In sales or marketing, here’s a fact you live with every day: if your prospect isn’t feeling any pain, they’re unlikely to buy. Think about it. Few people switch banks unless they’re so angry about something they can’t take it anymore. Many people rarely see a doctor unless something hurts. And on and on. That means you have…

Everybody’s ready to get back to doing business face-to-face. But you can still be effective selling in a virtual setting. Here are three ways to set your online sales interactions apart. Get Physical First Send something physical aead of your meeting. If you’re going to be talking with five people, send it to all five. It could be something…

Every good personal trainer does at least three things that can make you a better marketer. Know Your Client A great trainer spends a lot of time getting to know each client. Not just height, weight, age and body fat, but strengths, weaknesses, goals, limitations, abilities, preferences, worries and wishes.   A great trainer knows that…

Especially now, your website is your prospect’s first impression of you. Your content will either make or break that first impression.   So try this. Read all the way through your website three times. Each time, focus on one specific thing, and edit ruthlessly for that quality. 1. What Do You Do? Is exactly what you do clear…

Especially in a pandemic, direct mail is an incredibly effective marketing tool. But there are a lot of ways it can go south on you. Here are six steps to make sure your next direct mail campaign fails miserably. 1. Make Sure Your Website Sucks. Most people who respond to direct mail go to your website first. Make…

In marketing, proof of performance matters. Your prospects need to know you can actually do what you say you’ll do. There are three numbers that companies think are helpful in this effort. They’re wrong. Years in Business Once you pass the minimum threshold for people to think you’re stable, the number of years you’ve been in business…

1. History No one cares. Seriously. It’s the least-read page on nearly every website in the universe. It means a lot to you. To your prospects, not so much. 2. Jargon It may feel like you’re demonstrating expertise when your site is full of industry terminology and technical terms. You’re not. You want to inspire and invite, not intimidate. Lose the jargon…

1. Calls to Action Tell your visitor what action to take and give them a button to start — on every page. Maybe it’s more than one. And maybe less generic. Call = “Let’s Talk.” Subscribe = “Get the Goodies” Meet = “Let’s Hook Up.” 2. Clarity Above the Fold Before a visitor scrolls down, they should know exactly…

You spend a lot of time trying to persuade prospects to choose you over your competitors. And you should. But there’s one competitor you probably overlook. Inertia. The easiest thing for a prospect to do is…nothing. They can live with a problem awhile longer. They can put together a workaround. They can deal with the status quo. And there are…

The biggest obstacle to owning a true brand — a position that sets you apart in the market — is the language you use. Try this:  Look at five or six websites for companies in your industry, or look at their ads or collateral. Make a list of all the words and phrases they have in…