Your sales are down and leads are rare. The phone's not ringing. Let's blame marketing!
If you join this band wagon to rationalize your poor sales results, you need to step up and take responsibility for your own fate. It's amazing how often sales teams play the victim here. They blame the marketing department, team or an individual, for their lack of sales.
Don't get me wrong, I'm on your side. Often, in a typical, let's say "traditional" organization, there is disconnection between marketing and the sales organization. There is a lack of communication, team work and common goals. Sad but true.
Often, the larger the company, the less marketing serves the individual sales professional. In corporations, it seems the norm for marketing is to concentrate on selling "the brand" and not products and services. Corporate marketing sells 'the logo' to trigger trust and positive emotions when people see it. Not all, but most, traditional marketing leans on advertising which fails to work directly for you in attracting new prospects and leads.
In small to medium-sized companies, there is usually a very small marketing team or a single very, over-worked marketeer. Worst, as a business owner or independent professional, you don't have a budget and you do everything! Again, marketing is absent or not good enough to generate enough new opportunities.
The most important and singular point I'm making is that you must recognize and deal with "what is," to improve your situation.
Recently, I turned 40 years old. A friend said to me, "Don't worry, 40 is the new 30." If you want to improve sales and your commission, guess what? "Marketing is the new Sales!"
Understand YOU are your own marketing department. Accept it and take action.
Just like the decline (if not extinction) of personal assistants, sales administrative assistants and secretaries to support sales teams or individuals, there is less marketing support too. You type your own sales letters and other correspondence and keep your own schedule.
Today, you need to work on your own public awareness, lead generation and sales support materials and communications. With tighter budgets, less staff and more responsibility, it's up to you.
Any way you look at it, as a sales professional you must take charge. Sales superstars and expert managers know this. They devise a strategy and implement their own marketing systems, in addition to the brand-like corporate, marketing efforts. Marketing is continual communication to influence someone to take an action. Marketing departments do it through various means and on a mass scale, via print and media advertising and public relations. Single, sales people can market effectively through personal contact and working in the field. You can source new deals and increase lead generation within your existing sales process without as much pain or work as you think.
If you don't accept that you have to take action yourself and keep looking outside for leads and prospects, you're going to continue to fail to reach your sales objectives. The good news is that the technology and tools available today are powerful, affordable and effective for solving this challenge.
Keep an eye out for future Customer Catcher™ articles, where I'll give you strategies, tips and tricks for creating a profitable, Personal Marketing program to drive your sales skyward. You'll get the sales you want and become your own marketing machine with bigger, better and more immediate results.
Until then, think about evolving into your latest role because…
"Marketing is the new Sales."
Get free help and advice at www.CustomerCatcherTips.com. . Martin Wales helps you increase your sales and profits with simple, proven tools and systems that get immediate results. If you want more customers, contact him at that get immediate results. If you want more customers, contact him at Martin@CustomerCatcher.com.
Reduce Marriage Problems: Go and Wake Up Your Luck A Persian saying advises, "Go and wake up your luck." To do this, you have to wake up and start taking action toward your marriage goals. At some point in the f...
Love Connections - How Wonderful They Are What do you do when responsibilities in your family relationships seem overwhelming? Are you letting the costs blind you from the rewards? Take a little time to...
The Email Trap If you sit at a computer for most of the day, it's tempting to constantly check your email to see what's new. But that's a time management disaster if you're tr...
Did Casanova Really Need the Oysters? Scientists are rubbing their hands together with glee. A recent study of underwater creatures proves conclusively that oysters have certain properties that coul...
Online Home Equity Loans: A Basic Glossary Home equity loans can be a great idea for individuals looking to get out of debt or make necessary repairs on their homes. During the process, you will come ac...
10+ Tips to Help You Save on Car Insurance Most people complain about the cost of their auto insurance--hardly surprising, given that a typical policy costs at least several hundred dollars a year. Depen...
Writing is a Discipline A writer must be dedicated and disciplined to be successful. How does one achieve that?
Increasing Site Traffic We give you all the details on the good, the bad, and the plain ugly ways to promote your site out there. Definite must read for users looking for the answers t...
Where to Buy Discount Down Comforters Many people love the look and feel of down comforters, but can't afford the high price tag. Luxury down comforters can cost in excess of $5000, more than some p...
Recovering from Rhinoplasty Surgery After rhinoplasty surgery, your doctor will send you home with an instruction sheet listing many things to be aware of and take heed of after the surgery and be...
Teenagers Top The Leader Board At The Womens US Open Determination, poise, focus and talent were abundant, as teens topped the leader board at the 2005 Women's US Open. Younger players at the 2005 US Women's Open...
Business Process Methodologies I believe process is important and necessary. Documenting everything doesn't help because no one studies the document. We're too busy with our own little world....
Poise, Posture, and Performance Good posture is seen to have many advantages. From an aesthetic point of view it can enhance image, sending out the right signals (body language). For an athlet...
Maslows Marketing Filter A functional understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs will add impact to your marketing strategy.
Doing the Abun-Dance: the Art of Prosperous Living I have been hearing a lot about the "Law of Attraction" the last few years and I have found this model to be quite attractive... gosh, I guess it's working. Any...
Print this page