The fifth in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Alright, fellow Geospatialers, ready to turn your website visits into real geospatial business leads? Stop crossing your fingers and hoping for clicks. Because let’s get real… wishful thinking does not deliver quality leads.
If your website’s “Contact Us” page is gathering cobwebs, it’s time to put on your hard hat.
But don’t worry. In this short blog, I’ll tell you exactly how to create a landing page so irresistible, your prospects will be itching to hand over their details!
Your homepage is your digital billboard, great. But a landing page? That’s where the action happens. Think of it as your one-on-one handshake with your dream client, made laser-focused and distraction-free.
Whether you’re a surveyor, GIS consultant or mapping tech wizard, your landing page is the digital shopfront where deals begin. But with so many sites blending into the backdrop, how do you make yours stand out and generate real action?
Step 1. Go Minimal or Go Home
Less is always more in my book. Ditch the clutter: I’m talking menus, sub-menus, random calls to action. You want your visitor doing one thing, not pondering the meaning of life.
Pick a single outcome. One. For geospatial, this could be:
“Download our ‘5 Survey Pitfalls’ PDF”
“Book a live GIS demo”
“Snag our UAV Checklist”
Landing Page Essentials:
Step 2. Make Your CTA Sizzle
A beige “Learn More” button won’t cut it. It’s fine… but we’re aiming for magnetic.
You need a CTA that’s warmer than a cup of Yorkshire tea and practically jumps off the page:
“Send Me the Free Guide”
“Show Me the ROI Calculator”
“Get My UAV Depot Checklist”
Add value! Bonus marks for something genuinely useful. Think lead magnet: a white paper, quick-start video or checklist that fixes a real pain point.
Step 3. A/B Test Like a Boss
Not sure if “Download Now” or “Get the Guide” grabs more geospatial clicks? Neither are we, yet! Test both. Colour counts too. Orange, green or blue button? Only your audience knows for sure. Don’t rely on your gut. Let’s use facts, not guesswork!
Test different CTA button colours or text to see what actually makes people click:
Step 4. Add Social Proof Front and Centre
Even minimalist landing pages need trust signals. Drop in a customer testimonial (“GMA’s Lead Gen Blueprint landed us 12 new surveying RFPs in a month!”), a quick stat or a client logo strip. Social proof nips scepticism in the bud. Would you hand over your email to just anyone? Nope. Neither will your customers.
Plaster on that social proof:
Step 5. Mobile-First or Bust
Most geospatial decision-makers are actioning emails on the move. If your landing page pinches, squeezes or loads at glacial speed on mobile, you’re losing business. Test it everywhere.
Don’t forget to track everything with Google Analytics or your tool of choice. Know exactly where you’re winning and where you can do better.
Headline that grabs your audience by the collar
One action, clear as day (ditch the distractions)
Cosy, value-packed CTA
Trust builders: testimonial or client logos
Minimalist, snappy design
Picture-perfect on every device
A/B testing switched on
Analytics plugged in and ready
Next time you catch yourself entering your card details on a website, go back and take a long, hard look at the landing page you just came from. What made you decide it was worth your money? What can you take away and implement into your own landing pages?
I’ve seen geospatialers spend thousands on ads, only to send traffic to a page that’s dull as dishwater. Don’t be that person! Every click is a precious opportunity. Architect your landing page like a pro, and those leads will roll in.
Want the easy button? Use GMA’s plug-and-play templates, or join our masterminds for hands-on guidance. Remember, sometimes all it takes is a single, purposeful page to create your biggest win yet.
Let’s get converting!
Inspired by the Geospatial Marketing Academy’s Trading Card Series.
For more marketing magic, check out our guides on social media, content calendars, and testimonials!
By Elaine Ball – LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE (from Google LM)
Let’s face it, how people find you is changing. Your next big customer probably won’t start with a Google search… they’ll just ask ChatGPT. And if your brand isn’t popping up in those AI answers? You might as well be surveying on the Moon 🌝
No pressure, right?
Well don’t panic, I’ve got the goods. This isn’t just my musings, it’s based on research from Forrester, HBR, my LinkedIn audience and legends like Stewart Ward from Dioptra.
Here’s how to get your surveying and geospatial business AI ready so you don’t get left behind while the robots do the talking.
Yesterday, your buyer found you through multiple touch points like blogs, socials, exhibitions, news articles, maybe a webinar or two.
