Marketing or Sales?

Sales and marketing are two different sides of the same coin.  In both cases it's about providing a quality product, service, or idea, delivering a clear message, and building relationships.

Sales jobs are difficult for one primary reason- people don’t want to be sold.  People want to spend or donate their money in ways that match their personal interests, desires, and values.  As a salesperson, you have to find that connection and convince your target to take action.  One-to-one relationships and face-to-face dealings are very important to people. Building relationships is important in both sales and marketing. 

Marketing is communication that opens the door and starts the connection, often supporting sales efforts. Marketing sets the stage for strong sales, providing information that can strengthen the organization’s reputation, demonstrate its values, and prove its effectiveness.  All aspects of marketing- media campaigns, collateral, events, social media, etc., build those relationships by increasing brand recognition, providing information, and continuing the conversation, allowing potential clients and donors to connect with your company on a personal level. 

A true client relationship must be built in order to attract potential clients or donors, to persuade them to exchange their hard-earned money for goods, services, or goodwill, and encourage them to refer to others.  When the marketing program is designed to reach people and interact with them on a personal level, building one-on-one relationships, the foundation for exponential growth is built.  Customer loyalty and word of mouth is the most inexpensive and effective marketing program.

In order to build these business relationships, customized marketing programs must be created.  The systems and tools a car dealership uses will be different from those that a food bank will use.  Avoid cardboard cut-out marketing plans and work with a marketing person or firm that is willing to create a program that will best serve you and your clientele.  It is important to consider your marketing objectives, whether it is to build brand recognition, increase retention, generate leads or increase sales.  Your sales staff will benefit from a solid marketing program, because it will provide evidence of the company’s reputation and capabilities. 

Marketing in a Tough Economy I

When money is tight, a business owner’s first instinct is to cut back on marketing. After all, saving dollars is a priority, right? Maybe not. It’s important to keep your product or service in front of your customer at all times.  Otherwise you are leaving the door wide open for your competitor to swoop in. Here are a few tips to consider when times are tough:

#1) Track everything! – Tracking is ALWAYS important but never more so when every penny counts. If you are using lists or placing ads, it’s imperative to know what kind of response you are getting from every marketing dollar spent. All marketing activity can be tracked in someway (websites count hits, collateral has inventory and a distribution channel, ads have 800 numbers, etc.). I know it seems like common sense but you would be amazed at how many businesses don’t track a thing!

#2) Utilize economies of scale – Now is the time to consider making collateral (i.e. brochures, reports, postcards) with a longer shelf life. Take out time sensitive information so you can print larger quantities. You might even consider removing individuals’ names from material in the event the person is no longer with the company, rendering the pieces outdated. Printing larger quantities helps you save money as your cost per piece goes down.

#3) Move communications online – If you haven’t already done so, consider making your quarterly newsletter an email blast. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on printing four times per year, develop an interesting and creative e-newsletter to send to customers via the web. Post it on your website and let people know it’s there for their viewing whenever they like. Start building a good opt-in list and you will save significant dollars. Instead of reinventing the wheel, lots of printed material can even be used for your own blog. What other communications can you email to people or post online instead of mailing?