Relevant Chews

Tis the season to be shopping… fah la la la

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.

Good for them.  They should put the ad on Youtube.

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.

It’s been a tough year.   Thanks.

Casual Thought Friday… how relevant is cold calling in today’s B2B Sales Strategy?

Results would indicate it is about or less effective than direct mail, which puts it around 4% effective at best. Of course there are amazing success stories, and yours truly has had more than a few. But the cold hard fact is you won’t be able to grow your business in 2010 or beyond without a marketing plan that supports dialing for dollars.

As for scripting the call, this is not the time to tell your story or cite your brochure. If there was a Biz Dev bible, it would say cold calling is about as relevant as your ability to create value (give me a reason to care) in 30 seconds or less. The person on the other end of the phone has other priorities, so out of consideration you should be able to deliver your best message in this time frame. And this also includes leaving a voicemail.

If you are lucky enough to spend more than 5 minutes on the phone, then hopefully you took advantage of the time to let them talk. The more you know the better, because you want to pitch big picture vision at the C level and sell at the influential level.

The objective of a cold call is a warmer introduction. Close the call with a “first date” invite or find out if they are attending any networking events in the near future. You don’t need a login and password to be social. The handshake may be old school, but all new business relationships begin face to face.

Good luck, and be compelling out there!

The Human Resource Company (ex: Zappos, New Seasons)

Now is a great time to be selling change to the Human Resource Company because their framework opens many needs to be addressed. The behavioral traits of this business culture:
• Central Concepts: individuality, needs, skills, relationships
• Decision Process: empowerment

This type of company is much like a big co-op, where individual contributions add up to customer service success. There is a willingness to hear new ideas—especially fighting through a recession.  The solution you pitch must address their core challenge: align organizational goals and human needs.

The sales cycle will be a bit longer than the RFP methodology of the Structural Company because you will need to build a base of influencers. The big decisions are made by committee. But the upside to this is Human Resource Companies have a great brand following, and working with them will be good for business.

Part Five: Selling Change to the Political Company