What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others??

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 09:48 AM

Hey Warriors,

I'm looking to compile some anecdotal stats and stories about where you guys, active mobile resellers (even if you just started in Mobile), have had the most trouble – especially when you were just breaking into selling Mobile.

I’m seeing a ton of threads taking about the best SMS platform and the best way to build a mobile site business and a lot on the technical end of the Mobile consulting business. I’m also seeing that a lot of people are getting really wrapped up in the technology; missing sales and actually losing sales because they know too much!

I have integrated a way to offer Mobile sites, mobile SEO and SMS in my own consulting practice but others on this forum are still struggling. My intention here is twofold.

1) I think it will be very helpful to report or list some of the objections that you’ve run into during your prospecting and pitching – the ones that drove you nuts (or still do)

2) and then list solutions you’ve found… “When they say this… I say this”, for example.

As consultants, we see the value of Mobile marketing. And yet, so many consultants are having trouble getting the value proposition across.

Why is that?
That’s what I’m asking about.

About a year ago, I had an experience that was a pain in the rear for me, but I did learn something valuable. I have a sales background and a tech background.

What happened was that I got slightly upset that I’d gone back to this particular General Contractor for the 3rd meeting and still, had not gotten a handshake… I had prepared a 51 page PowerPoint that explained Search Engine Marketing and the difference between the Local Business Listing, Paid search and organic search, all leading to a presentation of the cool mobile site I had prepared for him.

You may be shaking your head about now. In retrospect, I realized that what I presented was simply too much to digest. I had focused my pitch on impressing my prospect with what I knew instead of what he needed.

Anyone else done this?

When I changed my presentation to a 5 page powerpoint addressing his perceived need… I got the contract.

My customers don’t need to know about SERPs and Google Places… they need to know about leads. They need to get more customers and they are interested if you can show them how you’re gonna do it… in about 5 minutes.

My solution was to come back to basic marketing and sales techniques.
Here’s the problem.
Here’s what I got.
Here’s Why You Want It.
Here’s How You Can Get It.

I’d love to hear about some classic errors in marketing or sales flow judgment that you’ve made and especially the solutions you’ve come up with to avoid doing the same unsuccessful behavior over and over again.

Let ‘er rip!

carmack · 30th Oct 2011, 10:17 AM

I do have a question, and then will post more later.

Since business owners do want to know how whatever we are selling will bring them more business and leads, how do you show them that a mobile website does that?

I know the stats about mobile searches and increased customer satisfaction because of site navigation, but any suggestion on how to show them that part of the value in a mobile site is increased business?

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by carmack

Since business owners do want to know how whatever we are selling will bring them more business and leads, how do you show them that a mobile website does that?

Great point. What if you could show them how many sales they are losing?

With a Mobile emulator, you could take a screen shot of their existing site on a mobile device. With an image and just a few words, they will see that their customers who find their site on a Mobile device will have a terrible experience and "bounce" off their site... losing any chance of a sale.

If you go with a business model that pre-builds a mock site, then you can offer them a solution that's easy and fast - to AVOID THEIR PAIN.

Sales is benefit to the client, right? Avoiding loss is a benefit.

Originally Posted by carmack

I know the stats about mobile searches and increased customer satisfaction because of site navigation, but any suggestion on how to show them that part of the value in a mobile site is increased business?

I think you're talking about user experience here... and it's both related to avoiding a loss (when the unsatisfied prospect bounces off your site) and to providing the most appropriate choices for mobile site visitors - depending on the business niche.

When a locksmith offers a clear CTA - Click To Get Into Your Car, above the fold, in an easily accessible format - then the likelihood of increased sales is more apparent.

make sense?

JToneyUK · 30th Oct 2011, 12:00 PM

I think it could be a losing battle until these people see that their competition are going mobile.

For instance if you pitch them that people come onto their site but have to scroll and zoom, a quick thinking business owner will probably say, yeah well they have to do that on all of our competitions sites also. Even though they really should, offline business owners may not think that users' online experience counts for much. So long as they have an online presence, then that is fine.

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

I think it could be a losing battle until these people see that their competition are going mobile.

For instance if you pitch them that people come onto their site but have to scroll and zoom, a quick thinking business owner will probably say, yeah well they have to do that on all of our competitions sites also. Even though they really should, offline business owners may not think that users' online experience counts for much. So long as they have an online presence, then that is fine.

ok

It sounds like you're saying that the customer objection is:
"Why should I, my competitors aren't"

Is that what you're running into?

I think it's a valid enough objection to address - even just to be prepared for. The sales end of the business is an art AND a science. Part of the science is in creating a system of responses or rebuttals to objections.

Objections are requests for more information. In sales, we ask questions that help the prospect to see the value of our solution. In order for the prospect to see the value of the solution, they've got to be emotionally invested in finding a solution. In order to be looking for a solution, they've got to see their problem. (working backwards)

It doesn't matter if you're making cold calls or getting warm referrals - the sales process is the same. The techniques may vary, but closing the transaction can be a scientific endeavor.

While I didn't intend for this thread to become an in-depth Sales Training, I do intend to have us address Closing Sales and running a profitable business.

So, what clue are they giving you with that objection? "My competitors aren't, so why should I?"

I'm thinking that the business owner does not see the value of Mobile interaction yet. If I was getting this objection often, I would probably add a bit about establishing the value of Mobile sites for lead generation... a bit earlier - and then ask the prospect if getting more leads is important to them. This way, I can effectively keep control of the conversation in order to determine if I can actually help them.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for the idea. I'll guess that's a lot of consultants run into that.

What's your rebuttal or solution to that objection?

JToneyUK · 30th Oct 2011, 02:46 PM

I guess there will always be some people who are reluctant! As you say it's all about coming from an angle whereby you sell the benefits to the business rather than the product itself.

russmarsha · 30th Oct 2011, 03:57 PM

I know for one thing if your trying to deal with a business that does no advertising at all, your most likely coming into a dead end, so I think a good angle would check your prospects advertising and sell them on how they can benefit adding mobile to their current ads.

Im tired of trying to sell text marketing alone, im going to start making it part of a package deal, I just got a client this weekend by selling him on a website with a mobile version of it and text marketing with the hosting and even a places page, im not looking to get rich on 1 client, I am looking for the monthly residual income, so i didnt kill him with a big set up fee, I got one but it was not that big.

Just my 2 cents worth

midasman09 · 30th Oct 2011, 06:15 PM

Why not go after the "low-hanging-fruit"!

Take a look at your Sunday Paper. Look thru the ads and see how many have QR Codes in them.

There's two in my small town paper today.

Now....I've learned long ago that "advertisers ADVERTISE!" So...the ads, both Display AND Classifieds....are being paid for by people who WANT to Sell Something!

So....what you can do is offer a Two-Fold Service;
1) Create a 2 or 3 Page Mobile Site
with a
2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned)

This is great for judging either;
1) Which Ad Pulls Best
or, using the same ad
2) Which Paper Pulls Best

Your clients, who are ALREADY spending money on ads....WILL want to spend more for a Service that Reports RESULTS!

Don Alm

KateSaunders · 30th Oct 2011, 06:38 PM

@JToneyUK

I think one way to respond to that kind of objection is to say,

Yes, and that's my point! The business that has the foresight to go mobile now will win - because they will capture that customer. The customer will have no reason to click off to a competitor site - they'll find just what they are looking for in your mobile site. It's a win/win because the customer finds what they are looking for on your site - and you get the customer.

Jason Fladlien · 30th Oct 2011, 07:21 PM

The thing that really helped me sell was this principle - never try to convince the business owner of anything. For example, the objection "none of my competition is doing it, so...".

