Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 11:04 AM
Fans of the TV show Mad Men know that Don Draper is the quintessential ad man. He is cool, creative and smart.
The show takes place in the 1960's and there are many vestiges of an era long passed:
- The characters all smoke - in their offices
- Drinking is encouraged and condoned during office hours
- The women in the office are objectified
So office life has changed dramatically since the 60's. But what about Don Draper's job? Back then he was focused on big ad placements and media buys.
Today, the spend in the traditional media outlets has plummeted as companies look to market digitally.
Unless Don adjusts, he's a dinosaur.
Posted by Mike Vannoy on Wed, May 13, 2009 @ 06:43 PM
I ran into a friend who sold Payroll services with me in the early 1990's. We exchanged war stories about what it was like to be a payroll sales rep in those days... we hit the phones hard and, after sales calls, literally knocked on doors of local businesses. WOW have things changed... Lots of laughs.
On my ride home I began to think how the whole sales process has changed. The way I sold then isn't the way I would sell now.
Here's why:
- Awareness is not generated by the sales rep. The "feet on the street" sales model, where the sales rep is responsible for creating awareness about your product or brand is obsolete.
- The prospect is much more educated when they engage. Using the Internet, the prospect has learned about your products, company and competition without your knowledge. They come to the sales cycle armed with knowledge.
- Buyers control the sales process. This is the most difficult for all of us to accept - but it is true. Since the prospect does not need you or your sales rep to learn about your product - they are in control of the sales process. They are researching and learning and making decisions without you. Your sales reps are needed after they go through this process IF you make the cut.
- Access to decision makers is harder. Technology can be a double-edged sword. Today we have wonderful communication technologies such as Cell phones, blackberries, and email. However prospects have the ability and technology to screen us out and prevent our access.
- We live in a "me too" world. So much of what we say and sell has been commoditized. Prospects are bombarded with sales messages every day on the Internet, on TV and print ads. Standing out and differentiating has never been more difficult.
I will always be grateful for my experience but we really used "Stone Age" tactics.
Posted by Frank Candio on Thu, Mar 26, 2009 @ 06:56 AM
Today's blog is is authored by Jeff Beutel, founder of executive search firm The Alan Group. Jeff is a nationally recognized expert in sales recruiting. He can reached at 608.826.0918 or info@tag-search.com.
On of the questions I'm frequently asked is "Given the amount of people in the job market, including some very good ones, why is it so hard to attract that talent I need to win."
There are two things to consider.
1. The top performers in any market are typically employed and busy doing great work for their companies.
2. They need to be convinced that making a career move will pay of for them (risk/reward).
Our clients are looking to do more with less resources and want to find people who can step in an significantly improve the production over an existing employee..
When trying to recruit these individuals their focus needs to be.
First - Demonstrate that they can realistically achieve their career goals by making the move. Not just achieve, but be convinced that leaving an existing company where they know how to get things done politically and have outstanding bonus/commissions actually makes sense.
Don't underestimate the importance of them being able to sell this to their family as well. For anyone who's ever deferred a conversation about whether or not to make a major (or not so major) purchase because of not wanting to have to justify it to a family member, think of the impact of changing careers.
Secondly - be prepared to show the details of how this will be accomplished. In the eyes of the A-player these are some key issues, starting with more corporate issues and working down to more role-based concerns:
What are you trying to accomplish?
Why?
What are the key dates / deadlines?
How were they established?
How long has this strategy been in place?
What have you done to get there?
What are the challenges accomplishing these goals?
What do you expect from this person?
Who / how many people are in similar roles?
For how long?
Have they been successful?
What is in place to make them successful?
* From a Sales perspective, this should include: Sales Support, Marketing, Lead Nurturing / Lead Generation and a sales-driven culture?
It's easy to fall into the trap of "The economy is bad so people should be happy to have a job." Always remember that this does not apply to top performers. Now, more than ever they need to be convinced and sold on an opportunity - the downside for not taking it is they stay in a job they're doing very well in, continue to outperform their peers and make a good living.
Preparing to address these will drastically improve your ability to on-board the people you want to hire.
Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Mar 04, 2009 @ 12:13 PM
Clients often ask about the process of avatar scriptwriting. There are three components:
1. The sales message in the script must connect with the target prospect.
2.
The avatar is a visual presentation so the script is designed with an
"eye" towards images and animation that reinforce the sales message.
3. It must be well written.
Although
it sometimes seems our world has been reduced to text messaging
shorthand, effective business writing continues to be a valuable skill.
If you are looking to become a better communicator, I recommend you
pick up a copy of The Elements of Style by William Strunk and
E.B. White. It is the definitive road map and guide to effective
writing. I keep a well worn copy on my desk.
Posted by Frank Candio on Thu, Feb 05, 2009 @ 02:23 PM
Great game...lousy ads. Obviously Super Bowl ads receive a lot of
hype prior to kick off. My brother in law is one who demands silence
when they come on. I thought the ads were more "gimmicky" than
engaging. The goal is to be memorable and this year I think they missed
the mark.
Humor
is a great way to connect with your audience. Several of the ads took a
slapstick humor approach - businesspeople thrown from office windows or
hit with objects. I thought these ads were neither clever nor funny.
Seemed like a lowest common denominator approach
In contrast, the Hulu
ad used humor to great effect. Clearly having Alec Baldwin - a great
comedic actor - as the star helps. It was interesting, amusing and
memorable. Not a bad combination for those of us attempting to connect
to buyers.