That is certainly not a call to action, rather something to consider when setting the low bar of constructive criticism.
The truth is business hecklers come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes from the one you least suspect. You will meet them at a conference presentation, or at the next network gathering. Look past the person and the sting of the NO, and there is value in any stalled elevator pitch.
We get so caught up in the good we think we’re bringing the world, that sometimes we need that person that ‘just doesn’t get it’ to help us get our mojo back—the relevant differentiator that can determine the fate of your business.
If you’ve ever read any Guy Kawasaki, he has a point about “Make Meaning.” It’s not how cool you think you are… do people believe in your product, care about your mission, and trust in your sincerity?
In the moment you may want to strangler the nay-sayer, but an unwavering commitment to make meaning is why you are in business. Figure that out and there is nobody that can talk you off the value you deliver!
Casual Thought Friday… in a social media world, it is not enough just to be something—your web presence should be something to do.
If Facebook and Twitter have taught me anything, its that people are looking for something to do online. People want to shop, share and socialize. And they need a reason to come back every week… or every day.
Amazon is great if you are researching products offline and then buying them online, but who goes to Amazon or eBay just because they are bored? These sites lack in ‘the draw’ what was so cool about shopping malls in the 80s—sometimes browsing, just being seen and interacting with others is the reason for being there.
The next big thing will be an online public market that is a relevant shopping destination and a compelling user experience.
Be on the lookout for PublicMarketspace.com They have some ideas on how to create something to do.
Is anyone else tired of talking about this Marketing Land of Oz? Social Media is communication phenomenon, but it’s not the yellow brick road to success and clicking three times will not get you home.
Why? Because if you need a social media strategy to be authentic, maybe you have a brand disorder?
The lofty new authors of “Social Media or Die” are not talking to the real people that are on these channels. If they stopped to have this conversation, they would discover a growing discontent for advertising on Facebook. The low entry cost and viral potential makes it attractive to marketers, but consider what your profile would look like if every brand in the world was marketing on social media… a big, noisy NASCAR page.
How marketing showed up and ruined the social media party…
Of course there are case studies and success stories out there, but the percentage of replicable success is low. The bell curve (something we all learned in grade school) remains true, and the early adopters that failed quickly and refined their strategy are winning. Unfortunately, a big wave of newbies is coming. This will over-saturate the medium and leave a mess in the wake.
What if the best social media channel for marketing is yet to come?
I’m not discouraging social media marketing, but a simpler theory is you don’t need a strategy to be on social media—just be real, build a healthy presence, and have a relevant and compelling word of mouth message. Your fans will do the rest.
If you’re out there already, then keep playing. Trying to catch up on strategy is about as effective as worrying about the next thing. What will you do then?
Give credit when credit is due. Some brick-n-mortar retailers will be relevant and smiling this December.
The brand recognition goes to Bass Pro Shop. When it would be easy to be slashing prices and touting sales, the Bass Pro ads suggest something more meaningful; that Christmas (and Christmas shopping) is an experience worth remembering.
They show vintage video that warms and reminds us of a time before the marketing + media blitz. And kids… come in and create a handmade ornament for Mom, the perfect gift. See a snowy village electric train and get a free photo with Santa.
What really makes it special? Instead of competing on price or trying to convince us that the perfect gift is waiting to be discovered in the aisles, the welcome surprise was that Bass Pro didn’t mention a single product.
Sales by the numbers will go to Craft, Consignment and Discount Stores. These are the stores that live somewhere between Walmart, Michaels, Nordstrom Rack and the Dollar Store. What they lack in sex appeal they make up for on unbeatable margins, and location is part of a marketing strategy.
HGTV has taught me that the companies that spend the least on holiday advertising also hold some thoughtful gems and last minute gifts that budget strapped shoppers will looking for with mid-month paychecks.
Casual Thought Friday… you can’t have everything, so why not find the one thing?
This holiday season, the winning retail strategy will be helping people gift their loved ones with something they really want.
Last year it was easy to predict that companies like Ebay and Overstock.com were going to be runaway favorites. This year people will be looking for a deal, but even more savvy about how to find that special something vs. settling for anything.
The relevance of social media in our lives will be a game changer in the lingering economic aftershock this Christmas. If you are paying attention to the signals like Facebook’s “How well do you know Me?” and what I’m assuming will come to pass as the Xmas List app for the iPhone, then you know exactly what to get that special someone.
It’s not the gift, it’s the thought that counts. But why can’t you have both plus the shopping experience?
As I’m searching online or wandering out into the cold this December, don’t pitch me what’s on sale—help me find the one thing I’m looking for… getting it down the chimney is negotiable.
Casual Thought Friday… at what point do you need outside help to improve your performance?
A friend of mine recently tried to help fix my golf swing in the middle of our round. I’m no Tiger Woods, but on that day I was more like Charles Barkley. And in the middle of the game the advice of others seems to be readily available in hindsight and rarely sought at the opportune moment.
