How to increase sales

Tell me what you want, and I can show you how to get it.

Last week I spent two days with two different clients helping them understand how to get more of what they want -- increased sales.

Both four-hour training sessions with each client delved into areas unfamiliar to them, yet guaranteed to help them increase their sales -- increasing more conversions to lead to more revenue. The tools I provided them are the same ones I used over the years to close 70%, 80%, and even 90% of sales.

You see, most people are looking in the wrong direction in order to increase sales. They want the right words to say, the newest "closing" techniques, or the latest tricks. Yet, any increase in sales related to those are temporary at best, and unsustainable.

In order to increase sales -- sustainable, long-term increase that can occur immediately -- companies have to look in a different direction.

If you want that kind of increase, you have to ask the right questions, and be laser-focused on the right target to facilitate the kind of change that can lead to true sales increases.

Shoot me an email if you are interested in the same training. I have a few openings in July but expect them to go fast.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Turning the corner

Sometimes turning the corner is merely a precursor to going around in circles (or squares).

Sometimes turning the corner is merely to hide from what is behind you.

Sometimes turning the corner is the result of going the wrong way.

Sometimes turning the corner is exactly what you intended to do. In this instance before you make any turns, you must decide you will turn, and determine where you want to go once you make the turn.

houston@figment-consulting.com

It's only mountains

We all know how to "make a mountain out of a mole hill."

But, do we know how to make a molehill out of a mountain?

Whether a mountain or a molehill you can still simply go around.

You can also go over either one.

And remember, the view from the mountain is more breathtaking than the one from the molehill.

We can help you navigate the path and enjoy the journey.

houston@figment-consulting.com

683% CTR increase YOY

My team took over the digital spend for a client recently. After a digital analysis and audit, we initiated some immediate changes to their SEM. Already seeing a 683% increase in CTR compared to the same time frame last year (April).

* 223% lead conversion increase
* 264% increase in lead volume
* 74% decrease in CPL

Today, we launched an updated lead capture landing page that we hope will increase lead conversions even more. Will keep you updated.

The new web site design will be ready to launch within the next two weeks that should increase lead generation too.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Consulting a la carte

Are you struggling to attract new leads?

Are you wasting money on ineffective advertising?

Is your message not resonating with prospects?

Is your executive team not aligned with the core mission?

Is your marketing plan proving ineffective and inefficient, and your costs are rising?

Need help positioning your company or product effectively?

Do you simply need new ideas?

Want to know how to stand out from the competition?

Recently I have spent time on Google Hangout consulting with clients helping each one find a solution for each of the questions posed above. They didn't have the financing in place to hire a consultant full time, or they were in go-to-market mode and simply needed a one-time consultation to better align their plan with their values. So, they reached out to me and asked if we could consult with them on an hourly basis rather than full-time program.

It has proven successful for our clients over these past few months, and we are now rolling it out a little more formally as Consulting a la carte.

We work together over a Google Hangout to minimize any and all expenses, and spend the amount of time you determine you need to achieve your objective. You walk away with ideas, plans, and solutions you can measure to see the impact. You only return if you need us again. No strings attached.

Visit our web site at www.figment-consulting.com to see all of our services, and to learn more about our Google Hangout Consulting a la carte.

Or, go ahead and email me at houston@figment-consulting.com and we can arrange a time for you from the comforts of where you are.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Relationship Strategy v Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy is a funnel-down system -- drop as many leads as you can in the top, sift them as they flow down to the bottom, and hopefully the ones who emerge as customers will stick.

A Relationship Strategy turns the funnel on its side, focuses first on existing customers and allows them to use the funnel as a bullhorn to help share your story.

A marketing strategy is about brand messaging.

A Relationship Strategy is about sharing your story.

A marketing strategy is developed around a conference table.

A Relationship Strategy grows from customer to customer.

A marketing strategy is all about which channels to use to broadcast the message and try to reach as many people as possible.

A Relationship Strategy is about determining why you exist, who you can best serve, then laser focus on sharing your story with them.

A marketing strategy focuses on leads and enrollments.

A Relationship Strategy focuses on right-fit students.

A marketing strategy focuses on the start of the school year.

A Relationship Strategy focuses on the end of the school year.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Don't believe the lie

Unless it happens to be the truth. And therein lies the difficulty - - discerning what is true and what is not.

What is most disconcerting is how quickly we as consumers make that decision. We quickly form our opinion then look for facts that support it while we tend to ignore potential red flags. Most of the time we do this without realizing it.

So, is it marketers that distort the truth, exaggerate the truth, or do we simply forget to read the fine print, because it is too fine?

houston@figment-consulting.com

Stop aiming for the Moon

Aim for the moon. If you miss you will land among the stars.

