In a dynamic discussion on The Game podcast, host and marketing expert Alex Hermosi dive into the intricacies of sales and lead generation. Hermosi emphasizes that sales should empower informed decision-makers and outlines his strategy for converting contacts into engaged leads. He highlights the importance of personalizing outreach and using a structured sales conversation to empower potential customers. Hermosi also shares insights from his book "100 Million Dollar Offers," detailing how to craft irresistible offers and explaining the significance of engaged leads over mere contact information. The conversation delves into the four core methods of reaching out—warm, cold, content, and paid ads—and the four "lead getters" (customers, affiliates, agencies, employees) that can amplify a business's message. Hermosi's approach is validated by the successful launch of his book, which employed all eight methods, demonstrating the power of a well-executed advertising strategy.
"I am a big believer in sales being an actual empowerment conversation because if you're talking to an empowered decision maker who's informed, that's the only person you want to talk to."
This quote emphasizes the importance of having sales conversations with individuals who are both informed and have the power to make decisions, as it leads to more effective outcomes.
"Welcome to the game where we talk about how to get more customers, how to make more per customer and how to keep them longer and the many failures and lessons we have learned along the way."
The quote outlines the podcast's primary objectives, which include strategies for increasing customers, maximizing revenue per customer, maintaining customer loyalty, and learning from past mistakes.
"He's probably the person whose content I share the most on the planet because I think it's that good."
This quote reflects the host's high regard for Alex Hermosi's content, suggesting that it is practical, effective, and highly valued.
"We had 500,000 people who signed up for the event. We had just under 200,000 who clicked to join live."
The quote provides evidence of the successful book launch, highlighting the large number of participants and the interest generated.
"So once you have something to sell, then you're like, well, who do I sell it to? As you need leads."
This quote captures the transition from having a product or service to identifying and targeting potential customers, which is the premise of the second book.
"And so the thing that creates a lead... a lead is a person you can contact."
The quote defines a lead as someone who can be contacted, which is the starting point for any sales or marketing effort.
"You can talk to people one on one, and you can talk to people one to many, and there are people who know who you are before you talk to them, and there are people who don't."
The quote breaks down the basic methods of communication with potential leads into a simple framework based on the relationship and communication style.
"So there are four. The first is customers. So you do the core four to get a customer. Now that customer can then do the core four again to get you other customers."
The quote explains how customers can be leveraged to become lead getters, creating a cycle of advertising and lead generation through their own networks.
"The reason I would say customer is more important isn't as much about the customer, but about what would make a customer want to refer is typically an exceptional product."
The quote highlights the importance of having a high-quality product as a prerequisite for customers to become effective lead getters by referring new customers.
"The first one was I had to make a meta offer. Like, the book itself was an amazing offer. So go. People feel stupid at saying no."
This quote illustrates how the book's launch was a practical example of the concepts it teaches, with the book's offer being so compelling that it drives significant interest and sales.
o buy my stuff. Using warm outreach, cold outreach, posting content, running paid ads, getting customer referrals, affiliates, agencies and employees.
This quote outlines the various strategies that can be employed to market a product or service, suggesting a multifaceted approach for successful promotion.
And so I started the presentation for the book launch with this little picture of a book that says how to market a book, and it has 14 reviews on Amazon. And whoever wrote this book, I hope I'm not just like, just destroying you. That's not my goal. I blacked out the name. I don't know who it is, but I don't need to read the book because I already have evidence that the person doesn't know how to market a book, because if they knew how to market a book, they wouldn't have 14 reviews.
This quote illustrates the speaker's belief that real-world results, such as the number of reviews for a marketing book, are a clear indicator of someone's marketing expertise or lack thereof.
So when we scripted out the ads, I have an ad creation framework that I just used the framework that I introduced in the book only. And with the affiliates, I had the structure that I set up in the book. I used only, like, I call it talk about whisper, t shout, which is kind of like the method that you do to launch anything, or at least that I used to launch anything. We used agencies when we didn't have to because I wanted to have an agency run it so I could talk about that. And then obviously the team did all the content, and so we used all eight methods to promote the book.
This quote provides a practical example of how the speaker applied the marketing strategies from their book to its own launch, emphasizing the importance of practicing what you preach.
Look, here's how I got wealthy. I don't play checkers in business. I'm playing chess. I've got multiple moves that I'm already making in front of the other one that set up something else. Most people are like, I just got to get this client. And then once I get that, I'll breathe out loud. And then I'm going to go through this arduous, grinding, debilitating, horrific, self loathing process to get one more right. The power of one more.
This quote compares the strategic depth required in business to the game of chess, where multiple moves and considerations must be made simultaneously, as opposed to the simplicity of checkers.
But if you do cold calls, run ads and have content that people consume when they click your ad, they consume content and then they complete the transaction. Or you do a cold call, they take the set call, and between the set and the close, they go to your profile, they read some stuff, they watch a video too, and they're like, oh, this guy's legit. Now, if you didn't have that, the likelihood that you closed them would be way lower. But you would attribute the failed close to bad cold calling. But you could have given the assist with brand, with content.
