10 Tips To Help You Land More New Payroll Clients In 2021
By Glenn Fallavollita, President, SellMorePayroll.com | Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 291
• Time To Read: 66 Seconds @ 250 Words Per Minute

ADP and Paychex, and like many other national payroll services, are aggressively going after new business in 2021 (see links below). In fact, they are making "new client acquisition" a top priority as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 virus.

• ADP: Three Months Free
• ADP's Roll 90-Day Free Offer ($17/Month + $5/Employee)
• Paychex: Three Months Free
• Square Payroll (No Offer)
• SurePayroll's Commercial: 60-Days Free

10 Steps To A Proactive 2021 Sales And Marketing Strategy.

If you want to acquire more new payroll clients in 2021, I have listed ten core areas below to consider:

• Step 1: Update all databases on file (ensure all e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc., are correct).
• Step 2: Scan all business cards on/in your desk and upload each one to its appropriate database.
• Step 3: Segment your e-mail databases by clients, prospects, and referral partners.
• Step 4: Develop a 90-day marketing plan for the abovementioned databases.
• Step 5: Develop a sales follow-up plan to the abovementioned marketing plan(s).
• Step 6: Develop WEEKLY sales REVENUE goals for each salesperson.
• Step 7: Develop WEEKLY sales ACTIVITY goals for each salesperson.
• Step 8: Develop a PROPOSAL tracking report for each salesperson.
• Step 9: Develop an INTERNAL LEAD tracking report.
• Step 10: Monitor all of the abovementioned items WEEKLY.
• BONUS Step: Develop a formal referral partner, i.e., CPA, sales, and marketing plan.

Executive Summary: If you are an owner or a sales leader take a moment from your day and do the following:

1. Develop a written sales/marketing plan AND budget.
2. Create a series of metrics/reports to monitor everyone's success. Remember, the troops do what the company commander monitors.
3. Hold yourself AND your salespeople accountable for hitting their targeted sales goals.

If you want to be successful in driving in NEW sales revenue, you need to do the little things DAILY.

P.S. "Hope" isn't a great sales strategy.

8 Money-Making Tips To Supercharge Your
e-Mail Marketing Open Rates In The Next 24-Hours
By Glenn Fallavollita, President, SellMorePayroll.com | Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 383
• Time To Read: 1.5 Minutes @ 250 Words Per Minute

Do you want to generate more sales leads and client referrals from your e-mail marketing campaigns in 2021? If you do, I have outlined eight proven tips below to help make that happen. 

#1. Resend Your e-Mail Campaigns To The “Non-Open” Addresses - You will see a 30% to 50% increase in open rates just by resending the original e-mail campaign to the e-mail addresses that did not open the original e-mail. If you are using a tool like Constant Contact, this is done automatically for you. 

#2. Make A List Of “Engaged” e-Mail Addresses – Go back to your last 12-months of e-mail campaigns and copy all the e-mail addresses into the following groups: 

• “Engaged” Readers = A list of e-mail addresses that have opened an e-mail campaign in the last 12-months.
• “Non-Engaged” Readers = A list of e-mail addresses that never opened a campaign you sent to them. Send them a special offer to see if they respond. 

#3. Personalize Your Subject Lines – By simply adding a person’s name or company name to the subject line, you will see an increase of 10% or more in your open rates (just don’t do this all the time as people will become tone-deaf to this strategy. 

#4. Create Unique e-Mail Campaigns For Each Database On File – Instead of blasting out a one-size-fits-all newsletter, write an e-mail campaign for each database you have on file. The key is this: Write a subject line that resonates with each database.

#5. Keep Your "SEND" Frequency In Check – If you are blasting three to four e-mails a week to your database, or one e-mail a month, you should step back and reevaluate your strategy. And yes, too many e-mails are just as bad as too few. 

#6. Avoid Mondays When Sending A Mass e-Mail Campaign – The day of the week and the time of the day you send an e-mail campaign will play a huge role in its open rate. By the way, Mondays are the worst days to blast an e-mail.

#7. Write Better Subject Lines - Your open rates are directly related to your subject lines. 

#8. Make Sure Your e-Mails Are Dynamically Formatted For A Smartphone, Tablet, Or PC – When you send an e-mail campaign, make sure you are using a service that uses “dynamic formatting” as it will allow a reader to view your campaign without the dreaded “pinching” to expand copy.

