The Single Most Important Question to Getting What You Want

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." 

 - Buddha

People have been studying and writing about success for many thousands of years. The more I study and read their advice, the more I see that they have all arrived at the same conclusions.

I just received this 4 minute video from Brian Tracy in which it summarizes what separates the top 10% of performers in any walk of life from the other 90%.

It starts with spending most of their time thinking about the future.

Study after study show this is a key ingredient in success.

Now watch this 4 minute video from Brian Tracy to see what the key question is.

The Point

"There is at least one point in the history of any company when you have to change dramatically to rise to the next level of performance. Miss that moment and you start to decline."

- Andy Grove, Intel CEO

The old SBA study says that only 20% of businesses reach their 5 year anniversary. If you have gotten there congratulations! It is nice to be one of the 2 out 10 that make that milestone.

You have to have done a lot of things right.  You have probably worked hard and long, gone through your share of employees and probably still feel the business depends too much on you, and you just don't have the time to do all that needs to be done, not to mention implementing the ideas you have to make the business better.

What they don't talk about a lot is the other part of that SBA study. That, of the 20%, 80% end up locking the doors and selling the assets at a discount when they are through. They were not able to build real equity value, a business that sells for a multiple of its profits or sales revenue. Something they can retire on or pass on as a viable, profitable business to the next generation.

Why? They reached that point above that Andy Grove talks about and didn't change the way they were leading and managing the company.

You see no one wants to buy a business that relies on the owner to be there and run it day to day.

No one wants to buy a job!

Think about it, when you became the owner or started the business what were your dreams, what was your vision. I don't think it was working 45-60 hours a week on top of the stress and issues of paying the bills and dealing with your employee's and customer's issues all day.

To end up in that elite 4% of small businesses that build equity and have a real market value, you might want to think about the quote above and start thinking about how to make that change that will make you a better leader. Build a company that has the Right People, Doing the Right Things, Right.

One that works for you vs. one that relies on you to work!

It takes commitment and action - know what you want and take the right actions to get there.

Goals without Actions are dreams, Actions without goals are chaos!

Nurturing Leads

"Marketing is the effective and efficient use of frequent, relevant, focused communications to get people with similar wants, needs, pains and fears to know, like and trust you."

- Rick Wallace 

You should now be aware of the study done several years ago that showed 80% of prospects buy between the 5^th and 12th contact with the company. That same study shows that only 10% of salespeople follow up with a lead more than 3 times!

I would call that a huge disconnect and one that very few companies address. We spend most of our time and money on the generation of leads, the "getting our name out there" kind of efforts. Few companies focus on the nurturing of the leads they do generate and thus the vast majority of the leads they pay so dearly to collect are followed up a few times (called tire kickers) and put in a pile somewhere and forgotten about until we do another emailing or email blast of some "selling effort" (like a discount or special promotion). Sound familiar?

Well there is an automated way of ensuring all your leads are followed up with care and trust. The use of an email marketing program and an autoresponse program can do it all for you for less than $60 a month. You need a Marketing Machine to accomplish this. 

See a diagram of the Nurturing Machine here.

 

First it is effective and efficient.

Second it is focused, frequent and relevant.

Third it creates the know, like, and finally the trust you need to get people to buy from you.

The Steps to Success 

The first step is building your Ideal Customer Profile on paper so you can focus on a group of similar people that have the same wants, needs, pain and fears.

The second step is creating your Value Proposition (message) that addresses their wants, needs, pains and fears and how you provide the best solution for them solve them.

The third step is to sign up for Constant Contact and Aweber and load your present database of customers and leads into Constant Contact. 

The fourth step is to create a Free Offer or Service that your Ideal Customers/Prospects would like to have and set up the sign up page in Aweber.

Fifth step - Now begin promoting the Free Offer or Service and driving people to this sign up page from your website, emails, direct mail in all your promotional materials. 

Sixth step - Begin creating TIPS, short (2 minute max) informational emails or no frill videos that are relevant to your Ideal Customers/Prospects. No SELLING, no promotion, no coupons, no selling whatsoever. The only place your company is mentioned is in the From and the signature line. These should be helpful, educational tips that build trust over time that you are serving them not selling them. 

Seventh step - send to all customers and old leads via Constant Contact.

Eighth step- Add each tip (after it is sent in Step 7 above) to your sequence in Aweber (See Diagram). As each new lead signs up they will automatically get, in sequence, the tips without you doing anything. It's automated!

