The catchy tagline. The beautifully designed brochures. An Instagram account with a ton of engagement and followers. None of it means anything if you don’t have your sales process defined and operating like a well oiled machine.
I am seeing a growing trend of companies, especially small businesses, putting too much emphasis on marketing and not enough on their sales process. The shinny new object syndrome plays into this. Small business owners see the power of social media, they see the self proclaimed Guru’s telling them they need to have marketing videos and podcasts. They see the growth hackers telling them they need a large social media following, the Facebook ads Ninjas trying to sell them on all the latest tips and tricks, and the self-help hustle-generation thought leaders telling them they need to grow their brand 24/7. They go all-in on social media marketing. That is all good and well, but what do you do once all of that marketing produces a lead? How do you turn that lead into a sale?
Your sales process comes first. You can’t worry about growing your leads if you don’t have a process to turn those leads into sales. You’re just wasting time and money marketing. Maybe you’ll accidentally make a couple of sales, but nothing you’re doing is measurable and repeatable without a defined and effective sales process, the right people and technology in place, and a commitment to following that process. Social media is a great tool for increasing leads, but it also exposes companies that don’t have or aren’t committed to a sales process.
Get that Facebook cover photo looking great. Find the perfect meme to drive new Instagram followers. But first, make sure you have your sales process down. I can’t tell you if the chicken or the egg came first, but I can tell you that a solid sales process comes before ramping up your marketing.
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