Mangal Karnad, Author At FableSquare

What is a Sales Kit and what are its benefits

by Mangal Karnad | Oct 27, 2020 | Marketing

I’m sure we’ve all seen a child who goes to school with a school bag. The child is expected to carry the bag, if she wasn’t carrying one, people might find it weird and ask the reason. The school bag contains textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers and more; essentially, all the tools a child needs to do her job – learning in school.

Similarly, don’t you think a salesperson is expected to have a sales kit handy, to sell effectively? Simply put, a sales kit is a set of collaterals – about the company, product or service that will aid in the process of selling.

What is a sales kit? what does a good sales kit include?

A sales kit is an effective way to present a company’s product or service. Customized with any necessary images or graphics. These kits provide customers with an easy-to-understand overview of what your business can offer them. A successful sales kit has a style and design that is tailored to reflect the identity and goals of your business. Key components for creating a successful sales kit should include visual elements such as product photos, catalogues and brochures, as well as written material such as lists of features, FAQs, success stories from customers, and in-depth references. Having this type of comprehensive material helps make communication clearer while also showing that you are committed to giving customers anyone they need to make well-informed decisions.

Below listed are a few that we believe a sales kit should contain:

Customer Persona: It is as essential for your sales team to know the buyer persona as it is for the marketing team. The marketing team produces the content and collaterals and helps them with the sales journey.

Product Brochure: When you are in sales, you need to be equipped with as much information about your product and the industry. The more people you interact with, the more effectively you can handle the questions.

Demo Videos: A short video of 60 to 90 seconds that focuses on feature/benefit of the product with specific emphasis on use cases is valuable for prospect education. The emphasis here is on a relevant/relatable use case for the prospect, that is; not merely a feature/function demo of the product or service.

Email templates: In the current situation, everyone is aiming to go online. Emails are one of the best ways to reach out to your prospects – one-to-many or even one-to-one. A set of emails will help the salesperson to immediately send a mail without struggling to craft one when the need arises.

Company Overview: Presentation that introduces the company, its products, and the value proposition. The sales team can internalise by presenting it to as many people as possible.

Case study: B2B buying decisions are based on the perceived return-on-investment (ROI). The ideal ROI assessment is quantitative; it is easier to develop and defend it with a few case studies. Look at qualitative aspects — like lowering operational costs, increasing revenues, lowering customer churn, etc. So, use your customer interactions to refine and validate your ROI message.

Objection Handling: When a prospect presents a concern about the product/service, it is generally around the price, product fit, or competitors. The responses help in closing the sale, and it helps a salesman to learn to respond and the points that need to be made.

Proposal template: A well-crafted business proposal can make the difference between winning or losing a sale. It is essential to have a standout proposal, and most often, a good proposal takes time to create, adding to the stress of a salesperson. Having a template helps him or her to develop proposals in a fraction of time.

Three benefits of a good sales kit

Helps induct new members of the sales team, quickly and effectively
Professionally created sales kits improve the image and brand value of your company
Improves the selling ability of your sales team

How can a sales kit help with my sales and marketing?

Having a sales kit can prove to be extremely helpful when it comes to sales and marketing. It will provide all the necessary info on a product, service or solution that you would want to present to potential customers. A sales kit can include product visuals, collaterals, competitive info, customer case studies and whatever other relevant information that helps support the value of your offering. All of this helps boost successful communication and convince customers of the worth of what you’re selling. People respond best when presented with the right kind of data, so having an organized sales toolkit is essential for engaging clients effectively.

Will a sales kit make a difference to my conversions?

Creating a sales kit with the right materials can be a great asset to any business. With the right combination of promotional brochures, catalogues, and other relevant materials, you can give customers an in-depth look at all of your offerings in one convenient package. Not only does this make it easy for consumers to access product information when needed, but it also reinforces their impression of your company as a reliable source for quality products. All in all, investing in a well-constructed sales kit could be a great way to improve conversions and expand your business’s reach.

