We have recently hired a new videographer (are you subscribed to my YouTube Channel?) and it got us thinking about the materials and resources you should have in place to be successful in selling.
In my opinion, there are five things you need to develop to enhance your chances of success. You might be surprised to find that two of them don’t involve any printed material at all.
Here are the five essential items of sales content that I think you need to have at your fingertips.
SALES BROCHURE
Yes, of course, you do need a sales brochure. It’s vital that you can leave something behind after an initial meeting with a prospect. As well as allowing them to learn more about your product or service, it also acts as a physical reminder of you and your solution.
One tip I recommend doing is adding a section about you and your team, as well as your service.
Not only will this help your brochure stand out as something a little different, but it will also emphasise that you and your expertise are just as important a part of the deal.
SALES ORDER FORM
This is not about having an order form, although it’s going to be impossible to sell anything without a place for your prospect to sign on the dotted line!
This is about remembering to take an order form to every single meeting, even prospecting or networking events, exhibitions… just carry one at all times!
I learned the hard way when I closed a prospect at an initial meeting but didn’t have an order form with me. The prospect was a referral from an existing customer who had done all the selling for me – this guy was ready to buy! But because I hadn’t been prepared to sell, I had to wait until they got back from holiday.
Of course, when they came back – you guessed it – they had been told about someone else by another contact. This meant I was back to square one and had to sell myself to him from scratch. I did win the business in the end, but I had to work harder than I needed to, and it took about a month longer.
It was a great lesson, though – make sure you can sign business up at any time. Always have an order form with you!
MAKE YOUR CONTENT PERSONAL
So by this, I mean that your sales content should reflect you as a human being. Most people will be used to faceless, third-person corporate-speak in the documentation they read. By tailoring your content to your personality and attitudes, it will reflect your strengths and act as another reminder about why they should buy from you.
For example, I always try to create content with a positive note that’s fun and enthusiastic. That’s my personality in a nutshell, so my content will attract people who want to work with people like me and will self-screen out those who don’t. It’s a win-win. We try and do this within our content on all of our Academy channels too.
Also, try and show that you’re human. Being able to take the mickey out of ourselves show’s we understand ourselves and accept we have some flaws and weaknesses. Importantly, though, these show our character – make sure that when it comes to your product or service, it’s all about your expertise and strengths.
CREATE VIDEO OR WRITTEN CONTENT SHOWCASING YOUR EXPERTISE
These are key because they allow you to show your VALUE to your prospects through the sales process. It’s not just about establishing yourself as someone knowledgeable in the field, it is also about showcasing how it’s YOU that’s the key differentiator between you and your competitors.
Some people feel nervous about “giving it away for free”, but that’s a false concern. By showing your prospects that you know your stuff and that you’re prepared to share some of it with them (even if they don’t buy), you are demonstrating your character and your confidence in your value.
Remember, people are prepared to pay for implementation – it’s the most challenging bit! As you know, we produce a lot of content, and “give away” lots of advice for free. This lets people see my and my team’s expertise and cements the fact that they are prepared to pay to get more of it and to be guided into putting it into practice. This is the same for almost any product or service.
TESTIMONIALS
These are the most valuable bits of sales content that exists.
I mean it! Do not underestimate the power of a testimonial to help your closing rates. Make it a habit to ask your new and existing clients for a testimonial, and ask if you can take their photo. We all carry smartphones with us that have excellent cameras, so take a snap to give the testimonial more “reality” for your prospects.
Why not go one stage further and ask your client if you can record what they say as well? A video recording of them saying great things about you can be even more powerful. Try and gather at least 4 or 5 of these testimonials, and if possible, make them from a range of clients that showcase the breadth of application of your solution.
Make sure that the testimonials on your web pages, YouTube channels and sales brochures are current! There’s nothing worse than a prospect asking if they can speak to Miss X who said your product was amazing if they switched to a competitor two years ago.
Always ask your referees if they are happy to have email addresses or phone numbers passed on. Make sure your prospect is aware that they can contact any of them.
Trust is a massive part of the sales process, and the fact that you are happy to let them speak independently to your satisfied customers sends out a powerful signal that you have nothing to hide.
I hope that has inspired you to take a look at your own sales content and see if there are any improvements you can make?
What has been your most successful piece of sales content? Do you have difficulty in asking for (or getting) referrals? How do you think you could bring more of you into your content? I’d love to hear from you about your experiences, or with any questions about this sales area.
You can get in touch on email via james@thesbsa.com or through any of the social networks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube – search for ‘@jameswhitesales’.
I’m always keen to hear from subscribers about any topics you’d like covered in these emails or on the YouTube channel, so don’t forget to let me have your suggestions too.
Serve Authentically, Sell Brilliantly
James
