Great Advertising

Great Advertising Mark Blezard has over 30 years experience in start-up companies, helping them go from concept to mar

It is time for a creative nudge.By Mark BlezardAre sales slumping? Finding it hard to get new leads? Try this - reinvent...
19/03/2023

It is time for a creative nudge.
By Mark Blezard

Are sales slumping? Finding it hard to get new leads?

Try this - reinvent your USP. Step back, take the afternoon off, and think about a new way to present your solution. If possible, sprinkle in a little humour 😆

When clients see an old product in a new light – it is no longer "old" but interesting!

https://www.grow-my-sales.com/

Entrepreneurship by Mark BlezardI do not have enough fingers on my hands to count the number of times someone has said ...
17/01/2022

Entrepreneurship by Mark Blezard

I do not have enough fingers on my hands to count the number of times someone has said to me, "I'd love to start my own business but I have no idea what it could be?"

Typically, this line comes from two types of people. 1) Those who should never start their own business. 2) A entrepreneur who needs a little guidance.

Let's focus on #2. A true entrepreneur looks at the world slightly differently from an average person. A mediocre business person could well be someone who found themselves running a company through inheritance, or perhaps via a management buy-out. Alternatively, they had the courage to take the leap but then, without an idea, copied that of their former employer. Neither is wrong, however, this is not true entrepreneurship.

True entrepreneurs have the skill of spotting opportunities. This is where they see the world from a different angle. They can see products and services – not for what they are – but what they could be. They have ideas on how to repurpose and repackage items that others will never see.

So, if you are struggling with that idea, and you are a true entrepreneur, just open your eyes.

The problem with sales is that 'skills gaps' are less visible than in some other professions. They tend to materialize o...
16/01/2022

The problem with sales is that 'skills gaps' are less visible than in some other professions. They tend to materialize only once the wall has toppled. Using a well-validated sales skills assessment tool will ensure the foundations of your are robust for a successful 2022.
https://www.greatadvertising.co.uk/blog

"Playing a different sales game" by Mark BlezardSo, imagine you are a few weeks away from a sales target – and you are o...
03/11/2021

"Playing a different sales game" by Mark Blezard

So, imagine you are a few weeks away from a sales target – and you are off target! What should you do? Work harder? Burn the midnight oil? No. Change your game and do something differently.

Sales executives are notorious for banging their heads against brick walls. We get stuck in a rut, a groove of doing things the way they used to work. The same old pitch, templated emails, answering to prompts in your diary to certain actions at regular old times.

Mixing things up has more than one benefit. If you always do your cold calls at a certain time you will certainly miss the prospects who have regular activities during this slot. If you use the same old emails to follow up a call you will never learn the art of improvement.

But the biggest gain in 'changing your game' comes from what you learn about selling your product. It forces you to look at what you sell in a different light. You'll find new markets, applications, and USPs. Think about it, there is a reason why jockeys use blinkers on their horse. Remove yours!

https://www.greatadvertising.co.uk/blog

A perfect example of not being afraid of modern technology. Use what you have, and what you are up against, to your adva...
01/11/2021

A perfect example of not being afraid of modern technology. Use what you have, and what you are up against, to your advantage. And, as I always say, add humour!
https://www.greatadvertising.co.uk/blog

In sales, we try and filter out the 'tyre kickers,' those who will never buy. In retail sales it is a whole lot harder. ...
02/10/2021

In sales, we try and filter out the 'tyre kickers,' those who will never buy. In retail sales it is a whole lot harder. However, clear messaging outside as to your perfect clientele can work wonders 😂

In sales, we try and filter out the 'tyre kickers,' those who will never buy. In retail sales, it is a whole lot harder. However, clear messaging outside as to your perfect clientele can work wonders 😂

It's all about packaging, by Mark BlezardSo, I have already stated the importance of packaging... "your hidden salesforc...
10/09/2021

It's all about packaging, by Mark Blezard

So, I have already stated the importance of packaging... "your hidden salesforce." [https://www.greatadvertising.co.uk/post/more-sales-same-size-sales-force-by-mark-blezard]

And so, this post is a simple reminder of how important that message was. You can have the most brilliant product known to man – but if you don't jump off the shelves you will be buried within this 'pit of despondent sales.'

To summarise, hire professionals for your packaging. Do market research. Run test groups. Regionalise (not every region or certain demographics have the same taste/appeal).

Trust me, too many manufacturers place 99% of their effort in producing a great product and they rush this last stage, which is a crazy shame as it really is your hidden sales force.

A busy day selling, are you sure?By Mark BlezardIn sales, we are often managed on productivity. Many managers still coun...
06/07/2021

A busy day selling, are you sure?
By Mark Blezard

In sales, we are often managed on productivity. Many managers still count outbound calls as 'activity,' which can prove extremely misleading. So, here's something to consider - even if you are monitoring yourself towards a target/goal, look at the quality & content of the work being done.

Sounds obvious, we finish the day exhausted, all jobs ticked off, but unless you divide your actual goals or targets into 'activity' you could be kidding yourself!

So, remember this picture to remember this point. It doesn't matter what your phone looks like, it doesn't matter how many times you pick it up and dial, what matters is what you say when you reach a prospect!

This is why CRMs are dangerousBy Mark BlezardPicture this. You sit down at your desk in the morning, fire up your comput...
26/04/2021

This is why CRMs are dangerous
By Mark Blezard

Picture this. You sit down at your desk in the morning, fire up your computer and launch your CRM. Up pops 48 follow-up calls/contacts with various prospects. A normal day.

You get your head down and start firing out emails, leave a few voicemails, have a couple of "How ya doing" conversations. Break for lunch. Get back on it for the afternoon. 4 pm comes round and guess what – you're done! What a fantastically productive day.

And herein comes the dangerous bit. You've been productive, you've done all your calls and your CRM confirms it. Right? Well, technically, correct. However, the problem with CRMs is actually the user, us. If you are an account manager, banging out the calls and emails, there is a real danger of focusing on your list of tasks rather than the content of the task in hand.

We're managed by our CRM, rightly so, to complete tasks but there is no widget that monitors the quality of the call or email. So, here's a tip that will help raise the quality of the task, and help ensure that your contact points are both interesting and intelligent. Instead of writing "Follow up with John" in your task reminder, expand on what you will say and need to do before the call. For example; "Check on John's competitor, review their share price, check website for latest press release - and then follow-up last meeting."

In summary, always diary a bit of research in tandem with the follow-up call. It will stop you from becoming a 'phone/email basher' and improve client progression ten-fold.

19/04/2021

What is the 'full sales cycle? By Mark Blezard

We all know this, right? It is to 'qualify, match, and close', that's the full sales cycle. Get a signed order and it is time to party!

Well, I would say not quite. As a good client once said to me, "It's not an order until I've paid the bill." This got me thinking, the full sales cycle should actually be – qualify, match, close, deliver the service, receive payment for the service – AND – receive a repeat order. Only at this point can you celebrate the first sale before moving on with the second.

And this is why it is so crucial to ensure that anyone with any point of contact with a customer, from the accounts department to delivery drivers, receives the basics in sales training. They must understand what the sales executive does, and how they do it if they are to learn proper customer service skills.

And the good news is, if you roll out basic sales training across your organisation, staff will start spotting sales opportunities, and when they do they will know how to handle them. Imagine going from 8 sales executives to 80 without adding anyone to the payroll...!

More here: https://www.greatadvertising.co.uk/blog

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