I write about strategies to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, influence minds, and build business.
Successful sales and marketing no longer follow the playbooks that worked even just a few years ago. The rules have changed, yet most organizations and the sales and marketing professionals they employ haven't made the transition.
The way people buy changed many years ago. All of us — you, me, and all our existing and potential customers — turn to the web to solve problems.
Last week, we received a letter from our home heating oil supplier, Cubby Oil & Energy. The letter was heartfelt, honest, and provided valuable information.
The biggest mistake I see with sales and marketing (and I see it all the time) is when companies focus too much on their own products and services.
When you can buy most anything you want online, the retailers who serve us seem interchangeable. But they don’t have to be. Recently I placed my first order with Sweetwater, a music instrument and pro audio retailer, and was amazed by how well they treated me.
Back in the day, only people in the sales department worked with potential customers. Most big companies still do it this way. However, with the popularity of instant engagement via social networking, we’re all in sales now.
Your salespeople should assume that they are the last place a buyer goes, not the first. They must assume that very little of their knowledge is proprietary.
What’s the deal with so many companies sending surveys after you interact with them? In the past few days, I’ve been hit up for “my opinion” from Audi, Fidelity, Hilton, American Airlines, and UPS.
Marketing and Sales Strategist, entrepreneur, advisor to emerging companies, and bestselling author of 10 books including "The New Rules of Marketing & PR".
