Sales & Marketing Strategy Conclusion: Frequently Asked Questions

What are some ways that I can quickly increase sales?

This is a tough question that is very dependent on your business. There are many ways to both motivate your customers and to motivate your internal sales force. Increasing sales is a general term; you must first set a goal of how you wish to increase sales. Is it a straight volume increase of your existing offering? Perhaps you want to increase the cross-selling of software applications and peripherals to increase your profit margins. Regardless of the goal, be sure to inspire your customers and sales people to move to action today. Find out what your sales representatives and customers need to drive them to your desired action and then develop a mutually beneficial incentive to drive them to that action. Increasing your value-adds, rebates, bundles and internal sales incentives are all good ways to give your sales numbers a boost. The key is defining a balance where you are still profitable while allotting for a volume increase.

Should I outsource my sales/customer service departments?

Outsourcing your infrastructure can often save your organization money; however, it’s important to look at the following things:

• Will my level of service increase or decrease?
• Will I spend more time educating and managing an outsourced department?
• What control will I lose and what will I gain from outsourcing?
• Are there any competitive risks associated with outsourcing?

Evaluate carefully how an outsourced department will impact your business, as larger firms are moving their service departments off-shore. Watch and learn from their successes and failures and determine for yourself if this would hold a positive impact on cost-savings both short-term and long-term.

Which marketing vehicles have the most impact for my business?

The answer is all of them. Each marketing vehicle plays an intricate role in creating an impact for your business; however, depending upon your message and medium (as well as the type of industry you serve), the marketing vehicles and their value to your organization will change. For example; if you are selling to an industry that is a bit more tech savvy, you may want to try and implement a more technical approach. This may include targeted emails, electronic forms to gather information and online webinar/seminars. However, if your primary demographic is the green industry (plant growers, landscapers, etc.) these marketing tactics would be rendered useless, as they primarily rely on hardcopy items and fax machines for communication.

Your message also speaks more clearly depending upon the medium; for example, a simple statement on a simple postcard “SAVE 25% TODAY” will go a long way if you are targeting the right audience. If you were developing a technology newsletter where the information could change daily, it would be more intelligent to develop an electronic newsletter or website where the content is more dynamic.

The final answer is…it depends.

It depends on your message. It depends on how you wish to communicate that message. It depends on who is the target audience who will be receiving that message. It depends on the call-to-action (incentive to move them to action) that you have in your message. Utilize trial and error; measure what works and discard those things that do not work with the dependencies in mind.

What is one-to-one marketing?

One-to-one marketing is a very useful tactic. With the advancement of technology, we are now in the age of marketing where we can develop a message that personally relates to specific demographic groups. It’s as simple as adding the name of the intended recipient to an email blast, or as complicated as using a business intelligence engine to craft a message specific only to the recipient. Here is a good example:

• Message one: Dear valued customer, We are offering great rebates and discounts on select computer peripherals and software. Hurry, the sale ends this month! Come see what we have in store for you!
• Message two: Dear John, We noticed that you recently purchased an HP Pavilion Notebook on September 14th. We hope you have enjoyed your purchase. For being our valued customer, we would like to offer you a 10% off coupon the next time you come into our store to purchase any one of these accessories for your notebook: HP Pavilion Power Supply HP Pavilion Docking Station Targus Cooling Lap Station 3COM 802.11g wireless PCMCIA card

Again, thank you for your recent purchase, we want to ensure you receive the highest quality of service from Profit Corporation, so please feel free to contact us at any time.

Message two specifies the product that the customer purchased and offers suggestive products that he/she can actually use for that product. Expect incremental returns from making the investment to implement one-to-one marketing and look for future modules in our Profit Maps courseware to explain this in more detail.

Tagged as: Increase sales

Are you talking, but no one’s listening? How to increase traffic to your website

If you aren’t being found on the internet, you aren’t being found. Think about your own practices. You’re thinking of purchasing a new piece of technology. What’s the first thing you do? If you’re like me (and everyone else), you go to Google and try to find the best company to meet your needs. How do you feel about that company if they have an outdated website? Or worse, if they don’t have a website at all?

The same thing applies in the B2B world – especially in the technology industry! If you aren’t proud of your website, it’s time to take the steps to fix that. Update the copy and make sure the aesthetics make you look current. If you’re modern in your marketing techniques, you’re going to be funneling all the attention to your website. Don’t let it fall flat.

If you ARE proud of your website, you need to start showing it off! I always tell the partners I work with – “there’s no use in talking if no one is listening.” SEO (search engine optimization) is the foundation of being found on the internet.