Today? It’s almost ‘just’ one. (i say ‘just’ as AI is changing daily)
One question. One tool. One answer.
And that answer is coming from ChatGPT (or another AI assistant).
So if your brand doesn’t show up there, it might not show up anywhere.
📊 Check out my LinkedIn poll results here; 53% of you still say “website” is your first stop. But increasingly, it’s AI pointing them to it, not Google.
🗣️ That’s why your content needs to be quotable, scannable and dead useful or it’ll be skipped by the bots.
So start crafting:
🎯 Elaine’s tip: Ask ChatGPT what it says about your services. If it’s not mentioning you… time to fix that!
Forrester’s research shows AI users ask longer, more specific questions like:
“What’s the best method for mapping underground utilities in a built-up area?”
If your content doesn’t sound like that, the bots won’t bite.
So let’s fix it:
Example (inspired by Stewart Ward):
Q: “What exactly is a boundary survey, and do I need one before I build?”
A: “If you’re planning to build anything near the edge of your property, yes, you do. A boundary survey defines your legal property lines and identifies physical monuments that mark them. It’s how you avoid disputes, delays and costly ‘oops-that’s-not-your-land’ moments.”
Now let me give a high five to Stewart Ward from Dioptra, who gets this SO RIGHT in his white paper on Boundary Surveying in Idaho
👉 Read Stewart’s white paper on Boundary Surveying in Idaho
What makes Stewart’s paper so good?
💡 Want to be visible in AI answers? Do what Stewart did
Frame your knowledge around real world queries, write like you’re explaining it to a smart mate over coffee and give the bots something useful to latch on to
AI doesn’t like fluff. It wants:
So give it what it wants:
📣 The more precise you are, the more likely ChatGPT quotes you
Getting “AI ready” is a team effort
Think of it like building a geospatial digital twin, everyone needs to contribute structure and substance
Right, let’s be honest. Most of you haven’t got a “marketing budget” tucked away in a velvet-lined drawer. And if you do, it’s probably being spent on new boots, not blog posts.
But here’s the deal…
If local councils, builders or Mrs. Smith down the lane are asking ChatGPT for “a decent surveyor near me who won’t disappear mid-job,” and you’re not showing up… guess what?
They’ll find someone else.
So let’s stop thinking of this as marketing (cue eye roll) and start thinking of it as helping the right people find you faster, before the other lot do.
You don’t need a fancy budget. You just need a few smart tweaks that make AI say, “Ooh, now there’s a surveyor I trust.”
Here’s how:
🎯 Treat it like pegging your best drawings to the site cabin wall.
If no one sees your work, it might as well be in the skip.
And no, you don’t need a marketing agency. You just need to stop hiding behind “we’ve always done it this way” and make a few tweaks that actually help you get found.
That’s it. No fluff. Just smart moves.
| Do This | Why |
| Answer buyer-style questions | Matches AI prompt structure |
| Use structured data & schema | Helps machines understand your services |
| Be hyper-specific (what, where, how much) | Increases AI citation odds |
| Include quotes, results, locations | Makes you quotable for AI |
| Run prompt tests like “Survey companies in Idaho” | Spot visibility gaps |
| Review peer content like Stewart Ward’s | Model great industry examples |
| Allocate budget to GEO tactics | Futureproof your AI visibility |
Q: What does “AI ready” mean for surveying companies?
A: It means your business shows up in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT. You need content that’s scannable, factual and written in plain language so AI understands and quotes it.
Q: What kind of content helps my surveying firm show up in AI answers?
A: FAQs, service explainers, project case studies and blogs that answer buyer-style questions like “Do I need a topo survey?” or “What is PAS 128?”
Q: What’s the difference between zero-click and traditional SEO?
A: Traditional SEO aims to get someone to click on your site from search results. Zero-click (or AI-first) content gives clear, quotable answers that appear directly in the AI’s response, no click needed.
Q: How do I know if AI is mentioning my business?
A: Open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask it questions like “Survey companies in Yorkshire” or “What is boundary surveying?” see if your name pops up. If not, it’s time to optimise.
Q: Should I write for AI or people?
A: Both! AI rewards content that is clear, specific and helpful. Luckily, so do humans. Win-win.
Q: What tools or tactics can help with AI discoverability?
A: Start with schema markup, create an llms.txt file on your site, use headings that match user questions and speak in human-friendly terms.
Q: Can I still use emojis or does that confuse the bots?