This quote emphasizes the synergistic effect of combining different marketing methods, particularly how brand and content can enhance the effectiveness of direct outreach methods like cold calling.
I don't think it would matter at all. Okay, so if we were to just, let's fill in the boxes, if we will. So if you're a realtor, warm outreach is going to be you reaching out to your friends and family, saying, do you know anybody who's interested in buying a house? [...] So that would be the core four. But a good realtor should also have friends who are ancillary to the industry. So it might be lawn care people. [...] And so the core four and the four lead getters work independent of whatever business you have, because they are simply the only ways that one human can tell other human about stuff.
This quote suggests that the fundamental marketing methods can be applied universally across different industries and sales cycles, with adjustments made to fit the specific context of the business.
There's validation, and then I want to push theory to the extreme most difficult measure to see whether it passes the taken on water test.
The quote emphasizes the speaker's approach to rigorously testing theories by applying extreme measures to ensure they hold up under pressure.
Real quick, guys, you guys already know that I don't run any ads on this, and I don't sell anything. And so the only ask that I can ever have of you guys is that you help me spread the word so we can help more entrepreneurs make more money, feed their families, make better products, and have better experiences for their employees and customers.
Alex Hermosi explains that the podcast is ad-free and product-free, relying on listener support to reach and assist more entrepreneurs.
It's the first of the core four in the book, which is warm outreach.
Alex Hermosi introduces "warm outreach" as a key strategy for lead generation, which is detailed as the first of four core methods in his book.
We use something that I call the ACA framework, which we learned from the gym world, but it works with anything.
The ACA framework is presented as a universal tool for effective communication, useful in various contexts beyond just fitness.
So I use something called the closer framework. It's not. That is the perfect way to sell. It's a simple acronym that I use to organize sales scripts.
The CLOSER framework is outlined as a systematic approach to sales, emphasizing its utility in organizing the sales process rather than being the definitive method for selling.
We call it the integrity tie down. Yeah. Yes. We have this big checklist that we call the lead nurture checklist.
The integrity tie-down and lead nurture checklist are strategies used to increase the likelihood of customers moving forward in the sales process.
So s is sell the vacation. And I use this acronym, this moniker, because I say you want to sell the vacation, not the plane flight.
The SER framework is introduced as a technique to focus on the benefits and outcomes that customers truly desire, rather than the details of the product or service itself.
Expect no, train for no, because that's where you make the money. And then we explain away their concerns.
The quote emphasizes the importance of preparing for and effectively handling customer objections, as they are critical moments in the sales process where the deal can be won.
"First, people are upset and distorted about the universe. Everything's unfair. Nothing goes my way. The next level is because of insert person blame. Finger goes out. My kids, my husband, my coworkers, my mom, whatever it is, won't let me do this thing."
This quote highlights the first two layers of decision-making obstacles in sales: general dissatisfaction and blaming others. It underscores the importance of identifying and addressing these barriers to facilitate a decision.
"And so they have their own fears that they have to overcome and doubts about what's going to happen."
This quote points out the deepest layer of decision-making, which is the self-doubt individuals face. Overcoming this is crucial for them to make a decision.
"I am a big believer in sales being an actual empowerment conversation, because if you're talking to an empowered decision maker who's informed, that's the only person you want to talk to."
This quote emphasizes the importance of empowering the customer in sales conversations and ensuring they are informed and capable of making a decision.
"The moment someone closes, we want the next 24 hours to be unbelievably choreographed."
This quote highlights the importance of a structured follow-up process immediately after a sale to reinforce the customer's decision and build trust.
"If you send progress reports every day, what happens is you create multiple reinforcement cycles."
By sending daily progress reports, customers feel consistently informed, which builds trust and reduces the chance of post-sale backouts.
"Clarify whether they're, label them with a problem that you can solve, overview their past experiences, the pain cycle, sell the vacation, not the plane flight, explaining where their concerns, and then reinforce the decision."
This quote outlines the C.L.O.S.E.R. framework, which is a systematic approach to guiding a potential customer through the decision-making process.
"If you follow closer, right, clarify why they're there, all we're doing, asking questions, labeling them, is just asking for agreement on one statement that they have the problem."
This quote explains that the C.L.O.S.E.R. framework is question-based and seeks agreement from the customer on their problem, leading up to the point of sale.
"As soon as someone says yes, that is when we stop selling."
Hermosi points out that the moment a customer agrees to a sale, the salesperson should cease selling and proceed with the transaction to avoid unselling.
"I told my team the second we hang up this phone, he is going to begin to doubt this decision."
This quote illustrates the critical nature of immediate post-sale actions and the psychological state of a customer who may begin to doubt their decision without proper reinforcement.
"He has switched. He's got downward momentum, and it's our fault."
Hermosi acknowledges that failing to follow the post-sale process can lead to lost sales and customer doubt, emphasizing the responsibility of the sales team.