Floodlight Consulting

I was recently approached by a company to assist them with their sales process. In the interview I uncovered that they were struggling with sales because they did not have a sales process defined.

This company had one of the three owners dedicated to sales. The owner had sales experience, but was way over his head with this specific product and service.

Every company needs to have a developed sales process and apply the sales process to every sale. In thirty years of sales and marketing I have only run into a handful of people who are natural sales people. These gods of sales have a sales system in place.

Even the Sham Wow guy on TV has a system and recently he used the same system to sell the Slap Chop!!!

Sales people are more productive when following a specific sales process that details the steps along the way. This will allow them to process the prospect into a lead and then a sale.

As a company you should define your company’s sales process based on best practices within your team, your industry and your target market. Below you will find a sales process that can be applied to most products and services.

The Sales Process – The process for converting prospects into leads and leads into customers is much like playing a hockey game. You need a plan and set plays to move the puck up the ice. Not practicing and staying within a game plan can result in a waste of time and effort.

Engage. – This is the first milestone in the sales process and usually happens when a potential client makes an inquiry into your product, or service and this will allow you to introduce yourselves, your company, your offering and uncover their general need. This is your lead.

Qualify. – Once you’ve engaged the potential client and determined they fit your overall target profile, you need to qualify the lead further to make sure it’s a “fit” with your company and what you offer.

Assess. – Once you have qualified the lead you must assess the opportunity before expending the resources to develop a quote or proposal. Ask yourself: What are the specifics of their needs? What is the main decision-making factor? What is their budget? Do they understand your value proposition? Are they looking at the competition?

Proposal. – You’ve assessed the opportunity to the level required during the assess stage, and now it’s time to move into the proposal stage. Make sure your proposal process is appropriate for the buying cycle. Include validation of your services, testimonials, all terms, as well as credit, inside the proposal to avoid slowing down the sales process.

Close. – At this phase of the sales process, you must close and overcome any possible objections, negotiate terms, and close the deal.

SALE! – Hopefully at this point, you’ve done such a good job of managing your sales process that you have moved your lead to a sale. If at any time the sale fails you must analyze and refine for the next time.

This is an overview of the typical sales process and it is imperative that no short cuts are taken. Failure to follow your sales plan will lead to lost sales.

Having a company sales process will allow you to process sales more effectively and help you to ‘Build Your Business’.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at:

FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

There are a number of methods that you can use to build your business. Many of these methods may already be in use but they are rarely used as part of a total marketing system so they are not used consistently.

Most businesses have methods of marketing; however, most do not pay close attention to the results and frequency of implementation. The key to remember is that when something is part of a system, then it is repetitive therefore multiplying the effectiveness and guaranteeing significantly better results.

The best way to implement your marketing strategy is to use this guide and make sure that you answer the questions that are part of each concept.

The goal of you answering the questions is simple. If you take the time to answer the question, even if it is just in your head, you will take yourself to a higher level of awareness of how you are working in your business.

MARKETING WEAPONS

1. Business Cards – Your business card should have key contact information and must be distributed to everyone you meet. The goal of giving your card to everyone is placing you in the subconscious mind of everyone you meet.
Q: Do you give your card to everyone you meet or just people that ask you about your business?

2. Ask For Referrals – Everyone you develop rapport with both inside and outside your business should know what you do and be able to refer someone to you. The best way to get a referral is to give one first. It will pay major dividends for you.
Q: How many people you know who are in business that would appreciate a referral? What goes around comes around!!!

3. Have a Clearly Defined Message – Make sure that everything you do has a message about who you are and/or what you do. Hone your Elevator Pitch!!
Q: What is your message? What do you specialise in? Who is your target market and what are your services? What problems do you solve?

4. Voice Mail Marketing – Make sure your voice mail has special marketing statements. It is very important to place some type of reminder for the listener to ask you about something specific about you or your products.  An example of a voice mail marketing system is at the end of your greeting, you add the statement “Don’t forget to ask me about….!”
Q: How do I get people to ask me about my competitive advantage?

5. E-mail Marketing – This is very similar to voice mail marketing. Every e-mail you send must have as part of your signature, a special offer or a marketing message!
Q: What does your e-mail signature look like?

