Module 11: Plan Your Sales & Marketing Strategy

There are countless marketing strategies available, both online and offline, but you don’t have to adopt every one of them. If you try to, you’ll get overwhelmed and probably won’t achieve your goals. A marketing plan will help you clarify where you’re going and how you want to get there, which is crucial when it comes to making sales.

As you’re probably well aware, the majority of marketing today is done online, especially for products and programs that have an online element.  

Your social media presence is an important part of your branding, so make sure you use the major sites appropriate to your target market (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest etc.). This is where you can post information about your signature program, get discussions going, and create interest in advance of your launch. Don’t try to sell directly from these sites unless you take paid advertising, but you can generate leads for your email list and then market to that list.

Your list of email subscribers is an important source for marketing as these people already know you and may have already bought from you. If your target market for your signature program includes your current customers, your list is an obvious place to start. If you’re looking at a new target market, then you’ll need a lead generation strategy which can include:

• Your website
• A dedicated website for your signature program
• An opt-in page

Your existing website is a place you can market directly from and make sales through a shopping cart. Many entrepreneurs set up a new site just for their signature program. This makes sense if you want this core program to become central to your business, and is essential if your signature program is a departure from your current business. Try to get a domain name that includes the name of your signature program like www.mysignatureprogram.com or at least reflects it. If you prefer not to have another website, then you will need an opt-in page with the appropriate domain name so you can collect leads. It’s a good idea to add images and video to generate interest and increase conversions.

Your site can also include blogs about your signature program to build the buzz. You can also post blogs on other sites where you can connect with your target market.

There are many different online methods to generate leads and eventually make sales. Choose what will work best for you and your business. You may already have preferred marketing strategies that work well for you; if so, use them.

Never forget offline marketing opportunities. If you have a large marketing budget you may choose to take advertising space, but most business owners can use the no-cost opportunities afforded by the old-fashioned approach of talking to people.

You want to tell potential clients about your signature program whenever you can. When you’re at a networking event and are asked, “What do you do?” you’ll have a ready-made answer that revolves around your signature program. For example, “I walk busy executives through a simple five-step system to get back 10 hours a week” or, “I take dog owners who adopt difficult dogs through a three-step system to train and socialize their new pets so they no longer have problems with bad behavior.” Or something like, “My new system takes stressed working moms from overwhelm to calm in seven easy steps.” This ‘from-to’ formula is very powerful as you’re demonstrating the transformation people experience from using your system.

If you’re at trade fairs, speaking events, and conferences use this opportunity to talk about your signature system.

When you launch your signature program, try to get some press coverage locally in newspapers, on radio, or TV.

Now you’ve considered an array of strategies and tactics, you can complete the marketing plan and set your marketing budget.

It’s always more powerful to write your own marketing copy rather than outsourcing it. It makes it more compelling, which is what you want when making your offer.

The story of how you came up with your signature system creates impact and is an essential part of your copy. It will help you sell the system.

Story telling is an old art and people still respond to true, personal journey stories. They like to hear about how someone’s struggle ended in triumph. Look at any blockbuster movie and this basic core story will likely be present in the script.

Your story will make your offer memorable and stand out from the competition.

There are some key steps to follow to craft a story for marketing. Answer these questions:

• Who were you when you started your journey?
• What did you want to change?
• What did you struggle with as you started to change?
• What unique tool or insight did you gain that made overcoming this challenge easier?
• Who are you today?

Write out your story ready for your sales page.

Giving proof in your marketing that your system works is a powerful way to attract sales, so bring together the data you identified in earlier module. This may be proof from your own experience or proof from customers you’ve offered the system to.

You can use the essentials of your system to sell your signature program. There are different ways to approach this which depend on the type of system and your business, as well as your preference. But don’t worry, you won’t be ‘giving away the farm.’

• Give an overview of the steps of the system, but not the details. This will tantalize a prospective buyer and encourage them to buy.
• Give the first three steps in detail, but not the rest. This creates interest and shows the potential of the complete system and people will sign up to get the whole thing.
• Share the complete signature system in its basic form, but not the guidance on how to put it into practice. This shows the complete system and why it works and this might be enough for some people. But for most, they will value the opportunity to get your help implementing the system and will be willing to pay for it.

You can use a variety of formats for marketing such as webinars, a video series, live talks, and so on to promote your first signature offer. If you start to drip feed content over a period of 3-4 weeks beforehand, this will create buzz before the launch date.

• A signature system marketing plan will help you clarify where you’re going and how you want to get there.
• Writing your own marketing copy (rather than outsourcing it) makes it more powerful and more compelling.
• Use the essentials of your signature system to sell your larger signature program.

1. Quick Win: Choose 3 marketing strategies you intend to use to market your signature program.
2. Complete the Marketing Plan in your Action Guide.
3. Write out your story using the template in the Action Guide.