Podcast Episode

TRANSCRIPT

The economy has changed. Has Your Sales Strategy?

Hello and welcome back to the Sales Show. I'm your host, Maree Kirkpatrick, and welcome to today's episode. This episode is based on a lot of what I've been seeing. So a lot of business owners are feeling the impact of what's happening in the world right now, which is 100 per cent fair enough. They're feeling that economic uncertainty, the cost-of-living pressures, businesses and consumers tightening their budgets, and people taking a lot longer to make decisions.

So these are the sort of conversations I'm having with clients every single day. And what I want to go through today, and what I really want to help you with, is for you to understand that when sales actually slow down, people often think that they need a new strategy. But. But what I want you to understand is that the first place I really want you to look is the connection back to your ideal client. Because what I see happening is that business owners get really busy running their business.

They're doing all the things, but what happens is they stop talking to their ideal clients in a bigger scheme. So they start making assumptions or their messaging becomes outdated, and they think that what worked six months ago, 12 months ago, 18 months ago, three months ago, still works. And their marketing and their sales start getting sloppy, and they're just not converting at the stage they want. And so what we need to be really clear on is that your ideal client might still be that same person, but the world has changed. And so, when there are big changes in the world, consumer behaviour and buying patterns tend to change.

And so what does all this mean? It means that I want you to get back on the floor with your ideal clients. And getting on the floor is one of my favourite concepts that I go through when I work with people because it gets you out from behind your computer, it gets you out from being in your head and the guessing and down to having these real conversations, listening more and trying to just really getting clear on what is happening in their world, in your ideal client's world right now. And so, as I said, they may be exactly the same person, they may have the same challenges, but maybe the way that they think and process things is different.

I'd love you to ask yourself, what are they really worried about now? What are their frustrations about what's going through their mind? What's keeping them awake at night? What are they delaying? What do they think feels risky at the moment?

Or what are they trying to achieve despite everything else that's happening around them? And this is why your Messaging needs to change. Because messaging isn't just this set-and-forget. It's more about always staying connected and clear with your ideal client. Because people evolve more, markets evolve, and circumstances change.

And when we have things like government changes that have been going on in Australia, when we have had, you know, upsets overseas, and you know, increase in cost of living, increase in supply and all that sort of stuff, things change. So two years ago, people may have just wanted growth. I think people want more stability and certainty today. What I see is 2 years ago people wanted to scale. Today, they just want more cash and profitability.

And I think it's more than just having more leads at the moment. I think it's about people wanting stability, certainty, better conversations, and better connections. Because I think people are scared. And so my question to you is, how do we get on the floor with people? Because people don't buy based on what mattered to them, like last year, six months ago, three months ago.

It's based on what matters to them today. And so we want to talk about what's happening with them today. And so the sales basics never change. And this is what I love about sales, right? The fundamentals will always work.

You need to understand people; you need to build those relationships; you need to be able to solve their problems and communicate clearly. So it's not just a matter of following up for the sake of following up. It's following up with clarity, with great communication, with great relationship focus, space, and making buying easier. Even today, people are overwhelmed. So make it really easy for them to see exactly what you do, how you do it, and how you can help them.

And so your tactics might change, your terminology might change. God, the freaking algorithms change all the time. And marketing constantly needs to be moving, but sales and the concepts are still very much the same. A lot changes, but the human and the psychology still stay the same. And so, what I want you to look for right now is listening to what your ideal clients are saying.

So what sort of questions are people asking? What are their biggest challenges that are coming up? What objections are coming up repeatedly? And what are they concerned? Like, what their concerns were six months ago is not the same as today.

So go back, read your emails and messages, go through Facebook groups, and see what's actually going on. What, what is the language that people are using and the constant themes that keep coming up. And so based on that, go back to talking to those existing clients and see what's happening for them. What's changed in their business or the industry? What are they focusing on now?

What challenges are they facing? And then go back and review your sales and marketing, and link the two. A lot, a lot of my clients are saying, you know, I'm just trying to save where I can. And I'm like, well, yes, save, but how do we also generate that cash? Because saving is, at times, very much from a scarcity point of view.

And I don't want people to go down that path. I still want that profit, profitability and expansion mindset. And so ask yourself: what still feels relevant about what you're doing today, and how is that speaking to the challenges in today's world? And does this still feel like the way that you are delivering, writing things and all of that are still sharing and serving your ideal clients now? And the best way, I think, to do that is also to share your personal observations.

And this is where a lot of storytelling and related activities happen. So, for example, if I use some of my VIP clients, a lot of them are saying, you know, sales are down, just don't think people are buying. And I'm like, but what is really going on? Yes, people are still buying. People just still have a little bit of scarcity, and there's still a little bit of fear around, but people are absolutely still buying.

