Moving home involves a lot of work. There are also a lot of
financial considerations that people generally are not used to.
Engaging a solicitor, arranging the mortgage, paying for
bridging finance if it is necessary, seeking the best selling
price for your home, and the best buying price for the home you
are moving into, all of these are very large and important
transactions that cost a lot of money and may also cause you a
lot of stress.
Add to this the stress of actually moving house. There may be
some emotional attachment to the home you are leaving and you
may find this very difficult. Then you have all the
practicalities of dealing with utility companies, having mail
redirected, cancelling your services and informing friends and
business of the move.
Traumatic
And this has not even begun to consider the hassle of packing up
your belongings, arranging for a removal company, and transit
insurance if you think you need it, and unpacking everything at
the other end. It is really no wonder that so many people
consider moving house such a major and traumatic experience.
However, if you take a step back, the situation is really not
that bleak. Most people end up moving home for very positive
reasons. These will include getting a new job, or moving to a
bigger property. Therefore, as well as all the stress there is
also a lot of joy and excitement involved.
Get Sorted
You can also use the move as a chance to clear out your
possessions. Look through everything before you start packing
and decide what things you do not want to take with you to your
new address. If there are a lot of clothes you can pack them up
and give them to a charity shop. You should think about getting
boxes and old newspapers gathered up. Boxes will be available
from local shops and you can save your newspapers for wrapping
breakables.
If you are moving everything yourself, you can rent a van to
help you out. Make sure it is a suitable size. If the van is too
small you’ll find yourself doing multiple trips, and if it is
too large you may not be able to park, or even drive it. You
should be comfortable with driving the van so give it a try
before loading it up to make sure. The alternative is always to
hire a professional removal company.
Your sales are down and leads are rare. The phone’s not ringing. Let’s blame marketing!
If you join this band wagon to rationalize your poor sales results, you need to step up and take responsibility for your own fate. It’s amazing how often sales teams play the victim here. They blame the marketing department, team or an individual, for their lack of sales.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m on your side. Often, in a typical, let’s say “traditional” organization, there is disconnection between marketing and the sales organization. There is a lack of communication, team work and common goals. Sad but true.
Often, the larger the company, the less marketing serves the individual sales professional. In corporations, it seems the norm for marketing is to concentrate on selling “the brand” and not products and services. Corporate marketing sells ‘the logo’ to trigger trust and positive emotions when people see it. Not all, but most, traditional marketing leans on advertising which fails to work directly for you in attracting new prospects and leads.
In small to medium-sized companies, there is usually a very small marketing team or a single very, over-worked marketeer. Worst, as a business owner or independent professional, you don’t have a budget and you do everything! Again, marketing is absent or not good enough to generate enough new opportunities.
The most important and singular point I’m making is that you must recognize and deal with “what is,” to improve your situation.
Recently, I turned 40 years old. A friend said to me, “Don’t worry, 40 is the new 30.” If you want to improve sales and your commission, guess what? “Marketing is the new Sales!”
Understand YOU are your own marketing department. Accept it and take action.
Just like the decline (if not extinction) of personal assistants, sales administrative assistants and secretaries to support sales teams or individuals, there is less marketing support too. You type your own sales letters and other correspondence and keep your own schedule.
Today, you need to work on your own public awareness, lead generation and sales support materials and communications. With tighter budgets, less staff and more responsibility, it’s up to you.
Any way you look at it, as a sales professional you must take charge. Sales superstars and expert managers know this. They devise a strategy and implement their own marketing systems, in addition to the brand-like corporate, marketing efforts. Marketing is continual communication to influence someone to take an action. Marketing departments do it through various means and on a mass scale, via print and media advertising and public relations. Single, sales people can market effectively through personal contact and working in the field. You can source new deals and increase lead generation within your existing sales process without as much pain or work as you think.
If you don’t accept that you have to take action yourself and keep looking outside for leads and prospects, you’re going to continue to fail to reach your sales objectives. The good news is that the technology and tools available today are powerful, affordable and effective for solving this challenge.
Keep an eye out for future Customer Catcher articles, where I’ll give you strategies, tips and tricks for creating a profitable, Personal Marketing program to drive your sales skyward. You’ll get the sales you want and become your own marketing machine with bigger, better and more immediate results.
Until then, think about evolving into your latest role because…
“Marketing is the new Sales.”
Get free help and advice at www.CustomerCatcherTips.com. . Martin Wales helps you increase your sales and profits with simple, proven tools and systems that get immediate results. If you want more customers, contact him at that get immediate results. If you want more customers, contact him at Martin@CustomerCatcher.com.