Rachel Begg
Gone are the days when you could go door to door to sell vacuums. How many people avoid opening the door for this guy? Today you have to get the client in a different way. It is not good enough to talk about suction. You have to develop a blog and a social media presence where you are the expert on cleaning anything. When they want to know about removing red wine from the carpet, they turn to you. When they want to learn about getting rid of animal hair, they turn to you. As the expert, inbound marketing is drawing people in.
Why Sales People Need to Embrace Inbound Marketing
A client base is one of the most important parts of business. Who do people like to do business with the most? Experts in the field and their friends. Vacuum sales pitches are empty, hollow and scream for a commission. This is a turn off. Inbound marketing is an organic way to get out there and become the most recognized name in your industry.
The Wide Net
The size of the customer base increases with proper social media networking. This pool of potential clients is why sales people need to embrace inbound marketing. It is so simple to like something on Facebook or to follow someone on Twitter. All it takes is one click. Once you have the client, you show up in their feed. They see you and you are kept in their sphere.
How do you use this to your advantage? This comes from hiring creative sales people. You cannot simply post sales in people’s news feed. You would then be spam. However, you can post tips about planning for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, post tips on decorating for a tailgating party or post stress relief tips for going into fourth quarter of the sales year. You are becoming their friend. This builds clients, builds trust and can build brand loyalty.
Bring the Client to You
The impact of content is why sales people need to embrace inbound marketing. Search engine optimized content will get you to the top of a Google search. People do not have the time to scroll through a thousand choices when they are looking for an answer. They trust their search engine to whittle out the extra options. Fresh, timely content will keep you current in the ranks. When this content comes from a sales person it can be geared towards common questions they hear from clients. When you can answer the clients’ issues in a blog, which is easy to navigate and personable, you build trust before you even meet a client.
Additionally, content helps you stand out as a business which cares. You are not just trying to sell a product; you are trying to provide a service. Content shows that you are in touch with the community, with the clients and with the times we live in. Content helps your business be more relatable.
Understanding why sales people need to embrace inbound marketing will lead to sales success.