The Marketing 24-7 Podcast

It's amazing the lessons you learn in business and sometimes they come from unusual or in this case feared circumstances.

Keeping your eyes and ears open to issues your clients are experiencing can often times lead to business innovation that becomes core to your business growth.

Here is my latest lesson.

This is not a political podcast but rather a compare and contrast of the marketing strategies behind the Trump v Biden contest.

Lets be honest this is the biggest game on the planet and we as marketers should analyze it and see what we can learn.

Here is my take.

Go to this Link for the FREE resource I mention CLICK HERE

What was once an invitatoion to present at a conference and sell from the back of the room at the end of your presentation has now been replaced by Zoom.

Performing the segue from teach to pitch is always an awkward moment whether it be from a stage or on Zoom. In fact it is a lot harder on Zoom, so seamlessly transitioning through to pitching your offer takes thought, skill and strategy.

Here how...

People come to me and they say, well, I want to be an entrepreneur. And I go, Oh, that's great. What's your idea? And they go, well, I don't have one yet. And I say, well, I think you should go get a job in hospitality or something. So you find something you're really passionate about because it's a lot of work. And I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non successful ones is pure perseverance. It is so hard. You pour so much of your life into this thing. And there are such rough moments in time that most people give up. I don't blame them. And it's really tough. And it consumes your life. I mean, if you've got a family and you're in the early days of a company, I can't imagine how one could do it.

I'm sure it's been done, but it's rough. I mean, cause it's a pretty much, you know, 18 hour per day job, seven days a week for a while. So unless you have a lot of passion about this, you're not going to survive. You're going to give it up. So you got to have an idea or a problem or a wrong that you want to right that you're passionate about. Otherwise you're not going to have the perseverance to stick it through. And I think that's half the battle right there.

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What steps can a sales or marketing professional take to create a compelling business proposal?

Podcast Transcript

In an ideal world, business proposals should be created in consultation with the client. However, when circumstances do not allow for direct communication with the other party, one should follow these 9 business proposal guidelines:

1. Write a concise and persuasive executive summary
Your summary should give your client a clear overview of what to expect in your proposal. A short and concise summary is preferred over a long one with little value.

2. Focus on results rather than on procedures
Keep in mind that your client is giving you a chance to present a proposal because he or she believes in the potential that your product has in addressing their concerns. Take advantage of that by focusing your pitch on the results that your product can deliver.

3. Let your ideas flow freely
While you should avoid unnecessary words, do not hold back from expressing important points and ideas. Add value by expressing well-thought out business propositions and back up your proposals with reliable data.

4. Quality over quantity
Remember it is not going to be about the length of your business proposal but rather its quality. Get to the point. Do not make the mistake of sacrificing clarity of thought for the sake of too many words.

5. Tailor the contents per the needs and concerns of the client
A business proposal, no matter how well-written, will be of little or no value if it does not address the specific concerns for which it was produced. Therefore understanding a client’s need is critical in the creation of the proposal.

6. Double check your content
Do not risk devaluing your business proposal. Always double check your written proposal to make sure that your plans are valid and on-point. Check your data for accuracy. Remember that your client will rely on your proposal for key decisions so be responsible with what you include.

7. Critique your output
Content quality is king. Do not rush your proposal. Give yourself time to sleep on it for a day if you can and then read the entire paper again. Do not stop editing until you are completely satisfied and confident that your client will find the proposal of real benefit.

8. Details matter
In the interest of producing quality proposals, you need to pay attention to the tiniest details. For instance, keep the text free from any typographic or grammar errors.

9. Do not oversell
Although you have written the business proposal to persuade your potential customer as to the value of your product, be mindful not to oversell. Sell only what you know you can offer.

By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can be sure that you will not only be able to deliver a well-written business proposal but also close deals because of your efforts.

Over the course of time, I have met people who seem to have done everything they could to spread the word about their business. They have met people, printed brochures, and much more, however, they still do not appear to get ahead.
When they ask me for suggestions, I simply ask them,

“Have you asked your clients to buy your product or service?” Most of the time I just get back disbelieving stares.

Podcast Transcript

“Have you asked your clients to buy your product or service?”

Yes, many salespeople have failed to realize that in the world of marketing, asking questions can mean the difference between closing and losing a deal. In fact, many sales have been lost simply because the salesperson did not ask for it.

Now, why is it that so many hesitate to ask a prospect to buy their product or service?

The short answer is that they are simply afraid of rejection. The thought, “What if they say ‘no’” keeps ringing in their minds and holding them back from saying the words that could have gotten them the sale.

If that is true in your case, then it is the time that you change your thinking. Instead of thinking, “What if they say ‘no”, start thinking, “What if they say ‘yes’”?

You see, years of studying the field of marketing have taught me that in business, it is normal for you to get more ‘no’s than ‘yes’. So, learn to consider every ‘no’ as a stepping stone leading to the ultimate ‘yes’.

Even the most successful salesperson is happy with a 10% conversion ratio. In other words, they are used to getting that ‘no’ from their prospects, 90% of the time.

So, do not take a ‘no’ as though it means the end of your business. Think positive! A ‘no’ may only mean that they are not interested for the time being. That means you could try again later.

There may be another reason behind the ‘no’. It may be that you have failed to help your prospect understand the benefits of what you are offering. If that is the case, then move forward from there. Try to tailor your message next time to help your audience relate to your products. Sometimes, all it takes is just a change of one word or two in your message.

If you still find it difficult to ask for a sale, why not consider reading through articles and other publications that tackle this subject? You will find the information they contain most helpful.

Learning to ask the right questions is often the answer to boosting your sales. Avoid falling into the trap of sales phobia. Learn, not only to socialize during business gatherings but also to speak up about your product with confidence.