The tendency is to try to convince them them that they should be leaders... get ahead of the competition to have an advantage. Good luck trying to pull that off.

Instead, what I would do is simple - "Okay, well what is your competition doing right now that you're not doing but know you need to BE DOING?"...

Then they tell me, and I sell them something that helps them achieve that. Notice I did NO convincing. I asked them what they wanted to focus on instead...

Now, here is a super hot tip if you want to sell mobile websites to local businesses. It's this: it's easier to sell your services who someone who is attempting to do what you're offering and failing then to sale to someone who is not doing what you're offering already.

Two quick examples...

1) Local businesses who advertise on google adwords. They are ALREADY trying to get customers using a paid online media. Did you know google penalizes sites in adwords that are not mobile friendly with a lower quality score? So you help them improve their ppc campaign by offering them a mobile version of the page they're advertising... so their ad spend is cheaper, and their conversion on the ad spend is higher.

2) You find sites who already have a mobile version of their website... but don't automatically redirect mobile users to the mobile version of the site. They don't know what browser detection is... typically the mobile version they have anyway is atrocious so when you combine the fact they are attempting mobile marketing and that they don't know how to do browser detection... little to no selling is required.

KateSaunders · 30th Oct 2011, 07:40 PM

Awesome insight, Jason. Thanks!

WillR · 30th Oct 2011, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

I think it could be a losing battle until these people see that their competition are going mobile.

Has anyone actually said this to you?

The reason I ask is this. My experience in dealing with a lot of people who are out there trying to sell these offline services is that too many people will sit there and try and come up with every reason why it will not work. What if they say this? What if they say that? What if their current web designer tries to offer them a mobile site? What if I can't get their cpanel details? On and on it goes.

I can tell you the people who have had most success are those who just got right out there are started selling. If any objections came up they would do their best to address them and be better prepared the next time. You don't know what objections you are going to face until they come up. You can end up wasting a lot of time worrying about things that will not happen.

Personally I do not see this objection coming up very often if at all. If a business owner bases their marketing decisions off their competition then they will NEVER be ahead of their competition - and that's exactly what I would tell them.

Show them the third party data:

Mobile Internet usage is set to overtake desktop internet usage by 2014. Many mobile Web users are mobile-only, i.e. they do not, or very rarely use a desktop, laptop or tablet to access the Web. Even in the US 25 percent of mobile Web users are mobile-only. There are now 4 times as many mobile phones sold as PCs. That equates to 4 times as many potential customers for your business. Most mobile device users keep their phones within arm’s reach over 90 percent of waking hours. Apart from games and weather, maps and searches are the third most important thing we use our mobile devices for, even above social networking…

Show them what their current website scores on the mobile W3C validator:
W3C mobileOK Checker

Show them what their current website looks like on a smartphone:
Mobilizer | Springbox

Show them what a mobile optimized website looks like and a few of its features.

If they have Google Analytics already installed on their main website then show them the exact percentage of their visitors who are currently using mobile devices.

As Jason also said above, don't look like a desperate salesmen. You have something this business needs that is going to help make them more money. You shouldn't have to beg them to buy it. You should assume the sale before you even walk in the door. If they don't want it then walk away to the next business and don't be afraid to do so. More often than not the ones you need to beg end up being the most annoying customers anyway.

carmack · 30th Oct 2011, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

Why not go after the "low-hanging-fruit"!

Take a look at your Sunday Paper. Look thru the ads and see how many have QR Codes in them.

There's two in my small town paper today.

Now....I've learned long ago that "advertisers ADVERTISE!" So...the ads, both Display AND Classifieds....are being paid for by people who WANT to Sell Something!

So....what you can do is offer a Two-Fold Service;
1) Create a 2 or 3 Page Mobile Site
with a
2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned)

This is great for judging either;
1) Which Ad Pulls Best
or, using the same ad
2) Which Paper Pulls Best

Your clients, who are ALREADY spending money on ads....WILL want to spend more for a Service that Reports RESULTS!

Don Alm

Don- That is a great idea.

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by russmarsha

I know for one thing if your trying to deal with a business that does no advertising at all, your most likely coming into a dead end, so I think a good angle would check your prospects advertising and sell them on how they can benefit adding mobile to their current ads.

@russmarsha - Great point. So it sounds like you target businesses - in this case the quality indicators (of the lead) are 1) if they already see the value of advertising, and 2) if they don't have a mobile site.

Originally Posted by russmarsha

Im tired of trying to sell text marketing alone, im going to start making it part of a package deal, I just got a client this weekend by selling him on a website with a mobile version of it and text marketing with the hosting and even a places page, im not looking to get rich on 1 client, I am looking for the monthly residual income, so i didnt kill him with a big set up fee, I got one but it was not that big.

Just my 2 cents worth

I've found the same thing in my own practice. When I was first introduced to SMS, I took the vendors campaigns out to local businesses as a standalone product. My thinking at the time was to use SMS as a a foot-in-the-door product. In my case mobile websites and then mobile coupons... attached to SMS campaigns is a much easier value to convey.

Thanks for the 2 cents, I think it's worth at least a quarter

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

Why not go after the "low-hanging-fruit"!

Take a look at your Sunday Paper. Look thru the ads and see how many have QR Codes in them.

There's two in my small town paper today.

Now....I've learned long ago that "advertisers ADVERTISE!" So...the ads, both Display AND Classifieds....are being paid for by people who WANT to Sell Something!

So....what you can do is offer a Two-Fold Service;
1) Create a 2 or 3 Page Mobile Site
with a
2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned)

This is great for judging either;
1) Which Ad Pulls Best
or, using the same ad
2) Which Paper Pulls Best

Your clients, who are ALREADY spending money on ads....WILL want to spend more for a Service that Reports RESULTS!

Don Alm

Don - thanks for posting an awesome tip for going after low hanging fruit.

What's cool to me, is that you're the second to post saying that a qualifying variable for your prospects is that they are spending money on advertising now. You know that a big hurdle is overcome when they already see the value if spending money on advertising.

I'd imagine that your "approach" is based on return on investment (ROI), right? Actually I'm sure it is, because you're benefit statements about tracking QR codes lead right into reporting the ROI.

Let's not make this a discussion about tools,and I'm curious... Do you have a standard sales funnel that you use to attract these prospects? In other words, do you have a system in place where you regularly apply a kind of AIDA sales flow?

one interpretation of AIDA goes like this:
A - Attract/Attention - getting prospects to bite
I - Interest - rapport/speaking to their real interest (the problem)
D - Desire - offering a solution to their problem based on their interest & satisfying their desire
A - Action - telling them how to get started

Lead Gen to Closing Sales is the game.

How do you attract? SEO?, PPC?, Offline Flyers? Meet and Greets?

Do you use any form of intake interview or free analysis as a chance to qualify OUT?

How do you convey a clear and concise message about ROI to create their desire?

When you ask for the sale, are you decisive? In general, do you close early and often, or are you giving the prospects a chance to think about it?

(I'm curious - anyone?)

Thanks again Don - really good tip

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by KateSaunders

@JToneyUK

I think one way to respond to that kind of objection is to say,

Yes, and that's my point! The business that has the foresight to go mobile now will win - because they will capture that customer. The customer will have no reason to click off to a competitor site - they'll find just what they are looking for in your mobile site. It's a win/win because the customer finds what they are looking for on your site - and you get the customer.

Well Kate, let me ask you this...

Do you take steps to avoid this rebuttal in your prospecting by going after only certain businesses? Do those business (your target audience) share a trait - like "already advertising" as mentioned above...?