My Final Thoughts: The steps I have listed above are important elements of a successful e-mail marketing strategy. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, feel free to e-mail or call our office.  

12 Ways To Boost Profits
At Your Payroll/HCM Business
(Print And Share With Your Executive Team)
By Glenn Fallavollita - President, SellMorePayroll.com | Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 353
• Time To Read: 1.4 Minutes @ 250 Words Per Minute

Over the past few months, many payroll/HCM businesses have taken a hit when it comes to their profits. And if your company has too, you need a sales, marketing, AND business plan to offset these losses. That being said, you and your management team need to focus on these core elements of your business:

12 Areas To Print And Share With Your Executive Team.

• #1: Look For Niche Markets Your Sales Team To Target (i.e., Long-Term Care, Building Supplies, Liquor Stores, etc.)
• #2: Give Your Staff Incentives To Improve A Process(s)
• #3: Focus On Employee Engagement (~66% Of Your Staff Is Either Disengaged Or Completely Disengaged)
• #4: Negotiate A Better Deal With Your Vendors
• #5: Look For Private/White Label Opportunities
• #6: Buy A CPA’s Book-of-Business
• #7: Outsource Core Functions (i.e., Marketing)
• #8: Run A Price Audit (Compare Your Prices To Your Competitions')
• #9: Restructure And Refine Processes And Procedures
• #10: Switch Up Suppliers, Back-Office Software, Or Payroll And HR Software
• #11: Start Cross-Selling Other Services To Your Clients (i.e., time and attendance)
• #12: Get Your Salespeople To Pick-Up The Phone More Often (50% Of All Salespeople STOP calling A Prospect/CPA After Their 1st Unsuccessful Attempt At Moving The Sales Process Forward - Your Salespeople Are Guilty Of This Too)

2 BONUS Tips. . .

• #1: Survey Your Payroll/HCM Clients To Ensure They Are Happy (And Aren’t Planning To Leave You For The Competition)
• #2: Build A Proactive Process To Generate More Referrals From Your Database Of Clients, CPAs, And Referral Partners

Here's The Bottom Line:

The COVID-19 crisis isn't going to get any better as winter is right around the corner. Because another shutdown/slowdown is right around the corner, it is essential to:

• Audit of your business expenses to determine if there are any costs you can remove or reduce.
• Focus on increasing sales via e-mail marketing and niche marketing.
• Get your sales team to be more proactive with calling clients, referral partners, and the prospects who have an open proposal.
• Take action!

How You Say It
Makes All the Difference
By Glenn Fallavollita - President, Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 188
• Time To Read: 50 Seconds @ 250 Words Per Minute

If your e-mail marketing campaigns aren't interrupting and engaging its readers, then you need to consider my 4-step e-mail marketing formula below:

1. Interrupt
2. Engage
3. Educate
4. Offer

5 e-Mail Marketing Campaigns That Will Generate More Sales Leads For You.

To help you generate more sales leads in the next 72 business hours, I have listed some time-tested campaigns below for you to consider:

• #1: Prospects - e-Mail your database of prospects a "meeting request" letter.
• #2: Clients - e-Mail a survey to your clients (ask for a referral within the survey).
• #3: Everyone On File - e-Mail a press release on a new product or service.
• #4: Everyone On File - e-Mail a product or service spotlight campaign.
• #5: Everyone On File - e-Mail an educational newsletter, i.e., PPP News, IRS 2021 update, work from home tip, etc.

Attention All Owners And Sales Leaders.

If your marketing person/company isn't giving you solid advice on how to generate more sales leads or, more importantly, doesn't understand the 4-step formula outlined above, then call or e-mail us sooner versus later.

5 Reasons Why A Payroll/HCM Prospect Has
Already Forgotten About You (And How To Solve It)
By Glenn Fallavollita - President, Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 426
• Time To Read: 1.7 Minutes @ 250 Words Per Minute

Right now, many businesses are looking to switch to a new HCM company or payroll service just like yours. Unfortunately, if they don't remember you, they will end-up hiring your competition and NOT you.

Why Most Decision Makers Have Already Forgotten About Your Payroll Service.

Marketing any size payroll service is a challenge, even if you are a Fortune 500 Company like ADP, Paychex, SurePayroll, Gusto, etc. Here are five reasons as to why:

• Reason #1: People Forget Stuff - 80% of what you tell someone (about your business) is forgotten within 24- to 48-hours. 

