Why Are You A Marketing & Sales Trainer?

Without marketing, there are no sales & without sales, there is no need for marketing.

When I go into businesses and train they ask me why do we need are sales people here? I thought you were training our marketing department, yes I am however if your sales people don't know what your marketing team is doing, there is a total disconnect. When the communication is lacking between sales and marketing your business is absolutely losing money no question, it's guaranteed.

Salesforce.com states that only 8% of companies combine their sales and marketing teams together, no wonder these business owners think I'm a little crazy.  When you merge your teams together and marketing listens to the needs of the sales professionals and clients amazing things start to happen within the company. 

When I set up my consultation, I want to meet with sales manager & marketing managers, this immediately scares the business owner.  Only a handful of trainers do this and it well, I trained in sales first &  then marketing became my passion because I needed bodies to sell too.  So well I realized how many companies out in the world were not merging their sales and marketing teams together, I couldn't believe my eyes.  Research after research showed me theses statistics look at Salesforce, understanding this is what made me unique in my training.  Communication is King!

I have turned away so many companies that are looking for immediate results but are not willing to merge these two branches of their company together.  It's peculiar to me, I am not asking for them to sit together just weekly meetings or basic understanding of each other needs and wants to grow.  The sales professional are usually on board as well as the marketing team, here is where it gets good it's the manager's, directors, and the VP's they are the problem.  My suggestion is to get over it already if you're not growing, you're dying. 

One of that last consultation I was with the director's of sales & marketing and I invited the CEO, who was reluctant but he hired me, so he came.  I had already spoke with the marketing team and the sales team and was ready to present my suggestion. When the four of us were in the board room and I showed my plan the CEO was thrilled.  The two directors decided I had know idea what I was talking about, this could never work we are separate entities.  My answered stunned them, I said and you can stay that way and exactly where you are it is no problem, however, I here to help your company to grow.

 Here is what happened throughout this process one person understood how imperative it was for the sales and marketing teams to work together.  This woman had great ideas and a solution thinker, and really supportive and seemed to be well liked in the company.  I suggested to the CEO that he may want a coordinator to bring the two directors together and slowly merge them together.  The CEO said what a great idea, I brought up the woman and stated she seemed like a good fit as a go-between.  The directors seem to both like her and stated, this does make sense and we want to grow, let's discuss it further.  

When I did the follow-up with the four of them, I found out that the CEO named the woman, Director of sales and marketing overseeing the both of them.  Amazing, understand I only give suggestion and guidelines to help them in getting a better ROI.  Here is the best part they were all happy, which surprised me because she was new to the company and had no formal college degree.  The sales team increased sales by 18% and the marketing team decreased the lead cost per acquisition.  Work together as a team, read this article below & learn more.  Contact me to work with your company. 

End the cultural differences between your sales and marketing teams.

   Harvard Business Review -  Ending the War Between Sales and Marketing

Creative - Solution Thinking

Creative - Solution Thinking

Have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem and that that problem leads to a dead end? How often have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you cannot solve. 

Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you're hammering against a steel wall. The pressure of having to solve such a big problem may be overwhelming.

With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different way. The light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.

First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to a problem. You must be open-minded to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.

Be optimistic, with an optimistic mindset, we can be more creative in solving our problems.

1. The possible reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Try to understand the problem and have a concrete understanding of why it's a problem. If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better understanding to solving the problem.

2. Try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have of the problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions, you have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.

3. Try to solve the problem in smaller parts. Solve it going from general view towards the most detailed parts of the problem.  Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution, for them. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem, from here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity one step at a time.

4. It will help to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, try to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative and at the same time, look for the usefulness of that solution.

5.  Remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions as they develop. There could be more than just one solution to a problem.

6.  Don't be stubborn " two heads are better than one." That one is truer than it sounds. Be open to new ideas,  you can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you're talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.

You don't have to be a solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better. Ask for help, it's a strength, not a weakness.

7.   As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around, be patient.

Creative thinking exercises could also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver. 

Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind in the center. Look at that word, then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a bunch of related words. 

The solution could be staring you in the face. All it takes is creative thinking, some planning, and some work.

We Are All In Sales - The Sales Process

I have been in sales and marketing for 28+ years and have seen so many training systems and consultative sales process to NLP and persuasive selling.  I believe the all have a place in our sales process, depending on what and who you are selling too.  Our style of sales training isn't about selling that will happen, it's about rapport.  I have had so many people say to me there not in sales, oh really.  Every person is in sales, whether you're a parent, applying for a job or trying to get out of a ticket, you are selling every day in every way. We all apply the sales process in our daily lives, start learning the secrets, the science and the system to do it better and build fantastic relationships. 

The B.A.N.K™ methodology, knowing the other person's values approach to selling or negotiating.  This value-based approach nurtures an authentic exchange of dialogue which establishes rapport quicker, builds better relationships to promote more sales.  By utilizing our techniques, sales professionals have been able to successfully building better communication and increased their sales velocity.  We have personal and professional results from building better marriages to increased sales velocity and yes, even getting out of a speeding ticket.

1: Understand their Values

Why they buy, we call it CRACKING THEIR CODE.  The BANK's unique and scientifically proven system will train you how to predict their buying behavior or "buyology".  Understanding what the value is for your potential client and/or customer is priceless. You will learn how to speak to their values and understand what is important to them while building better relationships and being authentic. Discovering your customer's or the other person you are trying to communicate with decision-making values or process.  Does the person think things over and require a lot of details?  Does the person make a quick decision?  Does the person make the decision based on cost?  Does the customer have to know how this will assist others?  What is it that makes the other person buy or come to a decision, that what you will learn how to answer.

2:  Building Rapport & Better Relationships

According to Salesforce.com, 67% of consumers are turned off by their sales presentation. 87% of sales professionals do not feel confident on their sales presentations. Building rapport means understanding, from the customer's or that person's point of view and what solution's you have to bring to the table. Once you establish and authentic rapport, the customer or persona's will become more comfortable in opening a trusting dialogue & relationship with you, if you do this correctly.  Building relationships are vitally important in the sales process as well as your personal life.  People do business with people they know, like and trust, learn to speak to their values.

3:  Find the Problem & Offer the Solution

Customer's and people buy and make decisions based on a problem they may be having, identifying the problem is crucial in the sales process. Without understanding the problem, the chance of you offering a solution is not going to be easy. Sales presentation has everything to do with solving the customer or person problem, if you do not solve the problem they are not going to buy into your solution and why should they? Customer and people will buy features and benefits as an added bonus after you have eliminated the problem with your solution.    

4. What will it cost them not to use your service?

Addressing the costs related to your service, you must look at the costs associated with the customer or persons, continuing their status quo.  What financial or personal impacts will they continue to endure - what will it cost them to do nothing?  If dealing with a business find out their number's ask them the questions around the money and the solution to the problem the discussed with you, a gentle nudge.

5:  The Sale Doesn't End With The Sale, It Begins.

So many Sales Professionals make the sale and disappear. Huge mistake, the best appointment you could get in the sales process is a referral from a happy customer. If your customer or people that are using your service are having success, ask them to tell others.  If you do not follow-up and they are having issues they will SCREAM it from the top of the tallest building.  Don’t let the referral sale slip away once the decision is made BUY your service or product.  Stay in 100% communication with your new customer and keep the rapport going.  By applying the BANK™, methodology, you will be able to establish a duplicatable sales system, and the techniques, which will increase your sales closing ratios up to 300%.

WIN 2.5 DAYS OF LIVE SALES TRAINING - ENTER TODAY!

BANK™ FUNDAMENTALS

B.A.N.K.™SPEED CODING & B.A.N.K.™ RELATIONSHIPS

This full-day introductory workshop is the foundation that sets the stage for gaining knowledge and comprehension of the Sales Velocity Equation™ and the BANK Methodology Personality Profiling System™. Using B.A.N.K.™, you will learn how to improve your expertise and competence in increasing your sales velocity.

