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In an age of automated everything, is it possible to put a personal touch to your marketing? Of course--even though customers are used to sites like Amazon and Pandora where they can get everything they need easily without ever talking to a person. Fortunately, businesses evolve right along with consumer demands. As the head of a marketing department, it's your job to research and adopt the right technology to make your company as effective as possible. Marketing automation isn't going anywhere, but that doesn't mean your entire marketing approach has to be robotic.
No matter what, customers want to feel like they matter, like they're heard, and like there's a real person on the other end of that transaction. Recently, Help Scout, which is also a really cool customer service tool, released a report on the "personalization" of marketing. It reveals that 70 percent of final purchases are dictated by how a person feels they're being treated as a customer....
In recent years, psychologists and behavioral economists have shown that our emotional decisions are neither irrational nor irresponsible. In fact, we now understand that our unconscious decisions follow a logic of their own.
They are based on a deeply empirical mental processing system that is capable of effortlessly processing millions of bits of data without getting overwhelmed. Our conscious mind, on the other hand, has a strict bottleneck, because it can only process three or four new pieces of information at a time due to the limitations of our working memory.
The sale of the first GoPro camera didn’t begin when the customer walked through the retailer’s door. It didn’t even begin with the huddle of engineers in the tiny innovation department at the factory. The first sale began in the lineup, as the surfers waited to catch a wave.
A marketer’s story typically starts with her idea—with the thing she has to sell. But if you look at any business that has taken off, you will notice that there is a step before the creation of a remarkable product, which lies at the intersection of what the potential customer really wants and what the market doesn’t offer.
Sales and marketing are less about persuasion and more about understanding. The trick is to know who is in your lineup and what they care about.It’s far easier to succeed at making things people want, than it is to make people want things....
Can content really accelerate sales pipeline? Yes! With the optimal end-to-end content marketing strategy it can. Here's some ideas on how this works.
Where influencers flock, practitioners can't be all that far behind -- and for a movement that might not be the rule today, social selling certainly has its fair share of champions. Research from Evolve!, Inc. commissioned by KiteDesk produced the definitive ranking of the most social salespeople ruling the internet, which was then neatly packaged into the following infographic. Read these pioneers' content, check out their profiles on LinkedIn, and keep an eye on their Twitter streams to learn how to do #SocialSelling from the best.
Early in my career, I remember our CEO calling the entire sales team into the conference room. There were about 30 of us. With tremendous enthusiasm he announced a new SPIFF program with … drumroll … a prize of $20,000! To win, each rep needed to achieve the following:
Q3 bookings of $275,000 or more
Q4 bookings of $275,000 or more
Sell 25 of any Product
Sell 10 of Product A
Sell 4 of Product B in Q3
Sell 4 of Product B in Q4
Now, even for the highest earners, a $20k bonus was nothing to laugh at. So you can imagine the excitement that rose up from the room. Everyone left determined to conquer the challenge -- exactly what our CEO wanted. But what happened next probably wasn’t what he anticipated...
...What I love about today’s Content We Love example is twofold. The company issuing the survey results, Videology, is doing a great job of promoting a piece of their own content by surfacing the newsy elements, writing a really good press release, adding an infographic and distributing the whole package to the media.
(Link to the release: Heavy Video Viewers 57% More Likely to Spend on Holiday Gifts)
However, the way the PR team packaged the story will help direct resulting any news coverage advantageously for the brand....
The internet is buzzing with companies talking about the value of content marketing. Many are confused about what the phrase means. Even those who clearly understand what content marketing can do will get stuck when it comes to actually creating the content itself. Below you’ll find some elementary basics for writing content toengage the internet-enabled reader.
Social selling is crucial for impelling purchasing decisions – so where do you begin to create a social selling routine? And why do you need one to begin with?
In this infographic from The Social Wrap by Ben Martin, we are presented with a “cheat sheet” that can aid us in building a daily social selling procedure.
