How to Build Communication Bridges with Your Clients

Building the perfect business relationship with potential client doesn’t come with a book of instructions.  If it did, the task would be much easier… (Yet a lot of gurus say they know how to build a relationship with clients and have written books about the subject.) But the reality is every client relationship is different.

Just when you think you survived the startup phase with your new venture, you learn the easy part is over and now the growth years are on the way. Facing the growth years within your venture is not something you need to be afraid of, it simply means there is a lot of work ahead of you. This blog post will help you take the experience one day at a time and learn how to bridge the communication gap.

The Message

As your sales team goes from new to veteran, sometimes what you ‘say’ gets lost in translation.  They can give you that blank stare or worse yet they misunderstand how to sell the product or service correctly which costs you time and money.  But with regular trainings on products, services, and selling techniques you can overcome this hurdle.

The Bridge

It’s not easy to keep the communication bridges open with a client because they too are trying to grow and make the choices that will have a vital impact on their future. They are becoming capable of spending larger amounts of money, having less and less time available to meet with you, and have their own difficulties they need you to help address.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1.       Watch your body language. 

How you move says a lot about you.  When a person is tired, they tend to slump.  When angered, your jaw muscles tighten and your eyes narrow into slits.  Believe it or you’re your clients are good at interpreting body language.  Yours will betray you when you are talking to them.  Keep it open and honest.  Avoid sitting with your arms crossed, eyes looking away from them or squirming in your seat.

2.       Make eye contact. 

When you don’t look at the person - you are non-verbally showing that you are either hiding something or you are not at all interested in what they have to say.  Your client will shut down emotionally when they suspect that you are not “tuned in” to them or worse yet end the meeting early.  Sit comfortably and give your client undivided attention with consistent eye contact.  It lets them know that you care.

3.       Keep your emotions in check. 

Remember back to when you were in high school?  Some of the things you said to your parents were aimed at freaking them out.  Clients will push your buttons if they can - don’t go overboard and get upset.  Their target is opening lines of communication for sharing their concerns or disinterest, sometimes they know it may make you mad.  Instead, take a deep breath, listen closely, repeat what you hear back, and ignore the taunt.  Do the opposite of what they expect because really, they want you to see through their ploy and find out the real problem.

4.       Ask them about their day. 

This technique works with spouses also.  Even if your client only grunts or says the obligatory, “It was okay,” ask anyway.  This shows you care. How many sales people really ask that question anyways? (Your show of caring will go a long way to convince them that you are interested in the things that they do and how they feel.)

5.       Be honest with them.

If you don’t understand or have an issue about something then say so.  Clients like your kids know when you are being insincere.  Discuss everything honestly and openly, say ‘I don’t know’ if you don’t know, but provide follow up when you find out the answer. Sometimes situational selling works when your client will explain an idea of where they are coming from.  Your client won’t mind explaining as long as they know you are listening. This way they know you really want them to be successful.

6.       Allow them their privacy. 

This one is tricky and since you want to know your client better than anyone else, you need to draw the line.  Clients value their time alone to think about the proposal.  Take a ‘break’ for a coffee and come back to answer questions later. Sometimes, planning a follow up meeting works well too. Never adopt the policy of the hard sale because it could burn the bridge and end the relationship with that client.  Remember, they need to hear your message but you need to listen their desires.  Also, in their office may be that there are no locks on the doors, always show respect by knocking before entering.  If they don’t want to be pressed about placing an order at the moment, wait until they are ready (if it’s not urgent for their timeline) and then make the close.

Being a sales person or a manager of a sales team takes a tough skin, a willingness to be vulnerable and lots of passion for what you do.  You will make mistakes but whatever you do, don’t stop talking ever to your client or training your sales team.

www.bouncemarketing.org 

Thinking of owning your own business or starting a charity?

Opening your own new venture is exciting and thrilling. But be mindful that everything which comes after the excitement and thrill has worn off that dictates whether your new startup will survive. It’s up to you to keep the thrill alive (forever).

So now what?

Bring to write and create a business plan (and yes the term business plan can be used for charities). This plan of action is needed to fulfill your dreams (and financial goals) Remember – you – are your own boss and running a successful venture is up to you. Your success lies with the approach you choose to take and the plan you write. Remember, re-read your plan and make changes as needed to avoid making costly mistakes. (By doing this you will avoid the common pitfalls that many new small startups make when rushing to get going.)

Bounce Marketing offers free consulting workshops to help you…

·         Prepare an initial business plan to clarify your marketing, management, purpose, vision, objectives, and financial goals.

·         Determine your start-up capital needs.

·         Identify sources of start-up capital and backup sources if needed.

·         Evaluate and quantify your organizational plan for the short and long term

·         Identifying the best business structure that best fits your needs by evaluating it’s advantages and disadvantages.

·         Operational Structure of your venture - ease of operation, establish billing and collection procedures and portability should you need to relocate.

·         Select the right accounting software by evaluating your budget, needs and hardware.

·         Consulting if setting up a home office is a good fit while potentially creating a tax deduction.

·         Resources to help prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.

·         Resources to prepare and file your application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.

