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As business founders, our most significant role is that of the Chief Ambassador.
We have the power to inform and inspire people about the positive outcomes your business brings to clients.
Marketing and sales are our primary responsibility. We must learn to enjoy them if we're going to build successful businesses.
Here are a few mindset shifts around marketing and sales I've found helpful; I hope you can take away some and add your own:
📌Transform Your Marketing and Sales with A No-More-Excuses Mindset Shift
I would go as far as saying when you're about to say how you're not good at marketing and sales, STOP!!!!
We all express our feelings of inadequacy when we're newbies, but it's killing our businesses.
How about:
💯 We are learning to enjoy marketing and sales.
💯 It's our chief responsibility.
People aren't going to come knocking down our business doors just because we have a great offer that we believe will change their lives. We have to tell them about it repeatedly.
I don't think repeatedly is even the right word.
It's never-ending (so we might as well find joy in doing it).
You don't see Nike slowing down in the ads. Doesn't everyone know about Nike by now? You don't see Coca-Cola taking a break from promoting its products. Doesn't everyone know it's drinks by now?
The marketplace has certain principles of doing business.
Positioning & Promoting are the 'annual membership fees' so to speak.
📌 Why Passion is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
As solopreneurs, we have an advantage: We can share our passion for what we do at the individual level, which gives us the upper hand.
Passion is contagious!
"Build it, and then tell them you've built it, and they will come." ~ Alan Weiss
📌Detach and Thrive: The Secret to Stress-Free Entrepreneurship
It's easy to personalise every aspect of our business and this takes us on a roller coaster of emotions (not great for our mental health). We end up really frustrated and down when sales are low or non-existent. Instead of keeping a level head and focusing on speaking to more people, we shut down. Been there 🤚🏾!
Naturally, we are the originators, but if we take a step back and recognise that we are merely vessels doing work that was prepared in advance for us to do, that changes everything.
As faith-driven entrepreneurs, this is a crucial shift because it allows us to move with ease, lightening the burden of this entrepreneurial journey. Keep going. It's a marathon not a sprint.
As business artists (IYKYK—if not, subscribe to our Faith&Biz Blog), the greatest artists ever lived understood this well—while they physically moved the paint brushes, God had already created the artwork. 'Don't stop painting.'
🎯Gamechanger: God is the CEO
The source of creativity is our boss. There is no limit to what we can create by seeking His guidance. We can do things differently in the marketplace keeping things interesting for us and for our prospective clients.
📌Focus on a great sales process & client experience
Understanding what's within our sphere of control is very important. We control the way we show up, how much we prepare, and how we conduct ourselves. However, we have no control over how other people will receive our marketing or sales pitch.
Things we can do to improve this communication:
Listen to the problem the prospective client is experiencing.
Explain to them what you believe are the best options in trying to solve their problem.
Focus on a good communication experience, i.e., building rapport, putting them at ease, showing that you are listening by reiterating what you have understood from what they say, and educating them on possible solutions.
Be transparent and straightforward about the process and associated fees.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. (Prayer for Serenity)
📌Manage Our Energy
There's an energy that comes with really wanting to make that sale, and we all have this feeling (we're entrepreneurs); the only problem is that it can come across as desperate, aggressive, or just a little pushy, all of which create negative experiences for the prospective client.
A great energy check can be: If this person were someone you were introduced to by your dearest friend or a close family member, how would you tell them about what you do?
This small shift in perspective does the following:
There's an implied understanding from the person who gave you this contact that you should take care of them.
You extend the same relationship by proxy to the prospective client.
They become part of your inner circle rather than just another random person online.
The most favourable outcome of your interaction is what's in their best interest.
📌Never Over- Sell
Part of sales is making promises and managing expectations. You should never promise to do something that you know you can't accomplish. The goal of every interaction with the target client is to delight them.
Set the expectation low i.e. be conservative in your estimation of the results, and then work to exceed that measure by far.
This approach puts you in control and ensures you're always delivering more than expected.
Remember, with every client, we are not only working with their best in mind, but our intention is to build a network of referrals.
🤣 A little humour to keep in mind ⬇️
"Bad news travels at the speed of light; Good news travels like molasses." ~ Tracy Morgan
📌 Identify The Correct Prospective Client
This is the most important part of sales and the most talked about and least implemented. We have all probably learnt about building an avatar etc.
I would simplify this further with the words of Noah Kagan:
Where is the starving crowd?
Is your product/service a painkiller or a vitamin?
Simply put, is there a great demand, and is it essential to the starving crowd?
The next key questions: who values what you offer the most and can afford to buy it and can make the decision to buy? If our target client passes these 3 criteria, I think we're on the right track.
🌟We can always pivot if necessary, but let's work our plan.
Please share your learning in the comments, it might just help someone you don't know and might never meet.
Stay blessed,
P.S. If you're a Christian entrepreneur looking for some faith & business perspectives, sign up for our Faith&Biz Blog, where we share some nuggets to help our community thrive.
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