I wish I had written that…

I just read an ebook on the New Rules of Sales Enablement by Jeff Ernst. It is written from the perspective of a classically trained marketer who had the “ah ha” moment of what it really takes to sell. Well, this little book should be required reading for all product marketing management. I used to say, don’t confuse selling with installing. An adjunct to that is don’t confuse sales enablement with collateral or sales process.

Mr. Ernst outlines six critical elements a successful sales person manages and advocates marketing to understand them and get them incorporated into a repeatable sales playbook (not to be confused with a sales process).

1. Understand the customer’s marketplace and business issues
2. Help the buyer envision solving their problems using his or her products and services
3. Frame the buyer’s evaluation criteria so that the competitors are at a disadvantage
4. Help the “buyer champion” sell within his or her organization
5. Overcome objections raised by the buyer
6. Respond to the tough questions immediately and with credibility

What is the difference between a playbook and a sales process? A sales process is how you progress through the sale. The playbook is what is done within the context of the customer’s environment.

I liken this to how head coach Josh McDaniels is running the Denver Bronco’s team. He has all the positions covered (sales process), but each week the Broncos adjust their playbook and approach to exploit the weaknesses and protect against the strengths of the opposing team. How this is done is through heavy analysis and the coaches strategizing how to play this week’s game.

Translation to marketing: First identify a specific sales environment, the customer. Think industry, think decision maker and influencer, think company size and environment.

Know the customers has a lot of options to solve their problem, including doing nothing. Define the playbook with questions that probe for problems, pain and view to solve their world. You will have to talk to your top sales people to determine the questions and what they are looking for with those questions.

Teach the sales to set decision criteria and plan for landmines. This isn’t just listing unique requirements and capabilities. It is using questions, with the sales person’s knowledge of what is important to the buyer, to get your unique value as the baseline requirement(s). Nice to have doesn’t cut it. As far as landmines, if I know what the competition is up to I can discredit them before I get hit.

If you still don’t understand, call your local sales person and ask them what it means.
Happy selling.

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…meetings that is..

Yep, that is what a Forbes survey of over 760 business executives said in June 2009. “While web-, video-, and teleconferencing have their role, they cannot substitute for human interaction when it comes to accomplishing certain business objectives.

They pointed out that “… traveling to meet clients, convening teams and the motivation born of live exchange-as a crucial element to their success.”

We probably all knew this, but face-to-face is all about the ability to read another person (77%), and being the best for persuasion (91%), leadership (87%), accountability (79%) and decision making (82%).

And yep, it is necessary for effective teamwork (80%) and the down-time at in-person conferences builds stronger client bonds (81%).

Ok - so yes, there are times we all just want the facts and just the facts. So give it to me in a webinar so I can double and triple task. Then I can just tune in to hopefully get the major bullets out of the meeting.

All the more reason to make sure we use a mixture of web, social media tools and the real in person relationships to make it all happen.

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Recently I have been talking to folks about what has changed in the last 12 months with marketing and what is developing new opportunities. As we have seen effectiveness begin to drop off from seminars, tradeshows and webcasts. Exactly what is working?

There is a new category of marketing arising, Social Marketing. It is a combination of networking and information exchange precipitated by the vendor.

As we get more oriented to social media tools such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, and faced with job insecurity, the desire to understand how to network has increased. At the same time, people are bombarded by communication vehicles and are showing less patience for vendors that do not demonstrate personal value. As a result, there is an increase of discrimination of who and when we want to socialize.

Some smart marketers have capitalized on this by developing venues that provide space for networking and information exchange. Take for example, I recently interviewed technology channel partners about successful marketing events. One company has been hosting CIO luncheon events for 3 years for the purpose of discussion top issues. They stay away from products (although you can be sure that comes up), opting for issues around Virtualization, IT projects, effective disaster recovery, etc. It is invitation only, so attendees know it is their peers. With such a long history of hosting, there is the natural feeling of ‘of course I will show up, if I am in town.’

Another approach is collaboration communities. Rally Software, a development tool has created a very successful Agile community. A new one for marketers has been started by Net-Results, spearheaded by Matt Filios who has started similar communities in the open source market. These companies have initiated and nurtured the collaboration, but once started left it to be driven by the community.

As companies dive into this new world, there are some basics to remember:

1. The community must come first. If the vendor’s message is the primary objective, the community is smart enough to sniff out a veiled sales call. It will not take on a life of its own.
2. Networking and communication between peers is always listed as the most valuable part of events. Facilitate this first, and the rest will follow. For instance kick off hot topic discussions with a model to critique. Open up a dinner with a 15 minute topical presentation and then begin the conversation with open ended questions.
3. Free is good, but not always the best. Exclusivity or a selection process can increase the real or perceived value. If the community is to be for a C-level, then make sure you deliver on the C. It is irritating for an executive to fine the small c (consultants), vendors or people not their peers at an event, when it has been marketed at a different level. It may require screening or entry fee to assure the quality.
4. Get feedback. Find out what else you can do to facilitate networking. Ask the members, both those that are active and those inactive. Draft a member(s) to help with the socialization or expansion.

