The Creative Voice ✱

Tag: business growth

  • How to Sell Without Being Pushy: Ethical Sales Framework

    The word “SALES” often carries negative connotations, associated with amateur or unethical salespeople who use pressure and manipulation to push poor-quality products and services. Many entrepreneurs cringe at the thought of “selling,” picturing aggressive door-to-door salesmen or relentless telemarketers. This unfavorable image often stops businesses from growing, as sales are fundamental to business expansion.

    This article redefines selling, offering an unconventional understanding of sales that will help you boost sales without being pushy. Forget pitching, presenting, pushing, manipulating, or convincing. True sales are about:

    • Inspiring the prospect to make a confident decision.
    • Helping them deeply think through their challenges.

    Making a purchase decision can be daunting. People work hard for their money and fear making the wrong choice. Your role as a sales professional is to facilitate this decision by providing confidence and certainty. To guide you, I’ve developed a simple yet powerful ethical sales framework, turning the word SALES into a mnemonic device.

    The S.A.L.E.S. Framework for Ethical Selling

    S = See: Understanding Client Needs and Perception

    “Seeing” your client means more than just a follow-up. It’s about recognizing the attention you’ve already garnered from leads. Companies spend billions on attention (billboards, ads) because if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. Why would you neglect to retain and convert the attention you’ve worked so hard to get?

    Beyond the surface, “seeing” involves deep perception of your client’s situation. What specific difficulties are they facing? What amenities are they truly seeking? And critically, which of your products or services genuinely meets their needs or solves their problems? Understand their buying motives: are they shopping for price or seeking the best quality? You wouldn’t try to sell a luxury car to someone looking for an economy vehicle; tailor your perception to their needs.

    A = Ask: Probing Deeper with Powerful Questions

    Don’t assume – ask! Validate your perceptions and probe deeper to truly understand the problem better. Always discover the root cause of any problem. A powerful technique is to ask “Why?” five times consecutively. Here’s an example:

    • 🥺 Boy, I have a headache…
    • ❓Why? Because I have a cold.
    • ❓Why did you catch a cold? Because yesterday I spent time in the cold.
    • ❓Why? Because I didn’t take my coat.
    • ❓ Why? Because I didn’t think that it would be so cold outside.
    • (❓ Why? Because in the morning I don’t check the weather forecast. (✅ )

    Solution: Install a thermometer on the balcony and watch it before going out. While temporary solutions like pain relievers offer quick fixes, they don’t tackle the root cause, leading to recurring problems.

    Asking “what?” often leads to simple commands. Asking “how?” can encourage micromanagement. But asking “Why?” opens doors to unexplored ideas and solutions, making you stand out as a qualified and valuable salesperson.

    You can also ask clients about their most important decision-making factor – is it price, a great track record, or something else?

    L = Listen: The Power of Active Listening in Sales

    Listen carefully. Jot down notes and occasionally repeat what you’ve heard to show you’re truly engaged. Never interrupt your client; it breaks their flow and they might forget crucial points. Let them speak. The more they open up, the better your understanding of their problem. This active listening is key to building strong client relationships.

    E = Empathise: Building Trust and Reciprocity

    Now that you have the full picture, empathize. Put yourself in their shoes. Do you genuinely believe you have the right product or service for them? If not, consider recommending a friend who works for another company that might offer a better fit. This builds stronger friendships and, more importantly, a lifelong relationship with your client. They’ll see you as a person of honor and values.

    According to the psychological law of reciprocity, when you do something for someone, they feel inclined to do something in return. When you contribute meaningfully to someone’s life and deliver tremendous value, they’ll feel a strong urge to reciprocate! This is how ethical selling creates lasting impact.

    S = Serve: Proposing Solutions and Closing Ethically

    To serve means to propose the optimal solution and effectively close the deal. After summarizing their situation and confirming your understanding of their problem, you can confidently propose:

    “From what I understand, this issue is causing you £10,000 in lost revenue. If that’s correct, then if I send you a proposal worth £1500, would you be willing to close the deal before this weekend?”

    A question like this summarizes everything, puts the client in a decision-making state, and confirms mutual understanding. Once they agree, and you send a sensible proposal, you’re 99% of the way to closing the sale ethically. All that remains is to deliver the product or service as promised.