Do you take steps to avoid this rebuttal in your building value section of your "interviews"? Mobile stats, screen shots of competitor campaigns, same niche campaign screen shots from popular media outlets, etc?

and I don't mean to pick on you, Kate... in fact, thanks for posting
I'm all about picking a system and working it.

I'm curious about yours...

GilNelson · 30th Oct 2011, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by Jason Fladlien

The thing that really helped me sell was this principle - never try to convince the business owner of anything. For example, the objection "none of my competition is doing it, so...".

The tendency is to try to convince them them that they should be leaders... get ahead of the competition to have an advantage. Good luck trying to pull that off.

Instead, what I would do is simple - "Okay, well what is your competition doing right now that you're not doing but know you need to BE DOING?"...

Then they tell me, and I sell them something that helps them achieve that. Notice I did NO convincing. I asked them what they wanted to focus on instead...

I totally agree. It's about their interests, not yours.
Read Jasons' statement again... "Then they tell me, and I sell them something that helps them achieve that."

Originally Posted by Jason Fladlien

Now, here is a super hot tip if you want to sell mobile websites to local businesses. It's this: it's easier to sell your services who someone who is attempting to do what you're offering and failing then to sale to someone who is not doing what you're offering already.

Two quick examples...

1) Local businesses who advertise on google adwords. They are ALREADY trying to get customers using a paid online media. Did you know google penalizes sites in adwords that are not mobile friendly with a lower quality score? So you help them improve their ppc campaign by offering them a mobile version of the page they're advertising... so their ad spend is cheaper, and their conversion on the ad spend is higher.

Alright - For anyone that is pre-qualifying prospects using the paramenter - "already advertising", this is an AMAZING tip and a great example of a campaign strategy that will work because the value proposition exactly meets the real desires of the target audience.

Beautiful. Thank you. Pure Gold.

Originally Posted by Jason Fladlien

2) You find sites who already have a mobile version of their website... but don't automatically redirect mobile users to the mobile version of the site. They don't know what browser detection is... typically the mobile version they have anyway is atrocious so when you combine the fact they are attempting mobile marketing and that they don't know how to do browser detection... little to no selling is required.

Super idea Jason. How do you determine if they have a mobile site that's not redirecting. It's a cool concept and it sounds like it could be a good sub-niche...

and Jason, thanks for posting here. You've shared some great value over the years and I for one appreciate your community involvement.

GilNelson · 31st Oct 2011, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by WillR

Has anyone actually said this to you?

Originally Posted by WillR

I can tell you the people who have had most success are those who just got right out there are started selling. If any objections came up they would do their best to address them and be better prepared the next time. You don't know what objections you are going to face until they come up. You can end up wasting a lot of time worrying about things that will not happen.

Agreed... to a point. I like the idea of calling my business a consulting practice. And that means that I practice.

So, yes, go out and get the marbles out of your mouth. Connect. Listen. Be of Service.

I'm interested in objections that have actually been encountered, especially if the objection is bugging someone and they get stuck there... so we can offer suggestions.

But - yeah - let's not waste any time imagining objections to post here as theory.

The theory is: You have a way to help businesses get better return on their investment dollar. You've got to be able to show the value and ask for the money. Go practice and tell us where you are struggling...

or pick up some great tips and incorporate them into your practice.

Originally Posted by WillR

Personally I do not see this objection coming up very often if at all. If a business owner bases their marketing decisions off their competition then they will NEVER be ahead of their competition - and that's exactly what I would tell them.

Will does not suffer from a lack of confidence! LOL
... nor should he. IMO, WillR is one of the real forward thinkers in mobile marketing today.

Originally Posted by WillR

Show them the third party data:

Mobile Internet usage is set to overtake desktop internet usage by 2014.
Many mobile Web users are mobile-only, i.e. they do not, or very rarely use a desktop, laptop or tablet to access the Web.
Even in the US 25 percent of mobile Web users are mobile-only.
There are now 4 times as many mobile phones sold as PCs.
That equates to 4 times as many potential customers for your business.
Most mobile device users keep their phones within arm’s reach over 90 percent of waking hours.
Apart from games and weather, maps and searches are the third most important thing we use our mobile devices for, even above social networking…

Right on with the cool stats! Thanks.
People may ask for references... if you have 'em handy - please post 'em.
otherwise - people - type "mobile marketing infographics" into Google and follow the trail.

Originally Posted by WillR

Show them what their current website scores on the mobile W3C validator:
W3C mobileOK Checker

Show them what their current website looks like on a smartphone:
Mobilizer | Springbox

Show them what a mobile optimized website looks like and a few of its features.

If they have Google Analytics already installed on their main website then show them the exact percentage of their visitors who are currently using mobile devices.

As Jason also said above, don't look like a desperate salesmen. You have something this business needs that is going to help make them more money. You shouldn't have to beg them to buy it. You should assume the sale before you even walk in the door. If they don't want it then walk away to the next business and don't be afraid to do so. More often than not the ones you need to beg end up being the most annoying customers anyway.

Will - thanks for the insight. Totally appreciated.

stesnees · 31st Oct 2011, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by midasman09

Why not go after the "low-hanging-fruit"!

Take a look at your Sunday Paper. Look thru the ads and see how many have QR Codes in them.

There's two in my small town paper today.

Now....I've learned long ago that "advertisers ADVERTISE!" So...the ads, both Display AND Classifieds....are being paid for by people who WANT to Sell Something!

So....what you can do is offer a Two-Fold Service;
1) Create a 2 or 3 Page Mobile Site
with a
2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned)

This is great for judging either;
1) Which Ad Pulls Best
or, using the same ad
2) Which Paper Pulls Best

Your clients, who are ALREADY spending money on ads....WILL want to spend more for a Service that Reports RESULTS!

Don Alm

Low hanging fruit.
I was thinking about this myself using a direct mail campaign.
I also thought about putting codes on the outside of the envelope to generate a bit of interest before it is even opened. Businesses who use QR codes themselves would almost certainly scan them out of curiosity.

Regarding my biggest error so far, it has got to be e-mailing potential clients with a mock up and telling them the price in that e-mail, without really giving any benefits of what it could bring their business. i sent around 50 e-mails and only received 1 reply. A polite 'no thanks' !

GilNelson · 31st Oct 2011, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by stesnees

Low hanging fruit.
I was thinking about this myself using a direct mail campaign.
I also thought about putting codes on the outside of the envelope to generate a bit of interest before it is even opened. Businesses who use QR codes themselves would almost certainly scan them out of curiosity.

Questions for you:
What's your intention in the direct mail campaign?
What do you want to bring their attention to?
What action do you want them to take?

Originally Posted by stesnees

Regarding my biggest error so far, it has got to be e-mailing potential clients with a mock up and telling them the price in that e-mail, without really giving any benefits of what it could bring their business. i sent around 50 e-mails and only received 1 reply. A polite 'no thanks' !

I can't really comment on the numbers here - it could be for any number of reasons...
Where'd you get the list?
Did you or have you built any trust with the audience?
The subject line of the email - I'm curious - how many opens out of the 50 sent?
What you were offering in the email... the offer...
and of course the call to action, sense of urgency, etc...

I'm also curious if you prefer a short sales letter in your email or a long form sales letter.

Same question for your direct mail idea... long or short? letter or postcard?

JToneyUK · 31st Oct 2011, 04:46 AM

Will that person you described below is exactly me!! I've admitted this several times lately, but for the last month or so I have been looking at this mobile website business, researching, making mock sites, making my own site to direct potential clients to etc.

Anyway, I know that there will be all types of rejections and excuses people will use to not want the services, but for every one of those there will be a very interested party, which is who we are trying to find.

