Use Strategic Marketing to Grow Your Business
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The majority of companies' marketing efforts are internally directed. They focus on their products and services; their sales force and compensation; their script and selling tactics. The managers and sales people ask, "What do we need to do to get our prospects to buy?"
At Beachside Business Services, we show our clients how to market strategically. These are some of the components we utilize:
Strategic marketing adopts a completely different posture, beginning with mindset and focuses the entire company externally. The primary question asked is, "What can we do to best serve our prospects and community?" The goal shifts from "making the sale" to seeking the truth about whether there is a fit for what the prospects really need and what the company is selling. This removes pressure, the "wall of resistance", often thrown up in typical sales calls. The objective of each prospect interaction is to diffuse pressure and have the prospect realize the salesperson is there to serve them, even if it means referring them to a competitor.
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Industry Expertise: Imagine a sales call where the prospect is advised about all of the pluses and minuses of each competitor within the marketplace. All of the industry statistics and prices are reviewed with the prospect. They are educated, not sold to. The salesperson helps determine the buying criteria with the seller. The salesperson is acting in the best interests of the prospect, not in their own best interests. Prospects will likely appreciate this approach and it would have the company marketing this way stand far apart from its competitors.
Unique Selling Proposition: Most companies today offer nothing unique to their prospects. They only have a "me too", rudderless, non-descript business that feeds solely on the momentum of the marketplace. They promise no great value, benefit or service--just "buy from us" with no justifiable reason. Creating a unique selling proposition (USP) is the key for standing apart from the competition. The buying criteria that's been outlined for prospects is focused upon the company's own USP. Without a USP, by default, a company is selling based upon price. Perhaps the company really offers the lowest price in the industry. That would become the stated USP and form the basis for all sales efforts.
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Other strategic marketing components include:
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Risk Reversal
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Strategy of Preeminence
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Back-End Sales
- Strategic Partnerships
- Multiplier Marketing Effect
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Competitor Relationships
The Sales Tactics
Once the above strategies are in place, implementing the tactics that follow are relatively easy. The marketing materials, collateral, website, virtually everything that touches a prospect, is geared towards the company's USP, and the outward, service-oriented approach.
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Scripts: At Beachside Business Services, we excel at crafting powerful, magical "invisible" scripts. They are called "invisible" because the prospect doesn't realize they are hearing a script. We assist is preparing script books for all types of propects with responses to all types of objections. The script is designed to answer the biggest objections up front, so that the prospect's concerns are addressed in advance.
Other important tactical components Beachside Business Services clients are taught include:
- The opening statement made to prospects: emotion-based and client-focused
- How to interview and hire the best sales people
- How to compensate salespeople and drive sales through the roof
- The keys to effective sales training
- How to use neuro-linguistic programming within a sales call
- Telemarketing strategies
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State of California Bid Preference Program
Small contractors and manufacturers within California may wish to consider doing work with State and local governments. It's a great way to diversify business. Beachside Business Services can assist qualified clients in getting awarded such contracts.
By law, California's government must spend a large portion of its multi-billion dollar budget with small businesses. In order to encourage contracts to be awarded to small businesses, the state has adopted a certification program giving preference to participating qualified companies.
When certified, companies will receive a 5% bid preference over non-certified competitors. The certification program also applies to many county and city government contracts. As an assurance to participants of getting paid quickly, the California Prompt Payment Act ensures that all invoices are paid within 15 days of contractor terms.
Beachside Business Services helps its clients navigate through the paperwork and complete the application process in a timely manner. We assist in getting clients certified quickly and guiding them through the entire process.
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