How do I know if my current sales kit is effective?

If you are trying to assess the success of your sales kit and gauge its effectiveness, there are a few key metrics that can give you an idea of how your kit is faring. To begin with, consider the average conversion rate for leads generated from the sales materials. Follow up with a survey or assessment of customer satisfaction to see if those who interacted with your sales kit found it useful in their purchasing decision-making process. Finally, measure the rate at which customers use the product or service they purchased in conjunction with the distribution of your sales kit. These metrics can provide powerful insights into how your current sales kit is performing and will help ensure you create engaging content that resonates with consumers.

What do I do if my sales kit is not working?

If your sales kit is not giving the desired results, it’s important to look at the entire selling process and identify what might need evaluation or improvement. It could be that you need to rethink your target audience and hone in on a more specific demographic, adjust your messaging, use different marketing techniques such as content generation, or update the product itself. Taking stock of previous performance metrics can help you get started on outlining what action steps should come next and find areas where you can focus your attention. With thoughtful revisions and experimentation, you’ll be sure to see changes in customer engagement and conversions.

How can you help me create a good sales kit?

A well-designed sales kit can be a great tool when making an important sale. By working with us to create one, you can make sure that your product or service receives the right kind of attention and is presented professionally. With our experience in marketing and design, we are confident that we can help you create a sales kit that best reflects your company’s values and goals. We will work together to come up with the perfect combination of words and images so that your ideal customer is drawn in and ready to purchase. Let us partner together on creating a truly eye-catching sales kit for your business!

Sales kits are not a “nice to have” – they are essential in any sales process. A well-designed sales kit will make your job easier, increase conversions and close more deals. If you’re not sure where to start, or if your current sales kit lacks punch, we would be happy to help. Send us an email today and let’s chat about how we can turn your sales kit into a powerful marketing tool.

What is Digital Presence? Why does a business need it?

by Mangal Karnad | Oct 20, 2020 | Digital Marketing

What is your digital presence?

Digital presence is how your business appears on the internet. Your brand’s digital presence is what people find when they search for your business online, and it includes:

Your website
Your social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Listings in business directories
Your Office or store locations (Google Maps, etc.)
Online reviews
Digital ads (social ads, Google ads etc.)
Media Mentions

It is a combination of content you control and content you cannot control.

Why do you need a digital presence?

When people have a problem or a requirement, they ‘google’ a solution; in other words, they search online. Your online prospects and customers will find you if your business has a significant digital presence. If they can’t find you, it is your loss. Since they have a problem and look for a solution, they will find an alternative – a progressive business owner who realises this will build his or her online presence.

However, the customers who do their research would want to know:

Who: Who does the business belong to? What made you reach your current position? Are you a franchise or family-owned business?
What: What do you sell? What service or product do you provide?
Where: Where are you located? Are you an online-based business or have a brick-and-mortar location?
When: When are you open? Are you closed on holidays?
Why: Is there a larger purpose, and does it matter to your customers?

The content you write on your website and social media will answer all these questions. You can leverage your digital presence to inform your prospects while increasing your sales.

Create Visibility

Your visibility will depend on a robust digital presence. This means your prospects will be able to find your business more efficiently.

The best way to create impact is by being informative with useful, original content, which will also help in better ranking on Search Engines. They will come to you when they are ready to buy since they can recognise your business. Understanding good SEO practices can help you over the years.

Establish Your Expertise

There is sufficient research which emphasises the need for creating quality content because 70% or more of B2B buyers do 50% of their research before they reach out to a vendor. And, often, they buy from companies they think are the best in the industry.

A thought-through strategy to establish your subject matter expertise with your digital assets will showcase you and your company as thought leaders in your industry. Building trust takes consistency and relevancy. Being earnest and providing value with your content will take you a few steps closer to building the trust most needed in B2B sales.