Anyway cheers for your response Will, you are absolutely right. I know what services I can offer to people, I know how to qualify them, I've made a list of possible suiters and I just need to get making calls!!

Originally Posted by WillR

Has anyone actually said this to you?

The reason I ask is this. My experience in dealing with a lot of people who are out there trying to sell these offline services is that too many people will sit there and try and come up with every reason why it will not work. What if they say this? What if they say that? What if their current web designer tries to offer them a mobile site? What if I can't get their cpanel details? On and on it goes.

I can tell you the people who have had most success are those who just got right out there are started selling. If any objections came up they would do their best to address them and be better prepared the next time. You don't know what objections you are going to face until they come up. You can end up wasting a lot of time worrying about things that will not happen.

GilNelson · 31st Oct 2011, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

Anyway, I know that there will be all types of rejections and excuses people will use to not want the services, but for every one of those there will be a very interested party, which is who we are trying to find.

Be prepared for more "no's" than "yeses". And... if you shift your thinking to you being the decision maker, instead of them... you've got the final say... then you won't ever feel bad if your service isn't a fit for them.

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

Anyway cheers for your response Will, you are absolutely right. I know what services I can offer to people, I know how to qualify them, I've made a list of possible suiters and I just need to get making calls!!

Listen, you're not alone at that stage... Maybe you think you don't have enough value to present to them...?

What do you think is holding you back?

JToneyUK · 31st Oct 2011, 11:50 AM

Nah, I know I can provide them with good meaningful services. I've just never really been much of a "phone guy". Don't get me wrong, my old "SEO job" was all phoning people and such, but not on the sales, it was when they were clients.

So it's probably just a bit of nerves holding me back, but I'm also putting together a website which I can use on business cards and that kinda thing. Probably trying to get in place more than I need right now.

Anyway, the money situation is getting desperate now and I don't have anything to lose!!

I'm gonna man up and just do it! Will start calling in a day or two, I promise!!

Originally Posted by GilNelson

Listen, you're not alone at that stage... Maybe you think you don't have enough value to present to them...?

What do you think is holding you back?

DirectMail · 31st Oct 2011, 12:30 PM

I've attended a few conferences in Boston this year and have heard a lot of discussion about mobile and mobile marketing.

As an internet marketer it is hard to sell prospects mobile services when they still need a lot of seo work on their main websites.

Mobile will continue to be a big part of our future but I think your main webpage still needs to be your primary focus.

However, if you are pitching a restaurant or brick and mortar business it makes send to invest heavily on mobile. People are search for food with the intent to find a nice place to sit and get a bite. More often then not, if your site is friendly and has a few good reviews, you well get the business.

GilNelson · 31st Oct 2011, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

So it's probably just a bit of nerves holding me back, but I'm also putting together a website which I can use on business cards and that kinda thing. Probably trying to get in place more than I need right now.

Hey that's real... Have you thought much about targeting a specific group of businesses with a letter or email pointing to somewhere they are bleeding? (Like losing sales because of a terrible looking mobile presence)

I've had some good inbound calls from campaigns just pointing out problem areas and offering to discuss a solution.

bhuff85 · 31st Oct 2011, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by JToneyUK

I think it could be a losing battle until these people see that their competition are going mobile.

For instance if you pitch them that people come onto their site but have to scroll and zoom, a quick thinking business owner will probably say, yeah well they have to do that on all of our competitions sites also. Even though they really should, offline business owners may not think that users' online experience counts for much. So long as they have an online presence, then that is fine.

This may be bold, but if I was faced with a "my competition isn't doing this, so I don't need to do this" theory, I would simply ask them, "What will you do when your competition approaches me because they see the value in this?"

You definitely will not be able to win them all, but I think it would help to target those businesses that already understand how important it is to be on the web and remain ahead of the competition. Those are the businesses that want what you have to offer. Target the right business, show them the benefits and it should be easy to get sale after sale.

midasman09 · 31st Oct 2011, 02:12 PM

The word is "REASON"!

Give prospects (for anything you sell) a GOOD "Reason"....

to;

Continue talking to you (when you phone them)
Meet with you
Buy your product or service

and....the STRONGER the "Reason"....the EASIER the Sale!

Example: When I tell pizza shop owners I can bring them an "Additional 20 Pizzas a Night at $15 per Pizza".....do you think they will "meet" with me and "listen closely" to what I have to say?

Or....when I tell a Restaurant Owner....I can "FILL HIS SEATS ON TUESDAY NIGHT"!

Or....any advertiser in the newspaper....."I can DOUBLE the Viewers in your Newspaper Ads!"

....do you think they will be ALL EARS for what I'm about to tell him?

Don Alm....

stesnees · 31st Oct 2011, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by GilNelson

Questions for you:
What's your intention in the direct mail campaign?
What do you want to bring their attention to?
What action do you want them to take?

I can't really comment on the numbers here - it could be for any number of reasons...
Where'd you get the list?
Did you or have you built any trust with the audience?
The subject line of the email - I'm curious - how many opens out of the 50 sent?
What you were offering in the email... the offer...
and of course the call to action, sense of urgency, etc...

I'm also curious if you prefer a short sales letter in your email or a long form sales letter.

Same question for your direct mail idea... long or short? letter or postcard?

The direct mail campaign will be offering small businesses without a website a new website fully built for a low price.
Then the mobile will be an upsell.
The e-mails I sent where just random businesses from the local directory, the mistake was going straight at them with the offer and the price.
I have never done sales before so have alot to learn in this respect. I will also be placing ads in local newspapers to try and get the website brand name heard. My website is ec-media dot co.uk It is still work in progress but getting there slowly.
Cheers
Steve

BKH · 31st Oct 2011, 02:52 PM

My biggest hurdle is with the bigger corps...getting in front of the decision maker ! I would love to hear any and all ideas of how you get from walking into a business and getting the appointment with the marketing manager. I have had some success with getting to the right person but it's been a three to four month turn around from talking to receptionist to meeting with managers to pitching the idea to the appropriate decision maker...Is this the typical process or does anyone have a great way to directly get to the DM?
Thanks in advance,
b

JToneyUK · 31st Oct 2011, 02:53 PM

Ha, that is something I thought I would probably come out with. Or "Oh, who are you main competitors? I'll see if they fancy it then. I'll leave you my business card for when you decide to follow suit".

Originally Posted by bhuff85

This may be bold, but if I was faced with a "my competition isn't doing this, so I don't need to do this" theory, I would simply ask them, "What will you do when your competition approaches me because they see the value in this?"

You definitely will not be able to win them all, but I think it would help to target those businesses that already understand how important it is to be on the web and remain ahead of the competition. Those are the businesses that want what you have to offer. Target the right business, show them the benefits and it should be easy to get sale after sale.

GilNelson · 10th Nov 2011, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by bhuff85

You definitely will not be able to win them all, but I think it would help to target those businesses that already understand how important it is to be on the web and remain ahead of the competition. Those are the businesses that want what you have to offer. Target the right business, show them the benefits and it should be easy to get sale after sale.

agreed - targeted leads are a good place to start, and don't forget to keep qualifying them out... that's the best way to have good clients, when they really get your value and know that you're the person who is most likely to get them what they want.

GilNelson · 10th Nov 2011, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

The word is "REASON"!

Give prospects (for anything you sell) a GOOD "Reason"....

to;

Continue talking to you (when you phone them)
Meet with you
Buy your product or service

and....the STRONGER the "Reason"....the EASIER the Sale!

Example: When I tell pizza shop owners I can bring them an "Additional 20 Pizzas a Night at $15 per Pizza".....do you think they will "meet" with me and "listen closely" to what I have to say?