    Ethical Endnote

    This framework is such a breath of fresh air! 🌬️💖 It completely shifts the perspective on sales from aggressive pushing 🥊 to genuine connection and heartfelt service. I especially loved the “Ask Why?” technique – such a simple yet incredibly powerful way to uncover true needs and dig deep! 💡🔍

    What’s one sales interaction that truly changed your perspective on selling, for better or worse? 🤔 Share your thoughts and stories below! 👇 I’m genuinely curious to hear your experiences. Let’s redefine sales together, one positive interaction at a time! ✨🤝📈

  • Authentic Brand Building: The Cold Hard Truth About How to Build a Brand ❔

    Authentic Brand Building: The Cold Hard Truth About How to Build a Brand ❔

    Authentic Brand Building: The cold hard truth nobody’s talking about ! 📨

    Thinking about how to build a brand? Many people believe branding is just about your logo, colour palette, visual identity, products, services, trademarks, patents, or even shelf space and billboards. But that’s only the surface. The cold hard truth about genuine branding is that your authentic brand is the sum total of every possible interaction you have with your potential and existing customers and stakeholders – and crucially, how those interactions make them feel. Your brand is built on the experiences, perceptions, expectations, memories, and stories people associate with your business. Therefore, effective branding is how you intentionally influence these associations to create a strong, positive perception.

    As the saying goes, “People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” This feeling is at the heart of an authentic and memorable brand.

    Why Your “Why” is Key to Authentic Brand Building ꗃ

    Great brands don’t just know “who they are”; they pinpoint their “Raison D’être” – their fundamental “Why does our business exist in the first place?” This core purpose is the starting point for truly authentic brand building.

    Many so-called branding experts suggest starting solely by “identifying your audience.” While knowing your audience is important later, it’s not the foundation for building a genuine and memorable brand. True things come from within, from inner reflection. A brand that genuinely makes a difference in the world starts with honesty, sincerity, authenticity, and deep self-reflection. How you perceive yourself internally directly corresponds to how your brand is represented and perceived externally.

    Don’t Be Neutral: How to Make Your Brand Stand Out !

    Your brand isn’t supposed to be neutral. It’s not about being altruistic, but it is definitely “some-truistic” – deeply committed to something. While providing value is essential, an authentic brand is much more than that. It’s about genuinely caring for a specific “issue,” representing a particular “ideal,” or serving a certain group of “people” very, very deeply, in a way no one else can.

    As designer Jessica Walsh famously put it, “If no one hates it, no one really loves it.” This highlights the power of taking a stand.

    To make your brand stand out from the crowd, avoid being a people-pleaser. Don’t get distracted by trying to make a quick buck or capitalizing on fleeting trends. Whatever you do, don’t be just another commodity brand. Discover your unique personality, distinguish yourself, and find something you genuinely care about.

    Questions for Discovering Your Brand’s Authenticity .ᐟ

    To help you discover the core of your authentic brand and define what makes you “some-truistic,” ask yourself (or your team) these questions:

    🔩 Why is this particular mission or issue important to me/us?

    🪛 What makes this specific pain point or need more important to address than others?

    🔧 Am I/Are we truly passionate about this?

    🪓 Do I/We really care about serving this particular group of people, or is it just another payday?

    🔨 How does this business enterprise genuinely contribute to the greater good?

    Consider even personal preferences that influence your business’s character: Am I a Windows person or a Mac person? Do I prefer working in a sunlit office with bright colors or a dark room with cool neon lights? If you’re a naturally “hip” individual, your brand should likely avoid a super corporate feel.

    Remember, nobody truly loves elevator music. They might tolerate it, but they don’t identify with it, they don’t dance, laugh, or cry to it. It’s just background noise. Don’t let your brand be background noise; be a brand people identify with.

    Branding Starts with Authenticity – Be a Unicorn Brand 🌿

    Branding truly starts with authenticity. While this authentic intention is intangible, when a company communicates it with clarity and sincerity in every single possible interaction and decision, that XYZ company transforms into a true brand. This is when people start identifying with it; they develop stories and expectations.

    Consider Apple. If I told you Apple was launching a series of deodorants, you’d likely have an immediate anticipation – a vision of the packaging, the target audience, the feel. You could sense something abstract yet very real because Apple has built an authentic brand. Now, if I told you a company primarily known for laundry detergent was launching a new laptop, you’d probably have no idea what to expect. One has a brand; the other has a logo, billboards, adverts, and shelf space – but not the same depth of authentic connection.