6. Testimonials – It is a must for you to get testimonials from your clients and referral sources. Your website and marketing material should contain a customer quote. These quotes give customers sub-conscious references to your services and the quality of them.
Q: How many testimonials do you have and are they from different types of sources so you can attach them to the appropriate marketing piece?

7) Community Involvement – Get involved with your community and increase your exposure. Individuals that participate in community activities tend to be compelled to want to help other members of the activity because of the common bond that is shared.
Q: What organization could you join that would surround you with the type of people that either could use your services or refer you to people that could benefit from your services while simultaneously giving something valuable back to your community?

8). Accessibility – Make sure you are easily reachable. Make clear to your clients the best way to reach you along with the best times to reach you. Add on your voice mail message specific times that you will be returning phone calls so clients know when to expect to hear back from you. When you return clients messages when you say you will, your credibility grows and so do the quality of your referrals.
Q: How much time do you need to answer your messages and when would be the best time of the day to answer your messages and return client calls? Do this daily.

Implement each one of these simple marketing weapons and “Build Your Business” in 2010.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one of the most used methods to extend the volume and the quality of the traffic to an internet site using important content, internal linking, and back links from outside the internet.

Keywords can be searched by any search engine and will allow your site to be indexed. Keywords will appear in the natural search results of a search engine results page and therefore, they are a vital weapon for Search Engine Optimization.

There are a lot of factors that search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo use to rank websites, and not all search engines put the same weight on each criteria. Often, the better the meta tags have been researched the better your results will be and the more probable that the page rank will be higher. Also, text links inside the web site using , keyword phrases and terms will be vital as good search engine tools.

If your web content is relevant and ties into your keywords it can be very helpful. The writing and the proper placement of your content, will greatly improve the chance of you being found.

Search Engine Optimization strategies need to be a part of the total design and development of your website. Some of the basic parts of SEO are web designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts, because these can be optimized easily.

Once visitors have visited your site they will need a call clear call to action which will allow them to engage with your product or service. Your job is to also make sure you have a clear message when the visitors find you.

If you need to discuss your Internet Marketing Strategies give us a call for a free one hour consultation.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

• Is customer-centered
• Determines where you’re most effectively reaching customers
• Identifies the marketing TouchPoints or tactical tools that would help your company reap greatest rewards
• Allows you to have a greater understanding of your marketing potential
• Ensures brand consistency
• Helps you build your business

Floodlights TouchPoint marketing system will help you improve your sales,  marketing and branding which will help you Build Your Business in Kelowna.

Donald Robichaud  FloodLight – Build Your Business – 250- 768-9415

www.floodlightconsulting.com

Well 2009 is over. Did you reach your goals?

Each year, people make New Year’s Resolutions, only to find that they didn’t achieve their goals, and then they make the same resolutions again the following year.

Regardless of the goal, one of the major reasons that people fail to achieve their goals is that they do not have a goal-setting process, or a formula for success.

So what makes a good goal? Goal setting provides a target to aim for so that you can make better decisions about how to utilize your time and effort for both business and personal achievement.

A good goal is one that is worthy of individual pursuit and is of course, highly subjective. So, far be it for anyone to define for you what your worthy pursuit ought to be! All goals, no matter what they are, start with a plan!

So what is your Goal-Plan? A good Goal-Plan is one that when followed, offers a reasonably high probability of success, given sufficient time.

Here are a few tips to get you started for 2010
• Identify areas of strength and weakness
• Create a vision statement for the year (What is your Purpose?)
• Determine which areas to focus on in order to receive the biggest payoff
• Set goals to achieve business and personal results
• All goals must be written (and reviewed weekly, monthly and quarterly)
• All goals must be believable
• All goals must be challenging (moving you forward in your life)
• All goals must be measurable and specific
• All goals must have a deadline
• You must hold yourself accountable for all your goals

Find other people to support and encourage you. It’s easier to make progress towards your goals if you have some support from a friend, coach, mentor, or a family member. Share your goals with them and the kind of support you desire so that they can help and encourage you to reach your goals.

