One of the things most small business executives in the twin cities (Minneapolis,St. Paul) love most about working with my team is that we are absolute positive dweebs and are always looking to leverage technology to give sales teams a competitive edge.

As you may or may not know, getting one bajillion people to your website is not useful unless you are able to convert those prospects into leads. Landing pages are one of the most useful tactics to use to convert visitors into leads.

In this instance, we've come across an awesome lead generation tool called the five second test. Simply, you've got five seconds for a landing page to draw a website visitor in. 

We like to use fivesecondtest.com to test landing pages and convert more leads to visitors.

Hopefully, you'll find this tool to be helpful in converting prospects from the internet into leads. Filling the top of the funnel is important and landing pages can have a major impact on this.

Fivesecondtest.com

Correct, sales and marketing alignment is not important if you have cash to burn, you can afford to miss your sales goals and you want to make your customer acquisition costs unecessarily high.

It is estimated the misalignment of sales and marketing costs the US Fortune 100 $225 Billion annually, while small to mid-size business executives can no longer turn a blind eye to the alignment of sales and marketing. The process for lead conversion, lead nurturing and sales execution need to be seamless as any interruption in this sequence can have severe penalties. Whereas, the next competitor from anywhere in the world is only a "Google" query away. 

People buy differently than they used to. We can’t continue “shouting” at consumers and think they’re going the listen...they won’t. Today’s consumer has power. They have caller ID, they have voice mail, they can fast forward commercials, and they have many other tools that allow them to ignore the many messages being “shouted” at them.

Power has shifted to the buyer and the buying process has been democratized. Consumers decide what they want to listen to. In case you’re not paying attention, The Game Has Changed small business owners and CEOs. The expectation of the customer is that we empower them to choose us, so empower them to find you wherever they look (hint: 86% of people go to the Internet as part of their buying process [hint, hint: If you don’t think Sr. Executives are going there, think about their direct reports they send to do research for them, they go there]). Furthermore, customers expect a dialogs and not monologue.

Since marketing is no longer about campaigns and more about creating and empowering a dialogs with the customer, alignment wiht the customer is mission critical.

Unless you have money to burn, sales and marketing must be aligned and inbound marketing enables this to happen.

 We can help your sales team attract new customers.

People buy differently than they used to. We can’t continue “shouting” at consumers and think they’re going the listen...they won’t. Today’s consumer has power. They have caller ID, they have voice mail, they can fast forward commercials, and they have many other tools that allow them to ignore the many messages being “shouted” at them.

Power has shifted to the buyer and the buying process has been democratized. Consumers decide what they want to listen to. In case you’re not paying attention, the game has changed small business owners and CEOs. The expectation of the customer is that we empower them to choose us, so empower them to find you wherever they look (hint: 86% of people go to the Internet as part of their buying process [hint, hint: If you don’t think Sr. Executives are going there, think about their direct reports they send to do research for them, they go there]). Furthermore, customers expect a dialog and not monologue.

Since marketing is no longer about campaign and more about creating and empowering a dialogs with the customer, alignment is mission critical.This alignment is also critical because your sales professionals have direct access to the customer with social networking sites such as LinkedIn.

It is estimated the misalignment of sales and marketing costs the US Fortune 100 $225 billion annually. Based on my experience, I'm certain the same challenges face small to mid-size businesses. Executives can no longer turn a blind eye to the alignment of sales and marketing. The process for lead conversion, lead nurturing and sales execution need to be seamless any interruption in this sequence can have severe penalties on sales performance. Whereas, the next competitor from anywhere in the world is only a "Google" query away.

Three signs sales and marketing are not aligned and they are costing you big money.

1.Your company does not have the sales process in writing from click to close.

2.If a colleague asked you how your sales team is using social media to create and nurture leads and you don't know the answer.

3. If you ask your marketing leader what is the process for scoring and transitioning leads to the salespeople and they can't produce a written process or answer.

