When Is Marketing
To Blame When Sales
Don ’ t Happen ?
My philosophy about marketing is , and always has been , that if I spend a dollar on marketing today , I should be able to directly point to a sale and tangible ROI from that investment as quickly and efficiently as possible . In my world , we don ’ t count hashtags , likes , friends , and followers as “ success .” Only dollars generated in sales from new customers count , and every dollar you spend should directly support the goal of driving profitable customers in the door and additional revenue from existing clients .
However , the simple reality is that marketing CAN ’ T always get that job done on its own . At some point , a SALESPERSON needs to answer the call , book the appointment , conduct the demo or consultation , and ultimately , close the sale . Thinking that a great marketing plan will instantly produce more sales is asking it to do too much — a bridge too far .
In many cases , marketing is blamed for the failings of the sales team . “ The leads were weak ” is a very common complaint of crybaby sales reps who ONLY want leads who are “ buyers in heat ,” showing up with a check in hand and unbridled enthusiasm about buying TODAY .
And while marketing can certainly produce some leads that fit that criterion , it significantly limits the number of opportunities you ’ ll get , filtering out anyone who has a question , concern , or desire to talk to someone first before they buy . Candidly , if my marketing could produce those kinds of leads , I wouldn ’ t have a need for professional salespeople . I could hire administrative assistants to simply process the orders .
So , what CAN marketing do , and where are its limits ? Here ’ s a short list of what you can and should expect from your marketing efforts .
Replace COLD Prospecting
Great marketing can drive inbound leads of people who have a serious interest in buying or are at least open to the idea of a conversation . Even with all the available marketing media and strategies today , some companies still stupidly rely on salespeople to sift , sort , and trudge through an ice-cold list of names in search of a gold needle in a haystack . This is the fastest way to lose a great sales professional through burnout . Salespeople don ’ t get burned out from selling — they get burned out , tired , and frustrated from prospecting . When you finally get a marketing plan producing AND you ’ ve built a great list of unconverted leads in the process of getting ready to buy , selling gets a lot more productive and easier because you let your marketing systems find , qualify , and cultivate buyers .
Make A Good Salesperson GREAT
Following on the previous , a good salesperson should spend the majority of their time talking to prospects who have some level of willingness and ability to buy what you ’ re selling . Really great marketing can presell and predispose a prospect to want to do business with your organization by answering frequently asked questions , building trust , demonstrating differential value and USP ( unique selling proposition ), and creating urgency to buy . Great marketing can provide client testimonials and case studies to demonstrate competence , introduce risk-reducing guarantees and proof , reduce or eliminate fee resistance , and EDUCATE the prospect on what “ good ” is and what to look for when buying what you ’ re selling , which makes you the OBVIOUS choice regardless of price . All of this makes the actual process of selling EASIER .
Recently , I hired a top salesperson from a very well-known and well-run organization local to Franklin , where we have our offices . I was delighted to actually recruit their rock star and had great expectations for his performance .
However , it quickly became apparent that he didn ’ t know how to sell at ALL . I was actually shocked at how abysmal he was in his ability to have a consultative conversation , ask good questions , and LISTEN . As you might imagine , he didn ’ t last long . So , what went wrong ? To my estimation , the company he previously worked for was so well-known and great at marketing that he only had to take orders , not sell — and when he came to our team , we grilled him on good sales processes , which he was unable to grasp , so I never felt comfortable putting him on the phone with a prospect of ours .
24 | MSPSuccessMagazine . com • VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3