As a result, this routine can provide B2B professionals with much help in lead generation, while enhancing their engagement with customers.
Below are the 12 steps to consider, which Ben Martin also accentuates in his infographic, “How To Build A Social Selling Routine – 30 to 60 Minutes Per Day.”...
Social Selling allows you to be the first to provide value. Being first gives you leverage ahead of the sale, increases your chance to participate and eventually close the sale.
Why is Social Selling so important? 1. It drives revenue. 2. You don’t really have a choice....
Years ago I read “marketing is not selling.” With the impact of technology, this statement can be easily revised to “social marketing is not social selling.”
Unfortunately a whole lot of experts are confusing many people and suggesting social marketing is something new or operates by a different foundation. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If we understand marketing is to attract attention (better yet positive awareness) and to begin to build relationships (consideration), then we can appreciate social media is a new channel or channels to attract attention and build those relationships. Also if we engage in effective marketing, then selling (purchase) can be effortless as noted by Peter Drucker....
This week, we focus on the art and science of social selling. One insight that emerged from our most recent Gartner Social Marketing Survey(subscription required) is that most digital marketers are only beginning to explore this rich tundra.
Highlighted research this week provides advice on choreographing your social selling moves: 1. How to use social behavior to trigger buying behavior 2. How to turn social marketing activities into sales 3. How to choose a social storefront....
Marketing Strategy - Nearly two-thirds (61%) of marketers say one the biggest challenges of influencer marketing is identifying the relevant persons who can truly help their brand or campaigns, according to a recent ...
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Just like anything shiny and new, social selling suffers from a fair amount of hype. And with hype comes misunderstanding.
Sales reps and leaders eager to embrace the next generation of selling tactics often jump in with both feet. While this enthusiasm is great, sometimes they dive in before they understand what social selling really is, or what they’re trying to achieve. This is a recipe for disaster.
So instead of another piece listing the benefits of social selling and the results that can be reaped through social selling tactics, I thought I’d combat some of the hype by writing on what social selling isn’t. Then business leaders can go in with a clear understanding of what they’re getting into -- and what they’re not....
Why should we care about social selling? Isn't it just another one of those buzzwords used to describe something we already know about? Isn't it just sales under a different name? If that's true then why are we seeing organisations increasingly using new digital channels as part of their sales strategy?
Maybe it's because engaging with our audiences in new ways is just more exciting than traditional sales channels as it provides a way of interacting with our potential buyers. It's also because it's a lot cheaper, digital channels allow us to reach a wider audience, with the same resources. We're having a look at who is the most influential in this up and coming topic, and figure out what brands are driving most engagement on social media....
Poor Gil.
While I doubt any salesperson today is quite as old school as Gil, many have not embraced the role that social media and online presence plays in sales today. This SlideShare from Marketing Think, replete with pictures of Ol' Gil and his unsuspecting and, in some cases, angry prospects, is brimming with statistics on the changing world of sales that might make you rethink your strategy....
The only way a sales rep can truly fail is by going into a call totally cold. Buyers just don’t have the patience to answer basic questions whose answers are readily accessible with the most cursory Googling, nor do they have time to fill you on their challenges. If you pick up the phone without gathering any background information, at best you stand to annoy the person, and at worst, to be hung up on mid-sentence. But you can be sure there’s not going to be any money exchanging hands or contracts being signed.
You might not have time to check every box on this list before a call, and that’s okay -- just make sure to check at least a few. The more you can personalize your conversation to the prospect and their business, the greater the chance that you’ll capture their interest -- and hopefully their business.
...According to the report, "social sales is cited as a priority for just over 7% of respondents. This is inconsistent with Google Trends data, which shows 'social selling' as a term rising dramatically in popularity." Is social sales more sizzle than steak , or has the practice simply not caught up with the buzz?