And I don't want, I don't want either my clients or business owners to fall into that mindset because depending on who you listen to will absolutely determine your mindset around this stuff. And so it's not saying that people aren't buying, it's looking at how their buying behaviour has shifted and how you can adjust to that. So I can guarantee you there are businesses out there that are still making great money because they stop and take the time to sit, think, and connect. And I've even recently done this in my own business, where I've gone back and looked at, okay, my ideal client, what's going on for her at the moment. And a lot of it is, like, their sales are dropping, or their leads aren't flowing as well as they need to.

And when we've actually looked at it, it's more about the messaging. It's more about the marketing that they're doing is still the same marketing or still the same concepts they were doing six months ago. And that's where people are stuck. And so I want you to really go back and reassess that, go back to the basics, because this is where people are stuck, and you don't need to be. But if you keep thinking that business needs to be so automated and that everything should just be easy, then it is going to feel a lot harder.

And so what people are investing in is things that are helping them with a bit more certainty, so understanding what's going on in the market, but still being able to deliver those real outcomes. And if you decide, and I think the danger in a lot of this is deciding on who you listen to, because there are some people that will be like, pack up your business, move overseas, save on the tax, the Australian government, blah, blah, blah. And then there are other people, like, yeah, that's a little bit of a concern. And I'll deal with that with my accountant. But my main focus as a business owner is to drive sales, serve our clients, and really go above and beyond.

If business were easy, everyone would be doing it. And I think business, a lot of the time, is between our ears. And the difference between the ones that are successful and the ones that maybe aren't is what's going on between their mind and what they are willing to push through and overcome from a mindset perspective. So I really want you to go back and think about, where am I listening to people's advice, who am I listening to, what am I reading and absorbing? 

When you feel like you're struggling, I want you to just slow down for just a minute. Like, just take a day or two and go back through that ideal client portfolio. What language are they using now? What are the challenges that they're having now? And so instead of everyone just jumping online and, you know, putting out more, more, more.

Get on the floor, right? Everyone is telling us to do more. More content, more funnels, more ads, more platforms, more everywhere. Drop your prices. Oh, drop your prices.

There'll be people who'll be like, drop your prices. And then there are other industries that are like, we're raising our prices, like Xero. The finance software. I know even in my personal life, daycare fees have gone up. And it's not something we can say, "Oh, okay, I'm not going to do daycare."

It's like, cool. How do I make that work? What does that look like? What do I need to do differently? And so be really clear about what you're putting your energy and focus into, especially when things feel a little uncertain.

And it's not necessarily about having more ads, more funnels, more platforms, or being everywhere, because sometimes the answer isn't actually more. Sometimes the real answer is getting on the floor with your ideal clients and being really clear on what they want. So, have a better understanding. Be the best person in your industry who understands your clients better than anyone else. And then from that, I want you to tweak your messaging so that you've got the best messaging out there and that you're having really great conversations because you know exactly where your clients are at, what's going on for them, what they need, what they're feeling, what's going on in their head and how you can help them.

And then, obviously, tie that in with some really beautiful, connected follow-up. Because sales is about connection, and it's very much about relationships. So to finish up on this episode, if you just take away one thing from everything that I've said, when was the last time you actually went through and genuinely looked at your ideal client? Not just thought about it, but put pen to paper, fingers to the keyboard, or whatever that is, and had a really genuine conversation with your ideal client? Not to sell, not to pitch, not for any other hidden agenda than to purely understand what's going on and how you can help.

Because the businesses that do that will absolutely thrive through uncertainty. And it's not necessarily the ones that allow us. We went through all this sort of stuff again with COVID, too. A lot of businesses closed during COVID, but a lot of businesses pivoted, connected, flew, and thrived through it because they're the ones paying attention. They're the ones that are like, okay, that's not working at the moment.

What do I need to do? Based on the people that I serve, based on my services, what I could offer, the ones that are listening, the ones that are adapting, the ones that are really connecting with their ideal clients. And so when you stay connected with the people that you serve, you will absolutely continue to grow your business. Okay, stay connected. If things feel hard, step back, take a day off.

Heaven forbid, take a day off, go somewhere, take a journal, take a book, take a pen and paper, take your laptop and connect back in with your ideal client, what's going on for them. Because the basics of sales haven't changed. The basics being understanding people, building relationships and solving problems. None of this will ever go out of fashion, and none of this will ever stop being a focus in your business. Until next time, I hope you have an amazing week.

If you've got questions, let me know. You can shoot me an email at:

[email protected]

I'll chat to you soon. Bye.