A part of what keeps me in the know is studying, learning and listening. And the same goes for you.
A skill that all of us must master is our ability to listen. We need to listen to our customers in order to cater and market specifically to their needs and we must listen to our team members to what they truly want for their business, not what we want them to want. And once we get out of the mind frame of making it all about us, and making it all about them – that's when we will truly find success.
And want to know what your customers are saying? They are saying, “Stop selling to me.”
Companies spend a lot of money trying to humanize their brand – to try and connect with their customers on a more personal level and build a relationship. And if we know anything about marketing, engagement is king! But the amazing part is – you don't have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to give a face to your brand. YOU are the brand.
To generate sales every month, you need to develop trust between you and your customers. And that trust comes from being likeable, personable and by becoming the expert.
People need to look to you for what's the latest and greatest in your industry. If you sell make-up they want to know the best new techniques and the easiest way to get ready in the morning. If you sell jewelry your customers want to know the easiest way to making pairings with their outfits. If you sell cookware, people want to know what are the must have items they need in their kitchen. And so on. And that's where you come in. You need to be the first person they think of when they think about the type of products you sell.
As a direct sales trainer, I work with many leaders across the industry to find what works best for their business and their team. And what I keep finding over and over again, is sales increase when we stop selling.
Weird right? But it's important to note the 90/10 rule I have taught for years; 90% of what you post online should be lifestyle posts (non-sales posts), and 10% should be your business or opportunity.
Last night I was talking to a leader at a make-up company and she told me one of her biggest money makers online is .. .are you ready for this … selfies.
Why? Because for one, they're not a sales post and more likely to attract engagement from friends, family and customers. Two, because she offers a product that she can wear on her face.
Now if you can't wear your product or post a selfie to promote it, you can still share great images. For example, say you sell food products. A recipe that YOU made at home is something great to share.
The key there is that it needs to be something that YOU made. The same way a selfie needs to be of YOU and not of someone else. The reason why it needs to be of you or something you created, is because it makes your post more believable. Even a selfie of someone else, or a professional photo of a recipe you COULD create with your products, still feels like a sales post.
But your selfies and your personal photos work in a different way. Of course you are posting them with the intention of marketing a product (see how the Presenter below makes mention of her product?), but you are also posting because you are sharing a part of your life on your personal social media page.
Look at that engagement! And you guessed it, she got numerous orders for her lip liner and lip stain.
So become the expert. Be the face of your own brand. And share how your product and your opportunity changes your life and enhances your day to day experiences and routines. Then watch the sales roll in.