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If sales are a key factor in the success of your business, JDM can offer a suite of services specifically designed to support your sales efforts. From sales supporting business collateral like business cards and brochures, to sales force integration and external data capture, JDM has the expertise.
Before you can champion an sales supporting marketing campaign, it's important to learn a thing or two about the people you're trying to help. Here we provide 10 in “10 Things You Must Know About Sales People.”
The Value of Sales Support Marketing
Mention "marketing" at a cocktail party and you'll most likely be met with blank stares. The problem is, few people understand what marketing is and those that do understand often don’t see the value.
So, what is the value of marketing?
There are all sorts of marketing strategies but most to all of them boil down to sales support. Ultimately, all the Branding, Positioning, or Messaging in the world is meaningless if it doesn’t support your sales efforts and therefore your business objectives.
When marketing supports sales, whether through sales brochures, business cards and trade shows, or though promotions, public relations and advertising, it must always keep in mind that unless its activities somehow help the sales team sell, they’re pretty pointless.
This is not to say that all your marketing activities must directly impact sales, but if they are not a direct contributor, you’d better have the ability to demonstrate how they contributed—albeit indirectly.
We contend that broad-stroked marketing strategies with "visibility" as an objective are criminally inefficient and, at the same time, teeth-grindingly common.
There are essentially two keys to making sure your marketing activities are supporting sales.
Number 1 :: A Marketing Audit
The first is to track the results of recent marketing campaigns through the sales process. Determine if your marketing is helping to close deals, or if it’s just getting in the way?
Number 2 :: Allocate an Adequate Marketing Budget
The second way to make sure your marketing efforts aren’t rendered pointless, is not to strangle the potential out of your marketing by not allocating adequate funding and time. Like trying to start a campfire in the wind, there’s little point if you’re only willing to use one match.
If sales are a key factor in the success of your business, JDM can offer a suite of services specifically designed to support your sales efforts.
Before you can champion an sales supporting marketing campaign, it's important to learn a thing or two about the people you're trying to help. Here's 10.
10 Things You Must Know About Sales People
- ALWAYS keep in mind that sales is about closing deals, not about getting leads!
If leads turn into sales you win with sales. But they don't get paid for working early pipeline leads, only for closing deals!
- Sales will ALWAYS focus on the latter stages of the sales pipeline.
If you want to get sales support, make sure you clearly state how you will help them build their EARLY pipeline so they can FOCUS on the latter stages of the pipeline.
- You only get one bite at the apple!
This is absolutely true in larger sales organizations. If you roll something out to the sales team and a couple of the top performers don't like it, it has bugs, or it is not supporting by the VP, you risk losing traction on the whole initiative before it even starts.
- Sales people like spiffs!
Just like gifts at Christmas time, sales people like to be given things. Just look at the rewards structure set up in most sales organizations. Don't expect a sales force to just jump on board unless there is something in it for them INDIVIDUALLY!
- Sales people live on individual accountability!
Even the most senior sales executives will tell you that if a sales person is making their number, chances are they are happy with them. Sales people are skeptical of things "the company" is doing to help them, so be clear, concise and keep what motivates sales people at the top of your mind.
- They "believe" the best leads come from their contact/customer install base!
Even if you believe this not to be the case, don't even try making that argument with your sales team. Sales people pride themselves on their ability to develop and sustain relationships. In their mind, they don't need help! No matter how creative, personalized or unique you think your marketing teams communications are, to a sales person it is probably just "noise".
- Involve sales early in the process.
We don't mean in the technology selection process, but in developing your business requirements for the technology. If they feel a part of this, you stand a much higher probability of multi-department adoption of any initiative.
- Be prepared for initial pushback!
Know going in that the initial reaction from sales will probably be "marketing wants another $100K to launch an initiative that will not help us, but drive more awareness, increase our admin time, etc". In the sales world, there is a saying that the sales process doesn't really start until you hear the first "no". Don’t think it will be any different for you.
- Commit to the end result and remind, remind, remind.
Sales people have a very short attention span. If your initiative is going to take more than a quarter (and it will) be sure you ask to have some time each quarter to provide a status report.
- Be patient!
Be targeted with your communications, add it to the corporate intranet, and remind them that it is there and why they should take the time to read it. You will not get overnight support, but by getting a few sales people to see the value, and further more to realize the value first hand, eventually, they will follow if it makes sense.
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