Build a Community

The companies that are growing the fastest have built a community around their product and services. They’ve built up loyal followers who support what they do through and through, and these followers passionately spread the good word and create positive “buzz” around the company’s product/services.

It's imperative that small business owners never forget people trust other people more than ads or other forms of marketing or any claims you make about your product,period. In fact, according to CNW Marketing Research Inc., 72% of ads are skipped by DVR users, and Yankelovioch claims that 76% of consumers believe companies don’t tell the truth in advertising. Whereas a study done by the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth revealed that 67% of consumer purchase decisions are primarily influenced by word of mouth, the number 1 factor. So, some simple advice: Get it going, start building your clan of followers today! Think of them as your posse of marketing tools.

•  82% of “brand community members” recommend a company or brand more often after they join the community - Communispace

• 89% of “brand community members” believe the company they're part of is truly concerned on what they have to say - Communispace.

Click here if you want www.focus2grow to help build your posse

As a small business owner, entrepreneur or CEO, you don't have to be Lou Holtz or a superstar motivator to become better at coaching your sales team. However, you can learn from his wisdom on (and off) the field, and embrace some of his coaching philosophy in your sales organization. Let's take a moment to think deeply about a few of his profound quotes.

"A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer, he sings because he has a song."

Small business owners have a multitude of responsibilities in addition to managing those that sell for them, including solving problems by providing answers. This is a critical function for you, but what is equally important, is the delivery of the answer. If the reasoning is not understood by the salesperson (employee or independent contractor), but instead is simply taken at face value, a teaching opportunity may have been lost. Always remember, insight begins with understanding. You may have the answers, but strive to keep conscious awareness on how you arrived at these conclusions. Then deliver it in a way your salesperson can take ownership of the knowledge. With this renewed sense of confidence, more sales are surely on the horizon.

"Coaching is nothing more than eliminating mistakes before you get fired."

Regardless if it's a customer, or an employer who can potentially fire you, both endings are unacceptable. It's an artful balance between focusing on what you want (e.g. the Law of Attraction) versus identifying pitfalls before you fall in. If need for approval, tendency to become emotionally involved, self-limiting record collection, and non-supportive buying cycle are foreign phrases to you, then it's time to start studying(The Objective Management Group). Reason being, if you don't have a certain level of understanding of your salesperson's belief systems, then you may be taking an entirely wrong approach in coaching them.   

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test."

I've coached small business owners, entrepreneurs and CEO's extensively on the commonalities that successful salespeople posses. Goal setting, unconditional commitment to success, power of a positive outlook, and zero tolerance for mediocre results, etc. However, what about those hidden gems that you may have let go due to bad performance? The true reason for failure may have been because you didn't understand what drives their motivation. You need to know if they are primarily motivated by the desire to avoid pain, or to gain pleasure. The type of energy in these polar forces are substantively very unique and guide one's behavior in different directions. Again, without insight, there is no understanding. Sometimes fear brings out the best in us, but for another person it may stifle them. It's your job to figure this out. 

Click here for more insights

It's not rocket science to successfully manage salespeople. However for the rocket scientist, completing the duties of his or her chosen vocation may strangely come quite easily. While for the small business owner or CEO with sales people as direct reports, dealing with all of the different personalities in his or her sales force may feel like they are trying to land on a new moon that doesn't even exist. Check to see if you are unintentionally 'grounding' your sales team by not having the following three topics mastered.

Fact Based Account-Giving

Behavioral management is not glamorous work. This is why setting mutual activity goals between you and the salesperson is a must. If your management style happens to be a "sell this much each month or your fired" approach, you may have noticed your churn rate is unacceptably high. While it's absolutely necessary that you do meet your sales forecasts, you must manage the 'means' in how it's accomplished. And when sub par performance is demonstrated, you must be clear in your communication with the salesperson that this is not acceptable. First with a warning, then reprimanding them if it happens again, and as a final step, letting them go if necessary. There must be no ambiguity here. What you need to know are the actions required to be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to achieve your revenue targets. Only then, will you have the insight and clear understanding of why your sales team members are coming up short each month.     