Alpha Centauri A, our nearest neighbor, is 4.37 light years from Earth.

So, if you aim for the moon and miss, you will be light years away from the stars.

Instead, determine which star you want to aim for and go after it.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Change perspective and perspective can change

Much of what I write about, and do in my consulting business, has to do with challenging perspectives, and changing them. It allows for fresh ideas to occur -- sometimes they work brilliantly and sometimes they do not.

One of my mentors is author and creative thinker Michael Milchalko. I found his book Thinkertoys at a Barnes & Noble years ago, and it has been a constant companion of mine since then. Fortunately it wasn't the only book he decided to write. I have had the good fortune of being in contact with him over the years and continue to enjoy his thoughts, his perspective, and his writings.

In addition to authoring books, he puts out a regular blog dedicated to creative thinking. You can read his latest post here.

In it he will challenge you to change your perspective in order for your perspective to change -- allowing you to see things in new ways.

houston@figment-consulting.com

McDonald's - Carry on, carry on.

In November of last year, McDonald's sales were down 4%, the largest decrease in over a decade. On a global scale, same-store sales for the month were down 2.2% with the third quarter same-store sales decrease clocking in at 3.3%. Clearly a brand-refresh was needed.

The question is, will their "Signs" campaign turn sales around? Will an emotional appeal drive more people to their restaurants? Is it designed to attract new customers, or to bring existing customers back?

As for the video itself, it is a good story, and continues the "I'm Lovin' It" narrative by showing that McDonald's "loves" their communities, and is connected to them.

The mere fact that this effort is beyond what one would expect is interesting. Meaning, you would think McDonald's would lead with ads offering discounts, pushing the low-priced products, or offering some new product. Instead, they offer up a feel-good advertisement in an effort to re-establish their position in the market. I expect this is the first ad of an integrated campaign that will have a mix of feel-good and product-based offerings so it will be interesting to see if it proves effective.

The question remains though, are they focused on the core issues in order to turn around sales? Or, are they hoping marketing can save the day?

houston@figment-consulting.com

#BlackFriday, #ShopSmallSaturday, #CyberMonday

Tis the season of hashtag shopping days.

Each a tradition ingrained in the minds of shoppers, passed on from one generation to another. And now, each fading away in relevance and importance.

Change is the constant of today, and sometimes traditions must give way. True industry leaders are the ones who initiate those behavioral customs that dare to become the next set of traditions (until they lose their importance yet again).

houston@figment-consulting.com

Moe's Southwest Grill - Pavlovian conditioning leads to greater tips.

Moe's Southwest Grill is a Mexican cuisine restaurant that allows you to walk down the buffet-style line and have them prepare your meal for you. Their food is fresh, the servings are large, and the taste is good.

What fascinates me though is the use of peer pressure in order to increase the tips they receive. You see, their servers never leave their space behind the counter, yet they work hard to prepare your meal the way you want it. So, as you make your way toward the register, you continually hear this little bell each time a customer pays -- or, at least you should if you want to be part of the tribe.

You see, each time a customer leaves a tip, the person at the register rings the bell and all the employees yell out a robust "thank you" for the tip.

Talk about peer pressure -- would you want to be the next in line and not leave a tip? It's a classic case of the Pavlovian effect of conditioning. And while I have not been able to determine the exact rate at which customers leave tips, the tip jar is always full.

Next time you eat at Moe's, pay attention to how many times the bell rings. Then, look at the tip jar in the next Subway you go into and notice the difference.

The cost of the bell? Probably $1. The return on investment? Priceless.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Delight or fear?

Will you overwhelm me with delight, positiveness, and tell me a fascinating story that makes me want to buy from you?

Or, will you try to strike fear into me and motivate me that way?

Which one builds long-term loyalty? Which one do you care about most? - short-term sale, or long-term loyalty?

houston@figment-consulting.com

A mission statement or an obsession statement: Real Deals

Knowing my affinity for companies who are obsessed about something rather than on a mission, a friend of mine sent a link to me the other day and told me I needed to check out Real Deals on Home Decor, especially their Facebook About page.

This is what I found:

About

At Real Deals, you have the right to say I like it, I love it, I want some more of it! Linda Hill (Real Deals Fan)

Mission

Mission Statements are for the birds. Here at Real Deals on Home Decor we have an Obsession Statement.

The Obsession of the Real Deals Family of Mom and Pop Stores is to:

1. WOW you with amazing (startling, classic, fresh, super-cute, hip) decor at prices too good to be true.

2. PROVE that YOU are our favorite (most-valued, preferred, adored, best-looking) customer.

3. CREATE a unique (fabulous, dynamic, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping) shopping experience you can't wait to repeat!

