Don’t get “too comfortable” . . .

All sales people at times get “too comfortable”, myself included. I’ll find myself doing well, setting great appointments, working to understand my prospects needs and winning more and more clients, then gradually I start to get “too comfortable”.  I begin assuming I know what my prospects needs are, and spend less time working to understand them. As a result, I find fewer of those prospects that would be perfect clients, actually becoming clients. Then, after a step back and a review of my sales process, I realize that I have become “too comfortable”.  I didn’t win those clients because I have assumed too much.  A quick process correction and I am back on track and better able to stay in tune with my prospects and clients needs.  (Thank goodness I am able to recognize this in myself and am able to tune in to it quickly – before I get into trouble!)

But what I have also noticed is how many of my clients and prospects get “too comfortable” with their clients and prospects as well.  They establish a successful business model and then sit back and relax assuming that the way it has “always” worked will always work, and never notice the little signals that they no longer understand. Today’s buyers have much more control over the sales process.  You must stay alert and be ready to make shifts in your business model as your buyers shift their habits.  If you let these little signals slip by unnoticed – recovery and repair can take too long, allowing your competitors, who do stay in tune, to start gobbling up your market share.

Working closely with a proven Internet marketing firm is crucial to your business’ bottom line, helping you to stay ahead of the curve and in tune with your clients and prospects, and allowing you to achieve your sales and marketing goals.  No longer will your website be an electronic form of your brochure.  Gone are the days of simply building your site and reviewing your search engine rank bi-annually or annually, if it all.  Don’t just let those PPC campaigns ride.  An effective partnership with a proven Internet marketing firm will help your business run more effectively. It will put your company in front of your prospects and clients when they are searching for your products and services, and provide the measurement analytics to review, modify and revise the plans they have in place, all the while proving the effectiveness of their strategies and the money you have spent with them.

At Site-Seeker, Inc., Brian Bluff and Eddie Bluff have worked hard at developing a team of bright, energetic and “out of the box” thinkers who innovate for their clients.  On a daily basis, their team of Internet Marketing Specialists, exchange ideas and seek out input from one another on the accounts they manage, collaborating to make sure they get every detail right.   At monthly client/partner meetings they discuss every account and exchange ideas and strategies for each account’s objectives and goals.  They review last month’s recommendations and how effective they were.  They revise, modify and adjust to the fluid environment that the Internet provides.  It is this innovative team that led them to be recognized by the Central New York Business Journal as one of the regions Fast Track 50 companies for 2006 & 2007.

I am very excited to join this innovative team and look forward to having an opportunity to work with your company on a successful Internet marketing strategy.

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About The Author

Kathy Hokunson

As an independent contractor for Thomas Register, Kathy came to know Brian and Eddie Bluff. Kathy and Brian worked on a few website quotes together and eventually Brian asked her about joining the Site-Seeker, Inc. team. Kathy is known for putting her clients’ needs before her own. She has a knack for sales. Because her focus is always on what is in the best interest of the client, they trust her and are always comfortable buying from her. Kathy works hard to never let a client down or lose their trust.

Kathy started her professional life in the insurance industry – UGH! She went to work for her family’s printing business and then found B2B advertising sales with Thomas Register. She truly enjoys working within the B2B and manufacturing arena. Her passion is helping companies to market and grow their sales. Kathy believes that the truly good sales people are not the arm-twisting manipulators that you hear about in movies. She feels that the consummate sales professional always puts the clients needs first, is an excellent listener and asks questions that helps the client dig into their true needs.

Kathy is blessed with a wonderful husband, son and daughter. Time with them and their activities is always her first preference. She is very passionate about green living - doing her best to not use harmful chemicals, reducing our carbon footprint, and being healthy. She also loves to run and knit.

Kathy is on the board of Foodshare, which is a food distribution center for homeless shelters and families in need. They also work to educate the community about the growing issues of hunger, especially among children, in our towns and neighborhoods. Kathy would describe herself as a loyal friend, loving wife and mother. Her goal is to find success, while still showing kindness and compassion to everyone.

7 Responses to Don't Get "Too Comfortable" . . .

  1. Not only well-informed but timely advice, considering the number of sophisticated technical companies that still insist the tech solution IS the solution and that customers must figure out how to integrate. I am happy for you that you have a consulting team to fill that void.

    Years ago I did a management seminar for a group of bankers on the topic of learning from customers what they need today. One participant told me that he “knew all his customers” and that if “they needed anything they would tell me.” Clearly, he was “too comfortable” as you aptly point out, and not surprisingly, his unit had the highest attrition rate in the bank.

    Companies with a good technical application such as yours have an opportunity to positively differentiate themselves in the marketplace if they have informed, experienced marketing and business consultants to fill the important need of listening to customers. I think you have a “killer app” in your combination of human and technical solutions. Best wishes to you. Gregory LaMothe

  2. Kim Williams says:

    good reminders. thanks for this post.

  3. L Days III says:

    I am constantly amazed at how some of my clients treat their customers, and how many assumptions they make about their customer base.
    I have a feeling that with the new economic climate, only the strong will survive, and the strongest will have a marketing team behind them that understands their needs, and helps them find their audience on the web.
    Best of luck, it looks as though you are involved with a top notch group

  4. Kathy — Great post! Having known you for many years, I’m confident that you ever get “too comfortable” when it comes to pursuing the best solutions for your Clients. We are very excited to have you on the site-seeker team!

  5. Great Article. Other sources have discussed the same information, but you confirmed it with Matt Cutts’ video (thanks again Matt). In order to avoid the potential dangers of other URL shortening services, we have created our own (http://MyAd.At/ for internal use only). Before we use the URL shortener for everything I wanted to make sure that it would pass rank. Thanks again for putting this together.

  6. I move with the addition of scrutinize uniformly. exceptionally agreeable blog.Thank you.

  7. brianbluff says:

    Thanks Jonathan. It’s a cool subject.

    Thanks again for your comment.
    Brian

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