A: You do you 🧠🤖💩 Just make sure your message is clear, your expertise shines through and your emojis don’t replace your actual message.
The way buyers find surveyors is shifting. If AI can’t see you, no one else will
The fix? It’s not rocket science, it’s just a smarter way of doing what you already do best: explaining your value clearly, showing proof and being the expert in your field
Ready to show up when ChatGPT gets chatty?
Let’s make your brand AI famous 🧠✨🤖 (💩 emoji optional)
📢 PS
If this all feels a bit much, the Geospatial Marketing Academy is where I help surveyors and geospatial businesses learn simple, practical ways to get found (even by AI), without the jargon or fluff. Ask Stewart!
The fourth in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
You’ve got mail! But is anyone opening it?
If you’re a geospatial business owner, marketer, or surveyor, you already know the power of a well-timed email.
Yet too many geospatialers fire off newsletters and offers into the void, hoping for clicks that never come.
It’s time to level up!
Social media is noisy. Websites get lost in Google’s shuffle. But email? It lands directly in your audience’s inbox, where business happens. When done right, email campaigns nurture leads, build trust, and drive sales like no other channel. The catch? You need more than a “spray and pray” approach.
We’re banishing the one-and-done email blast. Instead, we’re building purposeful sequences of messages, sent over several days or weeks to guide your prospects from “maybe” to “let’s talk.”
Email 1: The Hook
Grab attention with a punchy subject line (think: “what would make me open an email?”). Share a quick win, a surprising stat, or a relatable pain point. Keep it short, helpful, and focused on your reader’s needs.
Email 2: The Value Builder
Now that you’ve got their interest, deliver real value. Share a case study, a testimonial, or a tip that solves a common geospatial headache. This is your chance to prove you understand their world and have the tools and expertise to help.
Email 3: The Call to Action
Don’t leave them hanging! Invite your reader to take the next step, whether it’s booking a demo, downloading a resource, or replying with a question. Make your call to action clear and compelling.
Segment for Success
Not all subscribers will resonate with the same things. Segment your audience by job title, industry, or past engagement to send messages that appeal to your differing buyer personas. For example, drone surveyors might want different insights than GIS analysts.
Segmentation boosts open rates by making your emails feel tailor-made and your audience feel like you really understand them.
Subject Lines: Think Like a Headline Writer
Your subject line is your first (and sometimes only) shot at getting noticed. Channel your inner newspaper editor: be bold, specific, and relevant. “5 Ways Geospatial Pros Are Winning in 2025” beats “June Newsletter” every time.
Bonus Move: Add a Survey for Deeper Insights
After your drip campaign, send a quick survey. Ask what topics they care about, what challenges they face, or how you can help. Not only does this show you care, but it also arms you with data to make your next campaign even better.
Email isn’t dead. It’s just waiting for you to wield it like a pro. With a strategic drip campaign, smart segmentation, and irresistible subject lines, you’ll turn your geospatial list into a pipeline of engaged, ready-to-buy clients.
Want more plug-and-play templates and expert guidance? The Geospatial Marketing Academy is packed with resources to help you master every channel – from social to email and beyond.
See you in the inbox!
P.S. Got an email campaign win (or flop) to share? Reply and let us know – we love celebrating your successes (and learning from the bumps along the way)!
Inspired by the Geospatial Marketing Academy’s Trading Card Series.
For more marketing magic, check out our guides on social media, content calendars, and testimonials!
The third in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Let’s get real for a second. You can have the slickest geospatial tech, the smartest team and the most jaw-dropping GIS dashboards in the business.
But when it comes to winning new geospatial clients, nothing beats the words of someone who’s already walked in their shoes and come out grinning.
When was the last time you made a purchase without checking the reviews first?
That’s right: customer testimonials aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re your secret weapon for building trust, standing out from the competition
– and turning “maybe” into “where do I sign?”
Let’s break down why testimonials matter, how to collect them without feeling awkward and how to use them so they actually move the needle for your geospatial business.
Forget the corporate fluff. Here’s why testimonials are worth their weight in gold:
Trust, on Tap
Prospective clients trust real people more than polished sales copy. A happy customer’s story is real proof that you’ll deliver.
Show, Don’t Tell
Testimonials are living, breathing case studies. They show your impact in the wild, with no jargon required.
Stand Out, Effortlessly
In a world full of “me too” geospatial firms and cookie-cutter AI content filling the web, a killer testimonial is the ultimate differentiator.
