The Sales Lion by Marcus Sheridan » Retail Selling

Transparency and Inbound Marketing: The Greatest ‘Sales Technique’ of the Information Age

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:43:51 +0000

I got into a nice little debate yesterday with my good friend Danny Brown over at Gini Dietrich’s site, Spin Sucks. You see, I wrote a guest post there entitled ‘5 Reasons You Should Discuss Pricing on Your Company Website’ and as I’d hoped, it sparked great conversation and debate on both sides of the issue (you really should check it out btw).

<Marcus Tangent Alert***> Speaking of ‘debate’, I don’t think we see enough of that in blogs (See Davina’s virtual love fest post). I love it when people don’t agree with me yet still act civil. For example, in the article I wrote earlier this week about some of the best blog header designs on the internet, Gini Dietrich and Shonali Burke both didn’t like my choices. In fact, Shonali was the first to comment, and gave me the immediate ‘thumbs down’. I was thrilled. Seriously. But that’s a whole other discussion and now I’ll get back on topic

In this debate with Danny, of which many other folks chimed in, the key word that kept coming up again and again was ‘Transparency’. You see, I firmly believe that transparency, combined with great inbound marketing, is the greatest ‘sales technique’ in the world today. And no, I’m not exaggerating one iota.

The Age of Sales Techniques is Dying

There was a period in my life of about 5 years when I read just about every book on ‘selling’ that was ever written. I couldn’t seem to devour enough of the subject and my natural tendency to ‘be the best’ lead me from one book to the next. But all of this stopped a couple of years ago when I started to undergo a complete paradigm shift regarding my approach to selling, and it happened when I truly started to understand the principle of inbound/content marketing.

Frankly, I don’t think most people really understand inbound marketing from a contextual standpoint. Seriously. They don’t get it. Heck, many make it out to be a ‘science’ way more complicated than it really needs to be. As for me, I see it in these simple terms, and if you never remember another thing I say here on TSL, please just remember this:

If your customers have questions, it’s your duty to answer them….with utter transparency.

Got it? Good.

The entire reason my swimming pool website is the most popular of its kind in the world, and the entire reason it generates more leads than I could ever possibly handle, is because it follows this simple aforementioned statement.

That’s why if someone asks me a question, I go write an article about it.

“How much does a fiberglass pool cost?”
“Who shouldn’t buy a fiberglass pool?”
“How do fiberglass pools compare with concrete pools?”
“Do fiberglass pools look cheap?”
“What are the problems with a fiberglass pool?”
“Who are your biggest fiberglass pool competitors?”
“Who makes the best fiberglass pool?”
“Are fiberglass pools ugly?”
“Are fiberglass pools too small?”
“How does ‘Brand X’ compare to ‘Brand Y’?”

The list of questions goes on and on, but with each one, upon hearing it, I wrote about it. 400 brutally honest articles later, it’s a consumer’s best friend—The voice of the fiberglass pool industry.

All this with no Google keyword grader, no expensive SEO consulting analysis, nothing.

Just listening and writing, that’s all it is.

But transparency goes way further in the sales process too. Whenever I set up a sales appointment with a prospect, one clear point is always made, and it usually sounds a little something like this:

“Mr. Customer, the entire reason I’ve spent countless hours writing articles and creating videos about fiberglass pools is because I care about consumers like you. I want you to be educated. I want you to be informed. This is also why the purpose of my visit to your home is not really about teaching. I’ve already done that and I expect you to take advantage of the tools I’ve given you. The purpose of my visit is to help you choose which pool and options, price them for you, and then earn your business at that time. In other words, I’m there to sell you a pool. Sound Good?”

Almost always, after a few second of surprise, the prospect says “Ok Marcus. That sounds great!” As you might imagine, this then leads to an incredibly productive sales appointment and very high ‘closing rates’.

Is Anyone Else Sick of ‘Sales Techniques’?

I’ve always been bothered by the fact that selling involves one sales technique after another that eventually leads to one closing technique after another that eventually leads to one ‘no’ (from the prospect) after another that eventually leads to more ‘resolve concern’ techniques after another that eventually leads to a ‘yes’…or ‘no’. Crazy, huh?

I now prefer to skip all that junk and simply give great content, make sure the prospect does his/her homework, and then reach a natural conclusion—either we’re a good fit or not.

Do you realize how many consumers are simply looking for a voice they can trust? People are so jaded with tricky semantics and silly sales processes (especially online) that all they want is for someone to be straight with them.

Why Not?

So I say why not? Why not be brutally transparent with your approach to business? Why not be the voice of your industry? Why not address issues that no one else has the bravery or guts to talk about? And why not earn the trust of all those around you in the process?

Your Turn

So what’s your take on all this? Do businesses need to be more transparent with their content and approach? Or should we not try to fix something ‘that isn’t broke’? Whether you have just a thought or a diatribe, I’d invite you to jump in below and say what’s on your mind.

Yes Mr. Godin, All Marketers Really Are Liars, Especially McDonalds!

Marcus Sheridan — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:58:00 +0000

Wow, I can save a penny!!!! Thanks McDonalds!

Short and sweet today folks, but boy is it a topic that I can’t wait to talk about….

