What Sales can learn from Marketing

I am spending the last few days of 2009 in several sales training groups. If you’re in marketing or communications, I would strongly suggest you do this every year (or every other year, at very least). Why the hell does a marketing or communications executive want or need to sit in sales training? If you’re asking that question, I’ll tell you right now you’re missing the point of your job. As a marketing or communications executive, you’re one of the few departments that touch every aspect of the company – whether it’s sales, IT, the executives or board, or product development. As such, you need to know a little bit of how each department or group works, what they do and how they do it. You need to be the jack of all trades and master of marketing them all by creating communications that appeal to the company’s audience(s).

So, why am I in sales training? Part of any marketer’s job is to make certain that sales is being fed leads, but another part of our job is to help build a successful sales culture by training sales in proper messaging, establishing sales guidelines (with the head of sales) and to support your sales people.

Here are some very simple, but often overlooked communications principles that should be applied to sales:

1.    24-hour rule: Return any and all communications - email or voicemail – within 24 hours (max time limit). I often return all calls the same day (even if it’s after hours).  

2.    Email is not the Holy Grail for reaching people. People have gotten so accustom to email that it’s become a primary form of communication. Either sales people fire off mass emails. While email is an extremely useful tool, email communications for sales has been exploited and people are exhausted from having to exhume any email – let alone one from an unwanted sales pitch. Try leading with a conversation on the phone and use email as the follow-up.

3.    Know your corporate message. Understand what your corporate messages are and how to deliver them effectively. If you can’t describe your company, product or services in less than 20 seconds without industry jargon, you’re already in trouble.

4.    Listen: Believe it or not, more than half of the sales people I meet talk A LOT. In my opinion (and I’m guessing the opinion of your prospects), that has the making of a really bad sales person. While it’s good for a sales person to be able to converse easily, you also want a sales person who can listen and ask the right questions.

5.    Follow-up:  A high performing sales guru will very likely miss the details and fine points. He/she is great at that initial meeting, but doesn’t always follow-up.  Sound familiar? Well….that’s why there are tools out the like MS Outlook and Salesforce. Sales people don’t need to scribble down information on a sticky note that will get lost or a notebook, where he/she will find the action item a few months after the call.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some high performing sales people who never miss a step. Of the companies I’ve worked with, Ricoh and Arbitron had the best sales culture and people. The two corporate cultures put business development as one of the single most important activities without sacrificing the importance of each employee to the company.

If you want to read more….

Why Sales People Fail – Are the right people in the right positions for sales?

Best Sales Practices: Build Lasing Relationships

Pepsi and FedEx Take a Pass on Super Bowl 2010

Both Pepsi and FedEx are taking a pass on Super Bowl 2010 advertising. It shouldn’t be a surprise that FedEx is sitting out this quarter, as the overnight shipping giant fumbled in yet another earnings quarter with a 30% Q2 profit fall with a 10% decline in revenue. Spending a few million on Super Bowl Sunday might raise a few eyebrows from shareholders.

Pepsi – a 23-year Super Bowl advertiser – is pulling out of this year. The only Pepsi brand that will remain an event advertiser is Doritos with its $5 million Crash The Super Bowl contest, a truly amazing integrated marketing campaign that brings both offline and online together. Could the reason be the one-time $900 million payment Pepsi will make to Dr Pepper Snapple Group for the rights to distribute some of its beverages (including Dr. Pepper, Crush and Schweppes brands) in North America? Hmmm…that’s a lot of Super Bowl commercials.

Could this be a time for Coke to blitz Pepsi during Super Bowl 2010? I doubt it..unless they can build a similar action-oriented integrated marketing campaign like Doritos. A lot of big brands are still not getting past integrating their online and offlines campaigns. Forget the big brands, the major agencies are still not doing it...so how can we expect traditionally siloed corporate marketing people to understand it?

Furniture for Black & White People: Stop thinking like a corporate marketer

  To be successful with social media marketing or viral marketing, you have to stop thinking like a corporate marketer.

Two lifelong friends who look like they just graduated from college last year – Rhett & Link – decided to marry their dream of becoming film makers with their comedy, music and the Internet.  Today, they have their very own new media production company. I believe the duo’s success comes from their ability to NOT think like corporate marketers (both have an engineering background) and to have fun with the product. Think about it. What would you react more positively to and be willing to share with your friends – a funny, quirky online video or one that’s a run of the mill corporate sell?