Learn to sell yourself and do it well.

Do not be afraid to approach people and talk about your product. You must believe that you have the offer that could help them improve their lives. When you consider it your obligation to let others know that your product exists, you will gain more confidence in reaching out to them.

What if they say ‘no’? Then keep your smile on and proceed to the next person until you get a ‘yes’.

Having a USP is one thing, using it effectively is another. In this episode I take you through some of the genius of radio creative Garry Dean from NOVA 93.7 in his use of the USP for the WA's Big Butcher launch ads.

Podcast Transcript

Big Butcher (Grand Opening)

*MV has a big, deep voice

Sfx:                  Large butcher’s knife being sharpened

MV:                 Big Butcher here …

                        No prizes for guessing how I got my nickname.

                        Yes I’m big. Yes, I’m a butcher!                       

                        For me, it’s all about the CUT.                       

                        Premium cuts of meat … at cut prices … because I cut out the middle man …

… and bring ‘Margaret River Fresh’ meat direct from the paddock to your plate.

Sfx:                  Butchers knife slams down on heavy duty chopping board

MV:                 Come to my GRAND OPENING on October 10th!

                        39 King Edward Road Osborne Park.                       

BIG BUTCHER .com.au

For more information on how you can develop a unique and razor sharp USP for your business please visit petergianoli.com/usp

A strong USP provides a solid foundation for differentiating your product and giving you a leg up on the competition. These famous USPs have worked well to promote products and services successfully.

Podcast Transcript

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a unique selling point or slogan that differentiates a product or service from its competitors. A USP may include words such as the "lowest cost," "the highest quality," or "the first-ever," which indicates to customers what your product or service has that your competitors do not.

Using a USP is a great marketing tool to help position and sell your product. Some marketing experts go even further and believe that unless you can pinpoint what makes your business unique in a world of homogeneous competitors, you can't target your sales efforts effectively.

A strong USP provides a solid foundation for differentiating your product and giving you a leg up on the competition. These famous USPs have worked well to promote products and services successfully.

Avis

We're number two. We try harder.

This USP does a fantastic job of turning a drawback into a benefit. For a long time, Avis was the second-largest car rental company, after Hertz. In fact, Avis was struggling just to stay afloat.

As part of a total image makeover, Avis hired the famous ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach to come up with a new ad campaign. The campaign was so successful, Avis' market share went from 11% to 35% in just four years.

Fed Ex

When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.

FedEx no longer uses this slogan, but while it was in effect, it was a perfect example of a compelling slogan. In very few words, FedEx was able to convey the message that it guarantees that it will deliver your package on time. FedEx replaced it with the slogan “The World on Time,” which is vague and doesn't contain a USP.

Mars

The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

The slogan for M&M's is an example of how even a rather off-beat USP can be catchy and compelling. Who would think of making a selling point out of the fact that a product doesn't melt if you hold it? Mars did, and it worked very well for them.

For more information on how you can develop a unique and razor sharp USP for your business please visit petergianoli.com/usp

A razor sharp USP sets you apart from your competitors.

It is your point of difference.

It is what do you have to do to have your clients easily talk about you and recommend you to others.

And how can you best describe your business, service, or your offering so that it resonates best with potential clients.

Podcast Details

This podcast is audio extracted from a video I have created on the topic.

To watch the video please visit my website CLICK HERE

If you would like more training on developing your Razor Sharp USP please CLICK HERE

There's one place where most problems in any business come from... challenges in communication.

Podcast Transcript

When you don't have a communication system, your team won't know what to expect or when they're going to hear from you. As the entrepreneur in charge, you are likely to experience emotional overwhelm. Since the whole team has to come to you, you're overwhelmed, and you're getting too many inquiries. You'll feel frustrated. You will feel like your team doesn't take the initiative and that everything is moving too slow. It will start to cause massive anxiety for you. It’s important to know that having emotional overwhelm will a ect everything in your life, not just your business.

Communication is by far the biggest issue in small businesses, the source of most arguments in relationships, and the root cause of most issues between human beings. It might surprise you, but a lot of businesses lack a communication system. As a result, you will start to wonder whether your team is contributing enough and why they aren't producing at the level you expect them You will constantly be wondering what you team is working on. It will start to make you a little crazy because if you don't have a communication system, you don't know what everyone is doing.

You will also begin to lose good team members. They will get frustrated, feel overworked, and most likely quit. Projects start to fall behind because the communication was not there. Then what happens? We all know what entrepreneurs do. You have to pull a war room, an all hands on deck, let's save this type of move. Someone needs to be a hero, and everyone has to work like crazy. Everyone has to come in early and get stu done. Why? Because there's no communication system telling people what's going on.

To solve communication issues in your business, you need to create a system to communicate efficiently and effectively with your team. When everyone knows what's going on, everyone's kept in the loop, and everyone knows what's happening in the business, problems, pressure, and noise go down.

When you have a communication system, mistakes and issues go down to a minimum. It's glorious. You stop having to hear about how everyone's frustrated. You get more projects done, and you get projects done faster. When there's a communication system, there's less hassle for you and your team. Everyone on the team is more efficient, and they get better at what they do.

When you overcome challenges in communication, your team understands you better. When your team knows when they're going to hear from you, how they're going to hear from you, and what they're going to hear from you, they feel like they're in momentum and they are no longer are waiting for word on high. Your team is more productive and they support each other. They get into bigger and better momentum every day. If you want each person in your business to be in momentum, put in a communication system where they know their outcome, what they're accountable for, and the perspective you're using to see if they're successful.

Do this, and your entire business will explode.