Revolutionary Marketing and Sales Strategies

New Cross-Functional Authors

Please join me in welcoming several new distinguished business/thought leaders to the Revolutionary Marketing and Sales Strategies newsfeed as co-authors. The reason that I chose so many high-quality, diverse individuals is because I don't want my subscribers to be side-saddled with simply my point of view or a Marketing/Sales-centric view of those very subjects, Marketing and Sales. Those of you who know me well enough understand that I'm coming at this from an overall organizational, cross-functional view.

As you will see, every one of these individuals could easily support a readership base of their own, and many actually do. Every one of them, though, adds some element that I consider to be unique and worth integrating and sharing. As the value need dictates additional authors will be continuosly added. Below is a bio link on each author. As you read their bio, you'll see why I feel such excitement about content:

• Bob Beck, CEO, Sales Builders, Inc. and author of Mutual Respect
• Peter Dunning, Executive Vice President for Worldwide Field Operations, RightNow Technologies
• Michael Thomas and Brenton Leary, Partners and Co-Founders, CRM Essentials
• Chris Selland, Vice President, Covington Associates
• Tim Young, CEO, X-Sells, Inc.
• Kevin Ashworth, Vice President of Operations, Brickstream
• David Nour, Managing Partner, The Nour Group
• Alex Armbruster, Office Solution Specialist, IKON Office Solutions
• Dan Lessard, National Recruiter, RDA Corporation
• Michael Hunter, Founder and Senior Partner, Channel Development International
• John Salek, Leader of Parson's Receivables Cycle Mgmt Practice, Parson Consulting
• Jim Barnes, CEO, Customerteam
• Tom Barnes, CEO, MediaThink
• Grant Monson, Corporate Account Manager, Cingular Wireless
• Anup Mody, Managing Director, The 3C Group
• John Mecke, SVP of Client Services, Inovis, Inc.
• Laurie Hood, Vice President of Marketing, KnowledgeStorm
• Jacques Werth, CEO & Author, High Probability Selling

This is a group that could easily be the core leadership team of any company in the world !!!

The content to be covered will focus on Marketing and Sales functions from a holistic perspective.  We'll cover:

• People, process and technology
• Strategy, Planning, Executing and Managing
• Cross-functional viewpoints, cause/effect levers and alignment points in the following areas:
  • Sales - Field and Management
  • Marketing
  • Finance/Accounting
  • Supply Chain/Logistics
  • Product Development/Management
  • Customer Service
• Executive, Managerial and Staff level impacts and issues
• Hiring, training, motivating, enabling, performance mgmt

I am confident you will enjoy and find large nuggets of value as we move forward.  Now let's go out and make an impact ... today!!!

The Importance of 'AND'

First of all, I want to thank Scott for inviting me to participate as a guest contributor to this weblog.  The evolution of Marketing and Sales Effectiveness is a topic which I have dealt with for the last 15 years, and I enjoy any opportunity to discuss the topic.

In my view, the key word in the phrase 'Marketing and Sales Effectiveness' is the and - because where the real failure usually takes place is between Sales and Marketing, rather than within either function.  It's been a regular occcurence for me to walk into companies where Sales and Marketing are each working their respective tails off - but the company isn't hitting their numbers.  The fault isn't that either isn't doing their jobs - but it's that they're not working together.

I look forward to your thoughts, feedback and comments, and invite you to contact me anytime at chris@selland.us or cselland@covingtonassociates.com.

Also feel free to stop by my weblog anytime - I post quite often on the CRM technology market. 

Social Networking Power

There has been much publicity surrounding social networking as a sales tool.  While some have experienced zero/marginal value, others have seen tremendous value.  Why the disparity?  The truth is that very few of us actively work on building our network due to fear, ego or, more commonly, we haven't given enough value to feel as though we have the right to expect something in return.  Maybe we're right!!!  Realize that networking is a relationship & all relationships require give and take.  If you find yourself in this conundrum then social networking is a great place to start to discover who you know & who they know that you can help.

As sales people we are always hungry for that next sale.  Sometimes, and in fact, many times, the solution that we are selling is not the right solution for a specific client.  We must see our job as that of a "consultant" where we are trying solve a specific person's issues.  That's when sales becomes really fun anyways, and where the power of social networking can literally explode.  If our solution is the answer ... GREAT.  If not, and you are really interested in building a strong network, use your social network to help that person connect with someone who can help.  Now that's value-add and integrity ... and this is how you build a network that will be a perpetual source of referrals for you, whatever company you're working for.