Company Overview

We are a close-knit, family-owned group of franchises. We are open only two days a week. Simply put we offer the best home decor from at the best prices. It's a place where you can feel at home while you are shopping for your home. Try getting that at a stuffy big box store.

Now, I don't know about you but this is the kind of place I would like to go to.

Is your company obsessed with anything? If so, why not share it with us and inspire us to do business with you.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Test your brain

Deception specialist Apollo Robbins demonstrates how easily we deceive ourselves by allowing misdirection to occur. 

Learn from this video then see how it applies to the next group of television commercials you see.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Think outside the box.

Think outside the box has come to symbolize the point in the conversation when people are going to think creatively. As if prior to that point everyone has been thinking inside the box.

Who brought the box to the meeting? Whose box is it? Do we each have our own box? Is my box different than yours?

What if we threw the box away? What if we never had the box in the first place?

Let's quit placing parameters on ourselves and embrace the concept that if you can think, then you can think creatively.

Open your mind to the possibilities and understand that you don't have to come up with a great idea, just come up with any idea. Ideas tend to breed other ideas. Once they start growing then you have the potential to develop one, or two, or three, that can be great.

Don't look for a "Eureka!" moment. Be on the lookout for the "Wow, that's interesting." moment.

As for the box, let it serve as a container of supplies, not ideas.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The one thing that will not change.

By the time I finish typing this sentence, technology will have changed yet again.

Growing up, did you ever believe you would spend your day "tweeting"?

People complain that Instagram is not quick enough.

Candy Crush was actually a recent IPO -- an app maker is now a public company. How long ago was it that apps were first introduced?

When was the last time you used your fax machine?

Pay phones are now exhibits in a museum.

So, yes change is occurring rapidly and it is difficult to keep up, especially for companies that tend to move slowly.

However, through it all there is one thing that does not change, and by focusing on it first, it can actually help you navigate through all of the change.

Taking care of your customers.

Technology, social media, and the change that comes with them are only tools to allow you to take care of your customers in delightful and more personal ways.

If your attention is on the ever-changing technology and trying to keep up, then your customers will feel that. But, if your focus is on your customers, it can drive your decisions on which tools to use, and which ones to avoid.

Don't lose sight of what you are building by becoming too enamored with the shiny new tools.

houston@figment-consulting.com

I expect you will listen to me. I hope you will hear me.

Listening to your customers merely means you are paying attention to them in order to hear what they have to say. That much they expect of you.

Hearing them goes much deeper where you perceive, discern, apprehend, and even comprehend.

You can applaud yourself for all of the ways you listen to your customers, but if you never hear what they are telling you, it only creates frustration.

Focus on hearing them, on discerning what they are telling you, on understanding their wants that they are trying to convey. If you can serve their wants, you can delight them.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Want referrals? Build relationships.

Ask any virtual school and they will tell you that word-of-mouth is the greatest asset to increasing their enrollments. Friends sharing their experience with others, inviting them to learn more, those are what show up time and time again as the number one driver for new students.

And yet, these same schools continue to increase their media costs by focusing on digital, television, radio, and even print ads while ignoring the potential for referrals. Of course, asking for referrals means you have to have built the relationship prior to the ask, or else it will fall flat.

Perhaps this is why virtual schools rely on the traditional media strategy, trying hard to find more leads to toss into the top of the funnel with the hope of more falling out at the bottom after being sifted through, while existing families leave at an alarming rate each year.

Building real relationships with your families and students requires vulnerability, authenticity, care, concern, time, effort, commitment, and desire. It is easier to sit in an office and develop a media strategy from afar, reading the data points, analyzing emerging trends, and searching for ways to increase click through rates by another .05%.

The problem though is that it is also riskier. Media strategies will not build loyalty. Relationship Strategies can. It is not a play on words, and understand that media plans arise out of Relationship Strategies, but the focus, the intent, and the outcome is different.

Relationship Strategies open you up to the potential of building authentic bonds with your students and families. And, as you strengthen these bonds with each and every touch point opportunity, it becomes only natural for you to be able to ask your families to share their experience with others.

Imagine a virtual school web site that said, "95% of our families say they would recommend us to a friend. And, 95% of them did."

What is your goal? "Would" or "Did"? A well-defined, genuinely-executed Relationship Strategy can move you from "would" to "did" when it comes to referrals.

www.figment-consulting.com

When it comes to customers . . .

Good companies have customer service departments. Great ones have a customer-centered culture.

Good companies create service policies. Great ones create art.

Good companies search for answers. Great ones seek solutions.

Good companies guide discussions. Great ones engage in conversations.

Being good is becoming more difficult in today's economy. Pursuing greatness attracts loyal followers.

www.figment-consulting.com