Part 14 (1/2)

Presentation Like proposals, presentations should be standardized, but then continually adapted based on your prospect's preferences Some contacts want to read the proposal first, whereas others prefer to see a condensed version in PowerPoint forotten this far in the process, go into thewith the intent to close If you did not want the business, you should not have invested the tioing to leave with an agree questions, and coenda?

Is it in person or virtual?

How many people from the client's side will be in attendance?

Are the decision makers in the room?

Are you ready to field questions, and effectively address objections?

Who will be in thefrom your team? Who will be the lead presenter?

Have you done an internal practice run?

Have you tested all the audio and visual ele?

Hoill you hook the the Buying Cycle

In order toprocess, and increase the probability of conversion, it is i-services buying decisions Let's take a look at the five standard stages of a buying cycle, and consider how agencies can tailor their ure 62) Stage 1-Awareness: The organization recognizes they have an unsatisfied need, unresolved pain point, or new e This realizationout they are nowhere to be found on the first page of Google results; or external stiaps in their social ins for information that will help further define their needs, identify prospective agency partners, andInbound Marketing Gae, because prospective clients commonly turn to Internet searches and social networks to support their research efforts

Stage 3-Evaluation: They are now entering the decision-encies have been selected, and are being evaluated based on criteria such as pricing, capabilities, experience, staff, proof of perforreatest intelligence on the lead, and done the best job of custo the business develope 4-Decision: The prospect has entered the final decision phase This is commonly the tiotiate the terement There are still a nuh at this point, so it is important to prepare for objections and continue to instill confidence in the buyer In so on the prospect's internal processes

Stage 5-Postpurchase Behavior: Once the purchasing decision has been made, it is time for performance to meet expectations There is a natural honeyreat, but, as weeks andon your proure 62 Five Stages of the Buying Cycle: Awareness, Search, Evaluation, Decision, and Postbuying Behavior Anticipate postpurchase challenges and concerns as part of your process, and work to reduce the likelihood of the after the sale Continually seek opportunities to add value to your client, and never forget the i personal relationshi+ps Satisfied clients who feel appreciated are farreferrals to their friends and peers

Lead Generation

Developing a solid Inbound Marketing Gaeneration, but for this chapter ill drill into soies and tactics Keep in ns are focused on creating value, not selling

Before you initiate aggressive lead-generation efforts, it is i of the chapter: Where are your best leads coenerate h these channels?

Based on your historical (or forecasted) conversion rates and average revenue per client, how row your agency?

How do you identify and prioritize quality leads?

Now, let's take a look at ways your agency can fill the top of the funnel with qualified leads

Pricing strategy: Make the price value based, si into an asset in your sales efforts

Brand positioning:What coency's name? Is your brand unique andservices? Do people feel an emotional attachment to it? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself when defining your brand Your ency from the competition Create unique experiences online and offline that help you to stand out a quite like a great referral, especially if the referring source-peers, vendors, clients, and industry contacts-understands your brand and knohat a good lead looks like for you

Although it is acceptable to ask for referrals at times, the ly in you and your agency that they go out of their way to send you opportunities You can consistently earn referrals by keeping your agency in thea reputation based on proven performance, loyalty, honesty, and innovation

Contentis the key to differentiation” Nowhere in encies use blog posts, ebooks, videos, podcasts, original reports, and more to continually create value for their audiences and differentiate their brands Content y available to agencies today

SEO: Take the necessary steps to optie titles, URLs, headers, copywriting, ALT is and enerating inbound links and ranking for long-tail keywords, which you target through original content

Personal brands: Give your team the freedom and support to build powerful personal brands Help thee online, expand their connections, and bring value to their networks

Serviceonline service marketplaces can be ideal sources for project work, specifically for soloists and specialists

Ecosystehout theservices ecosystem Look for opportunities to collaborate with prospective partners who share your philosophies and values and offer complementary services

Niche encies that choose to focus their energy on building capabilities and expertise in specific industries and geographic territories Consider what unique knowledge and experience your agency has that could translate into a leadershi+p position in targeted markets

Publicity: The PR industry was built on the power of third-party endorseical about ency in online and traditional media outlets can have a tremendous effect on brand awareness, co efforts and social ht leader and create publicity opportunities for your agency

Networking (the traditional kind):Go anizations and niche industries Look for unique venues that are not populated by co set involved with a cha approach is to volunteer for co connections while contributing to causes you care about

Prospects and Lead Nurturing

As I mentioned earlier, there are endless variations on the sales funnel In the Blueprint h the funnel and are qualified as true sales opportunities These prospects fit the agency's target buyer personas, including the classicMAD-R characteristics: Money (M) to afford your services