Marketing 101: Awareness, Consideration, Preference

Back in the day as a newbie account guy a really smart Creative Director sat me down for a lesson on Marketing:  "You've got to get the consumer to become aware of you before they will consider you...only then will they grow to prefer you".  Great advice then and even more critical today with the myriad ways that consumers learn about new products.  Here's a great way to look at the process:

At the end of the day brands are looking for ways to keep a customer coming back for more...all while telling their friends...and so on...

Until next time...
Chris Morales

The Pros and Cons of Social Media

We sure love the pros:  Easy to have an opinion, even easier to comment on someone else's post.  The cons are a drag though:  Every post becomes the most important post in the world, People pile on just to be seen as being part of the story.  Still though, for business owners the pros outweigh the cons:  Social Media Marketing is a cost-effective way to promote and grow your business.  Just keep in mind some of these cons:

 

Until next time... 

Chris Morales

5 Elements of the Sales Process

It looks great on paper the sales process.  In the real world it's somewhat more fluid...dare I say chaotic!  Despite your best laid plans, leads, suspects, prospects and customers don't behave in a linear manner.  It's frustrating...it's reality!  Use a CRM to keep on top of all activities of the sales process is one piece of advice I give frequently.  The other is to be ready to overcome objections...the obstacles to closing the sale and keeping your customers happy!

Until next time...
Chris Morales

Seven Steps of Personal Selling

At my first sales job back in the day, here's what I got from my Sales Manager:  Here's the phone book...those are your leads...now get out there and sell!"

In some industries things haven't changed.  But there is hope, especially with all the information on prospects that is available now via simple Google searches.

I teach a course at a Toronto Community College to adults looking to improve their personal selling skills.  Many are not professional sales people...they want to learn how to apply professional selling in their business lives:  to get jobs, promotions, new jobs!  The principles are basic and they apply to everyone.  Here are seven steps of personal selling that I believe in and teach:

None of these are more important than the other.  You will fail if you short-circuit the process.  As you gain experience you will learn how to adjust your pace based on the situation...and the needs of the person you are selling t!

Until next time...
Chris Morales

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