This course teaches you a systematic approach by combining the two strategies. The results create a bigger impact on your bottom line by providing more value to your clients and stakeholders.

VALUED @ $1997.00   WIN IT TODAY!

CONTEST RULES!

1. CRACK YOU CODE HERE:  ENTER

2. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PAGE.

3. ONLY 1 ENTRY PER PERSON!

4. CONTEST ENDS MAY 28TH, 2018 11:59 PM - EST, 

    I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER ON MAY 30, 2018!

***JUNE 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD IN CHARLOTTE/MATTHEWS NC***

NEGOTIATION, AND CLOSING MORE SALES:

B.A.N.K.™ is a reverse-engineered personality profiling system designed to dramatically improve your communication, accelerate your negotiations, and close more sales!

LES BROWN

WORLD-RENOWNED MOTIVATIONAL COACH, AND SPEAKER, AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL YOU WIN.

“B.A.N.K. IS A GAME CHANGER FOR EVERY ENTREPRENEUR AND SALES PROFESSIONAL. THIS SYSTEM WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR CONFIDENCE, EXPAND YOUR SELLING SKILLS, AND DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR INCOME.”

GOOD LUCK ENTER THE CONTEST!

                                                                    

An amazing Article - 50 Ideas for Social Media!

Is social media part of your marketing strategy?

If it is, you know how hard it can be to keep up with all of the latest news from the different social platforms. Things changing constantly can make it difficult to craft a cohesive social media marketing strategy for your business.    

Let’s get started! The first 10 are all about FACEBOOK this is an excellent article full of amazing resources for you to use.  Then they go to twitter who has made amazing strides in the ads portion of their platform.  

Right now I believe that the 2 most powerful social media trends are LIVE videos and Pinterest!

Read & Save this article as an important resource for you to go back to there are 50 ideas do not try to implement them all at once.

FULL ARTICLE HERE! Written by
 Carlo Pacis — February 20, 2017

Businesses are failing due to this huge problem!

Being An Expert vs Hiring An Expert

I just finished reading an article on Entrepreneur.com that was discussing the 10 best skills to learn online today.  I found it interesting but a little tough to accomplish such a task each  is an expertise in itself.  When I am out speaking to small business owners and entrepreneurs those 10 things would shut them down. I am not saying they are not important however for a small business owner to tackle such a daunting list, could be overwhelming.

Everything he has written about in this article is a learnable skill set, I agree, however, if you are becoming an expert in all these fields you won't be growing your business.  I believe in having an understanding how each one of these works is a huge advantage. That way when you are discussing your plan with each expert, you will have an idea if they know what they are talking about. Hire a team of experts to handle each one of these daunting tasks and have a plan for each of these specialized fields. I have a team of specialized people that are well versed in all of these fields.  

However, two things he  discusses I believe all business owners and entrepreneurs have to know is Analytics and Human Behavior if you do not have a handle on these two topics you are sunk.  First one is analytics, you must understand how to analyze your business meaning, your website utilizing google analytics (the basics) knowing how people are getting to your website.  

More importantly running a business requires you to manage people, whether it's just you or not , you will need to manage yourself, so understanding your own behavior is key.  You will probably be required to sell something even if it's just selling you, so to speak.  if you don't know how to sell you are sunk, Robert Kiyosaki says "the number one skill set in business is the ability to SELL."  Learning the art of selling is the most important skill set, it is a must for any business owner or entrepreneurs.  

Click to read full article on Entrepreneur:  R.L. ADAMS 
ENTREPRENEUR, SOFTWARE ENGINEER, AUTHOR, BLOGGER AND FOUNDER OF wANDERLUSTWORKER.COM

JZ LifeStyle Team thoughts on Andrew Hutchinson's 2017 Predictions

JZ LifeStyle Team thoughts on Andrew Hutchinson's 2017 Predictions:

Social Media has been in an upward swing and a great way to market in the most recent years. However, most small businesses and entrepreneurs, do not have a plan laid out properly, so they may be using social media, but in effectively.  Some companies outsource their social media, but still no plan or budget in place for it just winging it, more on this later.

