February Newsletter
Hi, welcome to your latest quarterly newsletter from Marksman Business Development.
We have a ½ day (9am – 1pm) Sales and Marketing workshop coming up in Hamilton specifically for business owners, managers and staff responsible for gaining more clients/customers.
Benefit from Mark’s over 25 years of successful skills, experience and knowledge across all industries.
You will learn 15 things you can instantly do to improve your sales AND 15 mistakes you are making in your sales and marketing that you didn’t know.
Register your interest or ask for more information: info@marksman.nz
The first 10 to register will be free of charge.
STOP. Every client we work with has the same requirement: to gain more clients/customers promptly and easily.
The default, often, is to throw money at marketing, BUT in most cases, it’s actually the Sales aspect a business needs to improve upon.
Sales and marketing are two completely separate entities; however, are completely intertwined and essential for each other.
Before any money is spent on marketing- you need to sort out the many and various aspects of sales.
Many businesses do not actually know what the sales aspects are.
There are many small details you most likely are missing. Once easily fixed you can experience huge results; without spending lots of money on marketing.
Increased Sales = Increased $$$
Of late we have helped a transport company improve their sales from $26,000 per month to now over $105,000 per month and growing fast.
This was all done via Sales tweaks- and without a cent being spent on marketing.
Another company – in the Engineering field, secured over $750,000 worth of new clients by simply learning some basic improvements to their Sales they didn’t even realise.
We have many more examples to show you.
Marksman Business Development provides both Sales and Marketing assistance.
Coronavirus– yes, this is looking like its going to have a flow on impact for all.
For those of us that owned businesses throughout the recession and survived, we know what is needed to survive in these negative situations.
Hint: those that continue to highly respect and look after their clients/customers via superb service, products, prices and etc will survive. Those that get complacent during the booming economy and are gaining ample clients/customers regardless: are the ones that suffer during recessionary times!
Learnings for all from our terrible experience last week at a café.
Goodness, there’s a first time for everything and despite, in our lifetimes, eating collectively probably over a million meals at thousands of eateries over the years unfortunately we had to return a plate of food purchased from a café that really should know better.
Upon returning the plate with politeness, nicely, and without even asking for a refund, the manager decided to berate rather than: listen, accept, and take this opportunity to correct their establishment and make a customer happy again.
Instead, they displayed aggressiveness, terseness and frankly, outright rudeness.
All businesses can, and will, have customers that for any reason may be unhappy and provide such like feedback.
This is a sales opportunity for you!
From this feedback (should it be quantified) you can improve immensely and in many regards- this will mean more profit.
Complaining customers are not your enemy.
Sure some are just out-right wrong/moaners, but in this instance it was obvious we were not.
So they have lost us as long-term customers forever; and lost any recommendations we might provide.
View complaints as valid feedback; reply politely, professionally and make-good if you can in some way.
Its valuable sales advice staring you straight in the face- use it and improve your profits.
30 second fix: you know first impressions count, of course.
So why do so many businesses not take seriously the most often point of first impression?: The answering of telephones.
Sounds simple?
Well it is- but we would say over 50% of businesses answer their phone atrociously:
- Speak too quickly
- Aggressive or unfriendly tone
- Not listening
- Vague
- Not a polite and lovely greeting
- Mumbled sound/not clear annunciation
- And more- we are sure you yourself have experienced this many times.
It’s a 30 second fix and as simple as it sounds this is a powerful Sales aspect many underestimate.
Set the First Impression correctly; review your answering of the telephone.
We have witnessed many times how this simple aspect can transform a potential client/customer impression of a business.
And we have seen how terrible phone manners have lost businesses many thousands in potential clients/customers.
And, for goodness sake, please inform your younger staff when talking on the phone NOT to use these words: cool, yeah, yep, awesome.
Bring back proper telephone manners and watch your business grow.
We look forward to hearing from you and ensuring your business gains more clients/customers easily!
Our services:
- Contractor sales and marketing management. It’s more effective and lower cost/risk than a permanent employee.
- Culture change. Ensuring the business and all staff participate or actively realise the importance of Sales and Marketing to the growth and success of the business.
- Provide a phenomenal amount of relevant contacts throughout the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand and abroad that are of significant value to your business in terms of potential new clients/customers.
- Revitalising under-performing Sales staff and Managers.
- Sales and marketing Strategy, Action Plan and Implementation that is actually proven effective!
- Sales and Marketing Training (
management, group/staff, one-on-one). - We work with a superb team of hand-picked suppliers covering all marketing products and services. This means better quality, price, and effectiveness for your business.
