Building Your Brand To Increase Sales

Your brand is what people say about you when you're not there (with them).

In the same manner, the best way to find out how good a company's products and services are is to find out what people are saying about it.

Here are some questions for you to ponder on;

1. What's the brand of the company you work for?

2. What's your brand?

3. If you don't like your brand, then what would you like your brand to be?

4. Does your brand align with that of the company you work for?

5. Assuming you have, or are trying to build a brand that you like, how disciplined are you about sticking to it when times are tough?

The best time to cement your brand - both in terms of your own psychology, perception, and culture, as well as in the eyes, hearts, and minds of your clients and target market is during periods of difficulty. 
People naturally tend to abandon their aims and plans when times are tough.

Don't make such a mistake.

Dig in, persevere, and focus even more when times are tough. By doing so, you will not only strengthen people's belief and confidence in you and your brand, but also prepare the way to clean up (Sales-wise) when the economic climate improves.

Brand is important.

1. Focus on it at all times

2. Continue to build it at all times

3. Stick to it at all times

We will discuss Brands and Branding a lot more in the coming months.

Next week we'll look at a few of the many similarities between 'Sales' and 'Relationships' (boyfriend and girlfriend / man and wife etc).

Remian Focussed

 One of the most important things to keep hold of during financially challenging times is your 'Focus'.

Unfortunately it is also one of the easiest things to loose during such periods.

Why?

Because all too often misery begets misery. In other words because everyone is complaining about how tough things are, there is an overwhelming temptation to join in; and before long the complaints become excuses, which in turn become psychological obstacles / barriers, which in turn significantly affect sales / business performance.

Remember - one of the character traits of Rain-Makers is their 'Determination' and ability to 'Persevere'.

1. Talk less about what is going on around you, and believe in what you can achieve.

2. Remain fully focussed on your goals and targets. Have a mindset that you can achieve them, regardless of what's going on around you.

3. You've already set out your road-map. Remain Focussed on your Vision, Strategy, and Execution.

Nobody said there wouldn't be problems or challenges.

Good Relationships Will Always Lead To More Sales/Business

We begin with a question this morning.

For you ladies - if you had to choose between the most amazingly handsome fellow with whom you have great sexual chemistry but very little else in common, and an average looking chap with whom the chemistry is okay but nothing to write home about, but with whom you have the most authentic and genuine friendship and trust, which would you choose?

And for you gentleman, let's say you have to choose between the most physically gorgeous lady you've ever set your eyes on but with whom your conversations bear too close a resemblance to watching paint dry, and a more average looking lady with whom you can never stop chatting and laughing, which would it be?

It's fairly safe to say that in both cases the friendship would most likely win the day.

Why?

Because the reality is looks don't last forever, but friendships can, and often do. When the going gets tough, it will be friendship, laughter and trust that get you through it.

The same is true of business relationships. When times are tough it is genuine relationships that keep things going.

Keep your focus on Building Relationships, and so long as you have a product / service that adds value, the sales will keep coming.

The process goes like this;

1. Similar to leads to 'Like'

2. Like leads to 'Trust'

3. Trust leads to 'Business'

We began with a question today, and so we conclude with a question.

You are about to close a deal with a prospect. Do you close the deal asap and move on? Or do you build more rapport first before closing the deal?

Identifying New Opportunities

 Below is what is presently the most common complaint amongst Sales Personnel;

"It's very hard to sell our products because most companies are selling the same thing, and people want to keep hold of their money."

I agree. The current economic environment is challenging to say the least.

This week we will look at four ways in which you can get your prospects to choose you, rather than your competitors.

1. Identifying New Opportunities

2. Relationships

3. Focus

4. Brand and Additional Value

Identifying New Opportunities

Periods of economic uncertainty such as the one we are presently facing in Nigeria can often be the best time for spotting New Opportunities. When money is flowing, people will often spend without thinking too much. But when times are tough and uncertain, people think a lot more before spending their hard earned cash.

So if all your competitors are doing the same thing, then talk less and listen more when you next visit a prospect or client.

Forget about making the perfect pitch. The worst kind of Sales person is the one that talks too much.

Listen to their problems and what they desire. By so doing you are very likely to figure out how to tailor a product / service to their needs. ‎

The best sales people are the best listeners. That's why a meeting with them is less like listening to a pitch, and more like a conversation.

The Real Test Is When You Fail

 Let's get one thing straight. Nobody is perfect. None are without sin. This is why Grace is so important and necessary.

A friend of mine said to me many months ago,

"We all love to talk about Grace, and profess it's awesome power and security, but the real test is when we fall. How do we feel about Grace after we've fallen? Do we still believe in it's power, completeness, and security? Or do we revert to type - in self condemnation, guilt, shame, and a desire to clean up on our own?"

I noticed something I had never noticed before a few days ago whilst reading the parable of the prodigal son.

The bible tells us;

'After he had spent everything there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.'
Luke 15 vs 14-15

In other words his natural instinct was to sort out his mess himself. He felt too ashamed to go back to his father. He believed that since he got himself into the mess he had no right to ask his father for help, and therefore had to sort his mess out himself.

It is after 'he came to his senses' (Luke 15 vs 17), that he recognised the truth that he could run to his father.

We often behave in the same fashion today. We make a mistake, and then feel that because we made the mistake we must sort it out ourselves - that we have no right to run to our father in heaven for help.

But just as the prodigal son's father was delighted to see his son, and welcomed him with open arms, so too our heavenly father welcomes us with joy and open arms when we run to him for help - even after we've made mistakes.

Grace exists especially for our mistakes and failures.