Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

Here's what that might look like.

• You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
• You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
• You gain attention,
  Business Brokers and Valuations, a Comment
  Business Brokers often double as business appraisers. I see a real problem with business brokers and their valuations teams it seems like a huge conflict of interest to me. Many times the business broker sales person is also a licensed business evaluator. But the job should be done by a CPA or a non-involved “Certified Business Appraiser” and not the same Business Broker making the listing for the sale of that business.See: http://www.cpa2biz.comOther books on this subject I found relevant are:“A CPAs Guide to Valuin
  I believe that small business marketing and selling follows a certain flow. The pace of the flow may differ depending on what you’re selling, but I still see the flow for virtually every small business. If you acknowledge and understand the flow for your own business then you can implement processes and systems to work within the flow. I call it Mastering the ABCD’s of marketing and selling.

  Attention. The first step in the flow for attracting new clients is gaining attention. Your prospects need to know you exist and want to know more. This is going to be accomplished by effectively communicating your key marketing message. It comes down to what you say when someone ask what you do, or what attention grabbing headline you use in your letter or brochure, or what title you give your article or speech. Words are critical here.

  The key to generating attention is focus on results, not process. People want to know what they’ll get from you, not necessarily what you’ll do or how you'll do it. Don’t talk about you, talk about them. Focus on the primary problems, issues, and challenges you want to help them solve.

  Building Interest, Credibility, and Trust. The next step in the flow is building up their interest in what you have to offer as well as your credibility and trust. You’ve gained their attention and they want to know more. You need to give them information that will provide them with ideas they can actually use. You need to provide them information to educate them to your way of thinking and what kind of results you’re capable of producing.

  Information to build interest, credibility, and trust could take the form of an article, or a tip sheet, or an audio tape, etc. The objective at this phase of the flow is to let the prospect see you as a possible source of help, and let the ones who are ready to explore the possibilities reveal themselves to you.

  Conversation. If you’re managing the flow correctly, by providing useful information, the prospect sees both a need and a want that you just might be able to fulfill. Now they’re ready to discuss their needs. Through conversation you work to see if you can come to a conceptual agreement about how you could help the prospect.

  You are discussing if the services are right for them or not. You talk to the prospect and determine more in detail about their needs and then you explain more about what you do and discover how well they match.

  Deal. If you’ve reached this stage of the flow, then you have agreed in principle that working together is the right thing to do. The conceptual sale has been made and now you’re ready to structure a deal.

  The key here is structuring a win-win agreement that ensures everyone understands the expectations, and that they will be met. This involves negotiating the deal and getting agreement to proceed with the work.

  Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

  Here's what that might look like.

  • You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
  • You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
  • You gain attention,
    Outcomes - That's What You Need to Focus On
    Successful business owners and managers need to be very clear about what outcomes they want. Whether you call them goals, objectives or targets, these are the factors that you're ultimately judged on. Outcomes determine whether your business is a success or a failure.If you're an employed manager, you'll find them in your job description or contract and I'm sure your boss will concentrate on them at your next performance review. Outcomes are what you're paid to achieve.Many business owners and managers allow thems
    bing headline you use in your letter or brochure, or what title you give your article or speech. Words are critical here.

    The key to generating attention is focus on results, not process. People want to know what they’ll get from you, not necessarily what you’ll do or how you'll do it. Don’t talk about you, talk about them. Focus on the primary problems, issues, and challenges you want to help them solve.

    Building Interest, Credibility, and Trust. The next step in the flow is building up their interest in what you have to offer as well as your credibility and trust. You’ve gained their attention and they want to know more. You need to give them information that will provide them with ideas they can actually use. You need to provide them information to educate them to your way of thinking and what kind of results you’re capable of producing.

    Information to build interest, credibility, and trust could take the form of an article, or a tip sheet, or an audio tape, etc. The objective at this phase of the flow is to let the prospect see you as a possible source of help, and let the ones who are ready to explore the possibilities reveal themselves to you.

    Conversation. If you’re managing the flow correctly, by providing useful information, the prospect sees both a need and a want that you just might be able to fulfill. Now they’re ready to discuss their needs. Through conversation you work to see if you can come to a conceptual agreement about how you could help the prospect.

    You are discussing if the services are right for them or not. You talk to the prospect and determine more in detail about their needs and then you explain more about what you do and discover how well they match.

    Deal. If you’ve reached this stage of the flow, then you have agreed in principle that working together is the right thing to do. The conceptual sale has been made and now you’re ready to structure a deal.

