ramon ray - date your leads and marry your customers

The Ultimate Event for Small Business Success.

Date your Leads and Marry Your Customers with Lifecycle Marketing

Ramon RaySmall Business Evangelist, InfusionsoftTechnology Evangelist, Smallbiztechnology.com@Ramonray


Our Business Challenges• Not enough leads – “why aren’t more

people interested?” • Not enough follow up with leads –

“almost customers” • Not enough follow up with customers –

“customers are not happy” • Not enough referrals or upsells – “I’m

not getting enough referrals” • Multiple system chaos – “I’m using 3

or 4 different systems to manage my business”


You’re Not Alone

Other businesses have the same challenges!


You’re Not Alone: The Gleasons (Financial Advisory Services)• Multiple systems to

manage business (Excel and others)

• Spending lots of money to get leads, instead of nurturing the ones they had



You’re Not Alone: Original Runner Company (Shark Tank Season One)

• Kept customer information on index cards

• Overwhelmed by success



You’re Not Alone: Presidential Pools

• Down housing market, cut sales

• 2,000 pools in 2006 to 500 in 210

• Manual data entry



YOU NEED A TOOL and PROCESS


Accounting Software vs Understanding Cash Flow Basics

Having A Twitter Account vs Understanding Content Marketing


Lifecycle Marketing

Grow sales. Save time.


What is Lifecycle Marketing

• Simple framework• Attract customers, grow sales, wow customer

experience• Developed by sales and marketing ninjas• Give you back time for what YOU love• 3 Phases, 3 strategies, many tactics


Phase One: Attract

Target

Collect Leads

Attract Interest


Attraction Concepts

• Prospects aren’t looking for your company• Discover you by accident or through your

attraction strategy• Narrow focus• Engage and follow up


Target


Target concepts

• Big dreams, rule the world , sell to everyone!• Selling to everyone is inefficient and

expensive• Narrowly define target customer• Meet them where they are


Successful companies start targeting narrow…


If You Sell to Everyone, You Sell to NO ONE

Know who your target market IS and Who it is NOT


Benefits of clarity in target customer• More focused marketing messages• Find the right type of customer• Design products and services to meet the

right customer• Increased customer satisfaction and referrals


Your Target CustomerDemographics: Who they are

• Gender • Age• Income • Geography• Education• Ethnicity• Employment level• Size (B2B)

Psychographics: Why the buy

• Values• Motivations• Attitudes• Beliefs


Your Position Statement

Once you’re clear on your target, it’s time to develop your positioning statement.

The Foundation of Marketing StrategyGreg Head, Infusionsoft Chief Marketing OfficerFriday, April 25th 10:40-11:40

The Big Ideas Track


Attract Interest


Your Attract Strategy

• Your attract strategy is a function of your budget, audience and offering.

• Where do your customers hang out?• What can you allocate for marketing

budget?• How will you get noticed?


Get Noticed!• Content

marketing• Social media• Face to face• Advertising• Partners and

affiliates


Content Marketing is:

• Creating and sharing valuable content that attracts, educates & engages people.

• Telling stories that connect the audience to you and your brand.


Content Marketing Goals • Educate• Inspire• Entertain• Persuade• Create

conversation• Establish

authority• Lead generation

Consumption Leads to Behavior


“We are the AUTHORITY in our market. Thousands of people see the value in our content, and they are calling us instead of us calling them.”-Greg HarrelsonCentury 21 Harrelson group

Demonstrate Authority


Content Topics Ideas• Cornerstone content (FAQ about

your product)• How-to instructional videos• Concepts or ideas• Opinions or perspectives on current

events• Research and analysis• Tips and tricks• Recommendations• Insider information


Showcase Your Customers


Examples of Content Types

• Blog posts• Videos• Images / pictures• Reports• Infographics• Emails• Coupons / offers• Games and Contests


Social Media is:

• The channel(s) that are used by customers and prospects to communicate among themselves and with companies.

• This communication can result in leads, sales or advocacy.

• Also used as a customer support channel.


Social Media Marketing Goals • Listen & learn• Engage• Influence• Build community• Build connection &

loyalty• Customer service• Communications• Lead generation Participation Leads to Behavior


Where is Your Target Market?

• 53% male• 47% female• 65% of users are

35+

• 53% female• 47% male• Largest

demographic is American Women under 25

• 68% female• 32% male• 90% of users

are under 35

• 80% women• 20% male• 1 hr 17 mins

per week (avg. user)

• 50% male• 50% female• Largest

demographic is 18-34 year olds

• 67% male• 33% female• “28 year-old

male techie”


“We’ve grown our Facebook page from 300 to more than 14,000 fans. We CONNECT with our followers online.”-Lee RichterHolistic Veterinary Care

Connect


Social Media Topic Ideas

• Quick response to inquiries, complaints or compliments.

• Current events• New product or service• Customer success stories• Pictures and quotes• Contests• Discounts• Reminders


Social Media Success is F R E A

•Frequent•Relevant•Engaging•Analytics

Weaving Social Media throughout your Lifecycle Marketing Strategy

Heather Dopson, Manager of Social StrategyThursday, April 24th 1:30-2:30

Lifecycle Marketing Track


Examples of Other Attract Tactics• Pay per click• Advertisements• Review sites• Direct mail• Directories• Events• Professional organizations• Networking


Your copy will reflect your target attraction!