The pearl of wisdom was not to work with the clubhouse professional to get better results; it was why I needed outside help…
“You can’t fix your swing by yourself because you are part of the problem.”
Great companies refine their strengths and outsource their weaknesses. The ability to create value (your relevance to the customer) should be the strength of your sales strategy. Your weakness will be figuring out how to integrate social media and remove the antiquated sales pitch from your marketing. Accepting this is the first step in the best direction.
Ask a respected professional for an honest assessment of your 2010 business development plan. Because it will be an extremely competitive year, and you will need to change something to improve your sales performance. There are no mulligans.
In the B2B world, most new business is developed through relationships. However, selling change or pitching new ideas will always create the biggest opportunities.
This dichotomy is best explained as “familiarity vs. possibility,” and every good sales and marketing person should pursue new work knowing that the incumbent service provider has a comfortable relationship with the client—translation: they probably haven’t heard any new ideas in some time.
This is your foot in the door, but new clients weren’t just sitting around waiting for your sales call and they didn’t just finish a meeting discussing the problem you propose to solve. Therefore, the pitch is not about you. It is always about the client.
You are only as relevant as their problem, and your pitch has to be empathetic of their situation. The budget, timelines and resources in your proposal need to be proportional to their business objectives, and for every decision maker you will need an influencer to support your cause internally.
You can help this cause by allowing your influencers to play along. Let them share their subject matter expertise and guide them to developing the best solution.
Change is most frightening to others when there are definitive terms, and it is OK not to have all the answers. Act like you have thought of everything and you risk taking them out of the process—then they will be asking what’s in it for them?
Selling Change: A B2B Sales and Marketing Strategy (Recap)
Understand your prospective client’s industry. Know the company framework, how they make decisions and what influences those decisions. Be empathetic to their situation and how receptive they will be to change. Create value, propose relevant solutions and always calculate your odds of winning before you decide to play the game.
Once you decide to play, swing for the fences… and best of luck!
The funny thing about change is it does not adhere to any rules, and in business there is not a shared work calendar with CHANGE MEETING booked in the conference room on every other Tuesday. So remember that when you are selling change your audience is on the defense because they didn’t see you coming, and client insight and industry foresight are your elements of surprise.
Why this?
The four company frameworks (Structural, Human Resource, Political and Symbolic) will respond to your change proposal according to their culture. And before you pass GO and talk money, you must fully understand their situation. If in doubt, don’t even pick up the phone unless you can clearly communicate in 30 seconds or less how your solution is relevant to their business.
The litmus test: a compelling idea gets you to the next step, and nothing fails faster than a clumsy sales pitch.
Why now?
Timing is everything. When you sell change, be aware that you are rearranging priorities. Right now, companies are looking at 2010 initiatives and trying to figure out what will make the biggest impact for the least amount of investment. The logistics of your pitch better generate ROI in six months or less—or your odds of winning have dropped significantly.
In B2B sales your task is to be forever optimistic, because selling change to a client is a win-win scenario. And even if your best pitch fails, the lasting impression you should leave them with is… if not now, when?
The Symbolic Company (ex: Nike, NFL, Anheuser-Busch )
Every company loves having these brands on their client list. They are dynamic, well recognized and easily add to your reputation to deliver innovative results—because the Symbolic Company framework is about being an industry leader.
Central Concepts: culture, ritual, ceremony, stories, heroes
Decision Process: inspiration
The business atmosphere of the Symbolic Company is like a carnival. Everything is big, bold and nothing is competitor imitation. These traits make them the most receptive to change because if nobody else is doing it, they could be first.
These companies lead with reputation and the product is a result of their vision. When pitching these companies you need to be bleeding edge relevant, and your solution needs to keep faith in the brand and give it meaning.
The sales process can be painfully long at times and might come with an RFP, depending on whether or not they are justifying the budget with ROI. But avoid giving away your best work and ideas for the promise of future work, or the carrot on the end of the stick.
Map out your plan and make decisions based on the scope of the project at hand—because once the decision is made you better be ready to jump.
The Political Company (ex: Municipalities, Non-Profits & Associations)
Be mindful as you pitch the Political Company, because this will be your toughest sell. Not because they are unwilling to change, but the framework of this organization is reluctant to hear outside ideas because they are often struggling internally on multiple agendas.
Central Concepts: power, conflict, organizational politics
Decision Process: develop agenda and power base
Political companies must adhere to strict budgets, and their financial assets are measured in grants, federal and state programs, donors and volunteers. Every decision must appeal to these stakeholders.
The nature of this framework is to drive every project through the RFP process and there is little wiggle room for innovation—as most of these projects have been waiting their turn in the line of development priority.
Any solution being pitched to this organization is best targeted straight to the top or at the board making the decision. You must stay at or under budget, deliver expected results, and have answers for these internal questions: Who will take this on? Who will be responsible for it?
If you are out of position (the slightest bit irrelevant to the RFP objective), then you should calculate your odds of winning before investing resources to the sales process.