Or....when I tell a Restaurant Owner....I can "FILL HIS SEATS ON TUESDAY NIGHT"!

Or....any advertiser in the newspaper....."I can DOUBLE the Viewers in your Newspaper Ads!"

....do you think they will be ALL EARS for what I'm about to tell him?

Don Alm....

Well Don, there's both reason and emotion present during the sales process. people tend to buy emotionally and justify their decision with reason.

Your statements above trigger emotions. It's an assumptive approach - and I like it. What's going to get their Visa card out is Proof - that you can do what you say.

Your approach is powerful.
Thanks.

GilNelson · 10th Nov 2011, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by stesnees

The direct mail campaign will be offering small businesses without a website a new website fully built for a low price.
Then the mobile will be an upsell.
The e-mails I sent where just random businesses from the local directory, the mistake was going straight at them with the offer and the price.
I have never done sales before so have alot to learn in this respect. I will also be placing ads in local newspapers to try and get the website brand name heard. My website is ec-media dot co.uk It is still work in progress but getting there slowly.
Cheers
Steve

Hey Steve - I apologize for the delay in getting back to this thread. I got swamped.

I went to your site and Ive read your posts a few times. I like your angle because you've got a consistent message. I mean what you said here is reflected on your site - and that is a huge benefit.

So many marketing consultants focus on too much (read no thing) and their conversion rate suffers for that. Your message is pretty clear.

(As a side note, and slightly off topic) I would clean up your text images a bit. Even though it might look like a neighborhood site, I think your message(s) should be clear.

Normally, I'd advise against selling with price as a factor, but you may be able to pull it off when you let your prospects know how real you are.

Best success!

mak25 · 10th Nov 2011, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

The word is "REASON"!

Give prospects (for anything you sell) a GOOD "Reason"....

to;

Continue talking to you (when you phone them)
Meet with you
Buy your product or service

and....the STRONGER the "Reason"....the EASIER the Sale!

Example: When I tell pizza shop owners I can bring them an "Additional 20 Pizzas a Night at $15 per Pizza".....do you think they will "meet" with me and "listen closely" to what I have to say?

Or....when I tell a Restaurant Owner....I can "FILL HIS SEATS ON TUESDAY NIGHT"!

Or....any advertiser in the newspaper....."I can DOUBLE the Viewers in your Newspaper Ads!"

....do you think they will be ALL EARS for what I'm about to tell him?

Don Alm....

Don, those are some pretty strong statements.

Any restaurant owner would obviously want to hear more. As would I.

It would be nice and helpful to those following this thread if you would expand on those
statements.

How can you deliver on those promises?

Mike

512 Designs · 10th Nov 2011, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

The word is "REASON"!
Example: When I tell pizza shop owners I can bring them an "Additional 20 Pizzas a Night at $15 per Pizza".....do you think they will "meet" with me and "listen closely" to what I have to say?

Or....when I tell a Restaurant Owner....I can "FILL HIS SEATS ON TUESDAY NIGHT"!

Or....any advertiser in the newspaper....."I can DOUBLE the Viewers in your Newspaper Ads!"

....do you think they will be ALL EARS for what I'm about to tell him?

Don Alm....

I love this approach, but what happens if you don't "Fill his seats on Tuesday night." or "Bring them an additional 20 pizzas a night at $15 per Pizza."?

Wouldn't you lose your credibility and any future sales with that customer?

Mike

512 Designs · 10th Nov 2011, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by midasman09

W
2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned)

What's the best way to track a QR Code?

mak25 · 10th Nov 2011, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by mrcouchpotato

What's the best way to track a QR Code?

I use this to track QR's.

Esponce - QR Codes tracking and analytics

Check it out.

Mike

sgplace · 12th Nov 2011, 05:16 PM

Tracking QR codes?

I use QR and text messaging for a real estate client ...

I use GoTryThis to monitor the hits - using a code shortener built into GTT and use the shortened url to generate a QR code. There are a tons of QR generators but I use QR-Code Generator Tool - vCards, Websites, Messages, Emails & More.

You could do the same thing with bitly for free.

For a higher end solution check out Mobile Tagging: 2D Barcode Web Applications.

George

GilNelson · 12th Nov 2011, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by BKH

My biggest hurdle is with the bigger corps...getting in front of the decision maker ! I would love to hear any and all ideas of how you get from walking into a business and getting the appointment with the marketing manager. I have had some success with getting to the right person but it's been a three to four month turn around from talking to receptionist to meeting with managers to pitching the idea to the appropriate decision maker...Is this the typical process or does anyone have a great way to directly get to the DM?
Thanks in advance,
b

Hey BKH,
Thanks for keeping it on topic!

Typically, in dealing with bigger companies, the decision making process includes an introductory committee or two, and that can substantially increase the time of sales process.

Also, because the companies with more money often get bombarded with solicitations, if you can get in to their process at all, your doing something right.

There is a great course by Peter Max, here... It was still live when I posted this (a steal).

I'll say this. In my experience, the larger the bankroll, the more people in the chain I've got to show the value to...

a very simple example is at a Dentists office, if I want the Dentist to see the value of an SMS Appointment Reminder system, the chances of a sale (or a meeting at all) will be greatly increased when I show the value of the system to the Receptionist first. When she gets it, she'll do the "selling" for me.

In larger companies, I make my way through the mini-decision makers, recruiting them to the idea that MY solution will help their department and the company as a whole... the more the merrier. I've had inbound calls from CEO's after meeting with only a few key players. (but believe me, that does NOT happen all the time! lol)

Thanks for the great question. If you'd care to go into more details, I think a lot of the real consultants here at WF night chime in.

thanks again,
Gil

jamesjunior · 13th Nov 2011, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by GilNelson

Hey BKH,
Thanks for keeping it on topic!

Typically, in dealing with bigger companies, the decision making process includes an introductory committee or two, and that can substantially increase the time of sales process.

Also, because the companies with more money often get bombarded with solicitations, if you can get in to their process at all, your doing something right.

There is a great course by Peter Max, here... It was still live when I posted this (a steal).

I'll say this. In my experience, the larger the bankroll, the more people in the chain I've got to show the value to...

a very simple example is at a Dentists office, if I want the Dentist to see the value of an SMS Appointment Reminder system, the chances of a sale (or a meeting at all) will be greatly increased when I show the value of the system to the Receptionist first. When she gets it, she'll do the "selling" for me.

In larger companies, I make my way through the mini-decision makers, recruiting them to the idea that MY solution will help their department and the company as a whole... the more the merrier. I've had inbound calls from CEO's after meeting with only a few key players. (but believe me, that does NOT happen all the time! lol)

Thanks for the great question. If you'd care to go into more details, I think a lot of the real consultants here at WF night chime in.

thanks again,
Gil

Hey Gil, great thread BTW, I was just reading BKH's post and it reminded me of selling advertising. In my experience, the top guys, who consistently put up big numbers month in and month out, didn't necessarily have the best closing techniques, or rebuttals, but the best and most contacts. I think it is easy to think you're selling to a corporate machine, but at the heart of all of these companies are just people like the rest of us.

I asked one of the most successful advertising sales guys at our corporation, Rick, what his secret was, and he told me that all I had to do was "find out what people wanted to hear about themselves, and tell it to them. After that, its just order-taking." I kinda thought I knew what he meant, but then I really understood it after reading Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". At least I hope I do,

I remember being in the grille where Rick would sometimes meet his prospects/clients for lunch. I often overheard deals he would close right there at the grille. It was unlike anything I've ever heard in any sales situation ever. These people LOVED this guy, you would think he was donating his heart and brain to their kid or something. The weird thing was I hardly ever heard talk about the product, numbers, benefits, or any of the usual stuff you would think you'd hear.