Boost Conversions
Social proof isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the nudge that turns fence-sitters into buyers.
Marketing Ammo
Use them everywhere. On your website, LinkedIn, proposals, exhibition banners, business cards, even your email signature.
Step 1. Strike While the Iron’s Hot
Just wrapped a successful project? That’s your moment! Drop a quick email:
“Hey [Client], would you mind sharing a few words about how our GIS solution helped you?
It’d mean the world to us.”
Make it even easier for them by sharing examples of what other customers have said in the past.
Step 2: Make It Frictionless
Use Google Forms, Typeform or a simple survey. Ask questions like:
Step 3: Spot the Love on Social
Keep an eye on LinkedIn, Twitter, or even your inbox for unsolicited praise. If someone drops a kind word, ask if you can use it as a testimonial.
Step 4: Go Beyond Text – Think Video
Video testimonials pack a punch. Ask clients to record a quick video (Zoom or Loom works great) sharing their experience. Authenticity > polish.
Step 5: Deep Dives: Case Studies
For your biggest wins, go all in. Interview your client, dig into the before-and-after, get some great photos or video content, and turn it into a case study that tells a story.
Step 6: Leverage LinkedIn & Google Reviews
A LinkedIn recommendation or Google Review is public, credible, and super easy to share. Send clients a direct link and a thank you!
Written, video, case studies – each has its moment. Mix it up! Here’s how to get the most mileage from every bit of praise:
Short Quotes
Ideally structured as a before/after. Bonus points for including a statistic! Perfect for website banners, social posts, and proposals.
Detailed Written Testimonials
Add these to your testimonials page or case studies. These are great for cutting up or pulling out key phrases.
Video Testimonials
Feature these on your homepage, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn… or send to a prospective lead who’s on the fence. Nothing beats seeing a real person rave about you.
Case Studies
Tell the full story – challenge, solution, results. Great for blog posts, social media carousels, whitepapers or sales decks.
Social Media Shoutouts
When a client tags you in a win, reshare it! User-generated content is marketing gold.
1. Always get permission.
Some clients love the spotlight, others prefer to stay anonymous. Respect their wishes.
2. Don’t hide your testimonials on a dusty subpage.
Put them on your homepage, landing pages, and sales materials – front and centre.
3. Mix up your formats and content lengths.
Including the full testimonial is always tempting, but if the text is too long, it won’t get read.
4. Stay authentic & don’t over-edit.
A little roughness = more credibility
5. Keep things current
Regularly update your testimonials. Fresh wins show you’re still delivering.
At the Geospatial Marketing Academy (GMA), we know our numbers. We track impressions, landing page visits, downloads, leads and sales.
But we also track stories, the real-world impact our clients experience.
Want to know how many testimonials you need to tip the scales? Start with two strong ones per service or product. Then build from there.
Customer testimonials aren’t just a pat on the back, they’re your shortcut to trust, credibility and more sales. Make it easy for your clients to share their wins, and showcase those stories everywhere you can.
Start today:
And remember: in a world full of noise, nothing cuts through like a real success story.
P.S. Got a testimonial you’re proud of? Share it with us! We love celebrating your wins. 🤗
How does this sound to you: a steady stream of glowing testimonials, a pipeline full of qualified leads, and marketing that finally feels easy…
That’s what GMA members experience every month.
Unlock proven strategies, templates, self-paced learning modules, weekly group calls, and a supportive community that’s as passionate as you are.
Your future clients (and your bottom line) will thank you.
The second in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Are you a surveyor who scrambles to post on social media at the last minute, goes months (or even years) without sharing a new blog post, or has a neglected list of newsletter subscribers receiving nothing but tumbleweeds?
You’re not alone. Heaps of geospatial professionals are stuck in a cycle of mad panicking when it comes to creating content, with no real plan or strategy. They’re unsure who they’re talking to, wasting precious time on inefficient, ad-hoc processes.
The result? Inconsistent messaging, missed opportunities and a whole lot of unnecessary stress.
Thankfully, there’s a better way. Enter – The Content Calendar. 🙌
1. Planning and consistency are the secret weapons of successful geospatial marketing
A well-organised content calendar keeps you on track, helps manage your workflow, and ensures your audience hears from you regularly across multiple touchpoints with content that matters to them. With free tools like Trello or Airtable, you can build a month-long content plan without spending a penny on expensive software.