While they don’t always get it right (e.g. get the message or brand across), sometimes they really capture the essence with a lot of fun. When that happens, the viral spread is social media marketing at its best. Take The Alka-Seltzer Great American Road Trip as an example. I’m not sure how successful the campaign was, but the online video and song sure is catchy – and it speaks to the product.

Another extremely successful local commercial is the Black & White People Furniture – Red Hour Commercial – where the video spread quickly online beginning on YouTube. It’s so popular that the local North Carolina furniture store (Red House Furniture) started selling “Black & White People” T-shirts. 

What’s the point of all this? Sometimes, you just have to take off your corporate marketing hat and start throwing out zany ideas. See what sticks. 

 

Characteristics of a Conference Worth Going to - IAITAM

I just returned from the IAITAM Annual Conference in Henderson, Nevada (right outside of Vegas). While most conferences are scaling back and losing exhibitors and attendees, IAITAM (International Association of IT Asset Managers) seems to be one of the few associations that have grown its annual conference and its membership. The question is why and how?

I think there are several important reasons to why/how IAITAM grew.

1-   ITAM as a trend is on the rise. No matter where you go, you hear about IT asset management and cost control. This industry is part of the popular IT trends as seen in the ITAM Industry in the Ascendancy article by @ITAMReview.

2-   IAITAM is an extremely niche topic/industry that hits across all IT markets. Everyone could benefit from ITAM.

3-   Companies and people are seeking ways to either re-educate or to continue to educate themselves in their industry. The IAITAM conference is a perfect place to garner information.

4-   Unlike other organizations, IAITAM brings everything in-house – from production of attendee bags to signs to its membership magazine. The savings allows for the organization to give back to its members by giving a first class conference with world class food and entertainment.

So, while I think majority of trade shows and conferences are not worth spending money on. The annual IAITAM conference is one of the few that fit the criteria of must attend if you are in the ITAM industry for the following reasons:

1-   Great networking opportunities.

2-   Attendees are extremely targeted audience and, this year, they are ready to spend money.

3-   An extremely targeted audience.

4-   The luncheons and dinners are served in the exhibit hall and the association does everything possible to drive attendees to the booths. There is also an extremely limited exhibition time, which is good for a show that’s only about 400 people.

5-   Qualified leads. No need to shift through information.

With that said, look for shows with the characteristics above and you can’t go wrong.

Trade show boothmanship training? Not bloody likely

I’ve been getting a lot of emails from trade show/conference vendors about training for trade shows. While I’m a big fan the e-newsletter, this might not be the best tactic for companies who create exhibit booths and signage seeing as the economy took a nosedive this past year and just about everyone has cut back big expenses – like trade shows. Marketing and sales folks are recycling what they have from last year and an email about “boothmanship” training isn’t likely going to change their mind and drive them to the company for a soft sell. So, what should these companies do?

Well, if I headed up marketing at a trade show company, I wouldn’t give up the newsletter, but I also wouldn’t send it every 2 weeks. That’s just going to annoy me. I’d also go back to some traditional marketing to create brand awareness and I’d revamp my message to talk about:

-          Cost effective methods for trade shows and conferences – cut your cost in half, while increasing qualified leads

-          Pre-conference jitters: Practical methods on how to maximize sales time at the event

-          Attracting attention to your company: How to make them come to you

With all that said and done, these companies likely won’t see the dollars coming in for another 6-9 months, but at least they will be top-of-mind once corporate marketers can spend again.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Social media expert – Anyone? Anyone?

We keep hearing the phrase, “I’m a social media expert” time and time again. But, it seems like everyone is a social media expert or, at least, feel that way. Does it make you a social media expert if you have a blog, Tweet a bit and know what the hell Ning is? IMHO, I don’t think so. Like any industry or market, social media marketing must come from experience. It’s a bit of a Catch 22.

So, how do you become a social media expert.

1-      Read/Research – ‘nuff said on this.

2-      Check out what the influencers in the space are doing.

3-      Join social media sites and starting “listening in” on the conversations. I find that while you learn something about the folks participating, it’s very similar to high school cliques, except all the popular kids aren’t jocks.