Customer Reviews

Whether your business caters to B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Customer), you will be selling to an individual. Hence, establishing your credibility and trust is of paramount importance. You can leverage the power of your digital presence to show prospects that your business is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and beneficial to them.

Asking a satisfied (if you choose, delighted) customer to provide a testimonial or a review is highly effective for two reasons:

The customer feels valued for providing his feedback.
A third-party endorsement is valued much higher than you talking about your trustworthiness.

Also, take a few minutes to respond to the review; with a simple thank you.

Ensure Enhanced Web Experience

Attractive and eye-catching web design is as essential as focusing on the user’s needs. Use design elements to guide the prospect through your site.

Increasingly, people search for services or products using their mobile phones. Ensure that your website automatically adjusts itself to function best on all devices, referred to as a “responsive” or “mobile-friendly” design. Also, install Google Analytics to monitor traffic to every page.

Have a dialogue on Social Media

While the company website is the first place a prospect will gather information about your company, social media is the next where they validate their perception.

Social media is where a company can share knowledge, updates, and tips and possibly have a conversation.

Understanding your target audience is crucial in identifying the social media platforms to interact with them. Select the platforms where your prospects and customers spend time based on your understanding. However, keep aside a fraction of your marketing budget towards paid ads and don’t just depend on organic social media activity.

Create & Disseminate Useful Content

Create a page where you post blogs, case studies and other useful resources to your customers and prospects. A great way to answer their queries is to invite comments and respond to them. Another effective way is to provide a list of frequently asked questions and answer them.

Optimise for Search Engines

Have you searched for a service or a product on Google or any other search engine? What was your experience? Did you find the search helpful? Which page (SERP) did you find the product you were looking for? Did you have to refine your search based on the response you received?

Well, the experience could be the same with your customers. Try to create content that can be an answer to someone who is looking for your specific product or service. Use keywords and phrases that your customers might use to find you online. Doing this right will surely benefit you as you will start seeing enquiries coming your way over time.

These fundamentals need to be implemented to help the online presence of your business, but it is not exhaustive. Look at your digital presence and marketing efforts as a long-term investment.

Note: This was first published in ‘Kanara Saraswat’ magazine.

6 Tips to Write Content for the ‘About Us’ Page

by Mangal Karnad | Jul 30, 2020 | Marketing Ideas, Content Marketing

Having worked with multiple clients, we have realised that the “About Us” page is one of the most visited pages on a website. It provides credibility to the website by giving details about who you are, what you do and why someone should buy your product or services.

However, ensure to write the content with an intent to inform and minimise the use of jargon. The visitor will then be compelled to come back for more useful information.

Check out the six tips to write an informative about us page:

KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid

Avoid using flowery language, hyperbole, or corporate jargon. Use simple yet powerful language to provide information describing your business. Simplicity ensures the highest level of user acceptance.

Four essential tips to write an excellent ‘about us’ page:

Build trust
Tell your story, who are you?
Talk about your purpose, succinctly
Showcase your uniqueness, vividly
What products and services do you sell?

Adopt the inverted pyramid style of writing popular among journalists. Lead the reader through the most critical information at the top of the page, and write the less important information later.

Make it scannable

The summary is a critical part of the About page; supplement your content with impactful visuals.

Provide the purpose of the organisation supported by a brief narrative about the company’s journey.
The leadership team that backs the organisation: provide their Photos and bios of your leadership team.
Provide a visual representation of your offerings.
Provide a few testimonials from your customers.

What is the Personality (Archetype) of your company

Readers will understand who you are by the language, tone and style of your content. Identify your company’s archetype by listing words that describe your organisation and its characteristics. Determine the content, tone, and style based on this archetype.

Use multimedia to enhance your story

Web content is essential, enhancing it with photos, videos and infographics will make it more impactful. Website visitors spend more time on web pages with visuals and videos.

Where ever possible, include photos of the leadership team and products or short video interviews clients or influencers.

