5 questions with The Sales Lion’s Marcus Sheridan

By

November 14, 2017

Marcus Sheridan knows firsthand the power of inbound and content marketing. It helped catapult the business he and his friends launched after college — out of the back of a beat-up pickup truck — into one of the largest pool installation companies in the country. By developing educational content that answered prospective customers’ questions, River Pools not only overcame a downturn in the housing market, it has the most-visited swimming pool website in the world, he says.

Sheridan’s success led him to launch The Sales Lion, a sales, marketing and personal development blog that has since grown into a brand known for innovative inbound and content marketing. Now president of The Sales Lion consulting and agency business, he uses his energy and experience to help other companies reach the “digital consumer.”

On Thursday, Nov. 30, Sheridan will present “The Changing Customer Experience” at the the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Tech Summit‘s morning general session. He will share the proven processes and techniques he used to generate website traffic, leads and sales at River Pools. In the meantime, we asked him the following five questions:

Photo: Marcus Sheridan, Owner & Practitioner, The Sales Lion

1. What is a common mistake business owners make?

The most common mistake business owners make is they say, “Well, we’ve been doing it this way for the past 50 years, so therefore it will continue to work.” Sure, principles of smart business, sales and marketing do not change, but the way people buy certainly has.

2. How has the digital age changed the way business owners attract customers?

Studies show that the average buyer is 70 percent through the buying funnel before he or she actually talks to a salesperson. This, in and of itself, is a phenomenal change. And if we accept the numbers for what they are, we must also recognize that our company’s marketing and digital departments are handling just as much of the sales process, if not more, than the sales team itself.

3. Why is having an online presence so important in business today?

It’s your store. It’s your home. It says who you are. And boy, does it make a major impression.

4. Why should business owners care about content marketing?

When people understand what content marketing actually is, then of course they care about it. Content marketing is your company’s ability to be the best and most helpful teachers in the world at what you do — and sell. Therefore, would a business owner agree that teaching, helping, and great communication with their prospects and customers is a good thing? Of course. And that’s exactly why content marketing matters.

5. How can business owners better prepare for the future?

Business owners must accept that we’re all media companies, and therefore we must think like a media company. We must embrace the way buyers want to buy. We must show it, and not just say it. We must be willing to get uncomfortable and accept the trends for what they are, and then do something about it. The key is to stay proactive, look forward, and obsess over the way people buy.

You can reach Managing Editor Diane Sofranec at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.

Category:

Leave A Comment

Comments are closed.