• Reason #2: Your Salespeople Are Disengaged - 70% of your salespeople are either disengaged or completely disengaged; therefore, how passionate do you think they are about telling someone about the value your payroll service/HCM company can provide them? 

• Reason #3: Salespeople Stop Calling Prospects And CPAs - 50% of all salespeople stop calling a prospect/CPA, for 9 to 12 months or altogether, after their FIRST unsuccessful attempt at moving the sales process forward. This percentage skyrockets to 99% after their third attempt.

• Reason #4: They Have A Passive Sales Leader - Most sales leaders let their salespeople do their own "marketing." Now re-read point #3. 
   
• Reason #5: Salespeople Turnover - 50% to 66% of all newly hired payroll salespeople* quit or get fired in their first 9 months of employment.

6 e-Mail Marketing Campaigns That Will Keep Your Payroll Service Top-Of-Mind (PRINT THIS LIST):

To help you and your sales team maximize prospect engagement and help generate more sales leads, I have listed below some time-tested campaigns that will work (we prove it all the time to our clients) when marketing your payroll service or HCM company.

• #1: Prospects - e-Mail your database of prospects a "meeting request" letter.

• #2: Clients - e-Mail a survey to your clients (ask for a referral within the survey).

• #3: Everyone On File - e-Mail a press release on a new product or service.

• #4: Everyone On File - e-Mail a product or service spotlight campaign.

• #5: Everyone On File - e-Mail a bundle "deal" to your database of prospects, CPA network, and past clients. 

• #6: Everyone On File - e-Mail an educational newsletter, i.e., PPP News, IRS 2021 update, work from home tip, etc.

Summary: If you want to kick your payroll or HCM sales into high gear this month, consider the following tips:

1. Develop a one-page sales and marketing strategy for your business. 
2. Implement the campaigns listed above.
3. Have phone blitz days for your sales team to follow-up on the campaigns listed above.

9 Tips To Help Run A Great Payroll/Timekeeping Demo
(Print And Share At Your Next Sales Meeting)
By Glenn Fallavollita, President - SellMorePayroll.com and Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 427
• Read Time: 1.8 Minutes

In a business world where face-to-face meetings are on a hiatus, you will find nine tips below to help you run a better online demo.

1. Ask Insightful Discovery Questions - Asking the right discovery questions BEFORE the demo will help you understand how you can add value to a prospect's business. 

Ask questions like:

• If you had a magic wand, what problems do you want us to help you solve?
• What areas of your payroll/timekeeping system are you looking to streamline?
• What problems are you facing with your current ___________?
• Which features of their product do you like the best?
• What features do you wish you could change?
• Tell me about your customer service experience with _____.
• Who else will be involved in this purchase decision? And what features are most important to them?

2. Customize The Demo For Each Prospect – This requires some work on your end, from adding a prospect’s logo to taking their discovery answers (from above) and working them into your demo.

3. Simplify Your Demo – The key here is to highlight only the most relevant features.

4. Before You Start The Demo, Have A Summary Slide – Before you start the demo, have a PowerPoint slide that summarizes what their problems are (based on your discovery). 

5. Show What Your Product/Service Can Do In Everyday Situations - Ask yourself these two questions:

• Based on what I know, what problems are they facing, and what problems do they want to solve?
• How does my product/service solve those problems?

6. Explain Each Click (And Go Slow) – Remember, this prospect is seeing your payroll platform for the first time. Therefore, explain what you are doing and go slow.  

7. Show Real Data - Most salespeople use fake data when running a demo. If you want to go the extra mile, try tailoring the information for each specific prospect, i.e., their company name instead of “Business Name.”

8. Take Great Notes On Their Issues And Concerns - Make sure you write what they liked and didn’t like. If not, you won’t be able to summarize the value of what you are selling/overcoming objections.  

9. 95% Of All Demos Will Go To The Proposal Stage – That’s right, 95% of all demos go to the proposal stage. Because of this, you need to schedule a “10-minute proposal review day/time” with the prospect. If they don’t agree to a day/time, in person or over the phone, the odds of you closing them are slim.

Summary: What’s listed above is being used by top-performing salespeople throughout the country. Are you ready to be one of them?