4-      Ask questions. Most social media influencers are willing to help.

So, how the hell are you supposed to know who to trust? Look for history, call references and then go with your gut. You can hire a major agency, but it’s gonna cost you. If you hire a small firm or a one-person shop, make sure you are looking at case histories; getting good references and that you like/trust the person. And, no matter what who you hire or how many people are at the company, bring your B.S.-O-meter.

Additional  reading…..

Is the Social Media Expert Going the Way of the Dodo?

15 Social Media Maxims for Marketers

Nobody’s an Expert in this Crazy ‘Social Media’ Thing

The Celebrity CEO: Don't Put all your eggs in one basket

We all know them. We all love or hate them. But, the question is whether or not the celebrity CEO is good or bad for companies. With CEOs-turned-industry-leaders- like Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Steve Balmer (former and current CEO of Microsoft), Martha Stewart, and Larry Ellison - you have larger than life leadership tied to the well being of the company (at least that’s what most people think). Comments from these gentlemen can move markets, similar to the power Alan Greenspan once held. But, there is a lesson to be learned from creating Celebrity CEOs. Companies built around one man (or woman) – no matter the dynamic personality or genius – can put the entire organization at risk, and there are many examples to choose from.

·         You need look no further than one of my all-time favorite Celebrity CEOs – Steve Jobs. From his first illness some years ago to today’s “mystery illness,” Apple’s stock price seems to rise and fall based on the health of this gentleman.

·         American International Group, a major global insurance company, was headed up by former Celebrity CEO Maurice (Hank) Greenberg for more than four decades. When he “retired” from his post, the public was uncertain about the company’s new leadership and the stock took a momentary dip. His celebrity-dom rubbed off on his sons – Jeffrey W. Greenberg, former celebrity chairman & CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies, who was publicly ousted from the position; and Evan G. Greenberg, president & CEO of ACE Limited, the lesser known Greenberg.

·         Martha Stewart’s drawn out investigation, her time as a jailbird and finally her release made headlines around the world.

·         While last month’s downgrade of General Electric from its AAA-rating received lots of attention, Berkshire Hathaway’s similar downgrade was largely ignored. Unlike the ratings downgrade of GE and many other high profile companies (including ExxonMobil, J&J, ADP, and Pfizer), criticism about Warren Buffett’s reign over the company’s investments and acquisitions were looked upon as long-standing concerns tied to the health of the company. Of course, in the case of the Oracle of Omaha’s financial wizardry, the criticism bounced off him like raindrops hitting the curve of a car’s windshield. However, what happens when Buffett decides to retire or hand over the reins to someone else (you never know at his age).

While you want your CEO to be a visionary and stand as the leadership within a company, it’s not always a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket and create only a solitary celebrity spotlight. There are three major issues associated with creating a celebrity leader:

-          Larger-than-life expectations can lead to dangerously exaggerated disappointments. Investor confidence is a vital element for public or equity-backed companies, and celebrity CEOs typically cause a roller coaster effect of highs that are too high, and lows that are too low. 

-          A single misstep by the Celebrity CEO – including personal misfortunesm as per Steve Jobs – can have a disastrous effect on the stock price or even the profits. We won’t even mention the criminal or civil suits some of today’s celebrity CEOs may face in the not-so-distant future.

-          Overemphasis on the leader to solve all the company’s problems.

-          The importance of well planned, duly announced succession.

2009 Predictions in Tech Marketing and Tech PR

  Happy 2009! It's a Bear market all around the world, but I don't think it will completely collapse the tech PR and marketing industry . . .  at least not for small and mid-sized firms. Here are my predictions for 2009:

1- Tech PR firms will have a resurgence this year. Specifically, the small and mid-sized firms will really do well. My rationale...companies are starting to get smarter about marketing during a recession. And, while some may hire a PR manager internally, I think the likelihood is that the head or marketing will hire an external resource as there is resistence within the organization.

2- There will be a huge number of Tech PR practitioners starting their own individual consulting business or their own firm (either by themselves or with a partner). And, many will NOT be virtual.

3- There will be massive turnover in the tech marketing space in Q3 and 4. If we hold to the "economy will start to come back by mid-year" theory, you'll have a lot of in-house marketers seeking new horizons.

