If you can’t sell, you can’t make money. So, what’s the secret to building an effective source of leads ready to purchase? In today’s episode of the MORE podcast, Ricardo is joined by marketing consultant Patty K to learn how to implement a 7-stage marketing system from Duct Tape Marketing capable of helping any business in any industry gain more sales.

Patty specializes in working with advisors and experts, selling their time to clients. 

• She helps get their content out of their heads and into the world so people can see how it’s valuable.
• She started as a self-employed software developer but was stuck with the sales and marketing elements - getting people to buy her code.
• Patty became fascinated with marketing and soon learned the 7-stage system from Duct Tape Marketing to help clients develop more sales.

Think about marketing not as a funnel but as an hourglass.

• Marketing doesn’t end when you have a client - current clients are your best clients.
• The most high-level elements of the hourglass are the completed clients who can refer and buy again.
• Four of the stages people go through - Know, like, trust, and try.
• Put yourself inside the head of the marketing person and put yourself out there, whether that’s social media, advertising, and other ways to make sure people know who you are.

Have people form an opinion about you:

• Utilize reviews, testimonials, and indicators of trust as professional designators to give people a reason to trust you.
• Consider offering a trial period or a limited quantity of functionality on a site to encourage people to purchase.

People don’t buy what you sell; they buy who you are.

• Everybody can use the system. It’s an absolute requirement for people like trusted advisors, but restaurants and other industries are also missing out.
• Many marketing funnel methodologies aren’t complete because they stop at the initial sale.
• Marketing professionals often put too much weight on the top of the funnel.

Practical applications with the seven stages:

• Look at the seven steps and determine which facet of the stages you’re neglecting.
• Is there a way to get more positive reviews or variables to supplement the neglected stages?
• It works well with other tools and systems. Often the change required is the messaging within the system.

Patty’s parting advice? If you want to be successful in marketing, get in the head of the person buying your product and present what you do as the solution they’re looking for. To learn more about the methodology, visit Duct Tape Marketing’s website at https://ducttapemarketing.com/ for more information and free resources. If you’re a trusted advisor, visit PattyK.com for resources and materials specific to your industry to help you find and retain more clients. 

Patty’s book and podcast recommendations:

• Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
• Built to Sell by John Warrillow
• Pricing Creativity by Blair Enns 
• The 2Bobs Podcast with Blair Enns

This podcast is brought to you in part by MI Group:

MI Group is a tech company that assists you with billing technology solutions, full-service digital marketing, and hosting and maintaining your digital assets. With over 12 years of experience and a team of over fifty passionate business professionals, MI Group is your key to taking the next step to success. Visit migroupco.com to learn how we can help you and your clients reach your business goals.

This podcast is brought to you in part by mMessenger.co:

mMessenger.co is the ultimate SMS software that allows you to send messages to people in over 100 countries across the globe. Notifications, alerts, or any message you want to send can be done from the comfort of one website. Visit mmessenger.co for a free trial and to learn how you can use SMS to reach more customers.

This podcast is brought to you in part by MI Digital Hub:

MI Digital Hub is the all-in-one digital experience to help you improve your digital marketing experience. Suppose you want to understand your current online positioning and how your presence appears. In that case, MI Digital Hub gives you a high-level view of SEO, performance, listing, social media, and any online presence that might impact your business. Get a free snapshot of your performance by visiting midigitalhub.com to see where you are now and where you need to go.