to what you do better than all else. "Why should a client hire you?" That’s right your client is hiring you to provide them with a product, service and follow up, they are not just buying from you.
A solution for compelling others to want to listen to you is to develop a 15 to 20 second simple, repeatable statement of value (SRSV). An SRSV is statements that are easy to remember and offers some value to the person you are speaking with. Below is the four-step formula for building your own SRSV. (Your SRSV may not include the answer to every question, and it doesn’t need to be stated in this order.) (Remember 30 minutes or less or it’s free….put that Pizza joint on the map)
SRSV builder questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Who do you work with (niche)?
- What is unique/memorable about what you do or have done?
Use these questions as a guide in building your own unique SRSV so that you can stand out—in an elevator or anywhere else.
How to tell your branding story in your product…. Telling a brand story through well-crafted marketing copy can capture the essence of a brand. And building those brand messages into the physical product itself can reinforce the brand's value proposition every time the product is used.
Here are three consumer product marketers who are doing this brilliantly, and some branding advice for your smart marketing strategy.
Old Spice Classic Men's Deodorant. Yes, it's been around forever and it hasn't changed much. But Old Spice has rejuvenated its brand with attention-getting TV ads and a branding strategy driven by its heritage.
Here's the clever copy that appears on the product label of Classic Men's Deodorant, where you see it every time you prepare to apply it: "If your grandfather hadn't used this, you wouldn't be here."
While most of us don't want to think about exactly how we got here, the underlying message--attractive men have always turned to Old Spice and with great results--is the essence of Old Spice's brand. And because it's part of the physical product, it's a can't-miss marketing message.
Altoids: Candy maker Callard & Bowser has built a phenomenal brand identity for Altoids, the "curiously strong mints" which are so potent they require a metal box. Inside each Altoids package is a paper liner that protects the product.
Clever Callard & Bowser realized that paper-messaging opportunity, but instead of boring copy, they print brand-centric messages on the liner that emphasize the powerful taste of Altoids and the courage of those brave souls who dare to enjoy them. "Not for the Faint of Tongue" and "Enter at Your Own Risk" are two examples.
Because a typical package of Altoids contains about 75 pieces, that's up to 75 repetitions of the marketing message per pack, one for every time a mint is enjoyed. Not bad for adding a one-line message to a product liner that had to be there anyway.
Not all of us have little mints to sell or even remember to use Old Spice, branding brings real value to who you are and what your organization offers. Write down two or three real catch phases to capture your product and organization brand.
When marketing yourself in today’s marketplace the challenge of change is real and you need to be well aware of it.
Becoming a strategic and consultative Sales Superstar requires significant changes in your “world view”—how you think about yourself, and how you think about your relationships with key stakeholders. You are faced with new ways of thinking, many of which directly challenge what you have been taught and believe.
When faced with significant innovations in thinking, we tend initially to find ourselves in one of the following three characterizations:
- The “Authoritative Critic”
- The “Authoritative Expert”
- The “Enthusiastic Apprentice”
We can think about these three characters as being on a spectrum that runs from outright rejection to eager acceptance. As we take a brief look at each of these, allow yourself to wonder where on the spectrum you fall in your process of becoming a Sales Superstar.
The Authoritative Critic
This individual quickly dismisses new ways of thinking, outright rejecting them as ridiculous, foolish and unwise. What is this individual’s motivation?
Motivation of the Authoritative Critic? Fear of change, of loss. Doomed to failing and blaming everyone but themselves. This personally is found quite a bit in healthcare providers whose practice has been failing for years and refuses to listen to advice and has a staff to blame or Insurance / government to shift the responsibility of failure.
The Authoritative Expert
This individual is one who typically responds to the introduction of innovative ideas by rejecting the reality that the ideas are indeed innovative. This individual is typically thinking “What’s the big deal? I’ve always done it this way.”
What is this individual’s motivation? Fear of losing face, of appearing inadequate. Doomed to come across and a total jerk to deal with.
The Enthusiastic Apprentice
This individual is excited by innovative thinking and is eager to learn. She/he may not understand or totally embrace the innovative concepts, but she/he is excited about the possibilities that well-informed change may bring about.
What is this individual’s motivation? It is hunger for knowledge and excitement about the possibilities that may come with new knowledge.
The nature of change is dynamic. As much as we might like to believe that change is linear, the truth is that deep transformative change develops in a spiral pattern. As you reviewed the above characteristics, you may have seen parts of yourself in each description.
Knowledge is power. The more aware you can become of your own process of “spiraling” through the process of change, the more conscious and intentional you can be about choosing change, choosing growth, and choosing to become a Sales Superstar.
So where do you fit in? Do you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions?
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