    Therefore, the most straightforward way to start establishing yourself as a strong, memorable brand is by being authentic. As Brené Brown says, “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

    The Power and Protection of Authentic Branding 💯

    Authenticity

    Authenticity has the power to take your brand to places no technology, marketing funnels, or algorithms can reach alone. Being authentic requires the acceptance of vulnerability, transparency, and integrity. This genuine approach makes a brand fearless and provides the conviction to keep going when others stop.

    Authenticity requires no pretense. You can only fake genuine care and concern for so long. If you ever feel tempted to be inauthentic, think of the politicians you despise – that should bring you back on track!

    Ultimately, authenticity makes your brand integral and genuinely resilient. In today’s connected world, it only takes one viral video from a dissatisfied customer or employee to unmask inauthenticity and severely damage, if not sink, a business. Building an authentic brand isn’t just good for your customers; it’s essential for your long-term survival and success.

    Bringing this endeavor to its ultimate fruition ⋆˙⟡

    Loved ❤️ diving into the truth about building a truly authentic brand with you! It’s a journey that starts from within and resonates outwards, creating genuine connections that matter 💎

    What are your thoughts on the “cold hard truth” of branding? Do you have your own experiences with building an authentic brand or seeing one in action? I’d love to hear your perspective – share your valuable thoughts in the comments below ! 👇🏼

    If this article resonated with you and you believe in the power of genuine branding, please consider giving it a like 👍🏼 and share it with your network – fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, or anyone looking to build something real. Let’s spread the word about building brands with heart! 🙌🏻

  • Be The Pink Frog: The Cold Hard Truth About Branding Nobody’s Talking About!

    Be The Pink Frog: The Cold Hard Truth About Branding Nobody’s Talking About!

    Introduction

    Your ‘Brand’ is not your logo, colour palette, visual identity, products and services, trademarks, patents, shelf space, billboards, packaging etc. but it is every possible interaction you could have with your potential and existing customers/stakeholders and how you make them feel in each of those from smallest to greatest.

    Your brand is the sum total of all the experiences, perceptions, expectations, memories and stories they associate with your business and hence branding is how you influence the above.

    “People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
    — Maya Angelou.

    Great brands begin by pinpointing not just “who we are?” but their “Raison D’être” i.e. “Why does our business exist in the first place?”. A lot of so-called Branding Experts would tell you to start branding by “Identifying your audience” but that’s not how you build a genuine and memorable brand.

    All true things come from within, from an inner reflection and so does a brand that makes a difference to the world! Hence I insist you start with honesty, sincerity, authenticity and self-reflection! How you perceive yourself in your head/s corresponds directly to how you represent yourself in the world!

    Don’t be Freaking Neutral!

    A brand isn’t supposed to be neutral. It isn’t supposed to be altruistic but it’s definitely some-truistic. It’s definitely about providing value but it is much more than that. It is about caring for some “issue”, representing some “ideal”, serving some “people” very very deeply like no one else can!

    “If no one hates it, no one really loves it.”
    — Jessica Walsh

    Don’t be a people pleaser, don’t be distracted by ways to make a quick buck or by trying to capitalise on recent trends and whatever you do but don’t be just another commodity. Discover your personality, Distinguish yourself, Stand out from the crowd, and find something you genuinely care about!

    Ask These Questions:

    • Why is this important to me/us?
    • What makes this particular pain point more important than the rest?
    • Am I really passionate about this?
    • Do I really care about serving this particular group of people or it’s just another payday?
    • How does this business enterprise contribute to the greater good?
    • Some personal questions like: Am I a Windows person or a Mac person? Do I like to work in a sunlit office with bright colours or in a dark room with cool neon lights? If you’re a very “hip” individual then the last thing you want to do is work with someone super corporate!

    Don’t be neutral! Nobody really loves elevator music! They can tolerate it but they don’t identify with it, they don’t dance, laugh or cry to it. It’s just another background noise!

    Branding Starts with Authenticity — Be The Pink Frog

    And although this intention is intangible when a company communicates this intention with clarity and sincerity in every single possible interaction and decision it makes, the XYZ company is now a brand. Now people start identifying with it, they have stories and expectations.