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Actually, the title of this should be “marketing funnel, sales process and collateral… why you should care”. But that was too long.  Besides, the concept of a marketing funnel is foreign to most, and that is another blog. So here is why you care..

Collateral is a supporting structure for the process of identifying, developing and closing a deal. To do this right, (efficient, complete, etc.), a business needs to document how they sell as well as how the customer buys. When these processes are mapped out, then at each stage the collateral requirements can be identified based on the need of the customer to obtain knowledge and be convinced this is the right solution for their business.  The smarter a company becomes in understanding the process, the better they provide the right information at the right time.  This will also lead to using creative tools as you begin to think about how a customer will absorb the information.   Here are some examples:

DEALING WITH FUD: In the last 9 months there has been a good deal of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) used by the big vendors when competing with startups.  I have heard numerous cases where the technical team has recommended a particular purchase only to have it undone by THE BIG GUY swooping in and convincing the executives this is the wrong choice.  If you KNOW the sale / buying cycle will require a high level executive sign off, the process needs the supporting materials to win. So what is needed?  Most likely, sales needs to prep the customer tech team early in the cycle.  Relationships need to be created higher up, again early in the cycle.  To support the sales process, they need convincing materials.  This could be executive to executive customer references, i.e a 3 minute video clip that addresses the issues of business value and why the company (see References-Online and click on the demo).  Or it may mean info on the company’s financial viability. Best bet, is to talk to the sales team and model how they will manage this phase of selling.

THE NEVER-NEVER LAND OF POCs: Proof of Concepts can take a sales cycle into the ditch or close the business.  It may be part of your sales cycle, or a requirement of the prospect.  Either way, 99% of POC’s need supporting marketing material that steps the prospect through the proof process, even if you are selling a simple SAAS solution.  It maybe an online ‘how to start,’ or a step my step document on how to demonstrate a test of disaster recovery replication. If the prospect has their own process, the supporting material can be used as a basis for that project. Without this, the POC can be an undefined project that has no beginning or end.

So how I do align the marketing and sales funnel with the collateral:

1. Identify the marketing and sales processes.  Clearly understand how the customer buying cycle. This means talking to sales, current customers and understanding lost deals.
2. Decide what questions are to be answered and resolved at each stage
3. Define how the information will be best presented (brochure, online, video, webinar).  (There will most likely be different vehicles of delivery, as people are different in how they absorb information).
4. Deliver and review again, as the market changes and processes change

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I am a 2009 Finisher of the Triple ByPass. No, that is not the surgery type bypass, but the road bike craziness.
Three weeks ago I was griping on the blog about lack of hard, consistent training and focus. Questioning my sanity about showing up at the start line, knowing how grueling the ride is.  Well, I showed up, rode well and had some thoughts about the bike and business… read on.

Progress is not linear - the week I wrote about training, I pushed hard. Very hard. Multiple step -up climbs that taxed the body and mind. A week off and then another mountain day. The same ride on July 4th (Carter - Estes - Big Thompson) - I rode 23% faster. Why? As in marketing there is the consistency of message and constant work, then a push or splash to get attention of the market. Done right, there is more return for the money. Where we miss it, is forgetting about the prep for the hard press and then continuing the drum beat after the major event. This might seem easier if you are a big company with lots to talk about. For small companies, it is even more important to stay out front with relevant information.  That takes preparation and digging. A splash here and a splash there (think one per quarter) will result in blimps on the screen and make your hard training times worthless.

The right fuel - On last year’s ride I bonked. Bonking means the brain says go, the body says “I’m done.” I failed to fuel properly. I ate the wrong food (Pringles and Coke for salt sugar and caffiene) when I really needed protien.  And it was not enough. So when everything gave out on Vail Pass, there was only one cure. Get carb’s in the body as no one was coming to pick me up. Once fueled, I had enough to limp my way up and down another 35 miles.

Fueling marketing means the right stuff (tactics, resources, materials) for sustainable results. A little here, a little there gets you just a little and a limp. Consistent fuel and support of the organization will produce predictable results. If you have starved the beast, just feeding it money or people will not get it back in form. It takes time. Also note, money and people cannot cure all ills. The mix of PR, analysts, advertising, field events, etc., need to be coordinated. Too much of one or the other with not make the engine work properly.

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