Orange Socks

August 14, 2019

Who Wears Orange Socks?

 

That’s the question we asked Alison.

A financial planner in her mid-30s with a husband and two children under 8, Alison was achieving acceptable results in her business. But Alison wanted more than “acceptable.”

She wanted “outstanding.” She wanted college funds for her kids.

Alison had a robust marketing plan targeting “everybody who needs financial advice.” Her business wasn’t growing nearly the way she wanted it to.

So, our advice was look for the people with orange socks!

Here’s what we meant.

Marketing to anybody and everybody almost always ends up in selling to nobody.

What you offer in your business and how you offer it is “acceptable” to a lot of people, but there’s a small group of people for whom it’s a perfect fit. They are your customers…your ideal customers.

Whatever it is that makes them the perfect fit is what we’re calling their orange socks. When you market and focus your business on those ideal customers, they are drawn to you like magnets.

And your business grows.

For Alison, the people with orange socks were young families with children under the age of 10…families just like hers. She knew exactly what they needed and how they thought about finances. She spoke their language.

It took some convincing to get Alison to try narrowing her marketing approach. She was afraid of losing business. We assured her that she didn’t need to turn anyone away, she just needed to focus on attracting her “orange socks” customers.

Flash forward six months. Alison’s shift in marketing had paid big dividends. Her business had grown by 32%!

She became a believer when she looked at how many new customers she had fitting her Ideal Customer profile and the amount of money they had invested through her. While individually they had less money to invest than her “everybody’s,” she had attracted many more young clients than ever before.

Her ability to connect with young families and talk about their problems, as they see them, set her apart from other financial planners. And her bottom line says it all.

So….what about you? Who’s wearing your orange socks?

Find them.

Go forth and do great things,

Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams

Martha & Chris

P.S. Want to see for yourself how the “orange socks” process works?  CLICK HERE to join us for Show Me The Money Live in Atlanta September 28-29.  See you there!

Best Sales Role Model

August 7, 2019

dogs, sales role model

Yesterday, during Day 2 of the Customertopia ‘Show Me the Money’ 10-Day Challenge (have you joined?  It’s free and you can start now and catch up fast just by clicking here) we went off the day’s topic and began sharing the traits of the best sales person we knew.

I wrote about my best sales person a few years ago and thought it would be perfect to share with you again today.

Here’s we go…

—–

She’s pretty darn good at selling.  In a really nice and effective way.

She makes great eye contact, sometimes intense eye contact.  She’ll ask for something, and is not disturbed if I say “no, not now.”

She’ll return.  She’s not offended by my “no, not now.”  She doesn’t take it personally.  She’s completely comfortable to ask again.

“She” happens to be my dog, Tally.

Dogs, a whole lot like kids, make the best sales people.  I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Once I, the slow human, recognized I was in the presence of a sales genius, I started to pay much more attention to Tally’s “system.”

  • Most of the time you’ll be required to ask for the “sale” more than once. Sometimes the customer doesn’t realize right away how great things will be for them when they say “yes.”
  • Warming up the customer…creating a relationship…particularly when it’s genuine attention, will turn a stranger into a loyal customer. Tally likes to sit in my lap to show her genuine interest in me.  You don’t have to go that far with your customers, but you get the idea.
  • When you meet your Ideal Customer in person, eye contact creates a personal connection and engagement.
  • Sometimes “no” doesn’t mean no. It means “no, not now.”  You will, very often, be rewarded when you return and ask again.
  • Develop a very short memory. Tally has no sense of rejection.  When I say “no, not now” she doesn’t take it personally.  She’s confident to return again…and again.
  • Every successful person seeks the wisdom of a mentor, a coach, to lend insight and support so they can get where they want to go. When Tally was a young sales person, on the job for only about 10 months, she developed a mentor. His name is Jasper.
  • Results improve when you use the talent of your whole team. Jasper and Tally are a well-oiled team.  Together they can accomplish much more than one of them individually.

Our dogs might be highly unusual role models, but they show us how to be great sales people when we pay attention.

I encourage you to watch your dog…or your friend’s dog.  Adopt some of their easy sales ways.

Then I can imagine you’ll be as successful in your sales efforts as Jasper and Tally are.

 

Go forth and do great things,

Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams

Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams

 

P.S.  Cats?  An entirely different story.

Indiana Jones

July 31, 2019

Do You Ever Feel Like Indiana Jones?

Does your business sometimes make you feel like Indiana Jones? Darting from disaster at the last moment.  Racing across bridges that collapse right behind you.

Like the action hero you escape unscathed, but, man, does it always have to be so perilous???

Of course, not (you knew that was the answer)!

Many changes to your business will create more comfort and less peril.  This one might just be the one you’ll value the most.

Create a sales pipeline.

If we asked you which prospects are warmed up and likely to say “YES” in 30 day…60 days…or even 90 days…would you have the list?

Sometimes when you’re speaking with a prospect it’s evident, they aren’t going to do anything.  However, are they not doing anything NOW or never?

Your responsibility is to ask, “No, not now or no, not ever?”

You’re most likely to hear, “No, not now.”

“Great,” you ask. “When would be a good time for us to continue this conversation because I’m sure you would prefer not to live with this issue any longer than you have to.”

Whatever their answer, write it down and begin to build your 30-, 60- and 90-day sales pipelines.

Then your duty is to call them back when they ask you to (imagine!). If they said things would be sorted out in August once vacation is over, call them in August.  That’s your 30-day sales pipeline working for you.

If they say they believe September is the best time for them to turn their attention back to getting Mom the homecare support she needs, then call in September…your 60-day sales pipeline in action.

Imagine entering August knowing your had 5 solid prospects ready to say “Yes,” and perhaps another 4 pretty-good prospects who could say “Yes.”  Think about how much pressure that would relieve.

A whole lot less Indiana Jones digging your way out of the pit of snakes and a ton more confidence in your ability to crush the month.

Because you can crush it…that’s just who you are!

Go forth and do great things,

Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams

Martha Hanlon and Chris Williams

P.S.  What would you say if we offered to coach you for 10 straight days?  Oh, and it would be for FREE!  Work out the kinks slowing down your growth. Get answers to the issues vexing your progress. Have a proven step-by-step to an easier, simpler and more profitable business.

Well, we’re not kidding.  We are coaching for 10 straight days for FREE in the Customertopia Show Me The Money 10-Day Challenge. We’re doing it on Facebook Live.  Check it out and grab your spot because we roll on Monday, August 5th.