Think Like A Client: Creating A Delightful Client Journey with Lynn Whitbeck

Brought to you by Salim Omar and special guest Lynn Whitbeck on the Straight Talk about Small Business Success podcast.

We dive into the world of sales and how to create a delightful client journey. Lynn Whitbeck, CEO of Petite2Queen and Future Forward Sales, shares her 30 years of executive sales experience and the secrets to revenue growth both efficiently and effortlessly.

Who is Lynn Whitbeck?

Lynn Whitbeck is a sales expert with a passion for helping others grow. With a background in selling girl scout cookies as a child and later closing multimillion-dollar deals all over the world as an adult, Lynn has honed her skills in sales and uses her expertise to guide entrepreneurs and business leaders to successful sales growth. She is the co-author of the highly-rated book "Practical Wisdom At Work" and has been featured in several publications such as USA Today, Huffington Post, and the Chicago Tribune.

The Secret Sauce to Revenue Growth

Lynn Whitbeck's secret sauce to creating revenue growth efficiently and effortlessly involves three core components: thinking like a client, focusing on the client journey, and following up effectively.

1. Think Like a Client

Understanding the different stages of the sales process from initial connection to closing the sale and beyond is essential to creating a sales strategy that works. By getting into the client's head and anticipating their needs, you can deliver a client journey that adds to your bottom line.

2. Focusing on the Client Journey

Whitbeck suggests that entrepreneurs look at the entire process from a sales perspective. They need to identify areas of friction or gaps in the journey. This can help you create a more consistent and repeatable process that adds to business growth.

3. Following Up Effectively

According to Whitbeck, the number one thing that salespeople often fail to do is follow up effectively. In fact, 42% of salespeople never make a single follow-up attempt, and 92% give up after the fourth attempt that doesn't result in a sale. By having a strategically planned follow-up sequence, you can showcase your credibility, capability, and trustworthiness, speed up the sales process, and establish a process that new salespeople can easily pick up and run with

By focusing on these three key components, you can create a sales strategy that is both efficient and effortless and results in revenue growth for your business.

How To Get Into The Mind Of The Customer?

Whitbeck explains the process for getting in the mind of the customer to understand their needs, wants, and pain points. She highlights the importance of being an active listener, asking the right questions, and positioning oneself as the client to understand their perspective. Whitbeck emphasizes the importance of guiding the client through the journey and building a relationship with them, so that they are more likely to provide referrals. This process should become part of the salesperson's DNA and that the idea of referrals should be seeded all the way through the client journey.

How To Follow-Up Effectively?

Follow-up is a crucial aspect of sales and it helps you keep your prospect engaged and interested in your product or service. According to Lynn Whitbeck, there are two key elements to successful follow-up: cadence and value. The 'triumphant triangle' is a follow-up technique that involves sending an email, making a phone call, and following up with a message three business days later on a different channel. The idea is to deliver value in each of the follow-ups, by addressing their pain points, questions, or objections, and providing them with relevant information in various formats such as videos, blog posts, podcasts, guides, and so on. Whitbeck also recommends following a 13-step approach, where you mix up the follow-up techniques, including snail mail, virtual lunches, and physical visits. The goal is to keep providing value and to move the sale forward in a gradual and engaging manner. Follow-up is a crucial aspect of sales and it helps you keep your prospect engaged and interested in your product or service. 

A Sales Toolbox-Having All Your Systems in Place.

According to Whitbeck, having a system in place is extremely beneficial for small businesses. It ensures that salespeople know what to do and can easily access the tools and templates they need to be effective and efficient in their approach. Additionally, having a system in place provides a level of confidence and assurance to both the sales team and the clients, which can help build trust and drive motivation for the client to work with the organization. Create consistency and continuity, even if someone is out of the office or unavailable, there's a process in place that can be easily picked up by someone else, ensuring that the client is not neglected and the sales process is not disrupted.

Closing Statement

Straight Talk about Small Business Success podcast is brought to you by Salim Omar, CPA. Straight Talk CPAs is a firm which provides individuals with tax return preparation and tax planning. If you are a business, we have a unique approach when providing Virtual CFO, Accounting services, and Tax Planning and Tax Preparation services. Contact us today.

Lynn Whitbeck

Lynn Whitbeck is a vivacious entrepreneur, marketer and sales guru. She is the CEO of Petite2Queen and Future Forward Sales