David Searns | Co-CEO
What’s the fastest way from point “A” to point “B”? A straight line, of course.
But, in staffing sales, the path from prospect to client is rarely a straight line.
Want to sell more? Rethink your sales process.
Last week, I was listening to Alex Cattoni on the Beyond a Million podcast. The title of the show was “ Is Direct Response Marketing DEAD?”
Well, as a marketer (and someone who LOVES direct response) that caught my attention.
The show offered some amazing takeaways…ideas that are 100% relevant to selling staffing services.
Here are a few highlights:
- The sales funnel is no longer linear (you need to surround the prospect).
- It now takes 40+ touches to get a buyer to make a decision.
- Many of these touches are "zero click" – people need to see an ad, social post, podcast, blog, or watch a video to trust your brand.
- The MOST valuable marketing channel is opt-in email.
- The purpose of content marketing is to educate and build trust.
- When doing content marketing, don't just educate, tell stories. Strive to build a community.
- People feel overwhelmed. If you want to sell, reduce the overwhelm.
- The goal of long copy is to close the gap between where people are and where they need to be.
- Marketing is not a formula – it is a never-ending experiment. You need to test + persist.
Okay, I can end this SMART IDEA now.
That is a mountain of information for your sales and marketing.
But just so I earn my paycheck, let me offer a few ideas for putting these lessons into action…
- A non-linear sales funnel means more engagement
You must find more ways to engage prospects—and keep them engaged.
Do you have a strategy for digital and traditional marketing to provide the “air cover” your sales team needs?
- 40+ touches…yikes! Are you cost-effectively surrounding your prospects?
- Do they see you everywhere?
- Does what they see support your positioning?
- Have you incorporated “zero-click” touches?
Consider: podcasts, webinars, YouTube videos, blogging, social media strategies
- Do you have a strategy to build your opt-in list?
- What are you offering?
- Where are you making the offer?
- Once you have an opt-in, what are you doing with it to maximize your sales opportunities?
- Are you using content to build trust?
Blogs, videos, webinars, podcasts, ebooks – these tools help you:
- Demonstrate your expertise
- Illustrate the value you can offer
- Make your staffing company stand out from your competitors
- How about stories?
Are they integrated into:
- Your website?
- Social media?
- Email campaigns?
- Sales and recruiting scripts?
Great stories close deals!
- Don’t forget community building!
One of the best ways to sell more is to create a community of people who know and trust you.
How will you develop and nurture your raving fans?
- Overwhelm is real…and it’s blocking your sales.
- Have you engineered your sales process to make buying easy for your clients?
- Are you helping simplify their decision-making process?
- Are you reducing switching costs—to make moving to your company a seamless transition?
- Do you “close the gap” when selling?
Your prospects aren’t just buying staffing.
They are buying a solution to a business problem (or a remedy to a headache!).
Ask yourself:
- Does your website show how you take people from where they are to where they want to be?
- Do your sales materials illustrate the same transformation?
- Do your salespeople use this same kind of messaging when they sell?
- Marketing is, and should be, a never-ending experiment.
What are you testing right now? What do your salespeople and recruiters need to be more successful? What’s your quarterly testing plan?
Need help implementing these ideas?
Don’t go it alone! Contact us to help with:
- Building a stronger sales funnel
- Developing content that converts
- Growing your opt-in list
- Strengthening your online presence
Reach out to us at 1.888.696.2900 or info@haleymarketing.com. Let’s chat about what’s working, what’s not, and how you can maximize your sales results. |
