Recently I had the pleasure to be involved in a Queensland Leaders session with Peter McKeon from Salesmasters, interacting with our audience on real life sales and marketing challenges. In this article, I wanted to share some of those challenges and some of the marketing solutions put forward.
We put it out to the audience of CEOs, MDs and associated team members to ask their most burning questions.
Question 1: We want to target CEO’s and MD’s – LinkedIn is too full of spammers. How else do we get in front of them?
Great question and one we get asked often as people suggest they are looking for B2B clients. To this I say there is no real B2B or B2C – there is simply P2P – people to people –in any situation there is a decision maker and that is a person who wants a solution for their challenge sorted.
So, to address LinkedIn. We love this channel because you can access the decision makers without the gate keepers, however the goal is not to spam, we would suggest more of a “pull” strategy. Use it to identify the right decision makers and the goal then is to connect with them – however, there is one very important piece that many businesses forget BEFORE they connect and that is to be “stalkable”.
“64% of customers will make their decision online before they engage with you”
(even if it is a word-of-mouth referral) so make sure when they come looking at you (and they will), your messaging is aligned, you explain the problems you solve clearly and it’s obvious you have the solutions to solve their problems!!
Then, engage with them and produce some fabulous content that speaks directly to them, then….. the goal is to get them OFF social media and into your marketing funnel, either via webinar, via a live event, via a downloadable whitepaper or case study or report, via a tradeshow invite etc, then continue to nurture, provide an offer, chat and then convert.
Think outside the square
Then I gave an out of the box idea. I was recently at my daughters State Age netball championships along with 293 other teams from across Queensland (1000’s of people for 4 days). With high performing rep teenagers comes who? You got it, high performing adults, CEO’s, MD’s, Business Owners, Operations Managers etc – so think differently about how you can get in front of your ideal client. Setting up a Motivation or Meditation tent at that event would have been sublime and a perfect way to meet the athletes and thus the parents!!! Of course this would work across other high end sporting teams too.
Question 2: We are able to get a client to a zoom meeting but they don’t turn on their camera when they come – what can we do?
Firstly, this company was to be commended for getting these potential clients to the meeting in the first place, they obviously have a solution that the client is looking for.
First and foremost, understand the business landscape has changed. People are “busier” and more overwhelmed than ever, they don’t want to be sold to, they have tunnel vision and are able to focus mostly only on what they are doing, so… from a marketing perspective, it means we need to become extremely relevant TO THEM!
The solution suggested: Write down how many times you can interact with the client before they arrive at the zoom call (the customer journey). Change up how you interact. You may send an email or calendar invite to confirm, you may post out a postcard letting them know a specific solution (FOR THEM) that you will be talking about on the call, you may email share a case study or client testimonial relevant to their situation. Test and trialling will let you know how many “touch points” or “interactions” you need for success.
“Remember, it takes 5-35 touch points before a client is ready to buy”
What’s most important is the whole way along you are preparing for them to not only be dying to see you on that call but ready to buy as well. Set the scene in every interaction exactly how you wish it to be and watch them jump on with gusto.
And PS: Don’t forget to go through the same process after you convert them.
Question 3: Do Google ads work?
Let me start by saying we outsource our Google ads to another partner and they do an exceptional job. The answer to this one was, “in the middle of 2023 a lot of businesses noticed a drop in their leads with Google ads – the algorithms were changed and it led to them spending a lot of money and getting a whole lot of rubbish.”
“Review your investment versus return”
Our solution in this case: We would suggest it is about output and return. If your average sale is $60,000 and it costs you $10,000 to acquire that sale then that is good value. With any marketing, it’s imperative to track investment versus return. Algorithms are constantly changing and sadly there are agencies who set and forget so be across this – for all your marketing. If the “right” leads aren’t coming in, then definitely ask the question and review your providers. Also note there are no quick fixes so assess the time frame you are willing to work with.
Question 4: Tradeshows – how do we get the best return on investment from these?
This one is right up our alley, we love tradeshows. The secret to this one:
“The pre, during and post tradeshow activities are all as important as each other”
The first step to success is being super clear on what outcomes you are looking for from the event. Is it brand awareness, is it new customers to buy on the day or perhaps book in sales appointments the following week (and if it is, what exactly do they look like and what problems are you solving for them?), or perhaps it’s to target a certain demographic walking around or the other exhibitors in the room!!
Once you have that sorted, the lead up – letting potential clients know you will be there via newsletter, social media, at events, through referral partners newsletters etc – is important. Creating hype potentially through a competition, alert of a giveaway on the day or similar, all works well.
At the event think about promotional products (make them relevant), think about how you can engage (experiential marketing works – spin the wheel to win, do a puzzle for an extra draw etc), make it interesting, intriguing or perhaps a little fun. Don’t over clutter your stand, sometimes less is more – succinct messaging is good. Take lots of photos with others, tag, tag, tag!! That will help your reach and create a ripple effect. People love to see what others are up to. Share learnings from speakers in social media posts.
Sometimes the best connections are with other exhibitors, make sure you get the tradeshow lists, connect with these people – ensure someone is walking around talking to them, getting business cards and following up with them. You all have something in common – generally sore feet 😊.
Follow up is key to these events – alert winners for competitions, if you said you would book someone in, do it immediately (they were interested). Follow up with social posts, in newsletters etc, include lots of photos with lots of people. People will have FOMO (fear of missing out).
To finalise, track everything to make sure it’s returned your investment plus more, so you can decide whether to do it again.
Question 5: We have certain clients who think of us as only promoting certain products and services. How do we change that perception?
This is a great question. It fascinates us that businesses work so hard to win a new client and then forget to let them know of ALL the products and services they offer (upsell them more, you’ve already built the relationship) or ask them for a referral.
“69% of clients who have bought from you are likely to buy again or buy more”
In this instance if you are shifting client base, you may want to look at your Branding, how are you positioning yourself in the market, what does your messaging look like and most importantly,
“You can’t sell a secret”
If that is all looking good, then it’s time to get back in touch with your past clients (regularly) and inform them of what you are doing – this may be through a monthly newsletter, via connecting with them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or other channels and sharing what you are up to, it may be through a sales or account management call, or it may be via a product launch invite etc. Whichever way it is, make sure you keep them informed.
These were just a few ideas discussed on the day. If you have Sales questions, please reach out to Peter. If you are keen to explore more related to Marketing, do not hesitate to touch base for a conversation. Simply email Michelle at michelle@ohmarketing.com.au.