I know you want to build a successful businesses. And you need to increase your revenue to do that which means giving some attention to your sales & marketing system. So today I’m going to be talking about how to create one that will help you achieve your business goals while maintaining a more balanced lifestyle.
Let me start by saying there is a difference between sales and marketing. Marketing gets you seen and sales get you paid. And I know you want to get paid just like I do. The problem is that is easier said than done.
There are several challenges that can make it difficult to develop a comprehensive sales and marketing plan. But one thing you cannot work without is a strategy. You have to have a strategy if you want all of your efforts to produce results.
And even with a strategy, you will encounter some challenges. These challenges include limited resources, a lack of marketing expertise, difficulty identifying your target audience, time management, fear of failure, and limited access to networks and funding. However, by being aware of these challenges, you can develop a solid strategy to overcome them and build a successful business.
Tips for Creating an Effective Sales and Marketing Plan
Now sales and marketing is not my area of expertise. But there are three questions you need to answer. I learned that from Stacey Harris of The More Profitable Podcast. They are:
What am I selling?
Who am I selling it to?
How am I selling it?
Once you have the answers you can begin to create a cohesive marketing strategy that will produce results. And I love those three questions because they help you narrow your focus. But it’s also very important for you to have a customer care process in place. A streamlined customer care system that includes these three things:
* A way to track your leads or those new contacts
* A template you can use to respond to them quickly
* A process to keep track of where people are in your customer journey so you can follow-up with them
Now I’m not going to go into detail about this system because I talk about it in the blog post How to Provide the Best Customer Experience Inside and Outside of Your Small Business.
Once you have a system in place to track leads and the templates you need to respond quickly, then you can focus on generating new leads. That’s why members of The MY-T Society Membership have access to a number of response templates they can customize for their business.
A great way to increase the number of leads you have is to offer a lead magnet and then you nurture the relationship with an email series. Now the hard part is knowing which lead magnet to focus on. Well, this starts by having an inventory of the offers you have and evaluating them based on your goal that you’re working on as well as the season your life is in.
Inside the MY-T Society Membership there is a marketing matrix analyzer that measures what your top money making offerings are. It will also help you determine which offer will have the biggest financial impact with the least amount of effort.
You have to use effective lead management strategies to get results. And you have to track and nurture leads throughout the sales funnel, and measure your results by tracking and analyzing the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. Then you have to continuously improve your system by staying up-to-date with industry trends and experimenting with new tactics.
But you aren’t the only one who does what you do. Therefore you must focus on one message which establishes you as an expert, and focus on your unique selling proposition.
Your Messaging Must Be Clear
What makes you different? Whether it’s your approach to delivering services, the quality of your work, or your customer service, you are unique. Use this unique selling proposition as the foundation for your brand messaging and marketing efforts.
You should emphasize your personal story in your messaging. Share your personal story and how it led you to start your business. By humanizing your brand and connecting with customers on a personal level, you can differentiate yourself from more your competitors.
And I can’t say this enough. You must offer exceptional customer service by responding to inquiries quickly, going above and beyond for customers. Be sure to address their concerns and complaints promptly so you can build a loyal customer and differentiate yourself from others in your industry who may not prioritize customer service.
And be sure to leverage social proof. You need a system to strategically get customer reviews and create case studies. This can help differentiate you because it provides evidence of your expertise, quality of service, and customer satisfaction.
And emphasize the quality of your work and customer experience rather than the volume of work you can produce. By prioritizing quality over quantity, you can differentiate yourself from others who may prioritize speed and volume but sacrifice quality.
Balancing Sales and Marketing with Other Business Tasks
To balance the need for marketing and sales with other important business tasks, you must prioritize. To prioritize, you must have an action plan that you’re implementing to get results. This focused plan should help you plan your tasks based on their urgency and importance. Then you need to create a schedule that includes dedicated time for marketing and sales tasks, client work, and administrative duties. I definitely recommend batching similar tasks together. And once you have systems in place you can automate what you can and outsource other tasks.
If this kind of strategic approach is something you need help with, then a back office assessment is a great way for you to get my eyes on your current back office operations. Then I give you the detailed action plan you need to get your systems in place and create a business that is more efficient. If you want to hear more about the back office assessment click here. And click here to learn more about how implementing the action plan will help you strategically grow your business. You can also go to theshannnonbaker.com/assessment for more information.
I understand that creating a sales and marketing system for your business may seem overwhelming. But by following the tips I shared today, you can overcome the common challenges many entrepreneurs experience.
Remember to stay focused on your customers, track your results, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Whether you work with me or someone else, just get help.
Now if you still have questions you need answered, please DM me on Instagram @the_shannonbaker or send me an email so we can get them answered and not only get this system in place but any others you may need so that your business runs like a well-oiled machine this summer while you’re on vacation.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 126: How to Provide the Best Customer Experience Inside and Outside of Your Small Business
Episode 127: What Happens During a Back Office Assessment
Episode 128: How to Use An Action Plan to Strategically Prepare For Business Growth
Check out the MY-T Society Membership
Let’s connect online
Follow Me On Instagram: @the_shannonbaker
