Almost everyone has heard of the concepts "The Sales Pipeline" but few have heard of the "Educational Buying Spectrum (EBS).
" And if you're a sales or marketing professional you should take a detailed look at this article and what it means to your company.
The EBS is a process of moving known prospects into paying clients.
  The EBS is what many marketing professionals use as their process of educating a targeted prospect so "THEY" can make an educated buying decision on what you sell.
You also need to realize that it's human nature to make the best buying decision -it is something we can't turn off.
Have you ever heard someone say, "I bought from the second best company"? No, they rationalize their buying decision on information they had at that time (yes, it is the service, accuracy and reliability that keeps them around).
  It's important to cultivate, inform, and follow up until they are ready to do business with you.
  It's important to understand that every single prospect who becomes a client goes through this process, whether you realize it or not.
The sad thing is that many prospects get stuck because you made very little effort to move them along.
  Here's a scenario typical for many sales people.
  You meet a prospect at a networking meeting and have a productive business conversation.
You exchange business cards.
You follow-up with a quick email and they visit your web site.
They like what they see, and in a couple weeks they send you an email to ask a question about your services and your rates.
You answer this question by email but don't follow-up otherwise.
And then you never hear from them again.
  Here is what happened.
  When you made that initial connection and exchanged cards, the prospect just jumped on the EBS.
They moved farther down this process by visiting your web site and sent you an email.
Your response was reactive.
You did little to proactively engage this prospect to keep moving farther down the EBS.
So they looked elsewhere for a solution and you lost a sale.
  Want to dramatically increase your business this year?   You really don't need to add any high-end marketing techniques and strategies.
You simply need to engage a DRIP marketing strategy for your business that automatically moves your base of prospects through this process.
Going back to last week's newsletter, let's look at what you could do to move a prospect along this process.

• Step 1- You join an organization which is likely to include both prospects and people who can lead you to prospects.
  You get involved and go to meetings and meet new people you wouldn't have otherwise.
  
• Step 2 - You meet a prospect through this organization and exchange cards.
  You recognize this person as a prospect and you enter them into your CMS.
  
• Step 3 - After your initial meeting you send them a hand written card and also send a copy of an article about your business (FREE reports are critical here too).
  You include a link to your web site.
  You follow up with a telephone call and answer their questions.
  
• Step 4 - When talking, you mention your email newsletter and they express an interest in receiving it.
  A few weeks later you're a featured speaker at a networking group, and you invite them to attend.
  
• Step 5 - You send them a series of postcards, letters and e-mails about hot-button related items of your services.
  
• Step 6 - You suggest getting together to explore how you might work together, and they agree.
  

There are as many parts of the EBS.
Let's look at some of the things that are common to every single one of them:

• 1.
  Make yourself known.
  Most prospects don't work with you by accident.
  You need to connect with new prospects on a regular basis.
  
• 2.
  DRIP, DRIP, DRIP.
  Prospects aren't going to get to know you unless you make the effort.
  You need to stay in contact with them and make a positive first impression.
  
• 3.
  Provide educational information.
  Your prospects aren't going to know what you do, and what you can do for them, unless you educate them in some way.
  Articles, web sites, and e-newsletters will do the trick.
  
• 4.
  Give them low-risk offers.
  Some prospects need more nurturing than others.
  Remember, you need to sell the "Now-Buyer" and "Future-Buyers".
  So give each of them opportunities to work with you.
  
• 5.
  Follow-up.
  Ultimately you need to ask them for the order.
  If you wait for the prospect to make the next move, you may go broke in the process.
  However, if you've warmed up a prospect as I've outlined above, it will be easier than you think.
  Don't call up and ask them, "So, are you ready to by yet".
  

I tell all our clients this, "Your sales people need to make the 'Oh by the way' phone call" (more on this next week).
  Summary: Your ability to master and engage the "Educational Buying Spectrum" can be the biggest factor determining your overall business success.
Knowing what to say, how to say it, when to say it will determine your sales success!