The death of enewsletters?

No. No way.
 

In fact our own weekly enewsletter (thank you for reading this!) goes from strength to strength. That’s if your measurement criteria for a successful newsletter includes the number of those signing up to receive it, the numbers opening it, the numbers reading it – and the amount of favourable comments received.  
 

Oh and the number of enquiries we receive through it too.  

Yes, actual leads each week, even though we don’t promote anything within the newsletter (ok then maybe a teeny weeny bit at the bottom sometimes!)

So I remain convinced that a company newsletter could be a very powerful contributor to helping your company achieve its strategic goals.
 

Fundamental rules of newsletters
 

It’s got to be good! People aren’t reading as many newsletters as they were and there are lots to choose from so, depending on the sector you operate in, you may have a lot of competition vying for the attention of your customers and potential customers. So your newsletter content needs to be top notch. More later on this. 

Make sure the content is highly focussed on the needs of your readers. It must be interesting. And it must be useful too. So who are your readers? What are their needs? For example we have three different versions of this newsletter, the version you receive depends on your company type and your role within it. 
 

Make sure it can be read in 2 - 3 minutes. We’re all very busy these days! If your newsletter doesn’t look crisp and clean and easy to read, it won’t be read, it’s as simple as that.  
 

Give not sell. Yes you might include a discreet promotional link but the crucial overriding principle with a newsletter is that it's a giving platform. Be satisfied that when you're giving your reader handy information, you're indirectly promoting yourself anyway.  

Why you should produce a newsletter

1. It's a great way to keep in touch with previous customers so that they will also be your future customers. Maintain your relationship – keep the business.
2. For those contacts on your database that haven’t yet purchased from you a newsletter is a wonderful ongoing reminder of who you are and what you specialise in.
3. You build and maintain a relationship with those that read it, even with those you’ve never met. They become familiar with you and your offering - and when the time comes that they’re ready to buy, you’re well positioned to make the sale.
4. An excellent newsletter will help define you as an expert in your field. You build a reputation as the ‘go to’ people in your sector.
5. You get additional exposure you wouldn’t normally get. Even if your newsletter is not read, it will still appear in your contacts’ inboxes as a subject line and sender – and even that small amount of exposure helps keep you and your company in their minds.
6. It will generate enquiries for you – later if not sooner. 

What you should put in your newsletter  
 

The simple rule here is ...anything that you know your contacts might find useful. Our rule at The Sales Consultancy is simple. When we’re considering ideas of what to include in our newsletter the one question we have to answer with a YES is ... Will it increase the sales success of the readers if they implement our suggestions? 

But if you’re struggling for ideas, here’s an article I came across which has a fabulous check list of the type of content you should consider for your newsletter.
 

21Great Ideas For Your Next Company Newsletter  
 

So yes, based on our own experiences and results I remain a big fan of regular newsletters.  

What do you think?

 

Until next time...

 

Leigh

PS:2014...the year for you to Accelerate Your Sales?

 

 results@sales-consultancy.com

020 7903 5426  

www.sales-consultancy.com

Forprevious 'Tricks of the Trade' go here

Stop Your Procrastination NOW (not later!)

Years ago, we were (and still are being) introduced to all these labour saving devices. All this meant we'd have lots more time on our hands to enjoy life, enjoy our friends and families and live a life of ongoing leisure.

So what happened then? Everyone I meet is as busy as ever trying to make a living and it's taking more time than ever!

Which means we cannot afford to procrastinate, yet it's a very common admission of attendees on every training and mentoring programme I deliver. We know it holds us back but...

So - high time to take a look at procrastination - and not put it off any more!!

Procrastination is one of the biggest enemies you have when it comes to sales and marketing. Thinking about what you need to do to get that business in is all very well - taking the first step towards your objective is critical.

Putting off the least productive items in your day is a useful talent. Putting off the crucial stuff is a bad move. Your productivity goes right down, your achievements are zilch and before you know where you are you're stressed.

What to do about it?...

Here are six pointers to help you overcome procrastination.

1. Plan your day before your day!
It's an old cliche but people don't plan to fail - they do sometimes fail to plan. Without a plan of action in place before you arrive for work it’s too easy to get caught up in ‘stuff’. The phone rings, someone pops into the office and you spend your time responding to the loudest voices rather than to the most important priorities. A plan of action, prepared the night before is like a roadmap for the next day. You know what your next step needs to be to get you into productive action and away from procrastination. With a prioritised plan, you hit the ground running and get early momentum to your day.

2. Work with a clean desk.
Get organised. When I mentor business owners, managers and sales people, the desks they operate from are often filled with files stacked so high they're a health and safety hazard. Often accompanied by empty drinks cups, sandwich crumbs, half the world's supply of sticky notes, it goes on.

No No No. If you're serious about working to your utmost potential and actually achieving results on an efficient, consistent basis, you've got to be organised and look organised. A cluttered desk sends a signal - to your own mind and to others around you.

Cut the chances of distraction, get a decent filing system, get rid of old stuff, so that you can concentrate on one IMPORTANT thing at a time on your desk.

3. Reduce large projects to bite-sized pieces.
Can't face that big project? Then break it down into smaller chunks so you chip away over time. Work out when your deadline is. Impose your own if you need to - and work out how much time you need to spend on this project each week, day and so on.