I was driving down the road yesterday and another McDonalds billboard felt it necessary to inform me, for the 73^rd time this week, that I can now get a 20 piece chicken nuggets for $4.99. Upon seeing the message I couldn’t help but shake my head and think two distinct thoughts:

1. McDonald’s lies like a rug

2. Consumers are really stupid

You see my friends, for the last decade, McDonalds has been selling a 4-piece nugget on their dollar menu. So, if you’re really quick at math, for over 10 years now we’ve been able to buy 20 nuggets for exactly $5. That’s right—one little Abraham Lincoln more than this amazing ‘sale’ on chicken nuggets that McD’s has spent millions in advertising.

So the question begs: Why in the heck do they do it?

Answer: Because it works.

The truth of the matter is that all marketers(as least the great ones) really are liars(or extreme ‘truth stretchers’ ), just as Seth Godin said in his best-selling book All Marketers Are Liars(2005). Godin states:

“All marketers tell stories. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, even if it is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better–and look cooler–than $20 no names. . . and believing it makes it true.”

So is McDonalds’ sale on those ‘all white-meat fritters’ really that bad? The answer, of course, is not so much. What they’re really doing is giving us something to talk about. They’re making chicken nuggets relevant through an ‘amazing sale’ that is only one penny less than the product has been available for 10 years now. Freaking hilarious if you ask me.

But McDonalds understands that great marketing ain’t so much about pennies. It’s about perception. It’s about delivery. And it’s certainly about creating feelings.

When it comes down to it, this is exactly what consumers (you and I) want. We want companies to ‘lie’ to us. We want them to give us a reason to buy. We want to feel like we just got the greatest deal in the history of the world.

In fact, when was the last time someone said to you, “I bought a brand new car but boy did I get ripped off!”

Chances are you’ve never had a friend tell you that. But how many times has someone told you they bought a car and ‘got a great deal’? Hundreds, I’m sure.

We all want deals. We all want specials. Perceived or real, we want them. Anyone that says otherwise is lying. So if you really want to be a successful marketer, chances are you better do just that.

Am I saying you should lie? No, not exactly, but to make my point I’ll refer back to what Godin said regarding the title of his aforementioned best-seller:

“I wasn’t being completely truthful with you when I named this book. Marketers aren’t liars. They are just storytellers… I was trying to go to the edges. No one would hate a book called All Marketers Are Storytellers. No one would disagree with it. No one would challenge me on it. No one would talk about it.”

So let’s not call it lying—‘Story telling’ will do just fine.

That’s what you must do with your business folks. Have a story and tell it. Push the envelope. And if you do anything—get people talking.

Your Turn:

So let the debate begin. Is it OK to lie or stretch the truth with marketing? Is the fact that McDonalds is ‘lying’ about their amazing special a bad thing? And what’s the deal with all of us wanting ‘a great deal’? As always, whether you agree or strongly disagree, I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Dumb It Down, Will Ya?!!!—Plus a Video Interview with The Sales Lion

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:50:43 +0000

I had an ‘SEO Expert’ call me last week and this was his opening line: “Mr. Sheridan, do you realize your site is not optimized for many important keywords in your niche?”

As soon as I heard this question, I debated having a lot of fun with the guy and continuing the conversation, or just simply letting him be and allow my pity to quickly end the conversation.

I chose the latter but as I hung up the phone, a simple thought came to mind: ‘This guy is too dumb to dumb it down…and he’ll never make money because of it.’

Yeah, kinda strong, but it’s true.

The Curse of Knowledge is Getting Worse

My friend the ‘SEO Expert’ wasn’t different than most folks though. In fact, his actions represent the majority—in all industries, niches, and segments.

In the early days of this blog, when I had like 5 readers , I talked extensively about the Curse of Knowledge, and how most business owners and employees use a vernacular well above their clients, thus destroying common sense communication and sales in general. And as I continue down this road of teaching and speaking about sales and marketing, I’m seeing the Curse of Knowledge more and more and more.

Just last week, as I was speaking to a variety of SEOs and marketers at the MarketingSherpa Optimization Summit (which was awesome btw!!!), I asked the group a very simple question:

“Everyone (in the world) knows what optimization is at this point, don’t they?”

As I expected, the majority of people in the room shook their head in the affirmative—another sign that most simply don’t understand their clients and prospects.

My follow up went something like this:

“Actually, NO. Most people have no clue what the word ‘Optimization’ is. In fact, 95% of all business owners still don’t know what a ‘keyword’ is. Furthermore, most of the people in the SEO and marketing industry use a slew of ‘common words and phrases’ that very few small businesses actually ‘get’.”

Stupid Acronyms!

And speaking of common words and phrases that most people don’t get, I’ve got to take a second to mention a second curse—The Curse of Acronyms.

I’ve got to tell you, in general, I hate acronyms (with the exception of Davinas ). They stink. (except TSL of course, which is the coolest!! )They assume people have a clue when they don’t. And often times they kill good conversation and ultimately cost people (that’d be you and me) lots of money. Here are a few examples of the most commonly used:

ROI (Return on Investment)

ROS (Return on Sales)

B2B (Business to Business)

B2C (Business to Consumer)

CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

CPC (Cost Per Click)

CTR (Click Through Rate)

SMBs (Small Medium Businesses)

Although I could go on and on with a list of acronyms, I’ll stop there and just say this:

If you’re utilizing acronyms all of the time in your sales, marketing, and content—you’re losing lots of money. Yeah, sure there are many people that know what they mean, but there are many more that don’t know what the heck you’re talking about– they’re just too embarrassed to admit it.

