Robyn, like many passionate entrepreneurs has a high-quality service offering, but for some reason, just can’t close the sale. She has random sales once in a while, and she gets lots of hugs but no credit cards. Frustrated with her slow progress, Robyn turned to me for help thinking that she must really have a problem with marketing.

In actuality, Robyn was making a big mistake in her sales conversations.

Unfortunately, this is a really common problem. Converting leads to clients.

When your small business sales are stuck, you’ll probably jump to conclusions and assume several things are wrong. But before you lose confidence and change your business model, read the rest of this blog as I unpack one key sales and marketing principle that you need to know, and reveal the single most important part of your marketing campaign.

First Attract, Then Convert.

There is a buying journey that every customer goes through. When you understand how the journey works, you can plan your marketing and sales activities to support each stage of the journey, rather than do things that will sabotage or work against the customer’s natural rhythm of things.

First you attract potential leads (prospects), and then you convert those leads into paying customers.

Generally speaking, it’s a two-step process.

The first step is a function of marketing, and the second step is a function of sales.

If your prospects are not stepping into working with you, here are three areas you’ll want to review:

1. Are you Building a Bridge? Each marketing activity should have a relevant call to action that invites your prospect into a next step with you, building a bridge into your sales process.
2. Is it Compelling? The invitation needs to be compelling enough for your prospect to act. They need to be motivated to take the next step. They need to WANT it.
3. Are you Delivering Solutions? The offer needs to be of value to the person you are offering it to (and positioned and packaged as such) based on what THEY deem to be important, not on what you think they need. Typically, this is a problem they admit to having and want to solve, or a desired result they wish to fulfill.

A call to action (CTA) is really important, and a not including calls to action in ALL of your marketing materials, activities and promotions is a very BIG mistake to avoid at all costs.

Your call to action is the chance to motivate your audience to take real steps toward becoming a customer or client. It can be the determining factor between a lead and a conversion. Many argue that the call to action is THE most important part of your marketing campaign.

When I work with my private coaching clients, I help them craft their marketing CTAs based on their overall marketing and sales strategy (that we develop together), so they can implement their CTAs with confidence. Calls to action can be a difficult concept for non-marketing folks to understand in terms of how to write them, which CTAs to use depending on the marketing channel, type of campaign, or anticipated business goal.

I’m curious to know, what’s your biggest question when it comes to attracting or converting your sales leads into customers? Leave me a comment below.

To your success,

 

 

P.S. I’ve been working with CEOs, Business Owners and Business-to-Business Service Professionals Internationally, to help them navigate to their next level of business growth, using strategy, systems and self-leadership.

When you’re ready to Get Noticed, Get Clients and Get Profitable, there are four ways of working with me:

1. Fast Path to Cash is a self-guided (complimentary) resource to earn more, with 10 fast-action strategies for plugging the money leaks in your business. Perfect for a quick hit of profitable strategies for the DIY-types.
2. ‘Get-It-Done’ Business Builder. We’ll focus on ONE priority project that you want to complete in the next 30 days related to marketing, sales or systems, so you can get back to doing what you love most. Perfect for people who want bite-sized ways of building or growing their business.
3. Business Igniter is a customized 1:1 strategic business growth coaching and implementation incubator with accountability, guidance, and hands-on support to address foundational needs in your business – like marketing and sales. Perfect for aspiring 6-figure business owners who need a business plan for growth.
4. Elegant CEO: SCALE & LEVERAGE program. Perfect for CEOs who want to get out of the weeds of the day-to-day operations of their business to scale and leverage to 7-figures.