2. When you plan ahead, pressure and overwhelm melt away
No more last-minute panic posting just for the sake of it. Your content quality will soar because you’ve given yourself enough time to structure and polish it. Even better, you can map out a full month of content in just a few hours, giving you more time to focus on your business.
3. A solid plan helps you get more mileage from your content
For example, an email newsletter can be repurposed into a LinkedIn newsletter, a blog post, and several social media posts. A focused social media campaign can be transformed into a blog post or an email series. Save time, reach more people and boost your marketing impact. A no brainer right?
You’ll still want to post ad-hoc content – and you still should. Reacting to breaking news, sharing updates from events, reposting mentions from customers/businesses/industry experts, or jumping on the latest trends. The best strategy is a combination of both: a pre-planned calendar for consistency (and all the other reasons above 👆), mixed in with spontaneous, on-the-ground posts. Best of both worlds!
Step 1. Define Your Goals
Before you start planning, decide what you want to achieve. Typical goals for geospatial businesses include:
Step 2: Set Up Your Calendar with Free Tools
We recommend Trello or Airtable (no, we’re not paid to say that – we just love them!).
Ooorrr, if you’re an Academy member, you get access to our ready-made Airtable planner.
Step 3: Plan Content Themes
Plot key dates like exhibitions or holidays into your calendar. This helps you create timely, relevant content and avoid wasting your best ideas during quiet periods.
Step 4: Fill Your Calendar
Add your best ideas to the planner. Some people like to block out a few hours and plan the whole month in one go; others prefer to do a week or a theme at a time. Find what works for you.
Elaine, for example, likes to focus and get it all done in one creative burst. But if inspiration doesn’t strike, she knows it just takes one good idea to get back on track!
Want some inspo? Take a look at our blog with 19 social media post ideas for Geospatial businesses and tons of tips.
Step 5: Schedule Your Content
Most social platforms and WordPress have built-in schedulers. Free tools like Meta Business Suite (for Facebook & Instagram) or LinkedIn’s post scheduler can help you post across multiple platforms. Paid tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social offer extra analytics if you need them, but they’re not essential for everyone.
Scheduling in advance keeps your content consistent, even during busy times. Let automation do the heavy lifting.
Step 6: Track Your Results
Monitor which posts and content types perform best and use those insights to refine your strategy. This helps you grow your audience and improve your marketing over time.
You now have everything you need to move from Panic Poster to Content Calendar Commander. Here’s a quick recap:
Or, if you’d rather make things even easier…
The Geospatial Marketing Academy includes plug-and-play content calendars and blueprints for success. Join our online course and learning community, and let us help you grow your geospatial business – guaranteed.
See what’s included and start your journey to stress-free, effective marketing today.
Elaine Ball Ltd: Raising the standard of geospatial marketing, one surveyor at a time.
The first in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
We all know social media is essential for business marketing.
And we know that you do actually have to share content for it to be valuable. (Shame, I know…)
But for some reason, as soon as you click ‘create a post’ your mind goes blank. You’re staring at an empty white box having a blink-off with the text cursor, with absolutely no idea what to say.
Well, worry not, young geospatialer! We’ve put together the ultimate cheatsheet to transform you from Marketing Muggle to Social Media Post Wizard.
We’ll take you through:
1. The Video Post
My best-performing social media content is almost always videos. And despite what you might think, they’re one of the easiest to create.
I’m not kidding – this 48 second video got 100 likes, 12 comments, 4 reposts, and a whopping 4287 impressions!
Not a bad result for one minute’s work.
2. The Text Only Post
These can be hit and miss. Usually, visual social posts perform better, but if done right, text-only social posts can be really really valuable.
Try using some of these content frameworks to structure a text post:
Problem-Agitate-Solution
Before–After–Bridge
AIDA (Attention–Interest–Desire–Action)
3. The Poll
Polls are great for engagement, encouraging interaction and starting conversations.
Ask your audience a question, post a poll, or encourage them to share their thoughts.
Example:
What’s your go-to GIS software?
4. The Infographic Post
LinkedIn lets you upload PDF documents, which allows you to pack tons of information into your post in a clear and easy-to-digest layout.
You can create one-page infographics, or break down your message into bite-sized chunks with scrollable carousels like this one.
5. The Photo Post
In feeds that are washed with Canva templates and AI imagery, human content stands out.
Your team, your product, a recent project, your breakfast. Whatever it is, people want to see it.