    For example, if I told you Apple is going to come up with a series of deodorants it is not difficult to have some anticipation in mind, some vision of how it would be packaged or who would it be for, you could immediately feel something which is quite abstract yet very real whereas if I told you Unilever is going to come up with a new laptop, you have no freaking idea what it’s gonna be like, you have no expectations because Apple has a brand, Unilever has a logo, billboards, adverts and shelf spaces.

    So then the easiest way to start establishing yourself as a brand is by being Authentic.

    “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
    ― Brene Brown

    Authenticity will take your Brand to places no technology, funnels or algorithms can.

    Authenticity is the cornerstone of brand success. While technology can aid in awareness and engagement, it cannot replace the human connection fostered through genuine authenticity.

    Trust, emotional connection, differentiation, word-of-mouth, and long-term sustainability are key benefits of authentic brands.

    Being authentic requires acceptance of vulnerability, transparency and integrity. Being authentic makes us fearless, it keeps us going when everyone else stops.

    Authenticity requires no pretence.

    Authenticity is about being true to oneself. It means avoiding pretense, artifice, or inauthenticity. When a brand is authentic, it doesn’t try to be something it’s not.

    It embraces its unique identity, values, and personality. This honesty builds trust and loyalty with consumers who appreciate brands that are genuine and transparent.

    After all, we can fake genuine care and concern only for so long. If you ever feel tempted to be inauthentic, think of those politicians you despise and you’ll be back on track.

    Authenticity makes the Brand Integral and Genuine.

    Authenticity is the foundation of a brand’s integrity. When a brand is authentic, it demonstrates a commitment to its values and beliefs. This integrity makes the brand genuine and trustworthy, fostering long-lasting relationships with its customers.

    An authentic brand is more likely to be seen as genuine and reliable, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and advocacy.

    In this day and age, it only takes one viral video from a dissatisfied customer and employee to unmask one and sink the business. When you’re tempted to be inauthentic, think of all those phonies you despise and it will save you from being inauthentic.

    Conclusion:

    Authenticity is the key to building a successful brand. It goes beyond technology and marketing tactics. By being true to oneself, avoiding pretence, and demonstrating integrity, a brand can foster trust, emotional connection, and long-lasting relationships with its customers. This authenticity makes the brand integral and genuine, leading to increased loyalty, advocacy, and overall success. Be the pink frog!

  • Branding for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide

    Branding for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide

    Introduction:

    In today’s competitive marketplace, a strong brand identity is essential for small businesses to stand out and attract customers. Branding is more than just a logo or a slogan; it’s the overall impression your business makes on your target audience. By developing a well-defined brand, you can build trust, loyalty, and recognition.

    Understanding Brand Identity

    Your brand identity is the unique personality and character that sets your business apart. It encompasses your values, mission, vision, and the overall experience you want to create for your customers. Key elements of a strong brand identity include:

    • Brand name: A memorable and relevant name that reflects your business’s essence.
    • Logo: A visually appealing symbol that represents your brand and is easily recognizable.
    • Tagline: A concise and memorable phrase that captures your brand’s essence.
    • Brand messaging: The language and tone you use to communicate with your audience.
    • Brand personality: The human characteristics or qualities associated with your brand.

    Benefits of Branding for Small Businesses

    1. Increased brand recognition: A strong brand helps customers easily recognize and remember your business.
    2. Improved customer loyalty: A consistent brand experience fosters customer loyalty and repeat business.
    3. Enhanced customer trust: A well-established brand builds trust and credibility with your target audience.
    4. Differentiation from competitors: A unique brand identity helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
    5. Increased brand value: A strong brand can increase the perceived value of your products or services.

    Steps to Build a Strong Brand

    1. Define your target audience: Identify your ideal customers and understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors.
    2. Develop a brand strategy: Create a clear plan outlining your brand’s goals, values, and messaging.
    3. Create a brand identity: Design a memorable logo, tagline, and brand messaging that reflects your brand’s personality.
    4. Consistency is key: Ensure your brand identity is consistent across all touchpoints, from your website and social media to your marketing materials and customer service interactions.
    5. Engage with your audience: Build relationships with your customers through social media, email marketing, and other channels.
    6. Monitor and measure: Track your brand’s performance and make adjustments as needed to maintain its effectiveness.

    Conclusion

    Branding is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and attention. By investing in a strong brand identity, small businesses can create a lasting impression on their target audience, build customer loyalty, and drive long-term success.

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