·         Resources to identify your business insurance needs.

·         Develop a solid Partnership or Board of Directors Agreement. This is an extremely important document for all new partnerships / boards and will help prevent a tremendous amount of problems down the road.

Let us help you succeed by getting your new organization off to a good strong start.

Reach us at: www.facebook.com/bouncemarketing or email us at: design@bouncemarketing.org

Beat Procrastination in 2014!

Beat Procrastination….

Procrastination is not reserved for only individuals. Many business leaders and actual businesses/charitable organizations also procrastinate!  This is often to their detriment…

Let me share an example:  

There was a charity with a large board of directors, which is made up of doctors, professors, scientists, professionals, and educators… all very intelligent folks.  This non-profit wanted to do a fundraising ball for its founder (who was quite old).  But, board members dragged their feet with regard to executing any fundraising strategy they initially embraced. This was followed by the key staff person being laid off due to lack of funds.  The charity and its programs have been shut down permanently.

Why?  The founder was too old to lead and the board got stuck in a thinking mode. They never moved into the action plan and execution mode.  The available funds/resources slowly went away which caused their key staff member to resign due to diminished. 

How to Stop Procrastinating?

Bring in your staff in the planning process – get their buy in.  Get your board on track with weekly/monthly/quarterly updates and have your staff begin to move towards achieving small goals set by them.  This will start bringing in the results desired.  With small goals achieved – it makes getting the bigger goal and making the fundraising event happen.

Seven Steps to Remember about Beating Procrastination:

      1.   Create a timeline based action plan with clear goals and desired results
2.       Have updates to everyone on progress
3.       Host follow up report meetings
4.       Include a call to action for the board members to be active in
5.       Share photos of successes
6.       Promote the event
7.       Have the event

     Call us for a free consulting appointment at 386-734-9600, www.facebook.com/bouncemarketing or www.bouncemarketing.org  

Does your website build client trust?

Bounce Marketing offers Web Design for new start ups & growing organizations!

Did you know that a few website hyperlinks can be one of the most trusted forms of "advertising" online for your business or charity? 

People that are ready to spend their money today are wary and don't spend unless they have to. (or if they know with some certainty that they're dealing with a reputable business or charity) 

Your website is that 'avenue' to gain their trust.

Here are some interesting percentages of people that feel they can gain a high level of trust when getting information about an individual/organization online. (This survey was done by: Source Forrester Research Inc.):

*Email from people you know: 77%
Consumer Product Ratings/Reviews: 60%
*Portals/Search Engines: 50%
Yellow Pages (not online): 48%
Print Newspapers: 46%
*Social Networking Site Profiles from people you know: 43%
Print Magazines: 39%
Radio: 39%
TV: 38%
*Email from a company: 28%
Direct Mail: 25%
Message Board posts: 21%
*Online Classifieds: 20%
*Personal Blog: 18%
*Social Networking Site Profiles from a company: 18%
*Company Blog: 16%

All the starred items should have a live hyperlink to bring them to your website. This hyperlink will help gain trust and confidence of your prospective client. Do you need to re-design or design a website? Call us at 386-734-9600 or check out our website: www.bouncemarketing.org

5 Ideas to get better Sales Leads!

Savvy business people want to know that data-driven marketing is key to personalized and efficient when communicating with a client (or prospective one). Yet, an overload or lack of needed data can backfire on a new venture.  I remember when I first started my own venture. I took time to sift through 1000s of potential leads to compile data.  Most of the leads at the time were cold and later I found out that some information was inaccurate or in some cases, the most critical information was missing.  This was a time-consuming and costly endeavor, which helped me start thinking about getting new up to date leads.

Believe or not, there are a lot of good avenues to get leads.  As a new business owner or charity leader, the normal way of thinking is ‘how can I cut corners’ or ‘how can I save money’?  But, the better strategy is to invest in yourself (i.e. your new venture) and do it the right way.

Just look for the van!  www.twitter.com/consultbounce

So what is the right way? With the amount of data only increasing in the future, incorporating an efficient collecting method is crucial.  Consider these options to get better leads:

1 – Attend networking events… Those individuals in the room maybe interested in your product or service now or at some point in the future. Besides, why not go connect face to face with people now – rather than hiding your new venture from the world.  Get a business card, a referral, or write a prospects info on the back of one of your own business cards.

2 – Buy a list…  Yup, there are plenty of companies that sell up to date premade (based on your ideal perimeters) database list. Most times, these companies have the information in easy to read excel files.  This is good for direct mailing purposes.

3 – Get a free list… Yup, did you know the government publishes basic information on new business start ups monthly/weekly?  It is true, from your local city up to the state, there are free lists to get, but (and this is a big but) these lists are not cleaned up and ready to use.  In some cases, you may need to find out if the city/county/etc. has a do not call / solicit option in place. Most paid staff will be happy to tell you – just call them and ask.

4 – Set up an ‘opt in’ email newsletter…  Social Media is a good tool to advertise your newsletter. If you have the ability to solve a problem for someone or have something interesting to share, people may want to opt in! Plus, you are telling your world of friends that you are doing something new and you want them to stay updated on your progress.  Friends are great referral sources, but do abuse that friendship make certain they feel comfortable helping you out and not pressured to do so (this is a fine line to walk down, so be careful) Also, share your newsletter in Social Media groups and on your Social Media Business Page as well.  This maybe another good option to consider.

