I've tried everything. Facebook ads, Google ads, I invested in social media marketing courses to learn when to post, what to post, how to increase my followers. I've poured hundreds of dollars into lead page platforms promising high conversion rates. I've hired copywriters, marketing agencies, had my website built and then built again. I spend thousands on a logo and branding and I still don't have enough clients to cover the bills. I'm exhausted, my business is broke and my spirit is diminishing. If I don't start making money soon, I'll have to shut this down.
“And how many calls have you made last week?” she asked. “None,” I replied.
“Marketing has done an amazing job of making sales NOT the thing we focus on in our business,” says sales catalyst and business coach Katie Nelson. I found Katie on the eWomenNetwork Premiere Success Coach site, determined to salvage what’s left of my business.
Sales Calls Aren't Sexy
It may appear obvious to you that money is needed to run a business, and yet, many business owners avoid the very thing that brings in the revenue; making sales calls. That’s because sales calls aren’t sexy. Having a beautiful IG page is sexy. Marketing is essential for building your brand and getting your product or service seen, but it’s the sales strategy that generates actual sales and revenue.
Whether it was the adage that sales are sleazy or, maybe, I had too many doors slammed in my face at the tender age of 20 when I was going from door to door with an insurance rate binder under my arm. I decided that what I had to offer needs protection from the naysayers and door slammers. My ideal client would have to find me via a perfectly crafted marketing piece that would sell for me.
Only, that makes for a difficult and expensive path to the “50% of startups fail” club. According to Investopedia, the four most common reasons small businesses fail are insufficient capital, poor management, inadequate business planning, and overblowing their marketing budgets.
Unless you're selling puppies, sales should always come before marketing.
“With actual, real customer interactions, you will be able to pinpoint the problem by asking specific questions and offer the prospect a solution,” says Stuart Leung, SEO manager at Salesforce.com. In talking to your potential clients, you will develop a much stronger marketing message that will convert because you now understand what your clients want.
Proof of Concept
Watch our discussion on how to make sales more approachable.
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Why Sales Should Always Come Before Marketing
Interview with Katie Nelson from Sales Uprising
from the interview
It may appear obvious to you that money is needed to run a business, and yet, many business owners avoid the very thing that brings in the revenue; making sales calls. That’s because sales calls aren’t sexy. Having a beautiful IG page is. Marketing is essential for building your brand and getting your product or service seen, but it’s the sales strategy that generates actual sales and revenue.