This rule obviously also applies to any other industry or trade specific words that are applied to your niche.

Our Goal is NOT to be a Genius

At the risk of sounding a bit prideful (please don’t take it that way), the #1 compliment I receive regarding my speaking and writing is this:

‘Marcus, you said it in such a simple way…now I get it!’

Do I ever get accused of being a genius? Nope, but that’s not the goal. The goal is that everybody gets what the heck it is I’m saying.

When we speak or when we write, we have a choice to make folks—We can try to impress ourselves or we can solely work to enlighten the audience. But be rest assured, the more ‘big words’, acronyms, and scientific stuff you say—the less you’ll actually communicate a lick of value to your audience (at least in most cases).

Because I have the ability to simplify subjects, and because I try to never speak above my audience (whether it be a single client or a room of 500 people), I’m beginning to experience tremendous success in my life. As an example, I’ve been traveling around the country in the last few weeks to help existing Hubspot clients find success with their inbound marketing.

But do I bring any more knowledge to the table that Hubspot doesn’t already do with their hundreds of awesome employees, thousands of articles, and slew of helpful videos?? Nope, not at all, but the one thing I can do pretty darn well is explain how the system works to average Joe and Jills that have a desire but simply don’t ‘get it’.

So that’s the challenge folks—start dumbing it down and stop assuming your clients know more than they do. If you do this, I can assure you the results will be astounding….

Video Time!

While I was in Atlanta last week, I met an incredible guy named Michael Aagaard. What’s amazing about Michael is that although he is very young, he has turned down some high paying and secure internet marketing jobs to do his own thing and be his own boss. He even flew all the way across the Atlantic from Denmark (where he lives) to attend the SEO conference I spoke at. After Michael and I met and he attended my seminar, he invited me to do a video interview for all his followers in Denmark, which I’m now sharing with you.

Although the video is long, if you’ve ever wanted to hear my thoughts on business and marketing, or listen to my goofy Virginia accent, I can assure you this video has it. It got a huge response on Michael’s blog and I hope if you find a few minutes here or there, you’ll give it a listen, as it won’t be a waste of your time. Oh, and one other thing– The first two minutes are in Danish, so you can fast forward that…or just listen to it if you want, because it’s kinda cool.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Your Turn:

Why is it so hard for people to ‘dumb it down’? What acronyms and other phrases have you heard that many people simply don’t understand? As always, I invite all readers to leave your thoughts below, as the comment section is where the strength of community is allowed to work its magic and we can all learn from each other.

Have a great week everyone!!!

Awesome Restaurants, Expensive Food, and What Makes Us Fork Out the Big Bucks

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:32:16 +0000

What makes your business special?

**Note from Marcus: This is not a paid or solicited advertisement. It just so happens that I write about greatness when I see it—in all its forms.

Tonight, many restaurants owners around the globe will be breathing a sigh of relief. Why? Because, maybe for the first time in months, with the help of Valentine’s Day, (the second busiest day of the year for restaurants only behind Mother’s Day), their establishments will be busy. This being said, I can tell you one restaurant that will look at tonight as ‘just another day at the office’, and that’s Texas de Brazil.

High-End with a Twist

Some of you may have heard of Texas de Brazil before—basically it’s a Brazilian steakhouse (Churrascaria)where dudes in funny outfits go from table to table offering slices of incredible, flame grilled meats right off the skewers while customers pay $50+ all day long to get a ‘taste’ of this incredible eating experience and arguably one of the world’s best buffets (and smartest business models IMO).

Although this article is going to talk about why this high-end restaurant is slaying it while just about every other similar upper-class food establishment is struggling, I want it to be clear that the principles here apply to every business and business owner in the world—without exception. After all, business is business—the only difference is the stuff the customer takes home in the ‘doggy bag’.

People will Wait for Good Food

The seeds to this article were started about a month ago when a buddy and I went, on a Thursday night, to a Texas de Brazil located in Richmond Virginia. With high anticipation, we arrived early in the evening, about 5:30, eagerly anticipating the mouth-watering food that would soon be awaiting us. When we arrived, we were told there would be a small wait around 15 minutes or so before we could be seated.

After 15 minutes had passed, our table had still not been called. “Hmmm,” I thought “How can there be such a wait on a weeknight?” But wait we did, in fact, we waited until around 6pm to get called to our seats, and by this time, the waiting room was absolutely slammed with large and small groups of people, all highly anticipating a little taste of that incredible Brazilian Beef.

To make a long story short, our meal was awesome, as it always is, and when we left around 7:30, there was still a massive group of people waiting to be seated. Upon leaving the restaurant, I walked outside the building and noticed a brand new restaurant had opened right next to Texas de Brazil, but much to my dismay, there were about 8 people inside while 90% of the available tables were completely empty.

Struggle vs. Triumph

But the real question here is why? Why are so many restaurants (and any business for that matter), especially high-end establishments, floundering and dying right now in this difficult economy, yet there are a certain few that not only survive, but also thrive as Texas de Brazil has done?