This is a great way to begin the New Year!

With solid goals and a primary purpose you will be in a great position to “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

This past year Canadians had to deal with an economy that was in a recessionary mode and we had to also watch many young Canadian soldiers passing away in Afghanistan.

In the Okanagan we had to deal with the summer fires and the downturn in the construction and tourism industry. Many families had to find a way to cope with layoffs and personal tragedies.

In the center of all this turmoil is the business owner who has to weather every day’s business upswings and downturns.

In our lives we get so caught up with the daily news and the negative side of life, that sometimes it’s hard to find the daily gems.

The little things that kept me focused this past year were the things that are most dear to me my family.

My father was declared cancer free after a battle with prostate cancer, my mother had successful hip surgery and is now moving around like a young school girl, my wife is in good health, and my sister just underwent successful surgery. (A family in the US would have been financially crippled.)

This past year I walked my youngest daughter down the aisle in San Diego with the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing below the Sunset cliffs. I was able to travel throughout the US visiting many spots that I had only previously read about. The visit to the Grand Canyon was the highlight of our tour of the US. My oldest daughter finished her education with her masters and landed a great job with National Resources Canada.

This past year I volunteered my time with the Chamber of Commerce and the Okanagan Mustangs and Fords club which allowed me to meet so many great people of the Okanagan. I hiked and biked many mornings around West Kelowna and I enjoyed many summer afternoons at various beach locations with family and friends.

It was a great year for many personal experiences and when it is all said and done I am thankful for the warm hand shake of a new acquaintance, the hug of an old friend and the love of my family.

It has not been an easy year, but when I reflect back it is those moments of time spent with the people that I care about that mean the most. I have been blessed with a healthy family, truly great friends and I look forward to 2010 with great enthusiasm.

This is an important time of year for reflection and gratitude and a great time to count our blessings.

I wish you all the best this holiday season and I trust you will reflect on those things that will allow you to build your business and personal growth.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

This is a great article from Paul Beauchemin of Ecentric Media.  Ecentric Media located in Kelowna BC,  is a leading and trusted Integrated communications supplier to other best- in-class businesses across Western Canada by offering clients a wide variety of strategic services and solutions, all delivered with respect and integrity.

Video Marketing – The next big thing on the Internet.

YouTube has the third highest site traffic ranking globally according to Alexa, surpassed only by… you guessed it, Google and Facebook.

Video marketing is quickly becoming the tool of choice for the next generation of Internet Marketing. It is poised to replace or seriously reduce almost all written text on the web. So the questions is, how do you take advantage of this powerful advertising medium and apply it to your business?

Below are 5 simple ways you can utilize video marketing to improve your sales, lead generation and conversions, while at the same time branding yourself as an expert in your particular niche. Video marketing is one of the most fun marketing methods available online.

1. Create a youtube account.
YouTube is the #1 video site in the world, and just in case you didn’t know… is owned by Google. This is the place to be for those two reasons. Hundreds of Millions of videos are watched daily on YouTube around the globe. With hundreds of thousands of videos being added daily. Once your video is uploaded, it is then automatically in the cue to be indexed by Google.

2. Create your videos.
These videos can range in complexity and production value, and can be almost anything from a content perspective. Ideally, the videos give the viewer insight into your product or company, without being blatantly self promotional. Videos that offer information, a solution to a problem, reviews on a product and even just something funny are typically the most effective.

3. Search Optimize your new videos.
Since YouTube is owned by Google, YouTube uses the same basic algorithm to display user search results. This means all the same rules apply from a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective. It is very important to consider what keywords you are trying to optimize each video for?

4. Upload these new videos to your blogs.
Knowing that more video gets watched then text on your website gets read is very important. Be sure to post all your videos to as many of your Internet marketing sources as possible. Blogs allow for complete control of the author to post what they want, when they want.

5. Social Media channels… Tweet those videos!
The power of twitter and other social networking sites cannot be argued or ignored. Once you have a strategy in place to take advantage of the variety of social networking tools, be sure to Tweet that new content or video. Do be aware, that not every social networking site is for everyone. Strategy and branding should determine where to focus your time and efforts.

