Oh, those funny people at Google. What once was a free online search service allowing billions of searchers to locate “nose hair trimmers in Cleveland” — at no cost to Nose Hair Clipper Depot — has morphed into an actual business. Are you prepared to navigate this new advertising model?
“Why didn’t you page the nearby area to let people know you were leaving early?” The Delta attendant said, “We only page in the immediate area.” “So,” I asked, through mildly clenched teeth, “You only page to locate people who are already here?” Anybody see the problem?
Do you want to know which marketing techniques are working to generate leads now? You might be surprised to find out that the Internet has not taken over the world, yet.
What was, isn’t anymore. Why do I begin this article with a completely undiagrammable sentence? Because most things in business now aren’t following diagrams either.
Selling is - and has always been - a relationship. Yet in a hot economy, when cash is flowing, improvements are incentivized, and home values warranted re-investment, selling was order taking. We got lazy. True sales skills eroded. Case in point, follow up has become nearly nonexistent.
Let this year be the year you shift your message to fit your true buyers. Attract with emotions, convert with helpful authority, and retain with friendly efficiency. Do this and you’ll have enough new business to make this your best year ever.
Mistakes are powerful lesson builders. And nowhere is this more evident than in e-mail marketing. E-mail marketing inherently brings mistakes. That’s because it’s free and everyone who can push “send” can use it. Usually, the more difficult or expensive your marketing media is, the greater the research and testing you put behind it.
Marketers do it. Salespeople do it. Customer service reps do it. We give way too much information, too quickly, sometimes with a repelling result. And it is a business killer. Zig Ziglar calls it “Selling past the close.” Customers call it boring, pointless, wasteful, and it is costing you dearly.
Got all the business you want? Great. You can relax and take a load off. But if you’re living on the same planet where most of the working population is fighting the economic tide, you’re probably looking for more leads … like now.
Just recently the Dow Jones dropped 260 points
in one day, making it negative for the year. As doubts about an economic
recovery send consumers into a selling frenzy, there’s a ray of light at the
end of the tunnel if you’re an HVAC contractor.