To answer this question, I’ve come up with 6 success principles that can be applied to every business in the world. Here goes:

1. They Ain’t Trying to Win the Price War: Let’s see, I can go to Outback Steakhouse and spend $18 on my meal, or I can go to Texas de Brazil and drop at least $50—minimum. I don’t know about you, but if I can find the change in my car seats, I’m choosing Texas de Brazil all day long. You see, TdB isn’t concerned about being the cheapest steak house around. In fact, they know being ‘the cheapest’ is the dumbest sales pitch of all time and fails for 99% of all businesses that actually play that silly game (Walmart be the 1%).

2. Their Product is Unbelievable: Do you know why vegetarians don’t go to Texas de Brazil? No, it’s not because they’ll be grossed-out by all the meat, it’s that they don’t want to fall off the wagon (just kidding vegetarians, relax ). There is a big difference between ‘good’ and ‘great’. Great is TdB. Their food is unbelievable, their selection mind-boggling, and everything, without exception, is top notch.

3. Their Service is Impeccable: Unlike most restaurants that have one waiter per table, TdB uses the team approach. All they care about is that you, the customer, are not looking at dirty plates and your glass stays full of liquid. Heck, the other night when I went there to eat, I believe at least 3 different ‘servers’ assisted us in making it such a tremendous food experience.

4. Their Selection is Unmatched: Incredible Steaks? Got it. Killer Sausage? Done. Bacon wrapped chicken? Here it is. Lamb Chops? No problem. Incredible salad ‘bar’ with every cheese and topping you’d want on Earth? Yep. Smoked salmon and peeled shrimp please? Of course. Sushi? Yeah, that too.

Let’s just put it like this—If you like food it’s pretty much impossible to walk out of Texas de Brazil hungry. If you like it, it’s there.

5. Hedgehog Concept: I’ve talked about this principle before but it essentially refers to a company’s ability identify their key strength and then do that one thing better than anyone else in the world. In this case, TdB basically said ‘Forget the common restaurant approach, we’re going to be the best Brazilian Steakhouse in the world while doing it our way’….and that’s what they did.

6. They Understand the Word ‘Experience’: Are people paying over $50 per plate(actually, the average with drinks is much higher) just for awesome meat? No, of course not. In fact, when most couples go out to TdB tonight for Valentine’s Day and drop well over $100 they are doing it for the experience. It’s different. It’s unique. It’s fun. Yet it’s also simple, efficient, and consistent—something most high-end restaurants (and businesses) have a big difficulty with.

Although I could go on and on here, I’ll stop with these 6. For those of you that are headed out to some place nice to eat tonight, take a moment to look around. Look at their business models. See where they’re excelling and where they’re failing, and then apply it to your business. If anything, the subject will make for great dinner-time conversation.

Your Challenge

So forget price, have an awesome product matched with incredible service. Know who you are and what you do best and then deliver the best experience in the world to your customers. Sound tough? Yeah, sure it’s tough, but that’s why they made the 1%– so people like you and your business good set the mark

Now it’s your turn. If you’re going out to eat tonight, tell us where you’re going and why. What makes the chosen place ‘special’? Also, if V-day has already passed when you read this, I’d love to hear about your dining experience. What were your observations? Was it a memorable or forgettable meal? And finally, what would you add to this list?

As always, your comments are appreciated and make this blog the community think-tank that it is.

Diversification vs. Singular Awesomeness in Business: Which is Better?

Marcus Sheridan — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:25:48 +0000

Diversification—It’s the latest and greatest phrase used in this down economy as the answer to survive this mess we’re in. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say in the last two years that businesses must diversify to survive I’d be a rich dude. And frankly, I get it. More revenue streams mean more money, right? Well, in reality, I think the biggest mistake many small businesses are making during these economic storms comes back to the famous adage, ‘Jack of all trades, Master of none’.

As most of you know, for the past decade I’ve owned a swimming pool company. Just over 2 years ago when the housing bubble burst, it took down with it the swimming pool industry. Companies that used to build 500-1000 pools a year were forced to close shop, move, or downsize to a fraction of what they’d previously been. Many also added such services as tree removal, landscaping, general home improvements, etc to their services offered. Such diversification has helped many of these businesses survive, but I argue it has also been very detrimental to others. Why? Well before I answer that question, I’ll explain what my company has done during this difficult period.

Hard Times Mean Hard Choices

Just like everyone else in our industry, we were forced to make hard choices when the economy bit the dust. Diversifying into other areas was an option. At the time, we owned a significant retail store carrying inground pools, above ground pools, hot tubs, tanning beds, pool tables, and gaming room accessories. This particular store was one of the nicest of its kind in the state of Virginia, and it had taken us years to get to that point.

But as we analyzed the future of the market, and as we considered what the strengths of our company were, we decided to go in the opposite direction of everything everyone was recommending to us. In other words, instead of focusing on many revenue streams we decided to completely chop off all the areas of our business that weren’t making us a lot of money, yet seemed to be taking so much of our time.

I’ve written about this principle of Pareto’s Law in the past, but the key here is that we made a clear decision to be great at ONE thing, and then let the chips fall as they may.

Our goal was simple: We would be the best fiberglass pool builders in the world.

Notice I didn’t say concrete pools, or vinyl liner pools, or above ground pools. Also, notice that didn’t include, ‘The best retailers in the world’. This is why we let go of the retail division of our company. We got out of the lease on our beautiful store and closed shop, ending all chance of ever being great at hot tubs, above ground pools, tanning beds, etc.

