Revenue Coach Shares Proven Strategies to Increase Sales

Kristin ZhivagoKristin ZhivagoKristin ZhivagoKristin Zhivago

Revenue CoachRevenue CoachRevenue CoachRevenue Coach

Newport Interactive MarketersNewport Interactive MarketersNewport Interactive MarketersNewport Interactive Marketers

March 1, 2012March 1, 2012March 1, 2012March 1, 2012

Proven Strategies to Proven Strategies to Proven Strategies to Proven Strategies to

Increase SalesIncrease SalesIncrease SalesIncrease Sales

March 1, 2012 Newport Interactive Marketers 2

What you need to know about your buyers What you need to know about your buyers What you need to know about your buyers What you need to know about your buyers

1.1.1.1. Why they bought from youWhy they bought from youWhy they bought from youWhy they bought from you

2.2.2.2. How they bought from youHow they bought from youHow they bought from youHow they bought from you

Hint: Hint: Hint: Hint: It ainIt ainIt ainIt ain’’’’t what yout what yout what yout what you’’’’re thinkinre thinkinre thinkinre thinkin’’’’


What youWhat youWhat youWhat you’’’’re doing nowre doing nowre doing nowre doing now1


Channel & Fad Obsession Channel & Fad Obsession Channel & Fad Obsession Channel & Fad Obsession –––– gets in the waygets in the waygets in the waygets in the way

• What are others doing?

• What’s “hot”?• What have we

done before?• What do we think

will work?

Channels and Fads



Flawed sources of dataFlawed sources of dataFlawed sources of dataFlawed sources of data

Salespeople

3rd Parties

Surveys

Focus Groups

No one tells a salesperson what they’re really thinking when they’re being sold to and salespeople don’t think in trends

Doesn’t uncover perceptions of YOUR company and YOUR products and YOUR salespeople and YOUR customers. Note: Case studies are almost worthless. Your company, perceptions, and situation are unique.

Questions are based on assumptions about what they want and how they buy; you never uncover nuances

Dominators vs. wall flowers; dominator can change perceptions; participants withhold information; top influencers never attend

Social Media Situation-specific; doesn’t uncover the buying process and decision tradeoffs; can magnify less-important issues


Let’s say I am a home-based business with a wireless phone. I have come to Verizon.com to pay my bill.

What am I supposed to click on?


What theyWhat theyWhat theyWhat they’’’’re doing nowre doing nowre doing nowre doing now2


Buying has changed Buying has changed Buying has changed Buying has changed ---- radicallyradicallyradicallyradically

� Customers are totally in controlCustomers are totally in controlCustomers are totally in controlCustomers are totally in control

� 80% of their questions 80% of their questions 80% of their questions 80% of their questions ––––answered by answered by answered by answered by others others others others –––– not younot younot younot you

� First friends; then websites; First friends; then websites; First friends; then websites; First friends; then websites; thenthenthenthenGoogleGoogleGoogleGoogle

� Your content is very important, Your content is very important, Your content is very important, Your content is very important, but . . .but . . .but . . .but . . .

� ItItItIt’’’’s not what you say that leads s not what you say that leads s not what you say that leads s not what you say that leads to new business. Itto new business. Itto new business. Itto new business. It’’’’s what you s what you s what you s what you DO. DO. DO. DO.


What is What is What is What is ““““buyingbuyingbuyingbuying””””????

It’s a decision to exchange money for something of value.

The decision involves a set of tradeoffs.

The buyer has questions about those tradeoffs.

The seller who answers those questions successfully

will make the sale.


What What What What areareareare the real questions?the real questions?the real questions?the real questions?

• Who are you? Specifically?• What can you do that no one else can do?• What have others thought of you?• What’s going to happen to me after I buy?


The The The The ““““buyerbuyerbuyerbuyer’’’’s journeys journeys journeys journey””””

� They ask certain questions in a certain They ask certain questions in a certain They ask certain questions in a certain They ask certain questions in a certain order. order. order. order.

� They have a They have a They have a They have a buying processbuying processbuying processbuying process

� If you map it out If you map it out If you map it out If you map it out –––– you will be able to you will be able to you will be able to you will be able to support them at every step support them at every step support them at every step support them at every step

� They will buy if you They will buy if you They will buy if you They will buy if you answer their answer their answer their answer their

questionsquestionsquestionsquestions, at every step, at every step, at every step, at every step

� If you guess, you loseIf you guess, you loseIf you guess, you loseIf you guess, you lose


The four types of products/servicesThe four types of products/servicesThe four types of products/servicesThe four types of products/services

Light

ScrutinySee it

Medium

ScrutinySee it

Buy it

Ask

????Buy it

Heavy

ScrutinySee it

Ask

???

???

Involve

Others

Involve

Sales

Sign

Contract

Intense

ScrutinySee it

Ask

?????

?????

Test

Drive

Sign

Contract

Get

Married

Test

Drive

Involve

Others

Involve

Sales


How to sell the way they buyHow to sell the way they buyHow to sell the way they buyHow to sell the way they buy3


The SecretThe SecretThe SecretThe Secret

Your current customers will teach you how to sell Your current customers will teach you how to sell Your current customers will teach you how to sell Your current customers will teach you how to sell

to your prospective customers, to your prospective customers, to your prospective customers, to your prospective customers,

if you ask them the right questions if you ask them the right questions if you ask them the right questions if you ask them the right questions

in the right way.in the right way.in the right way.in the right way.


