2023 Is The Year of Inbound Sales
This year... 2010... 2011... 2012... 2013... 2014... 2015... 2016... 2017... 2018... 2019... 2020...(AHHH, COVID!) 2021...(AHHH, MORE COVID!) 2022 (AHHH, INFLATION, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, GAS PRICES!) 2023...but it's finally here!
"What's here?" you ask.
Inbound selling is here, that's what.
But, Wes, we've always been doing inbound sales, going all the way back to...
- Ancient Egyptians displayed hieroglyphics on stone walls for propaganda purposes.
- Then billboards in the 1830s were used by Jared Bell in America to promote P.T. Barnum's circus.
- The Homestead Act of 1862 inspired America's westward expansion fueled by the railroads, the postal system, and then Rural Free Delivery in 1886.
- That led to the Sears, Roebuck, and Co. catalog in 1894.
- In the mid to late 90s, it was fax broadcasts.
- In the late 90s and early 2000s, it was websites and email marketing.
- Then it was cheap Pay Per Click (PPC) and SEO, i.e., blogging
- Then video marketing.
- Then e-commerce.
- That was followed by social media marketing, mobile marketing, and video marketing continues to thrive.
Look, inbound selling has been a thing in some shape, manner, or form since the first salesman got yelled at for interrupting a homeowner or business owner with a cold call.
While HubSpot has tried to corner the market with the phrase "inbound marketing," (I mean, their annual conference is called "Inbound," for goodness sake!), it's really just inbound sales, which is to say, it's marketing.
Related Post: See "How to create word-of-mouth marketing."
You Do Inbound Marketing To Make Inbound Sales. Duh.
As shocking as this may sound, the reason you are in business, the reason you do marketing—and hopefully, you do inbound marketing—is to generate a sale.
Yet, "Total e-commerce sales for 2021 were estimated at $870.8 billion, an increase of 14.2% (±0.9%) from 2020. Total retail sales in 2021 increased 17.9% (±0.5%) from 2020. E-commerce sales in 2021 accounted for 13.2% of total sales. E-commerce sales in 2020 accounted for 13.6% of total sales." (Census.gov)
That means if you want to actually grow your business, you need to engage, i.e., speak with and/or meet with your prospects to help them spend money with you. (That's called selling!)
With whom will you partner to reach new markets, new prospects, and new buyers?
What technology will you implement to automate your sales and marketing so you can double sales without doubling staff?
Who will give you 10 ways to reach your sales goals next year?
Who will help you stay committed to your goals?
Who will help you set big hairy audacious goals but also give you practical tips where the rubber meets the road?
To have extreme sales growth, you need to do all of the above.
It's easier than you think when your focus is clear, and you surround yourself with good people.
Give me a shout to see if I am the right person.
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