Remember, people want to get to know the person behind the business – not the company itself. The thing that differentiates your business from Joe Blogs down the road is YOU.
Check the recommended size and orientation for the platform you’re posting on. You’ll start to know this by heart soon enough. But, annoyingly, platforms like to change this quite a lot.
Sprout Social is usually a good source for staying on top of optimum sizes for each platform.
If you’re posting the same file on multiple platforms, you may need to create multiple versions in different sizes and orientations – for example, a portrait Instagram Reel wouldn’t look good as a YouTube video.
Mix up the type of content you’re sharing to keep your feed varied and your audience engaged.
Use a combination of images, videos, infographics, articles, podcasts, PDFs, GIFs, etc etc etc!
If you’re clever about it – one piece of content can be utilised again and again.
For example:
Don’t let them leave without asking for their number!
Make sure your audience knows exactly what to do by providing a clear call to action. Do you want them to comment their opinion? Subscribe to your newsletter? Sign up for a webinar? Book a call?
Tell them how.
Over To You…
Whether you’re offering GIS solutions, remote sensing services, or data analysis, social media allows you to visually demonstrate the impact of your work, engage with potential clients, and create brand awareness.
Take what you’ve learned in this blog and kick things off by crafting your first 5 social media posts.
The Academy is jam-packed with self-paced and interactive content to help you master geospatial marketing.
Take a look here.
Let’s face it, in surveying, winning new clients can feel like fighting your way through a massive forest – full of potential, but also tangled with challenges. The good news is that, in both these scenarios, with a little planning and the right tools, you can forge a clear path.
Step 1: Know Thy Client (Before You Pitch Them on That Fancy New Total Station)
Ever heard the saying, “When you’re selling to everyone, you’re selling to no one?” That’s especially true in surveying. The first step to sales success is understanding your ideal client – their needs, their challenges, and the language they speak (both literally and figuratively). Are you targeting residential developers, government agencies, or massive construction giants? And do you know who’ll be signing off on your proposal within these organisations? You should because each organisation — and each person within it — has unique priorities and pain points. By creating buyer personas, you can tailor your approach and speak directly to their needs.
What is a persona? It’s a profile of your potential customer, including their role, their responsibilities, and (most importantly) the challenges that keep them up at night. A residential developer will have vastly different needs than a municipality. Both of these potential customers will have different purchase criteria than a telecom company. You should know what the pain points and barriers to sale for each of these entities are.
(And if you don’t know how to create a customer persona — or if you’ve never seen one — there are some great resources here and here! or you can check out this webinar by our buyer persona superstar, Hannah.)
Step 2: Charting the Course: How Marketing Paves the Way for Sales
Think marketing and sales are separate islands? Not a chance! Marketing is the friendly cartographer, meticulously mapping the customer journey. By understanding the different stages – awareness, interest, desire, and action – or, the points along the customer decision journey, if you prefer — you can create targeted content that educates, engages, and ultimately positions you as the trusted surveying expert. Create blog posts that answer common questions, case studies showcasing your expertise, or even social media content that highlights the coolest surveying tech (because let’s face it, there’s some seriously cool tech out there!). Need some inspiration? Check out our recent blog to see what some of the industry’s top influencers are posting.
Step 3: Streamlining Your Sales Funnel: No More Dead Ends!
Let’s be honest, the sales process can get bogged down faster than your fully-loaded truck on a muddy side road. That’s why streamlining the funnel is key. Think checklists, automated workflows, and clear qualification criteria. This ensures you’re focusing on the most promising leads and frees up valuable time to close those deals.
We recommend using a CRM if your business has dedicated business development or sales reps. There are loads of great free and affordable options out there, and it’s easier than ever to find one that can grow (affordably) with your business. (G2 is a great tool for researching solutions, So is Capterra.)
Step 4: Closing the Deal with Confidence (and Maybe a Touch of Swagger)
Closing the deal is the ultimate goal, but it shouldn’t feel like arm wrestling. The secret lies in mastering the art of qualification – understanding their needs, identifying potential roadblocks, and demonstrating how your services are the perfect solution. Think of yourself as a translator, bridging the gap between their problems and your expertise. (Our resident expert, Paola, wrote a whole article on this.)
Step 5: Level Up Your Sales Team: Building a Dream Team of Surveying Superstars
Your sales team is your secret weapon. Equipping them with the right knowledge and skills is essential. Invest in training programs, encourage knowledge sharing within the team, and celebrate their successes. A motivated and well-equipped sales team is a powerful force that can propel your business to levels of growth you never dreamed possible.
