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Let’s face it, staying on top of the trends, the latest best practices, and changes in algorithms and privacy policies can be totally exhausting. Completely zapped…
You know that feeling right before you get on a call? The one where you enter into the unknown realm where prospects can ask anything. Not to fear, there are some steps that you can take to feel at ease when entering conversations with industry leaders, no matter who they are.
How to Approach Selling to Industry Leaders
Stay Informed
I know, there is so much noise. Where should you begin when conducting a PPC sales pitch?
How about Search Engine Journal, MarTech, PPC Hero, Wordstream, White Shark Media YouTube Channel, and up-to-date blogs?
You can also research hashtags in specific industries on your favorite social media sites. Another idea is to set up Google Alerts for topics relevant to you.
Know the Struggles and Speak Their Language
Use the same terminology that they use in their day-to-day—research their news page, blog, about pages, and services. Get a feel for their brand and what they offer, but don’t assume that all of their goals are obvious or that their digital marketing efforts are all-inclusive.
Here are three areas to get you started when putting a PPC sales strategy together:
Consider a few tips from the White Shark Media crew that will help get you up to speed in various industries.
Make The Conversation About Them
We really cannot emphasize this enough. Remember, it’s not your moment to shine and tell your founder’s story. Nor is it the moment to glorify all of your accomplishments. There is a humble way to share your abilities without making the conversation all about you.
Think high-level. You don’t want to ask them what kind of services they provide if they are on the website. So, unless it is a completely cold inbound PPC sales call, you should have done your research.
According to Salesforce research: “66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.”
Make every meeting, email, SMS, and phone conversation focused on their needs and show through real experiences how your solutions alleviate their pain points.
I know, emails are easy, right? If you have been consulting for a while, you may realize that thinking about subject lines and email content is common practice. We know that many emails go unopened because we are not only sellers or consultants, but we are also consumers who carefully select how we utilize our time.
So, what do the experts recommend? Check out some data-based tips in this Webinar: How to Write Highly Effective Emails from our friends, the Gongsters.
Be The Quality They Seek
80% of customers consider the company’s “experience” just as important as its products and services.
The study compiled opinions and data from 15,600 consumers and global business buyers in which three key takeaways arose:
Have Friendly, Informative, and Valuable Conversations
Speaking with authority is critical when it comes to PPC sales conversations, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be amicable; it means being mindful of your tone, being concise, and using specific wording in emails and conversations.
Show the results by being informative and adding value to every conversation. Here are a few examples of achieving engaging communication with prospects.
-Being knowledgeable in the home services industry.
-Connecting industry-specific PPC strategies for e-commerce stores online.
How were results achieved?
- Automated bidding strategies
- Search & Shopping campaigns
- Segmented campaigns
- Tracking all possible conversions
The bottom line is to show prospects actual results that they can relate to. Share insights and similar business success by sending them a case study where your team was able to improve their online presence, get them better ROI, and get quality leads. Share real experiences if you have them.
Ask your white-label partner for case studies and tips on selling to specific industries. If you don’t have a partner yet, use your own experiences or perform some additional research.
Understand the Prospects Journey
Ask the right questions at the right time. Success in PPC sales involves inquisition that builds emotional intelligence. You must know that there is a delicate balance, you don’t want to ask too many questions or too few questions, so let every question count.
Latent Pain
The buyer shows that they are aware of a problem, but they are top of the funnel.
You could ask something like, “ Where are you at in your process?”
Active Pain
Your buyer could enter into the conversation at this stage.
Maybe they already called you or filled out a form. They are actively seeking information on how to resolve their pain, whatever that may be.
Solution Development
Then clients shift into “finding a solution,” convincing themselves or other team members that this is the solution to their problem.
“If we run Google ads, we will get more leads and increase revenue. Here is the investment and estimated ROI if we use X solution.”
Evaluation
Justify the solution.
It is the perfect time to shower them with information that meets their needs and expectations.
-What is motivating them to talk to you?
-What are their obstacles?
Share examples at this stage. Help them feel that your experience and solution are what they need, and always set the right expectations.
Decision
Determine whether it is opportune to run a demo with the prospect. It is essential to understand who is part of the decision-making process to achieve a fast close rate. Take note of these questions.
Solidify Your PPC Sales Conversations
To think that there are so many areas of this conversation where you can dive deeper with the prospect can be overwhelming, especially if you are targeting industry-specific businesses.
Sticking to concise yet methodological strategies is how you make it to the top in discovering your secret formula towards continued growth in PPC sales close rates.
Remember to:
- Stay Informed
- Know the Struggles and Speak Their Language
- Make the Conversation About Them
- Be The Quality They Seek
- Have Friendly, Informative, and Valuable Conversations
- Understand the Prospects Journey
Applying these to your PPC sales process sounds easier said than done; experience is what takes strategy towards results. Learn more about our success with prospects.