Many people thought we were crazy. This is understandable, but what they didn’t realize from the outside looking in was the fact that once we ended all of these ‘distractions’ from our business we could then become truly great with every aspect of fiberglass pools.

What ‘Being Great’ Really Means

But understand this essential fact my friends—Being great at fiberglass swimming pools didn’t simply mean we’d be the best pool builders in the world, it also meant, and maybe even more importantly, that we be the best fiberglass pool marketers in the world. It was during this time that we embraced inbound marketing, video marketing, blogging, managing our own website, etc.

As most of you already know by this point, our decision to be great in just one area propelled us in ways never previously attained. It also meant that while swimming pool companies were going out of business all around us, we continued to experience incredible sales results. In fact, this past year, we installed more fiberglass pools than any singular company in the country, thus meeting our goal to become one of the best in the world. Even better, I envision a tremendous 2011 because of further changes to streamline our excellence and create a brand and identity unsurpassed in our industry.

I’m not here to say that singular focus is the business model for everyone during these times, but I do believe that every business owner should take a hard look at their business model and see if they have fallen into the rut of being a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’. If you find you’re average in the many services you offer, consider changing your focus. Become great in one area and remember, this also means that you become a great marketer as well. By combining a tremendous product/service with powerful inbound marketing, you’ll very likely be much more profitable and successful than you are today or ever were before, even in the ‘good times’.

So what are your thoughts? Would you suggest more of a focus on diversification in this economy or do you suggest leaning towards more of a streamlined, singular focus approach? Leave your comments below and let’s discuss.

7 Reasons Why McDonald’s Crushes Burger King Year After Year After Year

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:25:59 +0000

I love talking about food. And I love talking about business. Even better, most of the people that read this blog share these same passions and so today I’m going to deviate a little from the norm and have a little fun analyzing two household names that we’ve all grown up experiencing quite a bit of: McDonald’s and Burger King.

The other day, as I was standing at a gas station I looked out to see a McDonald’s and Burger King on opposite sides of the street. Furthermore, I could clearly see that McDonald’s(McD’s) was doing really, really well. It was bustling with activity and the drive-thru was at least 5 cars back. On the other hand, BK, although still relatively busy, appeared to have half the volume of customers as their nemesis.

So the question is why? How can McDonald’s continue to kick Burger King all over the field over and over again? I find it a very intriguing question, one that, when analyzed, is applicable to any business or niche. Let’s take a look.

7 Reasons Why McDonald’s Dominates Burger King

1. Branding

When someone says McDonald’s, what comes to mind? It is the golden arches? Maybe Ronald McDonald? How about the Big Mac? Yep, MickeyD’s is loaded with brand images that are embedded into the souls of Americans from a very early age, and the company’s influence has been profound.

Now let’s try it for BK. When someone says ‘Burger King’, what do you think of? Personally, I think of that freaky looking ‘King’ guy that appears to belong on some Rated-R movie. Seriously, who the heck designed that guy? Let’s put it like this, who would your child rather approach—Ronald McDonald or Freaky Burger King guy? What a head-scratcher that one is…

2. They Make Tough Choices

McD’s recently went through a major change in their company with the addition of McCafe. Was this an easy choice? Heck no. It was expensive and there were certainly a fair share of franchisees that were none-too-thrilled. Notwithstanding, recent reports have showed this huge investment is already paying off and taking a chunk from big boys in the coffee industry like Starbucks. And BK? Yeah, they have coffee…..I think.

McD’s has always been known to make tough choices—some succeeding greatly and some failing miserably. But their willingness to fail is in a class by itself and enables them to stay ahead of their competitors year after year.

3. They Innovate Better than Anyone

Do you remember when the McGriddle came out? At first everyone thought a ‘pancake sandwich’ sounded really weird, that is until they tasted them. The McGriddles were a huge hit, and are still a part of the menu today. I could literally list dozens of major McDonalds innovations over the years, but it suffices to say that these guys are focused better than anyone in the fast food arena on constant innovation.

Regarding BK, can you name 1 major innovation they’ve had over the years?? (crickets in the background…..)

4. They Copy Better than Anyone

Hey, why reinvent the wheel when it already works? A perfect example of this is the relatively new country friend chicken sandwich of McD’s. Anyone with a brain knows that this sandwich was a clear copy of its counterpart at Chick-fil-A, yet notwithstanding the ‘copied’ version tastes pretty darn good in comparison. This was also true with the ‘McFlurry’….hmmm, strangely sounds like ‘Blizzard’ there

Simply put, when McD’s sees something working well for other venues, they’re not afraid to say, “Hey, we didn’t come out with it first, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take the ideas and run with it.” If only every restaurant and business followed this example and understood when to copy the successful behaviors of their competitors.

5. They Speak to Children

Ever heard the phrase ‘Happy Meal’? Of course you have. So has everyone else, including children. For years McD’s has established strong relationships in their brand by marketing directly to children, and giving them the products they want—little meals with lots of color, happy faces, and a toy (hence, Happy Meal).

But what about BK? Can you come up with the name of their ‘kid’s meal’? I sure can’t.