4- With Obama coming in, increased regulations across all markets - financial, health, etc.- this is the year of the CFO and CIO. Companies will be pushing the CFO and CIO to superstar status and begin marketing them outside the company to assure/re-assure the public, Wall Street, and shareholders that the company has excellent people in place to ensure compliance.

5- Lastly, IT managers and CIOs have gotten smarter over the last couple of years about their public image. They realized that a healthy public profile, whether in IT magazines or on social networks, will boost their image value internally and externally. We'll see a lot more CIOs and their direct reports on social media and microblogging sites.

6- Tech magazines have been getting thinner and thinner. This year, many of the IT trades will be pulled off shelves and turn subscription-only for the print publication.

7- Trade shows are already fading, but this year, we'll see conference show management companies begin to explore virtual trade shows and events, which will have similar sponsorships, booths, etc. but will be entirely online.

8- Ironically, social media marketing hasn't been a big hit with tech marketers. I believe this struggle to understand social media will continue in '09.

9- There has been an explosion in blogging, but I believe that by the end of 2009 the majority of corporate tech blogs will be abandoned due to lack of time and mismanagement. The interest will still be there, but I've watched marketers struggle with how to work a blog.

10- Large PR will lose business to boutique tech PR firms due to client budget cuts. Or, maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

Let's see how many of these predictions for Tech PR and Marketing is correct come this December.

Why Blog?

I recently had three separate conversations about blogging and was surprised to find that people still think that blogging is social media marketing and that it’s a great strategy.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Blogging is not a strategy. It’s a tactic that should fit into an overarching strategy. 

So, why would you need a blog?

1-      To build a community and communicate with them effectively

2-      To target select communities – influencers, investors, customers, prospects, etc. If you’re a start-up, you can use your blog to communicate vision.

3-      Create a second online destination site for you company (the primary site being the company website).  A great example would be Approva’s blog.  Approva is a company  that deals with risk, compliance and operations and the official site is the usual corporate sell.  But the Approval blog has great information on the topics of risk, compliance and operations AND serves as a platform to launch campaigns, such as the singing CPA belting out Happy Birthday to Sarbanes-Oxley. That crazy online campaign spread quickly and really jacked up the eyeballs to the site.

4-      Get your groove on and become the expert you’re meant to be.  Just do it publicly.

5-      It helps with search engine optimization.  Big time.

6-      Great way to attract employees to your culture as blogs is less formal than website (usually).

7-      Get early feedback to your ideas or validate assumptions.

People have to stop thinking of blogs as just another marketing vehicle and treating it as such.  Everyone – I’m betting yourself included – is sick of advertising and marketing double-speak.  So, stop treating online tactics as traditional marketing vehicles that carry company-focused message and start thinking about them as a method to show your smarts.  Everything else around building a blog then becomes tactical to support the strategy.

The conversation about having a blog is similar to the one about having a public relations program.  You want it.  You know you need one.  But, you’re not sure why.  If you have defined goals and an overarching strategy to support those goals, you now have the answer to the question of why. 

Look for my upcoming topics on blogs as this is only just the beginning:

·         What the blog are you talking about?

·         If a blog falls in the forest, but no one is around to hear it….

·         One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock…blog.

·         Where in the world does my blog belong?

·         Blog-a-licoius; Twitter me Pink; Ning the Subject

B2B Marketers Need to Change with the Times

Marketing as we know it is changing.  Forrester Analyst Laura Ramos identifies four factors driving the change.

1. Commoditization (I translate this as hyper-competition.)
2. Consumerism and the social groundswell (Forrester’s terminology for the fact that social media now empowers customers to spit back at marketers and share experiences with one another.)
3. Ad avoidance translates to sales call avoidance (Great point…sales calls are part of the larger genre of commercial messaging clutter, a phenomenon often and mistakenly limited to advertising.)
4. Globalization (This was a referral the sometimes more favorable economics of fulfilling many marketing services offshore, in other countries.)

AttentionMax, Oct 2008

So, what does this mean?  Get your groove on and start seeking out emerging marketing practices.  Don't just look at the tactics, but internalize it and understand that that topdown marketing is not the only factor anymore.  And, keep in mind, people are sick of hearing marketing-speak.  Keep it simple and keep your audience in mind.  Be authentic.