Why Why Why Why currentcurrentcurrentcurrent customers?customers?customers?customers?

� They know you

� They like you

� They want to help you

� They will tell the truth, now that you are no longer

selling to them

� They succeeded in buying something from you!


Stop trying to Stop trying to Stop trying to Stop trying to ““““sellsellsellsell”””” and and and and ““““market.market.market.market.””””

InterviewInterviewInterviewInterview, , , , create reports, create reports, create reports, create reports, summarize, summarize, summarize, summarize, analyze, analyze, analyze, analyze, recommend.recommend.recommend.recommend.

DiscoverDiscoverDiscoverDiscover DeployDeployDeployDeployDebateDebateDebateDebate

ResolveResolveResolveResolve the the the the differences differences differences differences between what between what between what between what they want and they want and they want and they want and what you sell; how what you sell; how what you sell; how what you sell; how they buy vs. how they buy vs. how they buy vs. how they buy vs. how you sell; and what you sell; and what you sell; and what you sell; and what you promise vs. you promise vs. you promise vs. you promise vs. what they want what they want what they want what they want delivered. delivered. delivered. delivered.

MapMapMapMap out their out their out their out their buying process so buying process so buying process so buying process so you can support it you can support it you can support it you can support it at every step. at every step. at every step. at every step.

BuildBuildBuildBuild an Action an Action an Action an Action Plan.Plan.Plan.Plan.

StayStayStayStay on the on the on the on the Road.Road.Road.Road.

The Roadmap To RevenueThe Roadmap To RevenueThe Roadmap To RevenueThe Roadmap To Revenue


DiscoverDiscoverDiscoverDiscover

� Interview current customers

by phone (yourself or

another)

� Ask open-ended questions

� Record and transcribe

� Anonymize and categorize

� Analyze, summarize, and

recommend


What should you ask them?What should you ask them?What should you ask them?What should you ask them?

� How do you feel about our product/service?

� What was your buying process?

� Are our prices fair?

� What is your biggest problem/challenge?

� What trends do you see in your/our market?

� If you were the CEO of our company tomorrow, what

would you fix?

� What did you type into Google when you first started

searching? How would you refine?

� Anything I should have asked?


What will you learn?What will you learn?What will you learn?What will you learn?

� Why they bought and how they bought

� Concerns and questions

� How you satisfied those concerns

� What they now tell others

� What they typed into Google – FIRST (not what is in your web

logs)

� Trends and challenges (your opportunities)

� Weaknesses of competitors

� What you should be saying and where you should be saying it

� What is broken, what should be fixed


Analysis/Summary of the interviewsAnalysis/Summary of the interviewsAnalysis/Summary of the interviewsAnalysis/Summary of the interviews

� Identify the main themes – they always emerge by the 7th phone call

� Identify their Critical Characteristic

� Identify the promise they want you to keep

* * *

� Create a Conversation Report and an Executive Summary/Recommendations Report

� Use the data in a Brainstorming & Planning Meeting











DebateDebateDebateDebate

� Discuss barriers to the sale – and how to remove them

� Build the promise you will keep (your brand):

� Product/Service

� Passion

� Policies

� People

� Processes

� Create copy that is relevant and specific

� Agree on what you will be doing/saying and where you will be saying it











Building a Buying Process MapBuilding a Buying Process MapBuilding a Buying Process MapBuilding a Buying Process MapExample of an Intense Scrutiny Buying Process MapExample of an Intense Scrutiny Buying Process MapExample of an Intense Scrutiny Buying Process MapExample of an Intense Scrutiny Buying Process Map

Answers that

satisfy them

See itAsk

?????

?????

Test

Drive

Sign

Contract

Get

Married

Involve

Others

Involve

Sales

Their

questions

Stage

Who’s

Involved

Tools &

channels


The Action PlanThe Action PlanThe Action PlanThe Action Plan

• What you will promote and how

• What you will fix in the background

• Assign projects to get this done

• Build a Marketing Machine


CustomerCustomerCustomerCustomer----Centric Market LeadershipCentric Market LeadershipCentric Market LeadershipCentric Market Leadership

� Your customers know what they want and how they want to buy it

� You can anticipate and satisfy

� You can know specifically what pleases them and causes them

to rave about you

� You will lead your market (in other words, you will sell more)


Stay on the RoadStay on the RoadStay on the RoadStay on the Road

• Continue to interview

• Get everyone on board

• Assume it will be tough

• Don’t forget: Current customers will teach you exactly how to sell to new customers


Thank YouThank YouThank YouThank You

Kristin Zhivago

Zhivago Management Partners, Inc.Zhivago Management Partners, Inc.Zhivago Management Partners, Inc.Zhivago Management Partners, Inc.

401-423-2400

[email protected]

Blog: RevenueJournal.com

Site: Zhivago.com

Twitter: @KristinZhivago

LinkedIn: KristinZhivago

Skype: KristinZhivago

Book: RoadmapToRevenue.comBook: RoadmapToRevenue.comBook: RoadmapToRevenue.comBook: RoadmapToRevenue.com

Book Excerpts:

Buying Process Map Guidance – Light, Medium, Heavy, and Intense RoadmapToRevenue.com/Resources

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Revenue Coach Shares Proven Strategies to Increase Sales