6. Update Periodically

As your business evolves, this page needs to be updated. Review your content periodically with relevant updates. Additions and deletions to the leadership team need to reflect on the About us page.

One of the errors is not to have an about us page. I recently came across a suave business owner who thanked me specifically for pointing out the missing about page. People get into business with individuals they trust. Showcasing the leadership and their purpose aligns most people and nudges them to commit.

A Tale of Influence and a Viral Video

by Mangal Karnad | Oct 17, 2019 | Uncategorized

The Arena:

A little far from the town of Röszke, a short man is sprinting in a field along the Hungarian – Serbian border. He is holding a cloth bag in one hand and his crying, 7-year-old son, in the other.

The man, Osama Abdul Mohsen, has $600 stacked in his underwear. A physical education and soccer coach by profession and a truck driver’s son – now, an unfortunate Syrian refugee. The date is September 8th, 2015.

He and his son Zaid are just two of the thousands of refugees running from Syria.

In a chaotic and commotion filled setting, there are Hungarian police officers, media personnel. With almost 1000 to 1500 people assembled in the area, the air is full of tension and screams.

Mohsen and his son had slept in the open field when the temperature dropped close to zero. Zaid had caught a cough and was running a mild fever too. The blanket that could’ve comforted him was robbed that morning.

Mohsen’s 18-year-old son had already arrived in Germany. He was waiting for the arrival of his father and younger brother from Eastern Syria. Things aren’t as bad since only a blanket was stolen so far. They still have some money with them to sustain themselves, and above all, they are living and breathing.

The Twist:

On September 8th, Tuesday, things go south. They had not been able to move forward due to the restraint from the police and Mohsen was becoming desperate. He somehow tricks the police and runs, only to be tripped by a camerawoman named Petra Lazlo. Mohsen stumbles and falls while the petrified Zaid, screams.

Mohsen quickly gets up and yells at the police officer standing nearby, “ That is the act of a dog!”, assuming him to be the offender.

The Act of Influencer:

Stephan Richter, one of the 30 odd journalists present, worked for the German broadcaster RTL. In the melee, Stephan could not locate his cameramen, and he grabbed his iPhone and captured the incident.

After all the struggle, Mohsen and Zaid, reach a grove safely. By dusk, they start their journey on foot, to Budapest without the slightest hint that their fall was captured in a video.

The same evening, Richter tweets the video for the world to see. The video receives a whopping one million clicks, and after publications pick it, the clicks get amplified furthermore.

Richter, who has carefully tracked the video’s virality on social media, finds out that the video has been viewed 30 to 40 million times.

The video captures the drama that unfolded, in a consumable manner: A refugee runs to safety, a journalist/lady kicks him, the man falls but gets back on his feet.

The video has a moral appeal too: Petra Lazlo transforms the refugee cause. Moreover, she unknowingly changed Mohsen’s fate.

Invitation to Spain:

Miguel Angel Galan is the president of the Spanish association of football coaches, aka Cenafe Escuelas. He happens to watch the video and feels a bond between them; one that colleagues shared.

On his arrival in Germany, Mohsen receives an incredible deal. He gets asked to attend a school for coaches with the promise of employment, language course and an apartment. Mohsen couldn’t ask for more.

A few days pass, and Mohsen is seen taking a picture standing next to soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Zaid is permitted to join the player in the stadium before a game. Amidst thousands of Syrians dying, Mohsen’s family was fortunate to turn their lives around. Thanks to an influencer & a candid video that went viral.

Let’s decipher the reason this video received worldwide attention –

• Everybody has a fascination for stories

• Stories tend to remain in our memory for a long time!

• Stories get transmitted

• The storyteller should be authentic, credible, and he/she should, first of all, believe in the story!

It helped the video go viral as the person, a reporter who posted it shared what he saw. Stephan Richter was an influencer.

