By Toni McMurray.
Marketing vs Sales. For many entrepreneurs, the distinction between the two can be somewhat blurry.
If you're struggling to fill your pipeline with potential leads and turn them into paying clients, then it's important to know whether you have a sales problem or a marketing problem?
So, how do you tell the difference you ask?
Here's a great way to think about it.
Think about playing golf. (Full disclaimer, before you tell me I didn't get the details right - I don't actually play golf, but this is a great analogy!)
In golf, the aim of the game is to get the ball into the hole in as few shots as possible.
But if I gave you a club and a ball right now and asked you to hit a hole in one, chances are you're not doing it (unless you're Tiger Woods' protege reading this.)
Chances are, you're going to have to hit the ball multiple times just to get it close to the hole... 1 time. 2 times. 3 times... and each time, it will get a bit closer to the hole... You'll have to keep hitting it, again... and again.... until it's really close to the hole...
And then you'll simply tap the ball to nudge it in.
Marketing is like the many hits in the beginning to get closer to the hole. You have to get in front of your audience continuously.
1 time.
2 times.
3 times...
7 times...
21 times...
(the new stats are that it takes up to 10 touch points before someone will buy from you).
Marketing takes a lot of consistent effort.
You have to hit hard, multiple times to get closer to the destination. You need to get visible. Nurture your audience. Build relationships. Share your expertise. Show how you can help your audience. Then share your offers.
Sales is closing.
People are already interested. They already know you, like you and trust you. They just want confirmation that you are the right fit for them. If you've done your marketing well, it only takes a nudge to close the sale. Because they already WANT to work with you!
If you're feeling like selling is HARD, it's often because you're trying to hit a hole in one. You're trying to close the deal before the client even knows who you are or why they want to work with you.
Which means you don't have a sales problem - you have a marketing problem.
Want more clients? Think about how you can get more interaction with them. Think about how you can show up and connect with them. Build relationships with them. Give them some wins before they even pay you a dime. Get that right and the sales will follow automatically. You may even find them closing the deal for you! (**I like to give credit where credit is due. I heard this analogy at a marketing event a few years back, and have always remembered it. I'm not sure who shared it. If you know, let me know so I can give them credit for it!)
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