5 – Pay an email blaster… Yup, the same folks selling you that direct mail list can email blast that same group of people for you!  They handle getting the word out for you via email and you are now free from being called a ‘spammer’.

I know there is not a one size fits all answer to creating the perfect list for your venture especially when your organization is so unique. If, do you want more ideas to implement a good marketing strategy? Connect with us online at: www.bouncemarketing.org or www.facebookcom/bouncemarketing

Three things that can stop clients from feeling attracted to you!

Is your website flawed? 

Here are three things that can stop clients from feeling attracted to you!

1. A Content Management System That Is Complicated

If your content management system (CMS) is too complicated for you or employees to use, it'll only result in less frequent updates, lower SEO rankings, and the client's having a negative overall website experience. If it's a constant struggle for your or your team to work with the CMS, it might be time to make a switch.

2. Your Website's Content Is Not Informative Enough

The main purpose of any website is to inform and engage future clients at all hours of the day. But if customers can't find the information they need, they're only going to leave your site angry and frustrated. (this decreases future sales) Also, if your visits to your homepage decreases, so will your SEO ranking as well. You may want review if you have enough content available on your site and what avenues can implemented to increase the content as well.

3. Your Search Engine Marketing Isn't Working

Search engine marketing (SEM) is critical to any online marketing strategy. However, having a poorly structured website can limit how high it shows up in search engine results. Or, even worse, negatively impact your SEM activities and push your site farther down in Google. If you notice your SEM efforts aren't working, check out how your site is structured and determine if it's time to rework it.

Do you need a sample of good website? Check out www.bouncemarketing.org - then call us to schedule an appointment to talk about rebuilding your website at 386-734-9600

What can you do to make cold calls turn warm?

What can you do to make cold calls turn warm?

This is a popular question in the minds of many business and charity professionals.  No one likes calling an unknown person - its no fun.  Why?  Because the rejection level for you or your team is very high. Cold calling is one of the toughest endeavors to do, but we need and want the new sales therefore we make the calls.

So knowing money is important to business and charity sustainability, let's look at the process of cold calling someone.

1 - Create a list or buy a list

2 - Create a script for the outbound calls

3 - Train yourself and/or your team on best practices on making the calls

4 - Start making calls and report results

5 - Follow up with your prospects as needed

Okay - so that sounds pretty easy - right?

Well, here is the bad news - there are a lot of landmines in that easy to read 5 step process. Let's look closer at each step...

1 - Is this list good for your business or charity?  Does it fit your niche?  So what is a good list?  A good list has a few important elements, such as the demographics, dollar value, and target market you want. Demographics are key to understanding were your prospect is located, their background, and what they may want from you.  Dollar Value is determining if a prospect can afford your goods or service.  Lastly, the target market determines why you are calling them and what product or service is being suggested during the call.

2 - Okay, we left off with the target market sharing the 'why and what' and here is how it relates to the script. You need specialized scripts for each target market with connecting statements to point the conversation to other scripts if necessary.  Make certain you script is clear, concise, and to the point - don't waste a prospects time because they maybe busy but interested and long winded scripts generally don't end well. Also, get their attention with in the first 3 sentences (we are not saying skip the 'Hi, my name is ____' part. Share how you and your product or service is a real value to them and why they should stop whatever they are doing and schedule an appointment to meet with you. As a final thought prepare a rebuttal script as well, this helps you or your team to be prepared for when a prospect gives a reason for them not to say YES.

3 - This is the most important step!  Read this twice please.  Have you or your team practice the outbound calls with each other.  Practice how to handle a rude or disinterested prospect. Review how to begin and end a call. Review how 'not' to end a call and what language, vocal inflection, and overall attitude is not appropriate for calling. (remember prospects do not want to buy from anger or monotone people)  Practice the necessary steps to handling rebuttals, closing the deal, and sharing your knowledge about the product or service.  (when sharing this knowledge make it relevant and valuable to them)

4 - So your team or you have started making outbound calls.  Make It Fun!  Have awards for meeting goals, supply refreshments, highlight the successes to the whole team, if negative feedback comes in - accept it privately with a positive mental attitude - then inspire yourself or your team member on why this is important, and finally make the reporting process easy to handle.  A sales team is not strong in administrative functions - so don't make it difficult for them.  You want a results driven team...right?  Or do you want the bean counters?

5 - Follow up is critical!  Plan on your prospect being busy and forgets the appointment. Make a friendly reminder call about the meeting and start building a friendly business relationship. Plan on reaching back out to prospects with emails (if promised), direct mailers (if promised), or a return call when are ready and able to talk.  Professional sales gurus know it takes 7 touches to make the sale - so follow up at least 6 more times after the initial phone call.

If you need more help, Bounce Marketing is willing to do a workshop with you or your team on this subject. Call us at 386-734-9600 or check us out on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/bouncemarketing )

Thanks for reading this and have a great day!