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Over the summer, I spoke with a prospect who wants to accelerate sales for his healthcare app (which is really cool and I hope it succeeds). I flat out told him I’m not a sales expert, but I could certainly help with some marketing tools to accelerate sales.
(If you come from the corporate world, you may know them as sales enablement tools. Same thing, different name.)
I started pulling together a list of marketing tools that can help with sales, and I figured I’d share it with you.
5 marketing tools to accelerate sales
Create buyer personas and journeys
This may seem tedious, but it can really help you during the sales cycle.
It also doesn’t have to be tedious.
First, write down who your target markets are. Mine are small business owners, marketing leaders inside organizations, and marketing agency owners/leaders.
Second, write down their biggest challenges that you help solve.
Third, add demographic information if that’s helpful to get in the right mindset.
And finally, write down what information has been helpful to get them to say “yes” in the past during at each state of the sales cycle.
Now, you may not have a complicated sales cycle. I don’t.
But I still want you to make a list. Maybe it goes like this:
- Before first sales call – they read reviews/testimonials and visit your website
- After sales call – you send them a proposal and relevant case study
- Next touch point – you check in on proposal and share a new review you just got
That may be all they need to sign on the dotted line.
Share relevant case studies
Case studies with solid results are heavy hitters in both marketing and sales. They:
- Demonstrate your capabilities and approach
- Provide results – preferably both quantitative and qualitative
- Allow prospects to better understand how you can help them (“We are having that EXACT same issue!”)
- Encourage some fear of missing out (FOMO)
- Continue to build trust in your expertise
Don’t share any old case study, though. Make sure the case study is relevant to the situation or product/service you are discussing with the prospect.
For example, if I have a prospect who needs new brand messaging and website content that is aligned with what their company does now (as opposed to five years ago), I am not going to send a case study about blogging and emailing marketing.
I suggest creating case studies proactively. If you wait until someone asks for a case study – or it’s obvious you need to provide one – you will hold up sales instead of accelerating it.
Mention what you’ve accomplished for other companies
Think of this as a mini-case study that goes straight to the results:
“Six months after we began blogging for ABC Company, their web traffic increased by 65% and the number of contact form fills increased by 150%.”
(I made that up, FYI!)
This can really tap into FOMO and push a prospect over the line to become a client. Just like a regular case study, it builds trust and authority and helps your prospect better understand how you can help them.
Write down talking points to counter objections
It can be hard to think on your feet when faced with objections during a conversation, whether it’s happening in person or via text or email. By writing down objections and your responses, you will be prepared to counter quickly.
You can also practice the conversations, so you are more comfortable and feel less defensive when you’re speaking with someone directly. (This is a huge help for me, because I do get defensive.)
And remember: an objection is not a “no.” I like to look at it as an opportunity to educate people on the benefit of working with a professional, investing in a particular marketing campaign, and/or explaining why not all marketing agencies are created equal (especially important when a prospect has been burned in the past).
Share pricing upfront
Do not hide your pricing.
Far too many professional service providers are not transparent about pricing. “I don’t compete on price – I compete on value.”
Fair enough.
But your prospects still have budgets they need to stick to, and if you’re far outside their budget, they are not an ideal client anyway.
Will you lose a sale or two here or there? I’m sure I have over the years, but I do not want to waste time chasing after a prospect that can’t afford me anyway. (If you’re curious, here’s my pricing page.)
Don’t forget that your website is a powerful sales tool
A website that is beautiful and easy to navigate, authentic to your brand, and clearly demonstrates your value shows prospects that you are a pro.
But it also needs to be up-to-date. Does the footer contain this year’s copyright? Is your blog active?
Do all the links work? Does each page load quickly?
Does it contain social proof, like a list of clients, a portfolio of work, and reviews/testimonials?
If the answer is yes to all the above, congrats! You are the proud owner of a very powerful sales tool.
One great sales tip that is not a marketing tool
I don’t know about you, but I prefer to buy from someone I know and like.
Personalizing content and communications for your prospects will nurture your relationship and move along the sale. And this goes beyond using their first name at the beginning of every email.
Show you get them and their challenges. I do this a lot in a sales call. “Oh yeah, I’ve worked with so many clients whose previous marketing agency was not responsive. It is so frustrating!”
I also like to add details from our sales call to the proposal, and I will also reference past conversations. This shows I’m paying attention and listening to their needs. It may sound small thing to do, but believe me, it’s a big deal. Prospects and clients remember this.
What marketing tools do you use during the sales process?
I never pretend I have all the answers, so I’d love to hear from you: What marketing tools do you find most helpful during the sales process?