It’s March already and Queenslanders go to the polls in just a couple of weeks to tell the two combatants who they most trust to manage our economy for the next few years…

Amidst talk of doom and gloom, we’re really busy here at Mediaglue. That’s a great sign that our customers see that they need to work on their marketing image when others around them are waiting to see what’s going to happen next.And that they trust us to help so Thank You to all of our customers!!

The reality is that for those who are smart, the time to get aggressive in the marketplace is when others are playing it down.

Now is the time to be investigating AdWords campaigns, to be investigating affiliate marketing, banner advertising and joint ventures. What’s more, now is the time to be speaking with people who have been there before and know that “economic downturns” pass. Now is the time where experience comes to the fore, when a Bachelor of Bitter Experience  (B.Be.)is a bankable commodity.

More than a positive mental attitude, a (B.Be.) comes with calmness and confidence. Exactly what you need when looking at how to move your marketing forward in 2009.

If your business is bricks-and-mortar based; if you’re selling real world products and services, right now is the time to revisit those old sales skills the younger members of our business community don’t have.

Remember the old line, “It’s about relationships”? Well, right now, it is. It’s about establishing and maintaining trust, about understanding the issues your marketplace faces and delivering what you promise and staying true to your core values.

Sales training is a necessary, almost mandatory skill for business owners as well as salespeople. As a business owner, how can you expect to manage or coach a salesperson if you don’t understand the process yourself? How do you know where they’re going wrong?

I was talking to well-known Brisbane sales trainer Stuart Ayling last week and made the comment that the next year or two will be very profitable for well-trained, professional consultative salespeople. He agreed and so I though that, seeing I’m no longer doing sales training workshops, you might like to take a look at Stuart’s site and his offerings. His approach to the sales process is very similar to mine and he’s a darn nice guy as well.

Success in sales in 2009 will be celebrated by those who can both generate high quality leads and convert a significant percentage of those leads into loyal, paying, repeat customers who refer others.

We can help with the lead generation; get Stuart to help with the conversion process and then ask me to introduce to another colleague, Charles Alder of Dynamic Rewards to manage the repeat business and customer loyalty.

At the end of the day, you can have the best darn whatever it is you sell BUT if you haven’t got anyone to sell to, you’re unemployed.

Stay in the game in 2009 by talking to us about lead generation so you always have someone to sell to!

Call us on 1300 884 757 or complete our Contact Form.

To your fantastic 2009!

I’m a huge believer in spreading your lead sources as wide as possible while keeping them affordable.

Using sponsored links on search engines is a widely used method of generating low-cost leads, as is networking. I’ve been involved in networking groups for years and thoroughly recommend networking as a great source of business. The trap is that too may people look for business from the other group members rather than looking beyond to the people they know.

For many small business owners and salespeople, their anxiety to make a sale comes across and has a negative effect on their purpose and reputation.

As with everything in marketing, there is always a better way, and working a room and gaining word of mouth promotion and referrals is a learnable skill.

My mate Martin Russell has a great book on the topic and I’d recommend it to you as a valuable tool in developing this skill.

Find out about Martin’s book, and why well-known marketers like Jay Abraham and Robert Allen regard Word of Mouth as a vital cog in your marketing arsenal here. The book’s content is excellent and Martin is one of the best networkers I know.

James.

Why do people continue with high-cost, high-risk lead generation when there is a better way?

Let me ask you a simple yet profound question: If I banned you, effective from today, from making another cold call, would your business survive?

A cold call is any unsolicited sales call or visit you make. In other words, where you intrude upon or interrupt the prospect to make your “pitch”.

Like this one I just received…

Hello this is Gina, I’m calling from XYZ telecom. Can I speak to the owner of the business please?

(Me, knowing what was coming next) She isn’t here right now. (more…)