Call scripts get a bad rap, because they can be terrible, especially if you use them wrong. But call scripts can be really useful to: Give you a game plan for a call, instead of struggling over what to say. … Read More
sales
The professional services sales trap
Professional services people can be great at sales (and marketing), but we often struggle. Why is that? I think it has to do with the “professional services sales trap”, which actually sets your own expertise against you. In the last … Read More
Shhh… here’s a secret
Every great company is built on a secret. At least that’s what Peter Thiel writes in his book Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future. So here’s the secret at the heart of what I do … Read More
Who is the competition and what are the rules of the game?
How often have you been in the end stages of a sales cycle, you think you’ve laid out a great case against the competition, only to find the prospect goes dark? The first step to beating the competition is to … Read More
Things I’ve Learned This Decade
Being angry or mean (to others of yourself) rarely makes things better. But anger and other emotions are telling us something– listen and then decide what to do. When other people are angry or mean to you, it often has … Read More
Marketing Planning for 2020 (and the 2020s)
All set with your marketing planning for next year? (And since we’re rolling into a new decade, for the 20s, as well?) No? Here are some links to get you started: Understand that you run a media company, whether you … Read More
Reasons you don’t have a Lead Magnet on your site
After I published a 3,000 word article on using a Lead Magnet to generate leads for your professional services business, responses ranged from “hey, this is exactly what I needed”, to “this would never work for me.” Within the “never … Read More
How to Generate More Leads from Your Professional Services Website
When Bob Davis started his sales consulting business, Simple Sales Strategy, his business came from word-of-mouth. That’s great, but it’s not predictable. Naturally, Bob looked to his website to generate leads. He even invested in SEO to get better rankings … Read More
Don’t “Market”, “Teach” — marketing for consultants
Last week, I discussed how to “help” instead of “sell”. This is a powerful paradigm shift, especially if you find “selling” uncomfortable, unnatural, and/or unethical. But what about marketing? What about lead generation and business development? Another paradigm shift can … Read More