Andrew has some great insights on where social media is going in 2017,  be ready Charlotte NC!

As we all know FB live is the greatest ever and underutilized at this point, by many small businesses in Charlotte NC. I share a lot of other people's articles so that my clients need not take my word for it, here is another's opinion.  Andrew writes about FB live which is growing like crazy, but is it an advertising platform for all businesses?  That's what I get asked all the time and the answer is YES!  Get a plan together and take action!

 

Andrew also stated in his article & I have researched this as well the virtual/360 being a big hit in 2017.  This will be an added expense to user's so in my opinion, it will not explode as fast as FB live. The TV plugin is also going to be rolled out even bigger and better.  We will also be seeing a movement in picture recognition, I had been working with a local landscape company here in Charlotte, I have been telling them that pictures, pictures, and more pictures, future customers will soon be able to click a picture and buy it!  Be ahead of what's coming.

With all the features and choices with social media, what do you do? All of it and repeat!  

Start with the basics Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram then expand from there, have a plan ask a local expert in your area.  Please use caution, most social media people just post no rhyme or reason random with no plan in place you will not get the results!

Andrew's article is full of great information.  Everything is trackable social media done correctly will explode any business, stay ahead of the game and start implementing it in your marketing plan.

Read Andrew's full article here: 24 Predictions for Social Media in 2017 on Social Media Today

Small Businesses are not taking advantage of social media...

Small Businesses are not taking advantage of social media...

In the UK as well as in the United States for some reason, small businesses have not caught on to the power of social media or they are doing it wrong.  

Sara Oberst, VP of marketing at Manta commented 

"There is no denying that Instagram is highly popular among today's consumers. With over 500 million monthly viewers on Instagram, small businesses have a unique opportunity to capture new customers. But as our poll found, small business owners aren’t taking full advantage of Instagram for business use – only 24 percent of small business owners actively use Instagram in their social media marketing.”

What I have found amongst the small business owner is that they just post stuff, there is no plan of action put into place for what they are trying to accomplish, whether it's branding, acquiring new customers/clients or to keep their existing customers/clients base informed. Put together a business plan for social media platforms only, what is your business's end game and what results are you trying to accomplish using social media.

The article was based on small businesses in the U.K., however, I find it relevant to what is happening in the local Charlotte NC marketing plans for small businesses I speak with.

Read the full article here: Small Business Owners - UK.  Business Matters - U.K.'s leading small business magazine, however, this is relevant in Charlotte NC.

Interesting Article About Facebook Live & Snapchat...

Interesting article about implementing Facebook live & Snapchat in your social media marketing.  I am finding that small business owners are having a little anxiety over this.  First and foremost, stop and breathe this is not the red carpet & it will not require you to take acting lessons.  The businesses I have been working with me, hear me say all the time people do business with people.  Put yourself out there be honest and act with integrity and the customers will come.

I agree with the article please make a plan and build on each live chat/video.  If you just get on, just to do it, without a plan it could absolutely backfire on your business.  What I am not seeing in this article is that when you are live please acknowledge who jumps on with you live, take a moment to let that sit.

Engaging with your live viewers will also take time so that you have quick decisive messages and thank your customers/clients and followers, without them, you have no business.

Below I have posted some great pointers from this article:

"When creating custom geofilters for Snapchat:

• Make sure you put in your request six weeks ahead of your event date because approval is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Get the maximum usage length of 30 days.

• Ensure that it’s a PNG file with a transparent background, a width of 1080 pixels, and a height of 1920 pixels. 80% of custom geofilters for businesses are disapproved because they aren’t transparent."  Search Engine Journal
• Here is the link to the full article in - Search Engine Journal-https://www.searchenginejournal.com

As always remember to suck every bit of life out of all your content, as my customers know, we turn video into podcasts and articles, we post our content everywhere on all of our platforms, this is easily done through the right training or software.

Remember, if you are not having fun, you are doing it wrong!