Don't get me wrong, Rick knew his stuff, but I'd always wondered if he even had to. I heard one client asking him how much commission he was getting, and if he stepped up to the next model/package/whatever, would Rick get more commission. Yeah, unique is an understatement, lol. Most of what Rick said had nothing to do with business, but about the client's personal life. Reading BKH's comment reminded me of when I had the same frustrations, but Rick's advice had a huge impact on me, and still does.

Jim

sadiecopywriter · 13th Nov 2011, 06:49 AM

I jsut started in mobile, so let me know if I'm doing it the right way.

The biggest objection I'm getting is "I'll have my webmaster do it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention." Got 2 of those this week.

I'm hoping the webmaster can't do it. I'm hoping if I check back next week I'll see it not done so I can contact them again and say something like "I see the webmaster hasn't gotten to it yet. I can get it up for you in less than a week."

Do you think this will work? How should I handle this objection?

GilNelson · 13th Nov 2011, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by sadiecopywriter

I jsut started in mobile, so let me know if I'm doing it the right way.

The biggest objection I'm getting is "I'll have my webmaster do it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention." Got 2 of those this week.

I'm hoping the webmaster can't do it. I'm hoping if I check back next week I'll see it not done so I can contact them again and say something like "I see the webmaster hasn't gotten to it yet. I can get it up for you in less than a week."

Do you think this will work? How should I handle this objection?

Great question! I'm sure you're not alone in hearing that objection...

A couple of points come to my mind - generally about sales:
a) When you hear, "Thanks for bringing it to my attention" - This is good.
The business owner sees the value of your solution. They may begin to associate you as a solution provider in their area.

If they continue with, "I'll have my webmaster do it", that means that they don't see the value of paying you to provide the solution.

While calling them back in two weeks saying something to the effect of, "I see you are still bleeding... really, I can take care of that for you"... may get you a few dollars, but I caution you here. You don't want to come across as desperate.

In fact, you still don't know what their real objection is.

I suspect it's because you went in with a solution that makes total sense to you - a real no-brainer - after all, you've spent hours coming up with your plan because you see how many businesses will benefit from your knowledge... But they still don't see the value, as you've proposed it.

So that's part one - what's the problem.

Originally Posted by GilNelson

1) I think it will be very helpful to report or list some of the objections that you’ve run into during your prospecting and pitching – the ones that drove you nuts (or still do)

2) and then list solutions you’ve found… “When they say this… I say this”, for example.

As consultants, we see the value of Mobile marketing. And yet, so many consultants are having trouble getting the value proposition across.

Why is that?
That’s what I’m asking about.

Part 2 - solutions

Of course I don't know how you presented you proposal to the prospects and I don't know how they joined your sales funnel so this will have to be a fairly general solution...

Cold calls are different from warm calls are different from in-bound calls, in that the warmest prospects will be willing to answer more questions about their business faster - because they:

a) already know they have a problem
b) already trust you (enough to call for more info, anyway)

Here's the concept:

When the prospect values what you have more than you do... that's a sale.

The prospecting process MUST be about getting rid of the folks that will not see the value. Get them out of the funnel - nicely, so that when they do realize the value, they come back to you... but get rid of the non-buyers as soon as you can.

You do this by asking them about their business. These are "qualifying questions".

"Hey Jim, I see that you have this problem. Are you aware of the impact this is having on your business? What's the worst part of this problem for you?"

help them to realize their own pain and take the time to tell them that you understand the real need for a solution

"Is this kind of loss something you'd want to take care of soon, or do you have bigger issues on your plate at the moment? In other words, how important is this to you?"

"What are your current goals? What's holding you back?"

Make the conversation about them - their problem, their failed attempts at finding solutions - their working 18 hours a day, etc.

So - sadiecopywriter,
Thanks for the question and your willingness to openly share your experience. Add some more detail and you may get some feedback from other Warriors with years of experience.

Hope this helps,

Gil

GilNelson · 13th Nov 2011, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by jamesjunior

Hey Gil, great thread BTW,

Thanks, coming from a New Yorker, this means a lot

Originally Posted by jamesjunior

... but at the heart of all of these companies are just people like the rest of us.

I asked one of the most successful advertising sales guys at our corporation, Rick, what his secret was, and he told me that all I had to do was "find out what people wanted to hear about themselves, and tell it to them. After that, its just order-taking." I kinda thought I knew what he meant, but then I really understood it after reading Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". At least I hope I do,

[/QUOTE]

right on! old school - If you're selling, you should have this in your library.

Thanks Jim.

jamesjunior · 14th Nov 2011, 04:45 AM

Gil, check your free report PDF on the download page, it is corrupt. Re-upload if you can. Would've sent via PM but my Mom said I wasn't experienced enough yet to send PM's.

Jim

Elyse78 · 6th Mar 2012, 01:57 PM

Hi Jason,

My name is Taheerah and today, I saw your response in the thread

I wanted to ask you ask you where you read this information. I've searched all over the web, and couldn't find a direct source, so, I called Google adwords team to ask them directly, and the rep told me this policy doesn't exist.

I think this is an awesome angle to approach businesses with, the problem is, if I can't find the info to back this up, I don't want the company to go to their adwords mgr to ask them and look stupid.

Any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

P.S. - I can't PM you directly due to my low post count.

HypeText · 6th Mar 2012, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by GilNelson

Hey Warriors,

I'm looking to compile some anecdotal stats and stories about where you guys, active mobile resellers (even if you just started in Mobile), have had the most trouble – especially when you were just breaking into selling Mobile.

I’m seeing a ton of threads taking about the best SMS platform and the best way to build a mobile site business and a lot on the technical end of the Mobile consulting business. I’m also seeing that a lot of people are getting really wrapped up in the technology; missing sales and actually losing sales because they know too much!

I have integrated a way to offer Mobile sites, mobile SEO and SMS in my own consulting practice but others on this forum are still struggling. My intention here is twofold.

1) I think it will be very helpful to report or list some of the objections that you’ve run into during your prospecting and pitching – the ones that drove you nuts (or still do)

2) and then list solutions you’ve found… “When they say this… I say this”, for example.

As consultants, we see the value of Mobile marketing. And yet, so many consultants are having trouble getting the value proposition across.

Why is that?
That’s what I’m asking about.

About a year ago, I had an experience that was a pain in the rear for me, but I did learn something valuable. I have a sales background and a tech background.

What happened was that I got slightly upset that I’d gone back to this particular General Contractor for the 3rd meeting and still, had not gotten a handshake… I had prepared a 51 page PowerPoint that explained Search Engine Marketing and the difference between the Local Business Listing, Paid search and organic search, all leading to a presentation of the cool mobile site I had prepared for him.

You may be shaking your head about now. In retrospect, I realized that what I presented was simply too much to digest. I had focused my pitch on impressing my prospect with what I knew instead of what he needed.

Anyone else done this?

When I changed my presentation to a 5 page powerpoint addressing his perceived need… I got the contract.

My customers don’t need to know about SERPs and Google Places… they need to know about leads. They need to get more customers and they are interested if you can show them how you’re gonna do it… in about 5 minutes.

My solution was to come back to basic marketing and sales techniques.
Here’s the problem.
Here’s what I got.
Here’s Why You Want It.
Here’s How You Can Get It.

I’d love to hear about some classic errors in marketing or sales flow judgment that you’ve made and especially the solutions you’ve come up with to avoid doing the same unsuccessful behavior over and over again.

Let ‘er rip!

In a word...Ignorance.