6. They’re Always First

Not only were these the first guys way back in the day to invent the fast food burger and then franchise their little gold-mine, but they have also continued to be first in most areas to this day. If you think back, it was only a couple of years ago that fast food restaurants didn’t take credit cards. Today, they all do, but as you might well imagine, guess who was one of the first to jump on board with credit card machines? That’s right, the Golden Arches wins again, back in April of 2004.

7. Hamburger University

The first time I heard about Hamburger University and their 5,000 yearly graduates I was blown away. The fact that a company could be so focused on education and innovation and establish a scholastic burger Mecca is mind-blowing when one really thinks about it.

What are we missing?

Have you noticed the one quality I haven’t listen here? If you guessed food quality, you’re right. Here is the thing—I think most people would agree that the food at McDonald’s versus Burger King isn’t much better, if at all. Heck, many people would even argue that ‘The King’ is a better product. But notwithstanding, the gross sales when comparing the two companies aren’t even close, which goes to show that ‘product quality’ isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

OK, so I’ve said my piece, now I’m curious to get your thoughts. What reasons have I missed? Do you agree or disagree? Understand that I’m not really interested in debating the merits of their food, just the business models in general. Why else do the Golden Arches reign supreme and what further business lessons can be learned?

5 Reasons You Should ALWAYS Talk about Product Pricing and Costs on Your Company Website

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:38:09 +0000

I don’t get it. Seriously, what is the deal with small business websites and their fear of talking about the one thing that makes every transaction a reality? Yes, you guessed it, that ‘one thing’ is MONEY.

Yep, the last I looked, if consumers and customers don’t have money, they have a tough time buying things (well, not including the housing market from 2001-2008). So, being that money is so vital to the purchase of a product or service, why is everyone afraid of it?

I’m guessing the answer is that they are afraid they’ll end up turning-off a consumer, or possibly scare them away. Personally, I think such a fear is crazy, bonkers, (fill in your own adjective here). In fact, the first question a serious consumer will ask when they are considering the purchase of a product is:

How much does it cost?

Notwithstanding this all-important inquiry, hundreds of thousands of companies don’t even begin to mention pricing on their websites…..Hmmmmm, Houston, we have a problem.

Over the years I’ve learned that being open and honest regarding pricing is fundamental to success in sales and marketing. In fact, here are 5 reasons why you should always discuss product costs on your website:

1. People want to know: Wow, now that’s deep. But seriously, just like I mentioned above, serious consumers know the internet will give them the answers there are looking for if they search long enough. And if they can’t find them on your site, guess what happens? Yep, they go check out your competitor’s site and look for the answers there. Remember, any question a consumer asks about your product should be answered on your company blog/website.

2. Search Engines will give you LOVE: That’s right—big time love. Do yourself a favor and go to Google and type in the phrase Fiberglass Pool Cost or How much does a fiberglass pool cost. If you simply type these phrases in, or any similar phrase for that matter, my pool company’s website will come up 1 or 2 on search results every time. This page has been #1 on Google for about 2 years now and it’s all because I spoke extensively on my website about fiberglass pool pricing before any other company in the world did. Crazy….but true. As mentioned in the video below, this phrase has garnered me thousands and thousands of dollars in sales.

3. Consumers will appreciate your honesty: Despite this nutty myth that consumers don’t like to talk about pricing, you will find that most potential clients greatly appreciate the fact that they were finally able to get great answers from you and your company. This gratitude leads to respect which in-turn leads to trust….and ultimately leads to sales.

4. You will not waste time with unqualified customers: Because financing has become so difficult these days, the idea of ‘If they have a heartbeat we can get ‘em credit’ is deader than a doorknob. I don’t know about you, but as a sales and marketing professional, I’m not interested in spending tons of time trying to sell a product to someone who can’t even afford to buy said product. Remember, our time is very valuable, and the quicker we can focus our relationships and efforts on qualified candidates, the more successful we’ll be….and the less rejection we’ll receive.

5. No Surprises: Have you ever talked with a client and after having given them your price/quote/proposal they give you that, “Oh my goodness, I’m going to pass out” look? If this has ever happened, you and your website did a pretty poor job preparing them for what was expected. This is also why I always send out at least one well-written ‘pricing/cost’ article to any lead that comes into my data base.

So please take this information to heart. If it’s not there already, get busy talking about pricing on your website. Give the consumers what they’re looking for. Answer their questions. By so doing I can assure you that you and your brand will take another step toward niche domination and your bottom-line will benefit greatly.

PS: Before you leave, check out this short video where I talk about this subject of pricing at a recent seminar in Vegas. Also, I’d be very, very curious to get your take on pricing procedures for your website and what you’ve found that works the best. Your comments are always appreciated, big or small, agreeable or disagreeable.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Education-Based Marketing and Why Selling in the 21st Century Will Never Be the Same Again

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:22:39 +0000

It happened again to me just yesterday. After being on the phone with a potential client for a few minutes, the following was said:

Me: In terms of getting other quotes for your project, where do you currently stand?

Customer: Well, to tell you the truth, my husband and I almost always get at least a few estimates for projects of this caliber, but in this case we’ve seen all your stuff. We watched your wonderful DVD. I’ve read all your articles and watched most the videos and pretty much been all over your site. This is why we are not planning on getting quotes from other contractors at this time. We feel very comfortable with your company.