Be sure to plan for interruptions. Most people get them, so expect them and assess your required time accordingly. For example, tomorrow you plan to work on a three-hour project. Build in four hours to your timetable as, unless you are very lucky, you'll have to deal with interruptions, meetings, etc.

Leading personal development guru Brian Tracy suggests you 'Eat That Frog' first thing in the morning, meaning get the most challenging or unappetising tasks out of the way first thing. If you have two frogs staring at you, eat the ugliest one first! You'll have a much better day rather than letting those frogs stare at you all day until you 'get round to them'.

4. Plan around interruptions.
Interruptions tend to occur in identifiable patterns. You may get most of your interruptions early in the day rather than later in the day. You may get most of your interruptions early in the week rather than later in the week. So, if you plan a big project make sure it works with your normal schedule of activity – don’t create stress for yourself before you begin. As soon as your interruptions arrive they will re-focus your attention, causing you to procrastinate what you really want to do. It’s so much easier swimming downstream with the current rather than bucking the tide. Therefore, plan those larger projects for quieter times of your day and week when you tend to get fewer interruptions. And if you can and really need to - ask for no interruptions. Trade this for a period when you commit to being available for others later in the day

5. Assign deadlines.
Have you ever failed to achieve a New Year's resolution? If so, that probably happened because you didn’t set a deadline. Deadlines will move you to action. Without a deadline, things end up in our ‘soon as possible’ pile, a Never Never Land where items might get attended to someday, when you get the time. Create a deadline and you will be moved to action.

6. FBI
When prioritising your work, ask yourself, what's the FBI here - The Fastest Business Impact? This will help concentrate the mind on what you really should be doing. Keep checking in with the FBI test and you'll notice an impact on your sales.

Leigh Ashton

http://www.sales-consultancy.com/

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Get Mental: Are You Fit To Sell?

Companies are storing record cash amounts. They're hoarding their revenues for more rainy days ahead. They're spending little at the moment. They're making do.

One day though - one day they'll will be ready to spend big. Their cash reserves are colossal - after all, profits have held up well and companies have cut out lots of costs.

But when they do decide to spend, YOU have to be right up there in their consciousness, right in the forefront of their thinking, if you are going to maximise the inevitable opportunities that are going to arise.

Well then - are you ready? Have you got what it takes? How motivated are you? What state are you in?

Where will you be when the gold rush starts?

Your answers to these and other similar questions will determine your success as we come out of the economic downturn.

So for our latest Tricks of The Trade we look at 'The Inner You'. Remember - you cannot succeed and make it happen on the outside before you've already made it happen on the inside.


Have the Right Mind State

Your mind and body are part of the same interactive system. What you're thinking will determine your behavior so you need to be thinking positive, motivating thoughts. If you find your thinking or internal dialogue is not helpful to your state you need to change it - and FAST.

Think about times when you were in the flow, sales were easy, conversations flowed and you felt great. It feels great doesn't it?

What about when things didn't go that well, you weren't moving forward, something stopped you from taking action. How did you feel during those times?
The objective is to stay in that first, happy productive state, and if you find yourself less resourceful, to change back into that productive state quickly and easily. Put simply you will achieve more sales and success generally from being in a positive state.


Anchoring

So how can you capture and draw on the best bits? Anchoring is the technique which enables you to recall those moments when you were totally motivated, lock them in, and recall them when required. It sounds simple and it is and by following the exercise below you can have an effective anchor available to you in minutes.

Limiting beliefs

A big subject, very important too. For now take notice of those things you say to yourself that are not helping you. That little voice inside, that makes you doubt your ability and stops you from taking action, or the right action. Some people call it their inner critic.

You need to take on that inner critic. After all - how many of the messages it gives you are based on fact? Not many usually. Yet these negative thoughts promote your limiting beliefs, in turn stopping you performing at your peak. So notice those messages from within, and where they came from.

Remember - sales come when you are in a really great state. Oh and smile too. It's really difficult to do 'depressed' when you're smiling! Sales isn't a process, or about what you say. It starts in your head and how you're feeling. Get that right and you will succeed in sales.


1 Anchoring Exercise

Think of a time when the conversation flowed, when you were in deep rapport and felt unstoppable. Get right into that moment, turn it up - and bottle it. Then think of another great selling moment and do the same. And again, three times in all. Design yourself an anchor to lock in the fabulous state you are now in - maybe a piece of music, maybe a clap of your hand, something that, later by playing the music, or clapping in the same way, you can reproduce that motivated and unstoppable feeling.


2 Countering limiting beliefs exercise

During the course of a day, notice those negative statements you think and say. Write them down. For each limiting belief write down three counter examples to each. Three examples which demonstrate the limiting belief not to be true. This will shake the roots of those limiting beliefs and ultimately eradicate them.


Summary

- Your thoughts will determine your behaviour and your results
- To maximise your potential you need to stay in, or get in, a happy productive state
- Anchoring is a powerful tool to capture and retain and reproduce those moments when you are most motivated and resourceful
- Limiting Beliefs are those inner voices that tell you what you cannot do or struggle to do
- Limiting beliefs should be countered and destroyed to achieve maximum sales success

Please get in touch with any questions or comments you may have.

Until next time

Leigh Ashton

Increasing Your Sales

The Sales Consultancy