Here are a few of the more popular social networking tools.  Choose one and stick with it.  I personally use and have only experienced LinkedIn.

• LinkedIn
• Spoke
• Leverage Software
• Zero Degrees
• SelectMinds

Here are a few relevant articles to peruse:

• CRM Magazine - January 2005
• CNET News.co

Please understand this is not the lazy person's way to success.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Social networking has huge potential.  It's up to each of us to unlock it which will require hard, consistent work and the ability to add value to those we interact with.

Super-charge your sales effectiveness

Eroding market share, commoditization of offerings, margin contraction, slipping revenue, inaccurate forecasts, extended sales decision cycles are oft times cited as issues that need solving. However, each of the above items is a symptom that requires further analysis. Just like a doctor, you must recognize the symptoms, drill down to root cause, properly diagnose and then continually nourish. The root cause chain goes something like this … Collectively sales teams:

• are pursuing too many unqualified prospects that result in no fruit for the labor (as high as 95%), because they ...
• are selling at least 1 to 2 levels below where they should be selling organizationally, because they ...
• lack relationship capital with decision-makers, because they... · are not comfortable selling high, because they...
• lack knowledge about the vertical and the role(s) that they should be selling to, …. etc., etc., etc.

To hit new levels of sales effectiveness it is critical that the marketing and sales teams are aligned. In today’s environment, as the buying executive’s time is squeezed, it is more important than ever that a sales executive quickly gain the confidence and credibility necessary to add value to the senior-level executive. Without this, says Bob Beck, author of the book Mutual Respect, “the sales person will quickly be thrown under the bus with all the other quota-carrying sales reps”. In order to earn that “Trusted Advisor” tag the sales rep must have (not appear to have … HAVE) instant credibility with the executive to gain access to even have a conversation. The sales rep has to clearly show the executive that they “get them” … that means they ask targeted, open-ended, conversational questions that demonstrate a solid grasp of the client’s vertical, their role, issues they are having, how those issues impact others in the organization, some potential solutions and do so in vertical-specific language in a way that helps the client draw their own conclusions and value. And … to maintain strategic relationship advantage we must constantly collaborate internally, adapt, and learn from successes and failures.

Decision-Maker Relationship Management

Are You A "Trusted Advisor"?

Your ability, and your sales team's ability, to comfortably answer these questions about your top clients determines how they view you.  It's very simple ... if you can answer these questions you are most likely viewed as a "Trusted Advisor", if not, it is highly unlikely.  If you're a sales rep then ask these questions about yourself ... if your a Sales Manager / VP then ask these questions about your collective team: 

1. How often do they start their selling efforts at the executive level?
2. Do you have overwhelming credibility early in the sales cycle?
3. Can you discuss the latest industry trends in the executive’s vertical market?
4. Can you talk in language specific to that vertical market and to that specific executive’s role?
5. Do you understand what the executive’s role is (most have never served in that capacity)?
6. What are the top 10-15 issues that this role is currently dealing with, specific to their industry and role?
7. How is the executive measured? Which metrics get them promoted, bonuses or fired? What keeps them awake at night? What are their hot buttons?
8. Who else in the organization is affected by these issues and specifically how?
9. Can you effectively show the point where your solutions intersect with the executive’s issues, thereby effectively demonstrating value?

Get the answers.

Consultative Sales Assessment

1. He/she who has a “trusted advisor” type relationship with a client/prospect senior executive is going to win the majority of deals where the opportunity is legitimate. And the deals will be bigger, more profitable, sales/decision cycles are shrunk, cost of sales decrease and relationships = retention.
2. The majority of sales people call 1-2 levels below where they should be calling as they’ve given up selling to the executive level due to not being successful in the past:
   • They don’t know how to relate to the executive
   • They are not adequately prepared to speak to the executive’s specific issues in their vertical-specific and role-specific language
   • They’re scared of being embarrassed by being seen as a quota-carrying sales rep
   • It makes them uncomfortable
3. Most sales reps are very good, and well-trained, at talking to product features and functionality … but,
4. Executives buy, not because they understand, but because they feel understood