Me: Well I’m not going to argue with that

To make a long story short, the lady and I agreed on a price for her swimming pool that was around $40,000…..and it was all done on the phone.

As everyone pretty much knows, before I got into web-coaching, all of my time was dedicated to that of being a ‘pool guy’. I’ve had this business for almost 9 years and at this point I have the freedom to pursue other endeavors—but such has not always been the case.

Selling Isn’t as Hard as we Make It

You see, in the pool industry, the sales process is typically always the same: Pool guy gets a phone call, makes an appointment, and then does a site visit where he/she will attempt to earn the customer’s business—which rarely happens on the first appointment.

This sales process always bothered me over the years as it seemed incredibly inefficient, ineffective, and time-consuming as well. Seeing this problem, as well as wanting to spend more time at home with my family, lead me towards a completely different approach to sales. And, although I won’t go into all the other methods of selling I’ve talked about on this blog before, I will say that my continued focus on education-based marketing has completely changed my sales methodology from just a few short years ago.

As I mentioned in the opening story, more and more customers are calling me and telling me outright that they are only interested in using my company for their swimming pool project. To them, it’s just a matter of coming to a price agreement. Whenever a client tells me this, I’ll then just go ahead and conduct a brief interview with the client on the phone in terms of their needs (pool size, shape, options, etc). Once the interview is done, I simply give them a price, which usually is between $35,000-$65,000, and if they are happy with the price, we reach an agreement right then and there.

Now granted, an actual contract is not signed until we do an official ‘site plan’ for the pool and confirm there are no other hidden costs, but hopefully you can see just how wonderful and effective this sales process is versus what has been done for years in the industry.

In the last month alone I’ve reached agreements with 4 different clients without ever having set foot on their property first. This not only has saved me major time in travel and expense, but it also gives me more and more time to do other things—like be w/ the kids or write another most excellent post here on The Sales Lion

Where Does Consumer Trust Come From?

But the real question is how does this happen? What makes a consumer trust a company so much that they are willing to reach a $60,000 agreement on the phone without even having ‘met’ the person face to face? As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, the key here is education-based marketing. With enough information about you, your product, and your industry; you will be able to garner trust otherwise impossible to achieve. In a nutshell, here are the web marketing techniques I’ve used with incredible success.

Blog in such a way that you answer every possible question a consumer may have regarding your product.
Produce video that shows your process, what makes you different, and that teaches the consumer empowerment as well. (Our company has an extensive DVD that every lead gets but we’ve also produced over 50 YouTube videos)
Through text and video, integrate as many social proofs (customer testimonials) into your website as possible.
Show your face as the owner of your business. What is your story? Talk about your family. Talk about your employees. What’s their story?
Have an opinion with everything you do. If you believe in something, say why. Don’t follow the status quo in your industry just because everyone else does it. Stand out. Be a light on a hill.
Finally, don’t be embarrassed about pricing. In fact, be proud of your pricing because you’re dang worth it. Consumers expect to spend money to buy something, so don’t hide your numbers nor save them ‘till the end’.

I know it may sound simple but if you embrace the suggestions above everything in your sales process will change. Closing rates will go up. Clients and prospects will be more qualified, more knowledgeable, and ultimately much better customers.

This is education-based marketing at its finest. This is the future of sales in the 21^st century.

Why ‘Because it’s the Best’ is NOT a Good Sales Pitch

Marcus Sheridan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:06:58 +0000

As I was busy driving around in the traffic jams of Northern Virginia a few days ago, I took a pit stop into a mall so I could stop by ‘The Walking Company’, a business that sells special walking shoes, orthotics, etc. Because the plantar fasciitis in my left foot has been kicking my butt lately, I’m to the point where I’ll pay anything to get rid of this pain-in-my-arch

So after being in The Walking Company for a few minutes and having picked up a new set of orthotics, I noticed the perfect pair of dress-shoes for work—brown leather, sleek look, and just my style (whatever that style may be). Immediately, I asked the sales lady if she had the shoe in my size, to which she replied yes and soon returned with the perfect pair.

Upon trying them on, I could immediately tell they were comfortable, well made, and of high quality. Yep, I wanted them, which led to the following conversation between me and the sales lady.

“How much?”

“$149”

“Yikes…kinda steep…What makes them so good?”

“They’re Pikolinos….they’re the best.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they’re good, but why? Why are they the best?”

“That’s what they’re known for. Pikolinos are just the best.”

At this point, I knew I was dealing with someone who knew as much about Pikolinos as I did. I was frustrated and unsure as to what to do.

As I walked around the store with ‘the best’ on my feet, I ended up playing a personal ping-pong match in my head as to whether or not they were worth it. Would they last? How beneficial were they for people with arch issues? What are customers saying about this shoe?

But alas, the answers were not meant to be on that day. Nor was the sale of those lovely brown Pikolinos, as I had no choice but to hold off on the purchase until I had been able to justify spending $150 on a pair of shoes.

Here is the thing though: I wanted to buy the shoes. Heck, I have no problem spending 150 bucks if I know it’s going to help me feel better. It’s not that I’m tight with money, I’m just like everyone else—I want to know I’m getting the right thing for me and not wasting my money.