5 Ideas To Help You Generate More Q4 Payroll Sales Leads
(Share With Your Sales Leader)

• Word Count: 289
• Read Time: 72 Seconds

Many sales leaders, owners, and salespeople in the payroll service industry are hoping for a robust Q4 selling season. Unfortunately, hope isn't a great sales strategy - especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

5 Ideas To Help You Generate More Sales Leads During The Q4 Selling Season.

1. Phone Blitz Sessions - Schedule mandatory phone blitz sessions for your salespeople, as most of them will procrastinate when it comes time to calling a prospect and/or referral partner.
2. Ask, And You Shall Receive - Ask your clients and referral partners for a referral (if you don't ask, the answer is "no") - now re-read bullet #1.
3. e-Mail Database - Build a massive e-mail database of prospects, referral partners, and clients.
4. Drip Marketing Campaigns - Create a series of e-mail drip marketing sales letters, press releases, newsletters, service spotlights, etc. that promote the things that make your payroll service unique in the marketplace.
5. Drop-Off Campaigns - Since in-person sales meetings are few-and-far-between, you can still do a cookie/donut/pizza "drop-off" package at a referral partner's and key prospect's office. Don't forget to buy a roll of labels with your logo and tag line "Thank You For Your Support" printed on it.

ADP And Paychex Are Aggressively Going After New Business.

That's right; ADP and Paychex are looking to replace their lost clients (and so should you). To view their latest offer, click on the links below.

• Google Paychex's 3-Month Offer
• Google ADP's 3-Month Offer

If hope is your Q4 sales strategy, you need to contact us to help you put a proven sales strategy in place.

16 Low-Cost Ideas To Help Market
A Payroll Service Business
By Glenn Fallavollita, President of SellMorePayroll.com & Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 526
• Time To Read: 2.1 Minutes Based on 250 Words Per Minute

Marketing a payroll service business does NOT have to be expensive to attract a new payroll, HCM, or timekeeping client; however, it is essential to stay in constant contact with your payroll service’s database of clients, prospects, and CPAs as you can never time a sale (or referral). 

The Rules Of Marketing 101:

1. You need to get someone’s attention.
2. You need to educate someone on the things that make your payroll service unique and awesome.
3. You need to provide someone a low-risk offer to help them take the next step in the buying process.

16 Marketing Ideas To Help Promote Your Payroll Service Business:

1. Add a video to your website and e-mail marketing campaigns.
2. Bundle an add-on service with another promotion.
3. Buy a road sign billboard promoting your payroll service's logo, graphics, URL, and phone number.
4. Conduct a client survey.
5. Create a CPA Tax Season Survival Kit.
6. Create a Get To Know Us Kit for your salespeople to use in the field.
7. Offer a free trial for your payroll processing service or an employee time clock, i.e., XX-day free trial, XX-day money-back guarantee, etc.
8. Give your existing marketing material a facelift.
9. Install an e-mail drip marketing system (for your clients, prospects, and referral partners).
10. Promote an add-on service via a free trial or special offer, i.e., free employee background check.
11. Provide a gift card (for dinner, extra holiday money) to the clients who refer a new client your way.
12. Provide free report downloads: How To Switch Payroll Service In Three Easy Steps, How To Avoid Payroll Tax Penalties, etc.
13. Send each salesperson's list top 10 prospects and referral partners a lumpy mail campaign every 90-days.
14. Invest in your SEO efforts.
15. Sponsor a Shred Your Documents Day with a shredding company in conjunction with a local bank or credit union.
16. Wrap your company car with your payroll service's logo, graphics, URL, and phone number.

Other Ideas To Help Market Your Payroll Service Business.

• Review your marketing brochures and website and ask yourself, “Does this make us look like an awesome and unique payroll service?” 
• If your answer is no, go back and retool your marketing copy, images, and low-risk offers.  

A Little About Your Marketing Copy/Messaging.

• When it comes to writing copy, less is more; therefore, limit the words used. 
• Use engaging headlines and sub-headlines to help a reader digest your message.  Remember, you have about 1 to 2.5 seconds to capture someone’s attention.

Always Be Updating Your Database Of Clients, Prospects, And Referral Partners.

• 50% to 60% of your sales success is directly related to the size and quality of your marketing databases. As I tell our payroll service clients and students, “Show me your marketing databases, and I will show you your sales future.”
• IMPORTANT: If a payroll service's sales leader doesn’t make it a priority to build a massive and high-quality e-mail database, his or her salespeople won’t make it a priority either.