Coach, don't Referee

It seems a lot of coaching energy expended by business owners and CEOs that manage sales people is pre-sale consulting and some 'hand holding' throughout the sales process. The old adage 'each time you point your finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you,' is often the case with ineffective coaching. Ideally, you would be meeting with your reps daily. Are you? If not, it may be time to re-prioritize how your time is spent each day. Your job is to dig deeper and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each sales person (and that of your entire sales force). You must identify and remove roadblocks, clean up the debris, and make the formerly 'less traveled' road to success more accessible.       

Motivating "Don't believe the hype that salespeople are self motivated"

What motivates you? Most likely there is an emotional component or a 'dream' associated with the activities you choose to do on a daily basis. If you learn how to inextricably link activity goals together with a salesperson's dreams, you will definitely see an increase of the desired revenue producing behavior. It's very important that you as small business owner or CEO with salespeople reporting to you to see and understand the psychological underpinnings of each salesperson.
If you're unfamiliar with motivational concepts such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, it would behoove you to start learning. For example, if someone is intrinsically motivated by satisfaction of a 'job well done' versus the paycheck that comes along with this achievement, then it's certainly not a best practice to begin your motivational talk discussing the commission generated from the sale. Surely, they already understand the benefits of financial compensation. Growth starts with understanding, period.

FREE DOWNLOAD:

10 TIPS TO MAXIMIZING THE ROI OF YOUR SALES PROFESSIONALS

Focus To Grow is sales accleration consulting firm, specializing in providing inbound marketing and sales execution support for small businesses. www.focustogrow.com

Small Business Owners have little to no training in sales management

Entrepreneurs are experts at creating and seizing opportunities that lie before them. However, successful ongoing sales management requires a special skill set that likely needs to be acquired through proper training from a sales force development professional.

Most Business owners do not have a hiring process, thus they make critical mis-steps during the hiring process they pay for down the road. The effectiveness of a company's recruiting process determines the effectiveness and consistency of the sales organization. Sales processes must include (but are not limited to):

I've posted this on my home page, but I wanted to post a sales acceleration manifesto. Whether you are a start up or a 20 year old company, these policies will accelerate sales growth if you stick to them. Conversely, if you're wrestling to hit your sales goals you're missing a step in the sales acceleration manifesto.

 Please free to let me know what the 7th manifesto should be!

manifesto |ˌmanəˈfestō|

  a public declaration of policies and aims.

 I. Focus is the key to growth. Expand by Narrowing.  

 II. Market Insights should happen often, which requires significant and frequent collaboration with the customer[person that writes the check]. 

 III. Strategic Foresight should be based on fact, taking into account both the immediate and future 

 needs of the customer. Think about the entire customer lifecycle, beyond acquisition. 

 IV. Systems and Tools need to be in place to provide visibility, accountability and scalability of all  sales and marketing assets.

 V. Businesses are not entities; they are collection ofpeople working towards a common cause. In

 particular, sales people and marketing programs need to be held accountable for delivering top line  results daily, weekly and monthly.

 VI. Nothing happens unless something is sold. Sales are the business end of the spear.

The scene is coach Herb Brooks talking about what it will take the Russians at the olympics. As a marketing strategy and sales execution guy for small business, I think we have much to learn from Herb.  

 It is my hope all entrepreneurs and small business owners walk away with these lessons from the video clip:

• The best sales professionals in the world work best when they have a sound marketing approach and sales structure they operate within. Organizations put too much on the individual and overlook the critical management structure that needs to be in place for individual sales professionals to win.

• It may be necessary to change the way you market your services to generate leads. You may also need to make drastic changes to your sales approach. These changes may require you to train harder, move faster, be more creative and leverage the team.
• You need to have a plan and work the plan.
• Be willing to change.
  
• Don't depend too much on one individual person's talent.
• Have a lofty goal to work towards.