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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I work with several non-profits, mostly putting my efforts into fundraising.  The summer is focused on the Courage Classic and HW Home Girls** who raise money for the Children’s Hospital. We  raise money, ride our bikes 180 miles and have a lot of fun. The HW Home Girls are known for our fundraising, as well as just being the girls. (We are sponsored by HW Home formerley known as the Good Times Girls)**. We raise about $50,000 a year between the 11 of us.

For the last 10 years I have mailed bright colorful envelopes with a letter and a pledge form to 200 of my friends, family and business budies. Each letter had a little hand written note. Over the years, the annual contributions were around  $4,000- 5,000. I sent an email right before and after the event, as well as hand written thank you notes.  

So, this year I went green and saved $200 by using Constant Contact.  I did have to mail a few, as I did not have email addresses for everyone.  The email prompted people to to to my Courage Classic webpage or mail a check to me for the donation.  So here are the results, so far. 

Time Spent? Slightly better for Constant Contact: I probably spent as much time getting the Contstant Contact list set up and the the format right as I did with the snail mail version.  There were lots of options on how to do the email, and I could play around with the layout. So, I spent more time.  However, the follow-up emails were a bit easier.  Besides, mu husband was relieved of the job of stuffing and stamping.

Cost? Less for Constant Contact: I spent 200 for color printing, materials and stamps with snail mail.  Constant contact was $25 a month for the unlimited emails.

Feedback? A tie.  I got lots of handwritten notes with the snail mail and almost everyone who contributed to the website sent me a separate email.  Very cool.

Quality Time? Score for the snail mail. My husband and I combined efforts as we wrote, stamped, stuffed and licked envelopes, usually with a glass of wine and a DVD playing.

Contributions:  The jury is out.  It is hard to compare last year when the economy was just starting to turn versus 2009.  I do know most donations last year were $100 .  This year a good deal of them are $50 contributions.  I don’t know if this is the economy or the methodology. I still have an email to send out after the event.  A lot come in August. Right now the total is $2495.

Your thoughts?  So if you feel moved to contribute……Click Here=> 

**”The HW Home GIrls used to be known as the The Goodtimes Girls. Ateam of Boulder women sponsored by Colorado’s Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard chain.  They have been among the top teams in terms of total fundraising and average team member fundraising for each year they’ve ridden as a team.. Led by captain and 15-year rider Jamie James, Goodtimes Girls raised $82,000 in 2005 and $62,000 in 2006.”

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No need to be concerned because…

• We repeat the marketing and sales cycle over and over, working through the leads. So it makes sense certain materials get dragged out and used over and over.
• Most business’ revenue comes from 1 or 2 products, representing 80% of the revenue. So, it fits those marketing materials are used.
• Sales people will use what they are most comfortable with. The same reference stories, the same white papers and the same presentations. It is appropriate the sales process is predictable and repeatable.

Yes, we should be concerned , IF…

• You are spending 80% of marketing’s time on corner cases  (i.e. industries, solutions, products) that are not strategic, this is a problem.
• You haven’t aligned the marketing materials with your marketing and sales funnel.
• You are constantly searching for the ‘right’ collateral for a marketing campaign or event. And worse, you settle for something that will just do for a call to action.
• You haven’t updated your materials with new media, such as video / white boarding and online webinars, which are fast becoming the preferred mode to obtain information quickly.
• You hear constant clamor for customer reference stories. (I usually discount the general statements from sales for “better collateral.”  However, if there is a lot of noise and sales can be very specific about what is missing and how the new collateral will be use, then there there is probably a problem). 
• You hear constant noise about defining a true value proposition and how this product solves business problems.  In this case you most likely have general product collateral with a lot of marketing speak and not enough differentiation.  Or it maybe too engineering, in love with the technical abilities.
• Things are done by rout, that is you produce the same materials in the same way for all the products without consideration of the audiences

If your yes’s out strip your no’s its time to re-examine and prioritize the marketing strategy. More is not better.

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Yesterday was a 95 miler bike ride,  a training ride for the Triple Bypass. Given my pace, I had lots of time to think and relate life experiences to business. So what does the my bike have to do with marketing?  Read on roadies….  

Consistency - Nothing substitutes for repetition. This was my painful reminder yesterday as I crawled out of Estes Park.  Repitition in marketing we call it frequency. When biking it is called training. In past years this ride (Carter - Big Thompson -Estes - Lyons - Boulder), has been MUCH easier.  Why? Frequency.  I was on the bike hitting the pedals (aka message) with a regular, trained process. This year has found me inconsistent, so my customers (the legs) have no clue what is going on and what is expected.  My most successfull campaigns have been about hitting it hard and regular.  I think I need to get in touch with a trainer.

Hitting it hard - Yep, I have been out there spinning, but frankly taking it easy.  This year, I have forgone the intervals, latic acid training and all the other super duper training the elites in Boulder revel in. In marketing, there are times we have to go out with a storm.  Push hard and fast, to gain a market presence. There are times I have realized a prime competitor was vulnerable, and pushed for a program to capitalize. But to do this I needed the base consistency, the team to execute and willingness to make a splash with all at my disposal.  Hitting it hard, is not just pressing on the pedal, you have to have the engine behind that is prepped and ready to perform.

The Right Message - So when the headwind hit, and the road got steep there were certain messages flying. The wrong message and I would bail.  The right message and I found the power in the legs, heart and soul to say ‘!!*(&*.”  It is amazing the power of words and getting it right.  Aligning myself with the right words got me to the top. Spending the marketing training time for the right words that really say who you are, what you do and how you are different will get you over the top and winning.

So much for the road.. Just maybe I will be ready for July 11.

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