There are two types of SEO: Organic and pay-per-click. Pay-per-click is the easy way. You keep writing the checks, and Google keeps putting you at the top of the list. But what happens when you stop paying? Your website is no longer anywhere to be found. There are also concerns of credibility. Let’s take a step back to your personal life again. How often do you trust the ads at the top and sides of your search? You know those companies are paying for the top spot and you know that it has nothing to do with whether they’re trustworthy.

Organic SEO takes time, effort and PATIENCE. You aren’t going to get to the first page the first day you decide to implement your SEO strategy. And it’s frustrating. There are a lot of SEO requirements that are just out of your control. But the good thing is: it’s out of everyone else’s control too. Focus on what you can fix, like keywords and updated content, and you’ll be on your way.

Here are some quick tips on how to keep your website in top SEO shape:

1. Know what your prospects are searching for to get to your competition. Maybe you want to compete for those same keywords, but maybe now’s the time to carve out a niche for yourself. Keyword research can help.
2. Start a blog! Most small businesses are just too busy to keep up with a blog, they don’t think they’re good writers, or they just don’t know what to write about. Here’s some good news: your audience isn’t looking for Shakespeare to tell them about the newest technology – they want to hear from YOU. The expert! Blogging is an excellent way to personalize your website and make your prospects feel connected. It’s also really great for SEO. It’s the perfect platform for keyword-rich, constantly updated content. Google loves new content.
3. Get involved with social media. The more links you have directing people to your website from outside, the better your ranking will be. This can go hand-in-hand with starting a blog. Introduce the topic through Twitter, and then shuttle them to your website to read the rest.
4. Get some help. If you use an open source platform like WordPress, there is a lot of maintenance you can do yourself to keep your website looking up to date. But when it comes to SEO, there’s a lot that you can’t see. An experienced marketing group or web developer should be able to go behind the scenes of your website and add the right keywords.

Do you currently have an SEO strategy? How do you think it stacks up?

Are You Mobile Marketing Ready?

Growing up, I always thought that computers would one day take over the world.  I just didn’t realize they’d be so… small!  With mobile devices beingthe hottest trend, there’s no avoiding the wave of mobility.  I’m sure you have noticed the impact that it’s having on your business and even in your home.  Chances are you have at least one mobile device within your household.  If you are anything like me and 86% of mobile device users, you might even use your device while watching TV!  People are no longer using their devices during “free time,” they are using them all the time!   At work, at school, while waiting for doctor appointments, while shopping, and even at parties. Whether you think that mobility has opened up a great way to stay connected and have the world at our fingertips, or you think that mobility is killing our personal interaction skills… the fact is that we are a Mobile Generation.

So how has mobility impacted your Marketing Plan?  If you said “what Marketing Plan?” – then please check out our previous blog on the importance of having a Marketing Plan.

If you want to continue to have a successful business, then you should consider a mobile-friendly marketing plan.  That means building your marketing efforts in a mobile-friendly format allowing you to be where your target audience is.  Mobile shopping, videos, social media, and so much more.  Here are some important marketing tactical approaches to consider adding to your marketing mix or to become more mobile friendly:

• Responsive Websites – They react to the type of device the page is being viewed on so you don’t have to have two separate websites (a mobile and a regular).
• Apps – Consider if there is an app that makes sense for your business.  What better way to remind your customer you are here for them than by having an app/icon on their phone!
• Digital Catalogs – Instead of a hard copy printed catalog, consider hosting it online with integrated hyperlinks and video, and that “flip” feel.  These are very popular and a great way to showcase your product.  Check out an example!
• Email Blasts – According to Inbox Marketer, an average 44% of emails are being viewed on mobile devices this year.  Which means?  You need to be using a mobile-friendly platform for your emails!  I recommend testing it on your phone before blasting out. Keep the messaging simplistic and to the point. Here is a great mobile email statistics overview reference.
• Online Forms – If your form is tied to your mobile website or email blast, then it’s important for the form to be easy to complete on a mobile device.  Keep the quantity of questions to a minimum.
• QR codes – These haven’t died out yet!  If you are sending direct mail, don’t miss an opportunity to have them check out a video by scanning a QR code on their mobile device to direct them to a mobile-friendly video, app or landing page.
• Video – Video is the fastest-growing online content category and statistics show that video can lead to an increase in sales by 20-40%!  Consider adding 1-2-minute videos to your mobile-friendly website, your video channel to showcase your offerings, and then launching through a mobile-friendly marketing campaign.  And don’t forget to feature in Social Media.