People who watched the video were emotionally moved; they passed that message on to others, telling and retelling the story by sharing the video. That word of mouth reached millions more as the video went viral. The journalist Stephan Richter who has watched the way the video got shared claims it has been viewed some 30-40 million times.

How to Write a Great Meta Description?

by Mangal Karnad | Oct 3, 2019 | SEO

Shopping!!!

Who doesn’t love shopping!?

Imagine yourself in a busy shopping street. How do you decide which shop you should buy from?

In retrospect, you realize you make the decision sub-consciously by just looking at the clothes on display. The shop whose mannequins have worn eye-catching clothes, that’s where you are headed.

Find the prime spot of the street, pay rents for large spaces which cost an arm and a leg, hand-pick designer couture and top quality clothing. All this goes to no avail if you finally, disregard the clothes you choose to display in the display window or visual merchandising.

Quoting Linkin Park, “in the end, it doesn’t even matter!”

You have lost the interest of your potential customer and they are your rivals’ now!

If we are on the same page by now, my intent of selling the idea of a Meta Description will be an absolute breeze.

Oh, wait! Let me first tell you what a Meta Description is.

A Meta Description is a snippet of 155-160 characters which appear in the search engine results page [SERP] diligently crafted to convey the essence of the website, or a blog.

Meta Description is also called as Meta Tag as the description is placed at the websites’ header segment as an HTML tag instead of being on the page as shown below,

01

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression”- Will Rogers

This quote sums up how imperative a meta description is. It can make or break a website!

There is no point in fighting tooth and nail to get to the top of SERP and not giving the audience a reason enough to check you out.

Doesn’t everything I rambled about shopping earlier make sense to you now??

An unappealing meta description directly affects the click-through rate [CTR]. CTR directly affects the search engine optimization [SEO] factors. Thus, a lousy meta description can indirectly make a website drop down in the SERP [Search Engine Results Page].

Did you know that most of the social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter use meta descriptions of the website as the description of the post when the website is shared on their sites?

You could choose between capitalizing on these sites by penning down an enticing meta description and letting the sites pick haphazard text which could hamper the user experience.

Now that you’ve learnt how paramount meta descriptions are, let me describe how to craft a great meta description.

02

Have the right length.

160 characters and not 1 more. Characters following the 160^th get chopped off, leaving your audience bewildered. Not so nice, is it?

03

Genuinely summerise the content of the website, a blog or a webpage.

A fake meta description can annoy your user making him leave the website. This will adversely affect the bounce rate and in turn SEO ranking. Let me give you a heads-up that Google will not display the meta description of websites which do not match its content.

04

Brownie points if you manage to include the keywords in your meta description.

The keywords get bolded in the SERP which will catch your audiences’ eye. That does not imply that you fill it with keywords. Such meta descriptions will come off spammy which is just not what we want. It should be written for humans and not search engines.

05

Use your words wisely.

A meta description can be anything but ordinary and should have visit-my-website written all over it. An emotionally appealing meta description can drive traffic like there is no tomorrow.

06

Contain call to action [CTA].

Phrases, like find out more, learn more, try for free, download now, will persuade the user to give your website a chance.

07

Don’t you mess with Google by copying somebody else’s meta description.

Google will replace it with random text from your website to make it look unique and to offer what it is best-known for, unmatched user experience.

08

Richen your meta description.

You could lure your audience by including special offers, product specifications, customer ratings, calling out popular brands, showcasing yourself and more.

09

Don’t use double quotation marks.

Google cuts off that meta description at double quotes. You could play safe by steering clear of all non-alphanumeric characters. In case the double quotes are unavoidable, you could use the HTML entity.

10

It is sometimes okay to skip meta descriptions.

Yes, you read it right. If your website is a search result for more than 3 keywords, your best bet is to let the search engines naturally populate its meta description as they display the keywords and its surrounding phrases without detracting the relevance.

When all’s said and done, you can be certain that a conscientiously written meta description is an instrument you could use to rule the marketing world by transforming your website into a clickbait.