    The key here is structuring a win-win agreement that ensures everyone understands the expectations, and that they will be met. This involves negotiating the deal and getting agreement to proceed with the work.

    Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

    Here's what that might look like.

    • You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
    • You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
    • You gain attention,
      Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions
      Do you encourage customer feedback with hotlines, focus groups and in-depth customer surveys?One car manufacturer was exposed for systematically hiding customer complaints over a period of thirty years. How would you feel buying an automobile from a company with a policy and culture like that?With your suppliers, what kind of customer are you? If they make a mistake, do you tell them right away and give practical suggestions for improvement?How frequently do you give feedback to your team members? Are they satisfied w
      ctually use. You need to provide them information to educate them to your way of thinking and what kind of results you’re capable of producing.

      Information to build interest, credibility, and trust could take the form of an article, or a tip sheet, or an audio tape, etc. The objective at this phase of the flow is to let the prospect see you as a possible source of help, and let the ones who are ready to explore the possibilities reveal themselves to you.

      Conversation. If you’re managing the flow correctly, by providing useful information, the prospect sees both a need and a want that you just might be able to fulfill. Now they’re ready to discuss their needs. Through conversation you work to see if you can come to a conceptual agreement about how you could help the prospect.

      You are discussing if the services are right for them or not. You talk to the prospect and determine more in detail about their needs and then you explain more about what you do and discover how well they match.

      Deal. If you’ve reached this stage of the flow, then you have agreed in principle that working together is the right thing to do. The conceptual sale has been made and now you’re ready to structure a deal.

      The key here is structuring a win-win agreement that ensures everyone understands the expectations, and that they will be met. This involves negotiating the deal and getting agreement to proceed with the work.

      Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

      Here's what that might look like.

      • You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
      • You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
      • You gain attention,
        Applying Blue Ocean Strategy to Product Development
        Henry Ford didn't invent the car. He wasn't even the first manufacturer of the car. In fact, when he jumped into the industry, there were more than 500 manufacturers building automobiles. That's a heavy market. It's what some call a red ocean, tainted by the battling competition. So, why is it that we think of Ford when we think of cars? Because he didn't sail that red ocean. He made a blue ocean strategy that not only built long-term brand equity, but brought the cost of a car down from $1,500 to $250 in a matter of a few years, sending
        ou can come to a conceptual agreement about how you could help the prospect.

        You are discussing if the services are right for them or not. You talk to the prospect and determine more in detail about their needs and then you explain more about what you do and discover how well they match.

        Deal. If you’ve reached this stage of the flow, then you have agreed in principle that working together is the right thing to do. The conceptual sale has been made and now you’re ready to structure a deal.

        The key here is structuring a win-win agreement that ensures everyone understands the expectations, and that they will be met. This involves negotiating the deal and getting agreement to proceed with the work.

        Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

        Here's what that might look like.

        • You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
        • You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
        • You gain attention,
          Store and Maintain your Business Tools and Equipment with Self Storage
          For the small business owner, particularly for businesses which require access to tools and heavy equipment, self storage can be a real boon.If you're a landscaper, carpenter, plumber, or electrician, you need easy access to the tools of your trade. You've probably sacrificed to scrape together the money to buy all the equipment you need to start your own business. But once you buy it, where are you going to put it? Maybe you live in a tiny apartment with no storage space. Or you may rent a house with inadequate space, or with a la
          .

          Now think about your own marketing and sales flow. Where do things go wrong? I would contend that a lot of small businesses are guilty of trying to skip steps in the flow. I’ve seen it and I’m sure you have also.

          Here's what that might look like.

          • You get a whiff of attention, they go straight to the conversation. “Let’s set up a meeting and I can learn more about your business and tell you more about our unique approach and experience.”
          • You gain attention and build up some interest and credibility, but then going straight for the deal. “I’ll send you an engagement letter to sign that will detail our methodology and give you range of prices.”
          • You gain attention, build some interest and trust, have the conversation, but then skip the deal process altogether. “Great, sounds like we have deal. I can have the team here to start on Monday.”

          You need to be patient to make the process work. Skipping steps most likely leads to disappointment. Understand that effective marketing and selling is not an event that happens between projects.

          Mastering the ABCD's of marketing and selling is about consistently sharing valuable ideas and information to continuously pursue your passion. And through a focus on sharing solutions and information, you’ll become a better marketer that knows how to consistently attract clients.

          (c) - Kevin P. Dervin, KPD Marketing