Marketing (with class)

7 tips on setting up the sale Without sales you have no business. No matter how brilliant your product or idea. How do you do it with class? These 7 tips come from notes gathered in a Seattle conversation with: Do My Reminders co-founder Sally J. Vilardi, Skytap’s chief marketing ofﬁcer Steve Brodie, and Zango’s senior vice president of worldwide sales Rip Warendorf. The ideas they shared in 2008 hold true today more than ever. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Be objective. Ditch bad ideas. Don’t get caught up in emotion. Set measurable targets for your sales. Be willing to adjust and re- assess to the reality that emerges when you check numbers down the line. Getting too many re- quests for small projects? Con- sider a self-service option that’s available only online. If something isn’t working, lose it. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Take the long view. Sales and marketing are different. Stay attuned. Sure, at the end of the day it’s important to get customers. But it’s also about keep- ing them. Think beyond getting your ﬁrst dollar in the door. Think about how to offer great service to the customers you already have. Customer retention pays back manyfold. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Know the customer. It doesn’t have to be a fancy proﬁle. Can you identify your customer? Can you tell us what they like to do on a night out, where they want to vacation, how they like their eggs? Maybe it’ll take some time to work this out. Be willing to step out of a predetermined box. Later, be able to stay on track with what you know about your buyers. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Don’t overpromise. Do what you say you will. Know what you’re about, but also be clear what you’re not about. Be able to say, “My product does this. And no, it doesn’t do that.” Many people try to sell something they plan to develop “eventually.” Don’t do this. Deﬁnitely don’t tell people you’re going to do something and then not do it. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Know the problem. Find out where the pain point is. Customers see you as a guide. Do you know what problem you’re trying to solve for them? How can you be most useful? You want to hear them say, “Wow, you can do that? That’s exactly what I need.” These people will be your best advocates. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Build a case. Build relationships. Build trust. Tell a good story. Be willing to set up “introductory pricing” to get a few clients on board. Then build your case studies. Ask people to write references. Nicely. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Pay attention. People want to be heard. Great marketing isn’t about pushing sales. You don’t need to get on the phone and press mes- sages into the ears of other people. That sounds like, “Blah blah.” to them. Remember all those tele- marketers who call at 5pm on the dot? Good salesmanship is about listening and learning. Not so much about you, but them. Talk to people. Ask questions. Learn, listen. DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

Want to know more? Read this book Integrity Selling for the 21st Century, by Ron Willingham. For more on well-rounded brand design, talk to Design Kompany. letsplay@design-kompany.com http://www.designkompany.com DESIGNKOMPANY.COM

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Marketing (with class)

by Design Kompany on Mar 17, 2010

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Marketing (with class) — Document Transcript