So there you have it! It’s not a quick and easy solution, but building out and streamlining your sales process will be well worth the effort. With a deeper understanding of your buyers’ needs, a strategic marketing approach, a defined and seamless sales process, and a well-trained sales team, you’ll be closing more deals faster than you can say “photogrammetry!” (…which I can’t say quickly at all, but you get my meaning!)
Now get out there and conquer that forest!
Watch our webinar and learn:
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In the world of sales, one crucial step often determines success or failure> What is that step? Qualifying your buyer.
Why waste time pitching a deal or talking about your offer if you aren’t even speaking to the right prospect? If you’re talking to the wrong person, you’ll never meet their needs or solve their problems. Having the best offer will never get you the sale if they don’t need your product or service.
Qualifying the buyer is key.
To save you time and potential heartache, here are some tips to help you get more sales for your survey business:
“Those who ask questions control the conversation.” This rule is applicable to any conversation — especially within the sales process. You have to make sure you are asking the right questions so you can get the answers that will qualify your buyer and place them in the right bucket.
What are some of those questions? They’re questions like these:
These questions will all lead you to the BANT framework, a sales qualification method that relies on four key factors: Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeframe. Using this framework upfront will prevent you from wasting time on the wrong prospects.
Remember that people care most about themselves. Yes, that sounds a bit coarse, but trust me — asking the right questions and making sure you are actively listening to your prospect will show them that you care. Successful sales rely heavily on building rapport with your potential clients and this will result in trust. People are more likely to make a big purchase or agree to ongoing services from someone that they trust.
Qualifying your prospects is not just a box to tick in the sales process; it’s the key to creating a successful and efficient strategy. By investing time in understanding the BANT criteria, actively listening to your prospects and building trust, you can significantly improve your chances of converting leads into satisfied customers. The art of sales lies not just in closing deals but in the ability to identify and prioritize the prospects that are the best fit for your offerings.
Why aren’t you investing in training for your marketers? Blurb from me, Elaine on why owners and directors are harming their company and how to stop it!
You only know what you only know. Yesterday the team and I went through storybrand BrandScript, a fabulous exercise we deliver with our clients and on ourselves. The StoryBrand BrandScript gives us a tool to clarify the messaging of a brand, product, service, or organisation, which then empowers us to create marketing materials that are unique to the product or business.
The exercise highlighted the key problems owners and marketers are facing – at both survey firms and geospatial equipment OEMs and resellers.
(If you haven’t done one, talk to us – it’s an amazing way to discover what makes your business different. And that can help you build marketing that resonates.)
What I learned – although it came out of our StoryBrand exercise – has less to do with StoryBrand and more to do with our Geospatial Marketing Academy. Here’s the tale:
One of our clients is the director at an OEM. One of the underlying problems he and his team have is their frustration with their marketer.
Why are they frustrated with the marketer they’ve hired? They think the marketer should know their shit! Why should he spend more money on training when it already costs £30k GBP/ $60K USD for their salary? Surely this marketer should already know how to produce the right marketing materials to drive leads and sales!
You see, they’re considering purchasing a license to GMA to guide the marketer in their role. The director is thinking to himself, “I shouldn’t be paying for a marketer to learn marketing! They should know this already!” So in his mind, it’s not worth the investment.
On the contrary, the marketing manager may be keen to enrol in GMA to further their education, but they’re (rightly) worried to ask for the budget.
The conundrum here is two-fold. The director is missing something vital: hiring a marketing person from outside the industry means they don’t have specific industry knowledge. They don’t know the audience or the terminology, so they certainly don’t know what resonates or works! In GMA, we teach that through case studies.
And if the marketer comes from within the industry, are they qualified or savvy enough to generate organic leads from content marketing? Do they have the writing or social media skills to parlay their industry knowledge into shareable content?
The Geospatial Marketing Academy was built because I found myself delivering workshops over and over again in lockdown. There was an “A-ha!” moment when I realised how many people would benefit from this specialised marketing knowledge. It wouldn’t just benefit directors of equipment sellers – it could also help folks like owners of smaller survey businesses and those tasked with the marketing who may or may not have experience.
Bottom line: If you want better marketing for your business, whether you’ve hired from within the industry or externally (or if you’ve tasked your admin with marketing) invest in training when it’s needed.