How to Incorporate Technology Into Your Sales Process
On Monday we talked about the two questions that I get the most in regards to where #sportsbiz sales and technology collide. We tackled why incorporating technology into your sales process was so critical on Monday. So let's get back to the other statement I hear all the time: 'I'm told using technology is important...but then no one tells me how to use it.'
To me, when you break sales down into its most critical parts, we're left with three. This is not a sales process, it's just what every sales person needs to do every day. Those three things are prospecting, engaging, and selling. So as we look at how technology can support the sales process, let's focus in on those three areas.
Prospecting: Here's the thing, people are talking about our team on the internet. It may be a little. It may be a lot. But people are talking. Sports fans are also the least knowledgeable purchasers of just about anything. They don't have season tickets or partial plans because they think the commitment is too high or it'll be too expensive...they don't know what we do. So get yourself into these spaces and engage as part of the conversation as a fan and a team representative. Who's communicating directly to your team on their social channels? Probably a good lead. Who's communicating to your team's hashtags? Probably a good lead. Here's another...if you sell baseball and want to sell to a company, why not google that company, LinkedIn, and baseball? If that company has anyone in any way associated with baseball, they'll pop up on the search. Not a bad place to start your conversation...right? Be thoughtful, creative, and smart. There are tens of thousands to millions of people in all of your markets...many are fans of your team...and many have not been educated about why our products are so valuable. Find where those people are engaging with your team, or find those people who have a connection to your sport...and it's SO easy when you do it digitally.
Engagement: Most people don't answer the phone anymore if they don't know the number. But some do. Emails have become too numerous to be able to pay attention to. But some people still respond to them. But video drags people in. Social connections literally pop directly into our clients conscious. Text messages snap a client out of any device connection daze they may be in. Your goal should be to try EACH of these within the sales process to connect with a client for the first time. Worst case it shows them that you don't give up easily...best case you isolate the best way they communicate.
Pitch: If they are thinking about a seat location, can you Facetime them from the seats in your stadium? How about a video from the parking lot to their seats? Can you text them the seats? In general, how can you use everything at your disposal to make the sales process more 3-dimensional to the client. If they can't make it to the stadium, how can you bring the smells and sounds to them using technology channels in the way that the phone and a traditional email don't do justice? The more they live it, the more emotional the decision become, the more they buy it.
We have the technology these days to enhance prospecting, engaging, and selling...you just have to be very conscious about using them every day. Most people may do one of the above, but it's the reps who do all three, consistently, that create distance between themselves and their peers. While traditional sales channels (especially phone and face to face) will always be critical to finally closing sales, moving forward the vast majority of conversations will not start there. They will be found, engaged with, and their process supported by technology. Video, social, digital, and text are how people generally communicate these days, so if you haven't incorporated them directly into your process...like we said on Monday...you are only handicapping yourself. But if you're going to use them, use them because YOU believe they'll add value. If you go into them half-assed, you'll achieve half-assed results...like my buddy Emerson said on the right.
On Friday we're going to have a phenomenal #TopSellerPodcast with the Sacramento Kings' Senior Director Courtney Blake...and we'll dive into great detail more about today's topic. See you then!