7 STEPS TOWARDS BEING HEARD IN A NOISY MARKEPLACE
Guide rather than sell potential customers
Much of what experienced marketing and sales managers know about their trade is no longer producing—buyers are less accessible. Spending more on traditional advertizing or adding sales boots on the ground could be a losing proposition. The title of a new book by Mike Lieberman and Eric Keils captures the essence this shift—Fire Your Sales Force: then rehire them as sales guides in a new Revenue Department.
by LSI publisher Art McNeil
Many organizations unknowingly are inhibited by industrial age thinking and habit patterns. It is becoming more difficult to connect with consumers and investors. A dysfunction that is quickly rising to the fore mirrors a classic definition of insanity, “doing the same thing and expecting different results.” The industrial age model sequesters public-relations, marketing, branding, and sales into separate functions—consumers and investors make no such distinction. A consolidated strategy is required to rise above the din in a noisy marketplace .
E-merging realities:
Today’s buyers:
- prefer to find suppliers (not vice versa)
- expect to be educated not sold
- resent unsolicited contact
- listen to what others are saying and are telling others about their experience (the ration of telling is 12 mentions if negative to 1 mention if positive)
- become informed early in the buying process
Seven steps to survive and prosper :
- 1. reorganize public-relations, marketing, branding, and sales into an integrated “finding out and taking action” process.
2. Eliminate messages, offerings, and people that do not contribute to positive word of mouth
3..recognize that it’s about the customer not you (assess corporate messages counting you vs them content)
4. get to know current and potential buyers “what is their pain?”
5.promote what’s remarkable about your solution to their pain
6.Use new tools to educate (not sell) potential buyers, guide prospects toward a buying decision
7. Measure every marketing initiative and stop doing what doesn’t work
This post sponsored by the Baton Management System