Written by: Vickie Sullivan | February 08, 2022
Is Your Sales Strategy Obsolete? Probably
How do you get new clients when buyers have so many services from which to choose? According to the RSW/US Agency New Business annual report, business from existing clients and referrals were the top two marketing tools for generating new business in 2021. No surprise there. (Note: Free registration required to access the report.)
The incumbents had the new-business advantage both during in 2020 and 2021, with almost 75% of respondents saying new business came from those buyers. Add referrals to the mix, and it is clear buyers are streamlining the selection process by focusing on who they already know.
On the flip side, one of the biggest challenges last year for getting new business is that it’s harder to break through to prospects. A whopping 59% said that was their biggest challenge. That was followed by COVID-19 (36%) and that prospects go dark after a first meeting (32%). As you can see, we are not alone with these struggles.
Another similarity: The people in charge of sales and pitches for marketing and PR agencies are the same as in our marketplace: the owner/CEO.
Today’s Sales Strategy
What this means for us: The old stories we tell ourselves about sales – it’s a number’s game, gotta hustle, etc. – don’t work anymore. Even if buyers show initial interest, we can’t appear as the cool stranger. Buyers must know us before they will listen to us.
Listen: 2 Things to Change About Our Sales Stories
In our hearts, we know the old stories don’t work. That’s why we procrastinate before jumping into sales calls. What we must realize now: Marketing is as important as sales. In fact, a good market strategy paves the way for sales. Let’s plan accordingly.
Now Read This:
- 2 Strategies for Selling to Confident Buyers
- Springboard Marketing: Leveraging Your Expertise into an Empire