Executive Summary: If you focus on the needs of your target audience, it will go a long way in helping someone learn more about your payroll service (and get you noticed when they are ready to hire a new payroll service or recommend your payroll service to someone they know).

Lastly, don't forget to make it a priority to build a database of clients, prospects, and referral partners.

The New Normal For A Payroll Salesperson
(Forward To Your Sales Leader And Sales Team)
By Glenn Fallavollita, President - SellMorePayroll.com & Drip Marketing, Inc.

• Word Count: 215
• Time To Read: .9 Minutes @ 250 Words Per Minute

Before COVID-19 hit, winning payroll salespeople were cranking-out calls, dropping-by a CPA’s office, and shaking hands with new prospects and referral partners.

A New Sales Strategy Is Needed During The COVID-19 Crisis.

If you are an owner or sales leader of your payroll service business, you need to take a proactive step in developing (and teaching your salespeople) the following:

1. How to go through a fact-finding process, i.e., your discovery process, with a new prospect. 
2. Online sales presentation, i.e., webinars.

Excellent Fact-Finding Skills Will Help You Close More Sales.

All experts agree that great investigative questions will help a person close more business. That said, here are the core components of this process:

• Current situation questions.
• Problem questions around a person’s current situation.
• Financial impact questions around a person’s current situation.

The Value Your Payroll Service Provided Yesterday Isn’t As Relevant Today.

What you sold yesterday is no longer relevant as business owners, CFOs, and office managers now need:

• Touchless time clock systems.
• PPP help and special payroll-related reports.
• Employee Self Serve portals.
• Payroll bank cards.
• Seamless direct deposit service.
•  _______________.

If you are managing a sales team or you are a salesperson at a payroll service business, I highly recommend stepping back and reevaluating your sales strategy. If not, you will see less than stellar sales results in 2020. 

What To Do When A Payroll Prospect
Ghosts You During The COVID-19 Crisis
(Print And Share With Your Sales Team)
By Glenn Fallavollita, President - SellMorePayroll.com & Drip Marketing, Inc.
 

• Word Count: 444
• Time To Read: 1.8 Minutes @ 250 Words Per Minute

As much as we think the COVID-19 crisis is winding down, the sales process has come to a complete stop for the payroll industry.  And getting ghosted is just a fact of life right now for many payroll salespeople; therefore,  if someone is ignoring you, don’t take it personally. Remember, people are on their schedule when buying what you sell, not yours.

Sample e-Mail To Resurrect A Prospect Who Ghosted You.

If a payroll prospect hasn’t returned any of your calls or e-mails, it wouldn’t hurt to send them a “What Should I Do” e-mail (see below):

Subject line: (prospect first name), Can You Help Me?

Dear (prospect’s first name),

I was thinking about you today as I wanted to quickly follow-up on the proposal I sent to you prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Although we would love to have you as a client, I was wondering what would be the best way to follow-up with you.

To make it easy, just hit the reply key and then type the corresponding number from the list below:

1. We are still interested in your payroll/timekeeping/HCM system, but my team and I haven't had the time to review your proposal yet; therefore, give me a call in 3 weeks
2. We are putting this project on hold for the next few months; follow-up with me in 75 – 90 days.
3. I have fallen, and I can’t get up. Call 9-1-1 for me.

With all kidding aside, I understand that you are dealing with a lot of issues right now, and the last thing I want to do is be unprofessional in my follow-up. That said, I would appreciate it if you will take a moment to let me know what you are thinking.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

(Your name, title, etc.)

It Is Time To Move On?

If the prospect still ghosts you after sending the above-mentioned e-mail, it’s time to move on. Although some consider ghosting unprofessional, here is the truth: They are not interested in buying what you are selling and just don’t want to tell you “no.” Remember, this is their issue, not yours.

The Best Thing You Can Do To Offset “Ghosting” Are These Two Things…

1. Have a massive pipeline of sales opportunities.
2. Create a drip marketing system that stays in constant contact with EVERYONE in your database, including the ones who have ghosted you - done via e-mail and direct mail.

Executive Summary: Don’t wait too long to start building back up your sales pipeline. As I tell all of our payroll industry clients, your sales team's sales pipeline is their life. That said, have them start focusing on building it back up.