What remains clear is there is a missed opportunity here to capture critical contextual information that makes warm leads even warmer, particularly when you consider nearly 70% of sales professionals cite social media-sourced leads as the most important leads in the first two quarters of 2014."...
You’re probably aware of HubSpot’s presence on social media. Whether you follow our Twitter account, like us on Facebook, or are even in our Inbound Marketers LinkedIn group, you know that we take social media very seriously.
For us, social media isn’t a fad. It isn’t a practice you do only if you have time. It’s one of our main channels for lead generation and is essential to each and every stage of the inbound methodology. As part of HubSpot’s social media team, I am writing to share with you some exclusive glimpses into our social media strategy....
What’s the difference between your resume and your LinkedIn profile? For some people, the two are practically identical. Each lists work history, career accomplishments, notable projects, and perhaps a fun fact or two. Maybe your LinkedIn page has a picture on it, but otherwise, they’re the same.
But there’s a slight problem with this approach. Your LinkedIn profile isn’t an online resume.
My first pillar of social selling is moving “from resume to digital reputation,” and it requires looking at your social profiles from the eyes of the customer you’re trying to earn trust from. If you’re bragging about your quota crushing abilities or merely listing your work experience, that’s not interesting or appealing to potential clients....
Great news, marketers! A new infographic from Docurated shows that the work you do pays off: 83% of companies cite high-quality content as a top driver of winning new customers.
But there's a slight glitch in the baton handoff to Sales. Those awesome pieces you're putting out? Reps can't find them.
According to the infographic, 58% of surveyed organizations agreed that speed of RFI and RFP responses is important to signing new contracts. But unfortunately, salespeople are slowed by disorganization: 65% said the ability to quickly find content was a major sales pain point. The infographic also notes that sales reps can spend up to six and a half hours per week searching for the content they need....
Are you using Twitter for your business?
Maybe the time for Twitter is now if you consider some of the trends on this popular social media platform: - Twitter has momentum. - Revenue jumped 124 percent in the latest quarter, and it “beat the Street” estimates for user growth. - Twitter shined during the World Cup, owning the online conversation for the planet’s biggest sporting event. - It appears that Twitter is preparing a “buy now” button.
In our new Marketing Companion podcast, Tom Webster and I dissect the economics of Twitter for business and demonstrate why this might be the best time to integrate Twitter into your marketing plans....
Here's a quick list of do's and don'ts that will help you understand at a glance how to approach social selling and generate real results.
Connecting the dots in an organization’s community requires a deep understanding of how community actually forms in most businesses. It’s not about Facebook pages and catchy slogans. It’s much more subtle and requires that you start thinking about organizational elements that you’ve probably never considered before. I believe a business forms community through the following six elements....
Content - Most marketers know that the right marketing mix is crucial to success. But many fail to keep adapting the mix and focusing on their customers want and when they want...
There's a fine line between catering to consumers and being mindful of their privacy. In today's world, the connected consumer expects to be catered to throughout the purchase cycle—from the pre-shopping and planning phases straight through to the transactional and post-sale stage. Consumers' lifestyles and emotions are associated with how they make purchases, and consumers want to fully realize the self-actualization connected to the purchase cycle....
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![Meet the A-List of Social Selling [Infographic] | Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/a29kGlQjI6fe0AgiJANkmjl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
![What The Simpsons' Ol' Gil Could Learn From Social Sales [SlideShare] | Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/Norl9URo7JJbUE0nMWeFFDl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
![Is Social Selling All Hype? [Data] | Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/8p_95J23Dz-ns345olCU9jl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
![How to Use Twitter for Social Selling [SlideShare] | Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/2kkIJZP8vU8bjZpw6G1rHzl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
Great sales tools to help you sell on social media more effectively.
I agree with the basic premise of this article. The more high tech tech we become the more high touch we must be. Customers remember 10% of what you told them 20% what you showed them and 70% of how you made them feel. Customers are emotional and irrational, is your sales approach matching their needs?