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 Frank Candio on Tue, Jan 26, 2010 @ 12:15 PM
Last night I received a call from Eddie. Eddie mentioned my friend Mike said I might be interested in seeing a presentation for his product. He then gave me a little pitch and closed for the meeting.
Cold calling is a tough business in any economy. It is difficult to get a "live" voice on the other end of the phone and when you do -you have less than a 20 % chance of getting your meeting.
How do you improve your odds? Through referrals. C-Level Executives are three times as likely to take a meeting with someone referred by a colleague or business associate.
Working influencer channels can pay big dividends.
Posted by Frank Candio on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 @ 08:04 PM
Most Sales Executives I speak with believe once the economy turns around, their revenue numbers will be once again achievable. Budgets will be funded…people will start buying and happy days will be here again.
The economy is not a like a light switch that is either on or off. Economic downturns like the one we recently experienced have broader consequences. And as conditions improve over the next 12 – 18 months, it is critical for Sales Executives to recognize what has changed and adjust their strategies and approaches accordingly.
We are now in a necessity based economy and this will not change anytime soon. What is a necessity-based economy? For your prospect this means the pain of not having your products and services must override the pain of paying you for them.
Most companies have cut staff, slashed their budgets to bone and improved the productivity of their remaining employees. Surviving the trauma of the recession, they will not be quick to staff up, spend and return to their old ways.
Here are some things to consider as you plan your go forward strategy:
1. To be better salespeople your Reps must become better businesspeople. In this new environment, your prospect will expect no less.
2. Differentiation is critical to success. Your prospects will always opt for the low cost solution if they see no difference.
3. Know when to walk away. Sales Reps must fully appreciate the opportunity cost of pursuing business they are not likely to win.
Posted by Frank Candio on Tue, Jan 12, 2010 @ 07:07 AM
Over the weekend I spoke with a friend who is marketing a sports related product. We were throwing ideas back and forth when I asked him how many website visitors he gets each month. He said about 6,000. I then asked how many email addresses he harvests from those visits. He said none.
One of the biggest opportunities most companies miss is converting website visitors into leads. Your visitors have some interest - that's why they are coming to your site. The goal then is to capture their credentials through offers.
Here's why:
1. You'll be able to execute one to one marketing to these visitors
2. You'll organically build your prospect list
3. You'll learn what offers / messages are resonating with your prospects
It is the biggest bang for your marketing buck. Do it.
Posted by Frank Candio on Fri, Dec 04, 2009 @ 04:02 PM
I came across an interesting statistic from Juniper Research:
"Four out of 10 social network participants are using these sites to gather product information and recommendations."
One of the challenges B2B marketers have with social media is tying their efforts and activities back to results. Clearly, this data point doesn't constitute "full validation" of social media as a marketing tool, however it does offer positive reinforcement.
Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 @ 12:05 PM
Yesterday, a good friend mentioned his sister is using Twitter to notify the followers of her trendy restaurant in Miami when celebrities show up. He thought it was a great idea as did I.
I asked him how he was using Twitter in his professional services business and he looked at me like I was crazy.
Leo Dicaprio isn't really at our office. But Twitter can provide value beyond celebrity citings. Here's two ways:
- Use the Twitter "Follow" feature to receive the Tweets from industry thought leaders / Influencers. Additional insight into where your market is going is always valuable.
- Use the Twitter "Search" feature to learn what people are saying about your company, competition and/or industry. It is another resource where you can find valuable data points.
My first Sales mentor said to me: "You learn more by listening". Twitter doesn't have to be about telling people what you had for lunch. Listen and learn.
Posted by Frank Candio on Wed, Jul 22, 2009 @ 11:35 AM
A new study by Forrester Research reveals that 53% of the companies surveyed will be increasing their social media marketing spend this year. Although most companies have cut their marketing budgets during the recession, this is not really surprising. Social media is cheap (relatively) and offers great opportunity to create awareness and interest in your brand.
Helping our clients with their social media strategy is a growing part of our business. Here are a few tips:
1. Have a plan. Building a You Tube Channel or Facebook page and waiting for people to visit won't work. Spend some time creating a content and engagement plan.
2. Humanize your company. Remember this is a "social" media strategy. Don't be afraid to humanize your company a little bit. This does not mean creating a wacky You Tube video. Let your prospects know you are a company of people.
3. Get your people involved. Social media has been described (accurately) as an online conversation. You probably have many subject matter experts in your company who can add value to this conversation. Get them involved.
Posted by Frank Candio on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 @ 09:43 AM
Communicating and connecting through social media improves search engine results and is an effective awareness and nurturing tool. The challenge for many organizations is doing it on a consistent basis with sparse marketing resources.
Companies should consider empowering employees outside of the marketing department to participate. Most companies have subject matter experts (Sales Engineers, Product Specialists etc.) who can add value and should participate in the "online conversation". They can offer thought leadership, best practice suggestions and other content appropriate for blog postings and other social media uses. And they can comment intelligently on other postings within your industry.
With a little bit of training this can be a valuable addition to your marketing efforts.
Posted by Frank Candio on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 @ 07:58 AM
Mike and I were at a Shoot (Sales Avatar Video) yesterday in St. Louis. Our client sells a medical product to Doctors, athletic trainers and other health professionals.
At the Shoot was a Doctor who has a large practice in the Washington DC area. He was there to appear in the video. The Doctor began discussing the challenges facing his practice. The Practice relies on referrals from other Doctors and Medical/Athletic trainers. He mentioned how he had been through our website and spoke with our client about the services we provide. Then he announced "you guys are exactly what I need".
I was struck by how much the world of selling has changed. Our approach to messaging, marketing automation and execution resonated as clearly to this Doctor who wants leads for his medical practice as it does with our B2B Fortune 100 clients.
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.