A lot of time often has to be invested in teaching many Merchants exactly what Mobile is.

Just the other day I was having a conversation with a Business Owner who thought Mobile Marketing was just another word for QR Codes.

Some think its signs on Moving Vehicles.

HappyGayleen · 7th Mar 2012, 01:36 AM

I have been using my cellphone to scan the QR codes in ads -- and laugh when I land on a non-mobile-friendly website. Geez! and they probably paid for that QR code... I see them as a "hot...hot...hot" web design client!

HappyGayleen · 7th Mar 2012, 01:45 AM

I also think our biggest challenge now is to educate a prospect on what is mobile marketing and help them see how they can benefit.

I used Will's software to design a mobile site and I purposely did not redirect from my regular site. I show people my mobile site and how easy it is to read and navigate -- which they don't really get until I show them the regular version on my cellphone. It's like an "ah-ha" moment for them. Then I show them a few other examples of both mobile and non-mobile sites. I admit I'm just getting started but I've already seen the light come on in people's eyes. I got two clients while at a party the other night!

Also, tell a story or paint a picture -- this is what I do for SMS texting. I use a pizza shop as an example of how it would work -- and, again, I see the ah-ha! moment.

It's fun to get them to interact by having a virtual biz card. I also ask for creative ideas they have for how anyone might use text message marketing...

I have sold a lot of adv in my life and this is the very easiest thing I've ever, ever done! The need is so great! I'm so excited I've gotten about 8 people excited about selling for me!! WHOOOO HOOOO!

DougPage · 7th Mar 2012, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Elyse78

I wanted to ask you ask you where you read this information. I've searched all over the web, and couldn't find a direct source, so, I called Google adwords team to ask them directly, and the rep told me this policy doesn't exist.

How's this link for you:
An update on mobile optimization in ads quality - Google Mobile Ads Blog

Last line in first paragraph:
Ads that have mobile optimized landing pages will tend to perform better in AdWords -- they will generally drive more mobile traffic at a lower cost.

Elyse78 · 9th Mar 2012, 05:01 PM

Thanks Doug,

I appreciate it!

30th Oct 2011, 09:48 AM	#1
GilNelson Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 61 Thanks: 17 Thanked 45 Times in 33 Posts	What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Hey Warriors, I'm looking to compile some anecdotal stats and stories about where you guys, active mobile resellers (even if you just started in Mobile), have had the most trouble – especially when you were just breaking into selling Mobile. I’m seeing a ton of threads taking about the best SMS platform and the best way to build a mobile site business and a lot on the technical end of the Mobile consulting business. I’m also seeing that a lot of people are getting really wrapped up in the technology; missing sales and actually losing sales because they know too much! I have integrated a way to offer Mobile sites, mobile SEO and SMS in my own consulting practice but others on this forum are still struggling. My intention here is twofold. 1) I think it will be very helpful to report or list some of the objections that you’ve run into during your prospecting and pitching – the ones that drove you nuts (or still do) 2) and then list solutions you’ve found… “When they say this… I say this”, for example. As consultants, we see the value of Mobile marketing. And yet, so many consultants are having trouble getting the value proposition across. Why is that? That’s what I’m asking about. About a year ago, I had an experience that was a pain in the rear for me, but I did learn something valuable. I have a sales background and a tech background. What happened was that I got slightly upset that I’d gone back to this particular General Contractor for the 3rd meeting and still, had not gotten a handshake… I had prepared a 51 page PowerPoint that explained Search Engine Marketing and the difference between the Local Business Listing, Paid search and organic search, all leading to a presentation of the cool mobile site I had prepared for him. You may be shaking your head about now. In retrospect, I realized that what I presented was simply too much to digest. I had focused my pitch on impressing my prospect with what I knew instead of what he needed. Anyone else done this? When I changed my presentation to a 5 page powerpoint addressing his perceived need… I got the contract. My customers don’t need to know about SERPs and Google Places… they need to know about leads. They need to get more customers and they are interested if you can show them how you’re gonna do it… in about 5 minutes. My solution was to come back to basic marketing and sales techniques. Here’s the problem. Here’s what I got. Here’s Why You Want It. Here’s How You Can Get It. I’d love to hear about some classic errors in marketing or sales flow judgment that you’ve made and especially the solutions you’ve come up with to avoid doing the same unsuccessful behavior over and over again. Let ‘er rip!
	Want To Know How To Reduce High PPC Costs & Increase CTRs At The Same Time? PM Me For Details & Case Studies

30th Oct 2011, 10:17 AM	#2
carmack Active Warrior Join Date: 2010 Posts: 47 Thanks: 6 Thanked 28 Times in 26 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I do have a question, and then will post more later. Since business owners do want to know how whatever we are selling will bring them more business and leads, how do you show them that a mobile website does that? I know the stats about mobile searches and increased customer satisfaction because of site navigation, but any suggestion on how to show them that part of the value in a mobile site is increased business?

30th Oct 2011, 12:00 PM	#4
JToneyUK HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: North West, England Posts: 267 Thanks: 97 Thanked 41 Times in 34 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I think it could be a losing battle until these people see that their competition are going mobile. For instance if you pitch them that people come onto their site but have to scroll and zoom, a quick thinking business owner will probably say, yeah well they have to do that on all of our competitions sites also. Even though they really should, offline business owners may not think that users' online experience counts for much. So long as they have an online presence, then that is fine.

30th Oct 2011, 02:46 PM	#6
JToneyUK HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: North West, England Posts: 267 Thanks: 97 Thanked 41 Times in 34 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I guess there will always be some people who are reluctant! As you say it's all about coming from an angle whereby you sell the benefits to the business rather than the product itself.

30th Oct 2011, 03:57 PM	#7
russmarsha HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2005 Location: Iron River Wi Posts: 167 Thanks: 6 Thanked 30 Times in 10 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I know for one thing if your trying to deal with a business that does no advertising at all, your most likely coming into a dead end, so I think a good angle would check your prospects advertising and sell them on how they can benefit adding mobile to their current ads. Im tired of trying to sell text marketing alone, im going to start making it part of a package deal, I just got a client this weekend by selling him on a website with a mobile version of it and text marketing with the hosting and even a places page, im not looking to get rich on 1 client, I am looking for the monthly residual income, so i didnt kill him with a big set up fee, I got one but it was not that big. Just my 2 cents worth

30th Oct 2011, 06:15 PM	#8
midasman09 Banned Join Date: 2009 Posts: 1,278 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1,543 Times in 536 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Why not go after the "low-hanging-fruit"! Take a look at your Sunday Paper. Look thru the ads and see how many have QR Codes in them. There's two in my small town paper today. Now....I've learned long ago that "advertisers ADVERTISE!" So...the ads, both Display AND Classifieds....are being paid for by people who WANT to Sell Something! So....what you can do is offer a Two-Fold Service; 1) Create a 2 or 3 Page Mobile Site with a 2) QR Code that is TRACKABLE (By that I mean you can MEASURE the Number of Scans and send your client a Report on How Many Times the ad has been scanned) This is great for judging either; 1) Which Ad Pulls Best or, using the same ad 2) Which Paper Pulls Best Your clients, who are ALREADY spending money on ads....WILL want to spend more for a Service that Reports RESULTS! Don Alm

30th Oct 2011, 06:38 PM	#9
KateSaunders Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Posts: 61 Thanks: 74 Thanked 74 Times in 52 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: @JToneyUK I think one way to respond to that kind of objection is to say, Yes, and that's my point! The business that has the foresight to go mobile now will win - because they will capture that customer. The customer will have no reason to click off to a competitor site - they'll find just what they are looking for in your mobile site. It's a win/win because the customer finds what they are looking for on your site - and you get the customer.

