“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”–Confucius 
St. Patrick’s Day is a day of fun and celebration for many. Often it’s just the type of distraction we need, as we see the first quarter coming to a close. Add to that the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing and you may just find yourself yearning for a bit of inspiration and motivation to reenergize yourself now that we’re heading into the end of yet another month.
I’ve always found quotes to be a great pick-me-up when I’m lacking motivation, and in that spirit I offer you 25 motivational quotes for sales and marketing:
On reaching your goals for successfully growing your business:
- “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”–Mario Andretti
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing again and again and expect a different result. Having things under control might be comfortable and feel safe, but if you desire faster growth than you are currently experiencing, take your foot off the break and accept that you will need to try new things. - "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." –Charles Darwin
As businesses grow, they hit Ceilings of Complexity, which is a natural part of any business’s journey. You can’t avoid them. Any effort to avoid them will kill the very momentum you need to grow. Instead, you must prepare for them and know the keys to move through them effectively. - “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”–Napoleon Hill
The company that makes the most mistakes the fastest and learns from them is the company that’s going to win. - "Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." –Joshua J. Marine
Making a mistake could hurt your business… however, the fear of making a mistake will kill it. - “Some men see things as they are and ask why…I dream of things that never were and ask why not?”–Robert Kennedy
We actually have this quote on our wall here and I feel that the idea behind it is one of the most important fundamentals to successfully growing your business. If you want to successfully grow your business you won’t succeed by constantly questioning and second guessing yourself. You must be willing to take risks, try new things, and go with your gut sometimes. - “Leverage the strength that you have: that no one else can be you.”–Todd Wheatland
In a copy-cat world, full of products and services that sound and feel like each other, you must separate yourself from your competition by approaching your market in a way that plays up your strengths in order to stand out. - “Organizations that destroy the status quo win. Whatever the status quo is, changing it gives you the opportunity to be remarkable." –Seth Godin
Noted entrepreneur and billionaire, Mark Cuban, told the story of a company whose product was not only best in its class, but far ahead of its competition. As Cuban shares, they made the fatal mistake of asking their customers what features they wanted on the next version of their product. Unfortunately, their competitors didn’t ask. Instead the competitor had a vision of how business could be done differently –and better. Customers didn’t see the value or need until they saw the new product; and when they saw it, they loved it.
On the importance of creating content that is valuable to your audience: -
"You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”–Zig Ziglar
Creating quality content that focuses on helping prospects realize that they have a business need, ultimately, is far more valuable than simply solving that need. You have the opportunity to create a deeper, more profound relationship with customers and to influence their path of ascent before competitors have even arrived at their door—elevating you to status of trusted, valued advisor as opposed to simply a “friendly salesman.”
On the Zero Moment Of Truth:
-
“The way you position yourself at the beginning of a relationship has profound impact on where you end up.”–Ron Karr
The internet is flooded with content.. but how much of the content that’s being reviewed and discussed is yours? If you’re not actively involved in your prospect’s Zero Moment of Truth you’ll lose the opportunity without even knowing it was there.On best practices for content marketing & execution:
-
“Vision without execution is hallucination.” –Thomas A. Edison
Coordinating your content in strategic fashion can enhance its value ten-fold (and keep your sanity), and the most efficient way to start mapping out that plan is by creating an editorial calendar. - “Content is fire, social media is gasoline.”–Jay Baer
If you’ve taken the time to create an arsenal of quality content, you’ve got a goldmine of lead generation tools at your disposal. Social media is not only one of the most valuable tools for sharing your content, its also a great way to repurpose new and old content in order to get the most bang for your buck. - “If you don’t have time to do it right, what makes you think you’ll have time to do it over?”–Seth Godin
When you set out on a mission, you must have a tremendous amount of confidence and passion for the effort. If you don’t, six months of what appears to be a lack of results may easily convince you it’s time to switch approaches. The problem is you’re resetting the clock and the results will move even farther out on your time-line. - “Take calculated risks. This is quite different from being rash.”–General George S. Patton
Boring content won’t get you anywhere. You can’t be afraid to take risks and show off the unique aspects and personality of your business that make you stand out. - “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”–Robert Louis Stevenson
Content has a big edge over traditional B2B marketing because it builds an asset rather than incurring a continual expense. With content you are constantly making connections and building your community. Content lasts forever. So, even if the prospect who downloaded a white paper today isn’t ready to buy today, the value of the relationship lasts and they continue to engage with your content until they are ready. - “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”–Arthur Ashe
Even if you’re just hopping on the content bandwagon now or you don’t think you have the necessary resources to help you get started, it’s easier than you think and you have the ability to drive serious growth. Content marketing allows B2B companies gain far greater reach and impact while cutting costs - so long as you produce quality content.
On Knowing Your Customer & Creating Buyer Personas: -
"If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”–Zig Ziglar
If you don’t take the time to get to know your customers and identify your buyer personas, you will have no idea who you need to be marketing to. You can spend as much time and effort on your content marketing as you’d like but you can’t reach an audience you haven’t even identified. - “Every brand isn’t for everybody, and everybody isn’t for every brand.”–Liz Lange
To attract the right prospects, you must be willing to repel the wrong ones. - “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”–Seth Godin
When you’re relying on what your customer thinks about their issues, you’re simply creating no value. What the customer is telling you is what they’re telling your competitors, thus increasing the odds you end up sounding like everybody else.
On creating content with your buyer personas in mind: -
“People ignore design that ignores people.”–Frank Chimero
You might think your content and your design are amazing. But unless your potential customers agree you’re dead wrong. This is a tough principle to master, as it requires that we fully put our ego aside and we accept taking the risk that we are wrong. Their opinion is the only one that matters. Getting “inside”your prospect’s head, and seeing the world through their eyes, while critical to success, is not a natural.
On Best Practices for B2B Sales:
-
“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, “make me feel important.” Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”–Mary Kay Ash
The purpose of creating a remarkable experience is to make absolutely certain no one can find a substitute for what your company offers. When there is no substitute for what you offer, you cannot be commoditized. When you cannot be commoditized, then growth, loyal customers and profits are yours for the taking. - "Stop selling. Start helping.”–Zig Ziglar
If you want to be valued, you must first change how your customers/prospects think about the solution you provide. - “The best sales questions have your expertise wrapped into them.”–Jill Konrath
A good salesperson is the catalyst to discovery and initiates action rather than reacting to it. - “Make a customer, not a sale.”–Katherine Barchetti
The “Me Generation”demands that you treat customers differently, that you should listen more and consider the context before delivering the message. - “If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.”–Zig Ziglar
The more you can get a prospect to understand their problem, the more likely it is they will buy from you. - “Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”–Vince Lombardi
The best salespeople will tell you confidence is pivotal in the closing process. Forget your worries about being wrong. It’s okay to be wrong, but it’s not okay to be in doubt.