How could any major chain like The Walking Company allow their employee product knowledge to be so abysmal in this economy? Beats the heck out of me, but it just goes to show that no matter how bad the economy may or may not be, sales training for employees stinks in most cases. Education is not at the forefront of these businesses and because of this poor focus, sales suffer—in a major way.

So if you’re in sales or have a retail store, don’t settle for average sales people. Don’t allow ‘because it’s the best’ to ever be a sales pitch for anything. Create a culture of education, teaching, and passion that not only instills confidence in consumers just looking for a reason to buy, but also sets your company as the industry expert in your field. Believe it or not, such a culture shift isn’t that hard, as very few are actually doing it. So be different. Be great. Teach everyone. And let the sales follow.

How to Overcome the Infamous ‘Due Diligence’ Excuse in Sales

Marcus Sheridan — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:46:26 +0000

‘I need to do my due diligence.’

Ever heard such a phrase from one of your prospects? If you haven’t, you likely got into the profession of sales this morning. In fact, ‘I need to do my due diligence’(or some close derivative) is likely the most commonly used prospect exit strategy in the world today.

No question, the economy has had an interesting impact on sales, especially with big-ticket items. Because so many markets are struggling, consumers know they can get great deals and therefore are meeting with more companies and looking for more quotes before they make a decision.

With such being the norm in today’s economy, the skills and abilities of a sales professional are a critical necessity to any success at all. But even more so, I would argue that the true ‘skills’ sales persons need in 2010 and beyond are the upfront relationships they’ve established with potential clients before they ever even sit at the negotiation table(or make ‘real’ contact) for the first time.

But I need to…….

Just the other night, I was sitting with a client who was quite serious about buying a swimming pool. For the sake of ease, will call the gentleman ‘Bob’ and no doubt this man had done some serious research before I’d ever gotten to his home. After a few minutes of conversation, I’d found out that he had read almost all of my blog articles. He’d also seen countless videos I’d produced. Without a doubt, he(and his wife who was with him) viewed me as an expert and I knew it, as his trust in me was obvious from his general demeanor and smile throughout our conversation.

The sales appointment lasted about 1 hour. During that time, I felt very confident that I was going to get an affirmative ‘yes’ from this man at the end of our discussions, as all the typical positive sales ‘signs’ were present.

But to make a long story short, at the end of our discussion/presentation, I asked Bob for his business and he told me that he loved the price, he loved the pool, and he also loved our company. Notwithstanding all of this though, there came the infamous ‘but’ after his positive words.

‘But I just feel like I need to get at least one more quote as to do my due diligence, so I’ve set up one more appointment for next week, I’m sure you can understand.’

Alas, the infamous ‘due diligence’ statement strikes again…..and I thought things were going so well.

But instead of just rolling over and agreeing with Bob, the following conversation occurred:

Me: ‘With all due respect Bob, I do not agree, but let me explain to you why. You say you need to do your due diligence, which I completely understand and empathize with. But let’s look at your actions up to this point a little more closely. Based on what you’ve told me tonight, you’ve read just about every blog article I’ve written about fiberglass pools. You’ve seen all the educational videos I’ve put out there. You’ve called some of the references I sent to you before this appointment. And, as you stated earlier, you’ve also checked out other companies online and not been nearly as impressed with their efforts to teach and inform. You know our history in your area and you’ve only heard great things about our company. Am I accurate with all these statements Bob?

Bob: Yeah, that all sound about right.

Me: So you see Bob, you’ve actually been doing nothing but due diligence up to this point. In fact, you’ve done more due diligence than almost 99% of all consumers do before buying a pool based on your knowledge. Do you see where I’m coming from Bob?

Bob: I do.

Me: And based on all of this you’ve done Bob, just answer this one question for me: Does your gut tell you that we are the company to go with?

Bob: (a few second of pensive thought) It does…

Bob’s Wife: Then stop thinking about this so hard and just write the young man a check. You know you’re going to go with these guys so there is no reason not to make the decision now.

Needless to say, Bob went and got his checkbook.

Obviously, not all situations like this one end with a prospect deciding to cancel their other sales appointments and going ahead with the purchase. But the core moral of this story remains the same, and will continue to as long as sales and marketing is a part of the world in which we all live:

The more value a company can give to its prospects and customers on the front end, the less they’ll feel the need to get quote after quote on the back end.

Had I not had such a prolific, content driven website, Bob clearly would still be in the ‘shopping mode’. He’d still be gathering facts and attempting to reach a comfortable decision about where to spend his $50,000. But in this case, Bob saw so much value from our company up front that it filled in all those voids by the time I’d shown up at his doorstep.

The Challenge

So here is the challenge that we all have as sales and marketing professionals. We must truly see the big picture when it comes to Web 2.0. We must start thinking like consumers and answer their questions. We must constantly feed them answers and show them we are the true experts and consumer advocates in our field. Yes, such a challenge is not necessarily an easy one, but it dang sure is possible if we are but willing to take the time and pay the price.

So stop delaying. Put more time into your content marketing. Make videos, and lots of them. Get active on the forums. Blog at least twice a week. Do customer surveys and have your ear to the ground. By so doing you will in time not only be the voice of your industry, but you’ll also drastically speed up the sales process even in these rather difficult economic times we are all living in.

As always, I’d invite you to leave your thoughts below, whether you agree or disagree. Thanks for being a part of the conversation.