Success awaits those who provide detailed, honest content

A popular saying holds that knowledge is power. However, we prefer to think of knowledge as empowerment. The same holds true for sales.

These days, sales pitches, cold calls and power lunches rarely close deals or accomplish much more than landing an RFP. Now, authenticity reigns supreme and trust needs to be renewed. Staffing buyers are a literate group that wants compelling content, and they want that content to show them something relevant— not just tell them what to believe. Providing honest and detailed information will drive customers to you and open the doors for socialization, interaction and new business.

Enter inbound marketing, which, according to HubSpot, has been the most effective method for online business efforts since 2006. Just think of the semantics: Outbound implies pushing, repelling, moving activity away from your organization. Inbound evokes a sense of gathering, attracting and embracing. It’s personal and welcoming.

Inbound marketing focuses on the creation of quality content that pulls customers toward your organization. Publishing 12 to 15 informative blog posts each month, for example, can generate1, 200 new leads. And these leads are nurtured. They yield a 20% increase in sales opportunities over leads chased down through outbound strategies, according to research by DemandGen. The buyers drawn to you from nurtured leads also make larger purchases — 47%larger, based on data from The Annuitas Group. The benefits and allure of inbound business development techniques don’t end there. Consider some other noteworthy findings from analyst sat Exact Target, McMurry/TMG, Custom Content Council, Mashable and Hubspot.

  • The decision makers you’re hoping to attract seek out information from articles rather than ads (80%).
  • 78% prefer vendors who provide custom content, perceiving these organizations to be more serious about developing relationships.
  • More than 60% of buyers express greater levels of comfort and confidence with companies that produce original content.
  • Half of a buyer’s online time is spent engaging with custom content.

And the best part? Your content not only invigorates and magnetizes prospects; it produces three times as many leads per dollar, yet costs 62% less than traditional outbound campaigns. Here are three tried-and-true practices we’ve learned through sales strategies that focus on empowering audiences and pulling them inward.

Author original and remarkable content. There’s a lot of noise in the media these days. Your message needs to stand out. And it stands out not because of bold claims or lavish promises — it inspires when it’s delivered in your original voice and springs from the spirit of education, engagement, interaction and entertainment. Start a discussion that develops relationships, not a one-sided broadcast of your “superiority” over competitors. That will be evident in the examples and insights you present.

Get off the soapbox. Too many businesses design their social media and websites as public announcement systems. You’ll garner more interest and respect by using your content hubs as town halls where communities gather to converse, exchange thoughts and learn from human moments that touch and inform them.

Rouse prospects to action. You’re most persuasive argument comes from demonstrating your organization’s strengths, commitment to customer excellence and success stories. Influencing prospects requires more than telling them you’re best in class; you need to call them to action. This empowers decision makers to respond with confidence. Once you’ve intrigued potential clients with your content, point out the next steps in their journey. A masterful call to action creates sense of immediacy while removing any obligations or risk to your prospects. It reduces the actions they must take to reach you, offers direction and gives them something in return — a free trial, complimentary white paper or e-book, a discounted service.

Our approach to business is simple: be genuine, be real. We share insights and lessons learned: collaborate, interact and we show clients who we are. Through content that informs, demonstrates authenticity, exudes passion and emphasizes a sharp grasp on client needs, you can pave a path that leads interested prospects right to your doors.