Collect Leads


Lead collection insight

• Don’t let prospects forget you• Give them a LEAD MAGNET so they

won’t forget you


Provide Value to Get Value• Webinars• Podcasts• E-books• Training• Discounts• Coupons• Contests


After attracting the audience, make the sale or get contact information.


“We have identified three questions that allow us to DIVIDE our leads. This allows us to spend our time only on the most qualified and interested ones.”-Heather LemereSalon Success Strategies

Be Efficient


Get Contact Information


Lead capture tactics

• Pop-up subscription forms• Forms• Contests , digital fishbowls (or real ones)• Kiosks or tablets at events• Contact information at point of sale


Phase Two: Sell

OfferEducate

Close


Selling insight

• Customers have access to massive pre-sales information

• Customers are focused on price and value• Give more value – don’t compete on price

Is your product the OBVIOUS choice for a buyer?


Educate


Education insight

• Customers pay attention when motivated• Gain their attention via interaction and education• Does your message serve customer needs• Build content to meet needs• Trust is important, takes time• Be helpful, don’t sell, money will come


Content is the Mentor

Cont

ent

(Men

tor

)Cont

ent

(Men

tor

) Hero

(Prospect)Hero

(Prospect)


Educators are not selfish. DO NOT BE SELFISH


Create Amazing Content

1. Know your audience2. Know where they are in the buying

process3. Connect with them by educating them

on topics that they care about4. Create a sequence of positive

(human) experiences that leads them on a journey to purchase

5. Always follow up


“We FOLLOW UP. Our email messaging is very personal and all emails are written as if I were sitting down to write an email to an individual, never a list.”-Nadine LarderPrinter Bees

Follow up


Follow up best practices

• Follow up should be to a segmented audience and be personable.

• Personable – means it’s sent from a real person. Do not send “no reply” emails.

• Segmented – means that you can speak to the person as if they are the only person that matters. No general emails!


What Do Your Customers Care About?


Offer


Offer insight

• Understand customer buying process to make a good offer• Create buying process map• Lead scoring helps spend time with high converting

prospects• Optimal offer time: When they’re evaluating options,

before finalize recommendations


Misconceptions“There is a misconception in the world that selling hard turns your audience off and gives your company a bad vibe.

There are two qualifiers necessary before you can sell hard and not have any backlash — permission and relevancy.

People only feel icky about being sold to when either they didn't give you permission to do so, or the content/product/service you are offering (and the way you are selling) isn't relevant to them.”– Aaron Stead


“We designed a custom 2-step order process that has allowed us to increase overall SALES significantly.”-Bill HarneyKeeping Current Matters

Make it Easy


Sales Offer Tactics – Short Sales Cycle•Free offers and trials•Discounts•One-click upsells•Product pairing•Chat support•Make it easy to buy•Cart abandonment sequences•Active engagement on social media to drive awareness and sales •Social media offers are linked to product


Sales Offer Tactics – Long Sales Cycle•Lead scoring•Onboarding sequences•Detailed FAQ•Long sales page•Social and content marketing to drive awareness and establish authority or expertise


Close


Close best practices

• Beyond exchange of money• It’s about clear communication• Good presence• Written documentation• Payment process


Ensure Sales Excellence in Staff - Training

• Written process• Training• Call listening• Coaching and

feedback• Automate if possible


“With a small sales team and hundreds of prospects to track, the AUTOMATION helps keep any one prospect from falling through the cracks.”-Mario GuerreroModern Martial Arts

Automate


Phase Three: Wow

Deliver & Wow Offer More

Referrals


What makes your business different?


Deliver and Wow

More than you promised.

Above and Beyond Expectations


“We HUMANIZE the interaction between the customer and their cleaner. We serve our customers with pride and instill pride in all our employees and their chosen career.”-Lisa MacqueenCleancorp

Be Human


The $5.00 ChallengeWhat could you do with $5 or less to wow every new customer?


Offer More


Emotional bank account

• Deposit good will• Trust grows• Stronger

relationships develop• Make a timely

withdrawal (more sales)


Offer more best practice…• Cross sell: customers aren’t aware of perfect

product/service matches• Upsell: Listen to customer needs and ways you

can provide added value• New products: What new solutions might

customers want from you


Offer More: Strategic plan


Referrals


Referral insights

• Costs less to market to existing customers• Referrals is lowest cost of marketing• Referral strategies help customers develop

referral habits• Wow customers with service to rock referrals


“We PARTNER with other businesses who help us spread the word to more people than just through our own efforts”-Tom ForceICE Keytags

Partner


Make Referring Easy

• Ask customers for referrals.• Reward customers who refer.• Send customers a link to a review site• Leverage social media to create

online word of mouth. • Create a partner referral program. • Make it easy.• Offer the right incentives. • Treat referrals as VIPs.


You have the framework for your success.

Are You Ready to Thrive?


Small Business Sales and Marketing Scorecard

Get Your Score at: www.SmallBizMarketingScore.com


What’s Next

• Other Lifecycle Marketing sessions• Commitment to implement one thing

you learned today• See the awesome results• Implement more improvements• Spend some time doing what you

love


Lifecycle Marketing

Grow sales. Save time.


Do you want to host Lifecycle Marketing in Your Home Town? ½ Day Sales and Marketing Clinic (PR, branding, media)

Ramon RaySmall Business Evangelist, InfusionsoftTechnology Evangelist, Smallbiztechhnology.com@Ramonray


½ Day Sales and Marketing Clinic- Lifecycle Marketing- Personal Branding- Free Publicity through Media Coverage- Social Media for Business



[email protected]