When the time comes that the prospect is ready to buy (they get mad at present vendor, their product breaks down, they get some money to make the purchase, etc. ) they think of you because you are following up and staying in front of them with relevant, "no sales pitch" communications and follow up.

Success = Doing the Right things, in small amounts over a long period of time.

Watch this 40 minute presentation on the strategies used above. 

All the best,

Rick Wallace 

  

Seven Reasons Most Salespeople Sound Like Charlie Brown's Teacher

"Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah ..." 

 - Charlie Brown's Teacher

It doesn't matter if you have the best product, service, widget, idea, or message, it boils down to a couple of key points:  if you can't first and foremost get attention and then demonstrate to people why you are the best provider of the solutions for their pains and fears over a long period of time, you are in for serious trouble.

All the best marketing strategies that deliver qualified leads and referrals to your door or inbox is for naught if the hand off is bungled, they are not nurtured properly, and the opportunity to serve is blown due to little if any sales strategy.

Here are three other quick, yet important, reminders as to why great sales skills are of key importance:
 

1. Competition is intense and it's now global (think Google search).
2. You must be able to communicate and demonstrate your message, ideas, and vision in a world where most people believe little if anything the first time they hear it.
3. Most people 'wing it' when it comes to selling and it costs them and their business a fortune.

What's the Dirty 'Sales Secret' that Most People Refuse to Believe?

80% of all sales are made between the 5^th and 12^th contact. (A contact does not have to be a phone call or face to face it can be (email or video) relevant information that serves the prospect.)

Only 10% of salespeople follow up more than 3 times!!!!

You can be a Superstar if you develop a system to follow up with relevant information, not sales literature, phone calls and boring pitches and coupons!

Seven Reasons Why Prospects Stall in the Sales Process:

 

1. They are simply not ready to buy right now, but 80% of the leads (those "tire kickers") will in the next 12 months.
2. You don't follow up, or if you do it is BORING (share relevant information, don't call and say "just checking in. Just following up....").
3. They don't have enough EVIDENCE (you don't talk about their pain and fears) to feel like seeing you or selecting you.
4. Fear of making a BAD DECISION (buying safety).
5. You push TOO HARD - appear desperate - pleasing (telling) vs. serving  (demonstrating).
6. They're not the DECISION MAKER or there are others on the "team" that need convincing.
7. You aren't MEMORABLE - "commodity". (You talk about you (see quote above) not them, you don't address their wants, needs, pains and fears).

Talk about their pain and fear first, they don't want to hear about you and your company. They want to hear about them and their issues and problems. Then you can demonstrate how you and your company have the best solution via information and demonstrations that address their pains and fears.

All the best,
Rick Wallace

Relevant Content Builds Trust

"I used to think of my company as a "pool company". I was all wrong - I'm a "content marketing company". My entire goal is to give more valuable, helpful and remarkable information to people than anyone else in my industry, which will turn leads into more sales."

 - Marcus Sheridan, Owner, River Pools and Spas

Marcus' new found focus has fueled tremendous growth in a tough market. He views it as his competitive advantage that deepens his relationship with his prospects and customers. His willingness to talk about problems and pitfalls to avoid, builds trust and credibility and ultimately rabid fan loyalty and referrals. 

I coach my client's to build a marketing machine:

• Profile your Ideal Customer - know their pains and fears, wants and needs. 
• Build a Value Proposition (your message) that begins with their pains and fears.
• Develop a "free offer" that they want and ask for.
• Put them into the marketing machine.  Nurturing the leads is more important than getting them.
• Build a series of 12-20 "tips" that address the pains and fears of these prospects.

Do not sell. Do not talk about you or your company. When these prospects start getting your tips, the first thing they look for is any hint of selling or touting of your company. The first hint of that and they unsubscribe or just ignore future tips from you. You want to build "trust" via these emails and videos and the only way to do that is provide relevant tips without commercials.

At some point these prospects will be ready to buy. Some trigger will make them ready to buy, and if you have built trust via these tips then they will call you and buy from you.

Don't sell - Serve.

80% of People buy between the 5^th and 12th contact. Nurture leads and build trust and you will be top of mind when the time comes and they are ready to buy.

All the best,
Rick Wallace

Give vs. Get

"The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar instead of how little he can give for a dollar is bound to succeed."
  
 - Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

From my coach Steve Chandler:  

"The fear-based scarcity mindset people are always wondering what they will GET back for anything they do for anyone. 

The creative mindset always asks itself what it can GIVE. People who are able to maintain their creative mindsets, especially in matters of money and service, end up being seen as "lucky" by people who live in the world of GET."

All the best,

Rick Wallace