Archive for December, 2009
I’d like to thank you for making 2009 a successful and productive year for Revenue IQ. As the weekly blog for facility service contractors, it’s the only sales posting (I know of) that’s not for beginners. You, dear reader, are interested in post graduate education in sales and marketing.
And with those flattering words, here are the best posts of this year. These are the “best” because:
a) They received the most page visits as tracked by Google Analytics
b) They generated the most reader feedback (via email, hoping to get you to comment online in 2010)
c) I felt they were the best out of what I’d written
The Best of Revenue IQ in 2009
These are grouped for easy navigation but aren’t in any ranked order. Enjoy, and please let me know of any topics you’d like explored in 2010.
Selling, Proposals & Presentations
Customers & Buying
Marketing
Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Arlen
President, Revenue-IQ
December 22nd, 2009
Last week’s post, The Greatest Sales Question, drew numerous reader responses. A number of them were around a common sales issue facing service contractors.
Why aren’t customers more (open / responsive / interested / curious / concerned) about how to improve their service?
To simplify this would be to say:
Why won’t customers talk with me about how I can help them? -or- Why won’t customers let me sell them?
It’s All in the Mind of the Customer
Sales and marketing activities must be (should be) dictated by the customer’s place in their buying cycle.
That’s in their buying cycle. Not where we are in our selling cycle.
Recognizing where customers’ minds are focused is a sales essential.
It’s like going fishing and standing at the river but not knowing:
- What kind of fish you’re fishing for
- What they eat
- Where they’re safe from predators
- Where they hang out to conserve energy
- What kind of food they eat
- What part of the river they find their food in
The 1,000 Word Picture
Describing how to deal with this sales situation can be very wordy. So I’m presenting the following graphic to put a voice to where customers are at, relative to our wanting to sell them. It’s all about hearing their voice, and then directing our sales and marketing actions accordingly.
Here’s the graphic:
What to Do
If you haven’t already read the 3 Stages of the Buying Cycle you should. It lists specific sales and marketing actions to move customers towards selecting your firm depending on where they’re at.
By starting from where the customer is at, your actions will be more effective and eventually produce the results you want, whether that’s:
- A returned call or email
- An introductory appointment
- Getting on their bid list
- Making their short list in an RFP competition
- Securing their contract
- Re-securing their contract
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Arlen
President, Revenue-IQ
December 11th, 2009
What’s important to you?
Or put another way, what is your single most pressing challenge today?
That pressing challenge is the one keeping you from getting or enjoying what’s important to you.
So, that’s it. That’s the question – what is your single most pressing challenge today?
As a reader of Revenue-IQ you are……my customer. You’re developing new business and/or holding onto what you already have.
I want to know because…
The more I know about your challenges, the better I can share industry and market knowledge that might not have come across your radar screen.
Your Answer
Not looking for a perfectly worded, formatted or even rational answer from you. Just what’s on your mind regarding getting new, and/or keeping existing service contracts.
How to Answer
Post Comments Online
Try posting your comments on this blog. Use an anonymous screen name if you like. Here’s a quick
8 Easy Steps to Start Posting Comments.
Email Me
If commenting online isn’t for you, just email me at carlen@serviceperformance.
Heads up: If this is the first time you’re emailing me, you’ll have to prove your human. That is, I use SpamArrest, a web service that asks you one time to verify you’re not a spam mail robot.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Arlen
President, Revenue-IQ
December 3rd, 2009