Video is a very powerful tool when used correctly and consistently. Video will drive traffic faster than nearly every other source of SEO advertising, but that does not mean you should drop everything you are currently doing. Implement video marketing into your online marketing portfolio and you will see your sales and your leading generation improve almost instantly.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

Today’s fast-paced climate demands that you develop a marketing strategy which allows you to deliver a solid message to your customers and helps you close sales.

Statistics show that 82% of people who inquire about a product or service will purchase a similar product or service from someone within the next 12 months. Will it be you or your competition? What will set you apart and allow you to make that first class impression in your customer’s mind?

Here are three examples of how you can leverage your sales and marketing message, and work smarter:

Position yourself in the Market: All things being equal, would you rather buy from a specialist or a generalist? The more important the purchase you make, the greater the need to purchase from a specialist. It costs you nothing more to introduce yourself as a specialist in your field and a leader in the industry for your product or service. If you’re a leader in your field and your services are unique and competitively priced, you will set yourself apart from your competition.

Testimonial Endorsements: What’s more powerful to you? A company that says something great about themselves or what someone else is saying about them? 10 to 1 the testimonial carries more weight and is more believable! 78% of consumers today trust peer recommendations – only 14 % trust advertisements! So where are you spending your marketing dollars? Total cost to add testimonials to your marketing message = zero dollars!

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): A USP is a clearly articulated statement about who you are, what you do, and most importantly, and answers why anyone should choose to buy from you vs. your competition. Your USP answers the questions, “why should I buy from you?” and “what’s in it for me?” Adding your USP to every piece of advertising or marketing material costs you nothing extra yet this it an incredibly profound impact on your bottom line.

Now take the same three principles and introduce it into your internet marketing strategy and you will be delivering hundreds or thousands of positive interactions with your potential clients without ever leaving your office.

This marketing strategy allows you to identify and harvest the lowest hanging fruit first, which leverages your time because you’re always working with people who are ready to buy now!

By following these three simple examples you can leverage your marketing and start advertising with a more powerful sales message, and you will successfully “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

In this tough economic climate it is very important to continue to market your products and services, and to raise your so-called ‘celebrity’ status for yourself and your business.

As a business owner it’s important to understand what we can do to become ‘celebrities’ in our own right.

Why?

Because as consumers; we view some people as “worthier” or “more expert” than others, just because they’re better known.

In fact, these people may not be any more talented than anyone else, but we assume that they are more skilled or talented just because they are more famous.

And because they’re famous, their names become currency in themselves. For example, think of how many movie stars make commercials for hair products, when they don’t even do their own hair!

It’s important for us to do what we can to add some sparkle of celebrity to our own names. Simply put; the better known we become, the more customers and clients we’ll be able to draw in, and the higher the fees we’ll be able to command.

One of the easiest ways to raise your celebrity status is to create your own ‘Special Event’ – one that will draw attention to your company and its core products and services. The benefit of raising your celebrity status with an event is that the event speaks directly to your target market and establishes credibility for you as a leader in your industry and makes you and your business better known.

Becoming better known is a stepping stone to achieving other goals like attracting new clients, participating in speaking gigs (especially paid speaking gigs), making connections with marketing partners, attracting talented employees, and other activities that generate more business.

I recently worked with a client and helped him create a ‘Special Event’ designed to draw attention and create awareness for a custom service he provided to his clients. It was a fun event, capped by a contest that allowed him to tap into radio, TV, and newspapers with traditional marketing strategies, and incorporate Internet Marketing Strategies, utilizing newsletters, a Blog, Twitter, and Face book. The event and contest were both successful and the client was subsequently featured on both Global and CHBC news.

Events like this take a little time to assess the opportunities, assemble the right marketing information, and apply the right marketing strategies.

If done correctly, it’s a great way to raise your celebrity status and Build Your Business.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been
with us for many years.. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth
records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than
you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing
regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual
harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using
mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,
only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that
they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It
declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to
administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents
when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion..

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a
beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and
the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize
that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and
was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by
his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter,
Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone
Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you
still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
-
Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at www.floodlightconsulting.com

 or at 250-768-9415