Sales Process

106 quotes. 17 sales.

I’ve long believed Google Ads is only profitable when the processes around it work. One of the most important is how quotes turn into sales.

The data gap between advertising and sales

Many businesses can’t answer a basic question: Did this ad actually make us money? Why is something so important invisible inside the software that runs the business? The reason is simple. Advertising systems are designed to measure marketing activity. Business systems are designed to manage operations and finances. Neither system was designed to understand the full journey from ad click to revenue.

Why many RCICs don’t know if their Google Ads are profitable

Google Ads can be a reliable source of new clients for Canadian immigration lawyers and consultants. The ads bring enquiries. But there is one question many firms can't answer: Are those leads actually turning into paying clients?

The invisible Google Ads problem: zero-second calls

There is an invisible problem that could be draining your ad budget or causing you to miss sales. If you use a call tracking platform for call assets or landing page numbers, you might be at risk.

Why the phone rings but the workshop stays empty

I spoke recently with my friend Liam Lezra, who knows more about marketing for auto repair shops than anyone I know. Our conversation turned to a problem he runs into often.

Computer code rusts

It decays when people change things without understanding how systems are connected. And this makes life very difficult for anyone managing Google Ads. You end up basing important decisions on distorted data.

The Lead Response Problem I’ve Been Trying to Solve Since 2007

If you run ads or rely on online leads, this is for you. After years of testing, I’ve finally cracked a better way to turn leads into sales.

Why your Google Ads results depend on what happens after the click

I joined Michelle Kop for a really fun chat on her PPC Hot Takes show. My argument was that your biggest opportunities to improve Google Ads results often lie outside the ad platform.

The One Follow-up Email Most Businesses Never Send

We assume that we lose business to competitors. But, sometimes project might have been put on hold due to changed circumstances, not price. In those cases, a gentle nudge could win the business.

61 leads. 3 sales. What went wrong?

One morning, just after sunrise, I was out in the water when I saw a pair of sharks between me and the beach. This morning wasn’t quite so dramatic. I had time to think between waves. I was replaying a conversation I’d had with a grumpy client.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.

I think sometimes we use perfectionism as a shield against the fear of the unknown. Here are two things that have helped me beat perfectionist procrastination...

I lost the last 3 deals I pitched because I made the same mistake (3 times).

I lost the last 3 deals I pitched on because I made the same mistake every time. I forgot to ask when they wanted me to start managing their Google Ads. 'When' is a power-question.

Speaking to more of your leads is the easiest way to make more sales without paying more for ads.

When's the best time to add a lead to your newsletter list?

Why we lost sales.

Losing potential sales always hurts. But, if you know why you lost the sale you can make changes that'll help you win more sales down the line.

"Forget about reducing the CPC"

In money terms my client paid Google about $1 400 per client he contracted with. He could live with spending $500 per new client. Here's how we're going to hit that target.

An easier way to sell services.

Bigger value projects take a lot of work to sell. You have to have the discovery calls, meeting notes, customised proposals and quotes. And, you often need several follow-up meetings. There is another way.

What to say on the first call to an internet lead.

Calling leads back fast is the best way to ensure you get a sale if there is one going. Here's what to say on that call.

More sales are lost because of inertia than price.

Most of your potential clients want what you sell but haven't handed over the money because they've run out of steam. Here's how to keep them moving towards a sale.

How to win more quotes without lowering your prices

In a perfect world you'd win every quote but the reality is that most quotes don't turn into sales. It is possible to turn a lot more quotes into sales without lowering prices. Here's one way.

You could be shooting yourself in the foot if you send quotes in Excel or Word.

There is a problem with emailing quotes in Word or Excel: There is no guarantee that the quote will look like it should.

Is your sales process chaotic?

I was surprised when three small business owners used the same word - chaos- to describe how they currently handle leads.

The weak link that might be causing you to lose leads

Some of your leads never make it from your website to your inbox. And, there is a good chance you don't know about the missing leads.

Leads ghosting you?

A business owner complained that his leads were ghosting (ignoring) him after initially showing interest. As we worked together we uncovered a mismatch between lead temperature and his response.

Using AI to extract information from sales leads

60 leads a week and no sales

Their first instinct was to change the adverts. It sort of makes sense. Adverts aren’t producing sales so the adverts must be broken. Fix the adverts and you'll get more sales. But, they could change their ads, spend a load more money and get no sales. This is because the adverts might not be the real problem

About 25% of online leads are lost before they speak to a sales person.

Losing 1 in 4 of possible sales before the process even starts is a huge waste. It's also a huge opportunity...

Google Ads delivers leads not sales

What’s the most important problem in your industry? In my industry the most important problem is that Google Ads delivers leads but doesn’t deliver sales. Here's what I've been doing about that...

How to get leads from different sources into your CRM automatically

I’ve got a client in the motor trade who gets about 2 000 leads a month from 22 different online sources. Here's how we put them into his sales engine automatically without expensive computer code.

How to turn leads into sales.

Two businesses in the same industry. One converts 5% of website leads into sales. The other converts 60%. Read on to find out why.

I can’t get to the decision maker.

"I‘ve got a great product but I can’t get to the decision maker." That’s a problem we smaller business owners face a lot. Can I tell you about how a former client of mine got the decision makers to come to her?

Make more sales from PPC leads by understanding why people enquire.

Understanding why people buy is key to making more sales. Here's how you can get started right away.

Marketing Lessons from a Chimney Sweep

There was nothing special about his customer-finding system. But, his customer-keeping system was the best I've ever seen for a small business.

Nobody is buying! Can’t you write better ads?

Nobody is buying! Can’t you write better ads? That's the last thing you want to hear in a meeting with a new client...

Selling to strangers is different

Ask 100 small business owners how they find customers and 99 of us will say "word-of-mouth". What we won't tell you is that our word-of-mouth marketing is not well tuned engine that spits out a steady stream of great prospects. They arrive by luck or magic.

The cost of zero.

Every small business owner needs to understand the cost of zero before they next invest in marketing. It does not matter what medium it is: Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, magazines, radio, or anything else. The reason these campaigns fail so often is never as obvious as you might think.

Zombie Hunting Wednesday 3pm. You in?

We’ve all got zombie leads. These are people we’ve quoted who haven't said yes. They haven’t said no either. Instead they’re ignoring us - our emails go unanswered and they’re always too busy to talk.

How we turned no-shows into $185 150 worth of new business every month

No-shows cost my client $283 328 a month. Here’s how we turned them into $185 150 worth of new business every month - without spending more on Google Ads.