30th Oct 2011, 07:21 PM	#10
Jason Fladlien HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2007 Location: Iowa City, IA, USA. Posts: 396 Thanks: 361 Thanked 727 Times in 137 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: The thing that really helped me sell was this principle - never try to convince the business owner of anything. For example, the objection "none of my competition is doing it, so...". The tendency is to try to convince them them that they should be leaders... get ahead of the competition to have an advantage. Good luck trying to pull that off. Instead, what I would do is simple - "Okay, well what is your competition doing right now that you're not doing but know you need to BE DOING?"... Then they tell me, and I sell them something that helps them achieve that. Notice I did NO convincing. I asked them what they wanted to focus on instead... Now, here is a super hot tip if you want to sell mobile websites to local businesses. It's this: it's easier to sell your services who someone who is attempting to do what you're offering and failing then to sale to someone who is not doing what you're offering already. Two quick examples... 1) Local businesses who advertise on google adwords. They are ALREADY trying to get customers using a paid online media. Did you know google penalizes sites in adwords that are not mobile friendly with a lower quality score? So you help them improve their ppc campaign by offering them a mobile version of the page they're advertising... so their ad spend is cheaper, and their conversion on the ad spend is higher. 2) You find sites who already have a mobile version of their website... but don't automatically redirect mobile users to the mobile version of the site. They don't know what browser detection is... typically the mobile version they have anyway is atrocious so when you combine the fact they are attempting mobile marketing and that they don't know how to do browser detection... little to no selling is required.
	Co-creator of WP Twin. Perhaps the most expensive yet most reliable wordress cloning tool on the market. We've definitely been used more successfully than all other options :)

30th Oct 2011, 07:40 PM	#11
KateSaunders Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Posts: 61 Thanks: 74 Thanked 74 Times in 52 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Awesome insight, Jason. Thanks!

31st Oct 2011, 12:30 PM	#24
DirectMail Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I've attended a few conferences in Boston this year and have heard a lot of discussion about mobile and mobile marketing. As an internet marketer it is hard to sell prospects mobile services when they still need a lot of seo work on their main websites. Mobile will continue to be a big part of our future but I think your main webpage still needs to be your primary focus. However, if you are pitching a restaurant or brick and mortar business it makes send to invest heavily on mobile. People are search for food with the intent to find a nice place to sit and get a bite. More often then not, if your site is friendly and has a few good reviews, you well get the business.
	I write about travel and health and I try and add value along the way. Healthy Travel.

31st Oct 2011, 02:12 PM	#27
midasman09 Banned Join Date: 2009 Posts: 1,278 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1,543 Times in 536 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: The word is "REASON"! Give prospects (for anything you sell) a GOOD "Reason".... to; Continue talking to you (when you phone them) Meet with you Buy your product or service and....the STRONGER the "Reason"....the EASIER the Sale! Example: When I tell pizza shop owners I can bring them an "Additional 20 Pizzas a Night at $15 per Pizza".....do you think they will "meet" with me and "listen closely" to what I have to say? Or....when I tell a Restaurant Owner....I can "FILL HIS SEATS ON TUESDAY NIGHT"! Or....any advertiser in the newspaper....."I can DOUBLE the Viewers in your Newspaper Ads!" ....do you think they will be ALL EARS for what I'm about to tell him? Don Alm....

31st Oct 2011, 02:52 PM	#29
BKH HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 116 Thanks: 8 Thanked 44 Times in 27 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: My biggest hurdle is with the bigger corps...getting in front of the decision maker ! I would love to hear any and all ideas of how you get from walking into a business and getting the appointment with the marketing manager. I have had some success with getting to the right person but it's been a three to four month turn around from talking to receptionist to meeting with managers to pitching the idea to the appropriate decision maker...Is this the typical process or does anyone have a great way to directly get to the DM? Thanks in advance, b

12th Nov 2011, 05:16 PM	#38
sgplace HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2005 Location: , Charlotte , USA. Posts: 127 Thanks: 40 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Tracking QR codes? I use QR and text messaging for a real estate client ... I use GoTryThis to monitor the hits - using a code shortener built into GTT and use the shortened url to generate a QR code. There are a tons of QR generators but I use QR-Code Generator Tool - vCards, Websites, Messages, Emails & More. You could do the same thing with bitly for free. For a higher end solution check out Mobile Tagging: 2D Barcode Web Applications. George
	George J Steiner

13th Nov 2011, 06:49 AM	#41
sadiecopywriter Mercedes War Room Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 270 Thanks: 230 Thanked 38 Times in 33 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I jsut started in mobile, so let me know if I'm doing it the right way. The biggest objection I'm getting is "I'll have my webmaster do it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention." Got 2 of those this week. I'm hoping the webmaster can't do it. I'm hoping if I check back next week I'll see it not done so I can contact them again and say something like "I see the webmaster hasn't gotten to it yet. I can get it up for you in less than a week." Do you think this will work? How should I handle this objection?
	Mercedes Need Free & Legal images for your books & blogs? Check out the FREE Little Black Book of Royalty Free Images.

14th Nov 2011, 04:45 AM	#44
jamesjunior Call me Jim Join Date: 2011 Location: New York, NY Posts: 13 Thanks: 2 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Gil, check your free report PDF on the download page, it is corrupt. Re-upload if you can. Would've sent via PM but my Mom said I wasn't experienced enough yet to send PM's. Jim

6th Mar 2012, 01:57 PM	#45
Elyse78 Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 32 Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Hi Jason, My name is Taheerah and today, I saw your response in the thread I wanted to ask you ask you where you read this information. I've searched all over the web, and couldn't find a direct source, so, I called Google adwords team to ask them directly, and the rep told me this policy doesn't exist. I think this is an awesome angle to approach businesses with, the problem is, if I can't find the info to back this up, I don't want the company to go to their adwords mgr to ask them and look stupid. Any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks! P.S. - I can't PM you directly due to my low post count.

7th Mar 2012, 01:36 AM	#47
HappyGayleen HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Location: Palm Desert, CA Posts: 113 Thanks: 74 Thanked 28 Times in 26 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I have been using my cellphone to scan the QR codes in ads -- and laugh when I land on a non-mobile-friendly website. Geez! and they probably paid for that QR code... I see them as a "hot...hot...hot" web design client!

7th Mar 2012, 01:45 AM	#48
HappyGayleen HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Location: Palm Desert, CA Posts: 113 Thanks: 74 Thanked 28 Times in 26 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: I also think our biggest challenge now is to educate a prospect on what is mobile marketing and help them see how they can benefit. I used Will's software to design a mobile site and I purposely did not redirect from my regular site. I show people my mobile site and how easy it is to read and navigate -- which they don't really get until I show them the regular version on my cellphone. It's like an "ah-ha" moment for them. Then I show them a few other examples of both mobile and non-mobile sites. I admit I'm just getting started but I've already seen the light come on in people's eyes. I got two clients while at a party the other night! Also, tell a story or paint a picture -- this is what I do for SMS texting. I use a pizza shop as an example of how it would work -- and, again, I see the ah-ha! moment. It's fun to get them to interact by having a virtual biz card. I also ask for creative ideas they have for how anyone might use text message marketing... I have sold a lot of adv in my life and this is the very easiest thing I've ever, ever done! The need is so great! I'm so excited I've gotten about 8 people excited about selling for me!! WHOOOO HOOOO!

9th Mar 2012, 05:01 PM	#50
Elyse78 Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 32 Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: What's the Hardest Part of Selling Mobile for You and What Tips Do You Have To Help Others?? Share on: Thanks Doug, I appreciate it!