Can you be successful with your sales and marketing activity through tough times? What does it actually take to succeed? (Warning—total BS)

Everyone wants to be successful until they see what it actually takes.

First, you need to understand that your sales and marketing activity is not always going to work. So, whether there is a global crisis happening or not, there will be campaigns you will be putting effort and $$$’s into but will produce a big fat nothing, or, even worse, instil so much fear into you that you take NO ACTION at all.

But NOTHING should stop you from taking the learning and powering on to build that cred, push that message, and move that audience. However, what can’t be stressed more is the fact that results from ANY effort you put in now, won’t be seen for another couple months down the track.

So, when you’re stuck, try remembering these 9 pointers (they will extend beyond the work itself and far into your life):

1. MARKETING will not work for you if you say it’s HARD.

Hard is having to stay in a shitty money situation, not fulfilling your desired business goals, and watching all your competitors proactively fly past while you’re just getting by. Choose that what you do will be easy. It won’t always happen with ease, but trials help you understand what WILL work, and challenges help you expand and grow.

Marketing developed a reputation as hard—don’t be tainted by an old-fashioned mindset.

2. SALES (and marketing) won’t happen for you if you don’t become RESILIENT.

On average, it takes 11 touch points, 8 hours of content, and 3 phone calls to get some interest. Most people give up after just 1. You might think you need to shut up shop, but it’s not the case. Look around – anyone can turn a crisis into continuity. Choose to be the business person that bounces back and uses the learnings to FUEL YOU.

Steel yourself, this is not a drill—it’s the path that forms your character.

3. TEAMS won’t work for you if you’re not coming from a place of complete abundance and letting go of desperation and scarcity.

This isn’t ‘fake it till you make it’. It’s simply ‘let that shit go’ as it does not serve you. Your team will be your GLUE. So each and everyday, you must consciously choose to come from abundance and LEAD them (and yourself) to the same. When you focus too heavily on the output, you forget about the input. But there’s always enough resources, people, and opportunity. Even if they are stuck working from home! It’s about managing how you work and unite together.

How you feel counts—your biggest influence is the actual state you’re in.

4. CLIENTS will not work for you if you’re not being SOLUTIONS FOCUSED.

Staying in the problem zone won’t get you anywhere. If there is an issue, ask, “What’s the solution?” and state, “This is how we can help…”. Then, go and action it! Do not harp on and on about the problems. Your clients want solutions. And, for the record, TIME is not an excuse. None of us have any time to waste. This isn’t a zombie apocalypse, it’s a temporary pandemic. If you make time for victim mentality, that’s what you’ll become.

Getting sh#t done is good—getting problems solved is great.

5. BUSINESS won’t work for you if you compare yourself to others.

This is the all-time killer of dreams. Everyone starts somewhere, so give yourself a bloody break. Becoming the influencer, the thought leader, the powerful figure all starts with making a DECISION. Learn the ropes and tools, hire great people to help you, and come from service and impact every day. You don’t have to be polished, but you do have to be proactive. People will thank you for the work that you do in the world—and you need to believe this.

Believe in yourself—then realise how many other people believe in you.

6. RELATIONSHIPS aren’t complicated, they’re beautiful.

…and that’s what branding is built on.

You’ve got a big heart, so use it. When you care about what’s happening to people, for your clients, it shines through. When you bring HONESTY into a room (or a call, or a piece of writing), it sparks a connection. Don’t force it. Let business relationships be what they’ll be and STAY OPEN. First impressions are mostly projections, so give customers time to fall in love with you. It’s not about doom, it’s about using (tools like) zoom and loom to bloom!

People make business work—be the person who’s there to connect with.

7. BORING but important—we’ve all heard that one. Yaaawn. Boring IS important.

Every rockstar moment is the tip of an iceberg made of icy white boredom. Yoga students shape up with patience for every little movement. Make work your yoga. Stay with every little task. It’s all connected to the moment that you land the big one. Then, the next one. And, the next one. SAVOUR your boredom. It’s precious and it’s the ticket price to success.

Be present with boredom—every great ride starts with shuffling in the queue.

8. IDEAS are the only thing people buy and sell, and the only thing worth communicating.

Everything else is logistics. Whatever your business is, get in touch with the ideas underneath. Learn how to share those ideas, or pay someone who can do it well. Then learn how those ideas LIGHT UP your customers. Ever seen a customer transform from dubious to zealous? An idea did that to them. Make it one of yours.

You are what you believe—fall in love with the ideas your business runs on.

9. ENDINGS are often awkward—but if they are, you’re doing them WRONG.

Don’t get so caught up valuing customers that you end up holding too tight. Smother much? Let it GO. Hold your customers lightly, ready to happily move on (people love it), and those ex-customers become advocates out in the world. You know, the world is FULL of your next customers. Trust the universe. The universe is business, baby!

Endings open space in your business—fill that space with growth, not grief.

So… marketing isn’t hard.

It’s simple: Do not complain, do not give up, and do not forget to smile. Instead, do what it takes for your goals to be bigger than your own BS.

PS. Now, more than ever, it is important to make sure your communication and strategic marketing activity efforts are ready and implemented to prevent any long-term damage to your firm.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of essentials you should have ready for your business during these times. That includes a completely customised suite of materials, tailored to your brand, voice, and messaging:

• 1x Brand briefing session
• 1x Client awareness letter – customised content
• 1x Email nurture sequence – 1 launch email + 2 follow up emails
• 4x Unique social graphics – custom content & design
• 1x Landing page – custom content & design (WordPress sites only)
• 1x Power Up Sales & Marketing assessment

As a token of our support & appreciation, we’re offering you this full package at a special price of $2700. That’s a 50% DISCOUNT as this pack would normally go for over $5300. After all, we ARE your partners in making your brand communication clear and confident and will endeavour to offer 1 care package per firm until we are at capacity. Let us help you soar with your sales and marketing activity.

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Hunt & Hawk has been helping Accountants, FinTech providers, and other professional services organisations kick ass for over a decade. We have worked with some of the biggest players and we get YOU.

Whether you need succinctly curated brand messaging, an impactful new website, or a solid sales process, we’ve got your back—and we’ll make you look shit hot in the process, just like we did for these awesome firms: Humanity Financial, CollinsSBA or Cloudoffis, to name a few.