Marketing to Your Audience: How Much Will It Improve Your Sales Outcomes?
There’s a lot of talk about when it comes to marketing and it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Recently, there’s been a noticeable shift: businesses are moving away from using sales professionals to get in the door.
Instead, they’re using marketing tactics (especially online resources that are available 24/7 like websites and social media).
But, what is the impact of marketing on your sales process? Should you focus your sales efforts on marketing instead of traditional sales techniques?
Introduction:
The world of sales has changed dramatically. The traditional method of cold calling is still a viable strategy. However, as the world of sales has changed, so have the tactics for finding and qualifying prospects.
Most notable, the emphasis has shifted to building a strong network, utilizing social media, and maximizing other online platforms to find and qualify prospects.
Marketing is a big deal, and it can be quite expensive! Yet, it’s important for growing your business. With the explosion of digital advertising, more people are aware of the different types of advertising and how they all work.
Yet, if you don’t know how to make it work for you, it can easily get in your way. So, what do you need to know about using marketing as part of your sales process?
Look at what your competition is up to.
If your competitors are doing something that makes sense and is working, then you need to take note and adjust accordingly. Do you notice that outreach on LinkedIn is where they seem to shine? Maybe their Facebook page is filled with interested clients and prospects looking to get in on the action…
It’s reasonable to follow in their footsteps and focus on the platforms that are generating the most interest. Likewise, if they’re doing something that doesn’t make sense or isn’t working, there’s no reason for you to do the same.
If your competition is growing organically, expanding its market reach, and developing its list, you might want to think about how you can do something similar.
One quick note: it’s ok to get ideas from your competition, but be sure to avoid copying them completely…no one likes a copycat, and it’s just bad business to steal someone else’s ideas. Make your content your own, and allow your brand’s uniqueness to shine!
Use your marketing to set your sales team up for success.
When it comes to your sales team, it’s important to set them up for success before they even get in the door or on a call.
By understanding your customers’ needs and the problems they face, you’ll be able to present a better product or service that will help you achieve your sales goals.
First, you have to build a solid foundation of brand awareness. Then nurture that awareness by making sure you are doing the right things to keep it current and top of mind.
Marketing is a great way to introduce yourself and set the stage for the rest of the sales conversation. Really, it’s the first step in making a sale. By creating a brand identity and a clear value proposition, you can build trust, credibility, and rapport with potential customers.
And, if you struggle to find the words to write effectively about your business (and don’t already have a full-time marketing team on staff) it’s a good idea to ask for help. Often, bringing in an outside marketer or consultant can help you gain new insights you may have been missing, and they can help you frame things in the most effective way.
Whatever you do, make sure that all your marketing efforts are pointing toward one direction: helping your sales team be as effective as possible before they even get in the door.
Hire a sales team that knows how to capitalize on the marketing you’re putting out there.
You can do sales without marketing, but you can’t do marketing without sales.
Marketing is the process of attracting customers, but sales is the process of closing the deal and moving the relationship from prospect to client.
Every successful business needs a sales team that’s as invested in their marketing as they are in sales. Ideally, have your sales team involved in the process of creating your marketing materials – they’re the ones in direct communication with your customer base, and they are an invaluable source of information about what your audience wants.
This means having a salesperson that is knowledgeable about your market, your products, and the value that they provide. The best sales teams know that their job is to close the sale, and not to just make a sale.
Bottom Line
You may have guessed by now that the truth is you need both effective marketing and a well-trained sales team who know how to close deals.
If your business is going to grow, you need both a good marketing strategy and a well-trained sales team. The sales team needs to understand their product, and the marketing team needs to understand the sales process.
Both teams have a responsibility, and when they work together, they’ll see an increase in conversions and profits.
Conclusion
When companies focus on marketing to get in the door instead of relying on salespeople to sell, they often get caught in an endless cycle of hype and overpromising. They spend too much money and end up with no results.
Likewise, companies that rely solely on marketing will miss the sales that well-trained salespeople are able to easily close.
Tell us about your experience – have you replaced some of your sales efforts with marketing? How’s it working out for your business? Please leave a comment letting us know what you think!
And, if you need support hiring the right salesperson – the kind that can use your marketing materials to their advantage, expand your pipeline, AND close deals – click here and sign up for a free 30 minute call to discover how we can help you make the right hiring choice the first time.