I hope you’ve got your bunkers stocked and your bucket list checked off…because the countdown to the Mayan Apocalypse is on! Here’s something to put you in the mood: 10 songs for the end of the world.
Just in case that doesn’t happen…
Let’s continue on with our planning for a kickass 2013, shall we?
When you hit the ground running on Jan 2 (or 1, if you’re not hungover) you need to gain some traction.
How?
Make a few sales.
How?
S+M
No, not S&M you sickos. Sales + Marketing.
Geez, people.
Marketing is everything you do to create awareness for your brand.
This is where you showcase your personality [after all, you ARE part your brand] and the relatable qualities of your business. This how people get to know, like and trust you – because people don’t give their hard earned money to someone they distrust (except the tax-man, nobody likes that guy). This is where you encourage interaction, participate in society and join hands with like-minded people.
Social Media. Email Newsletters. Blogs, Vlogs and Podcasts.
Do not say out loud (anywhere ever, because I will hear you) that you “don’t have time for __________ [blogging, Facebook, etc.].”
Really? Then you don’t have time to run a business. This is required.
Sales is a word that makes people’s skin crawl. It’s practically a curse word to a small business owner. Because we’re all in this to spread sparkles and rainbows all over the world…
Oh, wait, No we’re actually here to make a living.
Selling is not hard. Here is the perfect formula for a great Salesperson.
Belief in the product or service + clear understanding of who wants & needs it + GUTS (the ability to get over yourself and talk to people)
That’s it. Seriously.
The basic Action steps in Sales are 1. Prospecting 2. Meetings 3. Proposals (for service biz) 4. Follow Ups
Looking back at the plan you created last week [P+L Projections worksheet] you figured out how many products & services you need to sell each month. Everything you do in your Sales + Marketing is with these numbers in mind.
The Plan of Action:
1. Channels: A: Select which Marketing Channels are most valuable to you [Hint: the channels that your Target Market are on...not the channels your friends are on]. Pick 3-5 to focus on. B: Prospecting. How do you plan to find prospects? Cold calling? (Haha, that was a joke. I’ll bet 0% of you will be cold calling anyone)
Good News…you don’t really have to anymore. Those same social media channels you use to market can also be valuable for Prospecting. BUT it’s not the same tactic as what you are doing for marketing…so don’t get these confused. Prospecting is about reaching out directly to someone to try and make a sale. [I think I just decided to do a mini Sales training via Google+hangout in January. Leave a comment below if you want to join me.] Believe it or not, this applies to both product and service businesses.
2. Frequency: Decide how often you will do the above. Some will be everyday, others only once a week…
3. Pick your tactics. A:Marketing. Some social channels are great for sharing information, others are better for conversations. All like pictures : ) Brainstorm topics of interest for each channel; some can become a series or recurring theme, others are timely – about seasons, trends, current events, etc. B:Prospecting. Just like the social tactics, you need to approach people in appropriate ways. Based on formality, your existing relationship, the type of relationship you hope to build…write yourself a script for each scenario.
4. Put it on the calendar. Make yourself accountable for doing this regularly. Do it at the same time of day and, if possible, batch it…meaning you do it all at once. Pop around to all your social channels and post or schedule the day’s content. I love Hootsuite for Twitter (but do not recommend it for Facebook. Go ahead, ask me why below). I do recommend that you treat your Marketing and Sales activities as separate tasks. You have to be in a certain mindset for each and you may get your efforts confused by overlapping them.
I wanted to give you a fun worksheet again but the one I’ve been working on is TOP SECRET because it’s something I will be launching early next year. Sign Up for my email list if you want to hear about it first (and be part of a special beta test group before it launches).
Have a wonderful weekend! For those who celebrate Christmas, have a Very Merry Christmas! I got completely spoiled this year by my Dad…which I know because he had to mail all my gifts to me and I even had to wrap a few myself
