An excellent list of some great books. I've read half of these so I guess I'm on the right track with my own professional development, woo hoo!!
The others are now on my list, definitely check them out for new ideas, processes and different ways of thinking to then incorporate into your own style and beliefs.
Are there any others that I should add to my list?
Conversation Agent
From my end, social marketing is becoming an important part of my marketing arsenal. I see it as a valueable part of the sales cycle (reminds me, I have to update a graphic on my website). In the marketing toolkit this ads a whole new dimension - the ability to connect directly with your audience. Let me know how important social media is to your plans and how you plan to incorporate it.
B2B Social Media Spending
In this age of technology and instant communications, this article really hits to the point. We cannot forget that all important handshake or personal relationship.
Take a read... Conversation Agent
Check out this posting of Greenpeace vs. Nestle from The BrandBuilder Blog. What to do/not to do on your Facebook page during a social media management disaster.
Greenpeace vs. Nestle
Excellent, quick article about some thoughts to get your goals achieved. Broken down nicely at every level, good things to think about. Happy Friday!
Conversation Agent, March 19, 2010 post
Sales Cycle Marketing. Not sure if this is an actual marketing term, but I've used it for several years. If sales and marketing aren't working together, you're not nearly as effective as you could be. Marketing needs to understand the selling cycle, and sales needs to understand that marketing provides them with tools, awareness and lead generation.
But in terms of Sales Cycle Marketing, marketers must first understand this selling cycle. Once understood, then an analysis must happen to develop an integrated marketing program that satisfys the needs of each phase of the sales cycle. Leading potential customers through the exploration and discovery stages through sale and post-sale.
Keep these things in mind and you'll more effectively reach your potential customers with the right marketing mix.
Actually, I will be in search of marketing effectiveness with a couple different regions. Heading this weekend to Switzerland, then mid-February to Japan and China. Looking to review regional strategies, make sure they're aligned with my global strategies and see what else can be done to improve effectiveness and streamline efficiencies and to make sure things are localized appropriately.
Keep you posted on the travels!
Guest blogger: Nicole Huston
Usually I am not the one to watch commercials, however, in the past month I have come across an awesome PR campaign, advertisement that blows my mind every time I see it. Shivers creep up my spine each time I run across this commercial, and I think to myself…”Self, this is fantastic PR and an awesome marketing strategy in an effort to change the value of their brand!”
If you are still in the dark of which I’m speaking of, it’s Dominos Pizza!
The company has released a series of commercials showing the truth of what people actually think of the pizza company and how Dominos Pizza has changed in an effort to win back lost customers. Changing the consumer perception is one of the hardest things to do, especially with the ease of communication and word of mouth these days. However, the company used this tactic to their advantage by using social media and commercials to alter brand perceptions.
In my high spirits for Dominos, a friend and I ordered one of their new recipe pizzas. We were completely disappointed with the whole event.
First, the employees were not supporting the “turnaround”, the deliverer actually admitted he hates Dominos Pizza and that the new recipe didn’t change much. So there is much needed brand training for all employees.
Second, they did not deliver on their promise of great cheese, actual sauce, and flavorful crust. What was seen in the commercial was not shown at this location by any means.
So, they had a great idea and campaign in place; however, the implementation was just not there. Dominos Pizza communicated the message effectively through the use of media today, the company even changed packaging, but they did not successfully implement the “Pizza Turnaround”.
See the documentary for yourself “Pizza Turnaround”
For those of you who DVR over the commercials and have not had a chance to see the commercial, watch it on YouTube. At the Door of Our Harshest Critics.
Here's some great information from a friend of mine, Mike Byers of The Byers Group. Marketers should take this to heart and truly look to bridge the gap with sales. Marketing needs to make sure their activities are trackable, measurable and actually help sales sell.
Making all those “Wishing you a Prosperous 2010!” sentiments come true
As we all settle into 2010, here’s a thought to improve your new year marketing investments. For good sport, throw this out at your next management meeting:
“What should be the 2010 Sales Goal for the Marketing Department?”
The reactions may vary from adamant protestations to showing pre-and-post brand awareness studies to dragging out stacks of spread sheets on web site “click throughs”. The reality is that, in this digital age, it is indeed possible to tie many marketing efforts directly to converted sales and, at least to some extent, shouldn’t the role of Marketing be to provide qualified leads for Sales?
Let’s take a modest approach to this last thought for 2010. Is it unrealistic to ask Marketing to have 50% of their efforts be measureable and tied to converted sales? Even if that goal is 25-30%, the benefits are significant in:
- At least moving toward a more Sales oriented/measurable mindset within Marketing (and the rest of the organization?)
- Having a common scorecard for collaborative success
- Having visibility to what efforts provided ROI and what didn’t (thus, providing data to better direct marketing investments for 2011)
If there is no openness to discuss this approach, it often points to deeper challenges including no “closed loop”, marketing campaign-through-sales processes in place, little to no CRM utilization by the sales force, no ability to measure marketing campaigns, etc. Not to worry, everyone has to start somewhere and “2010” has a nice ring to it as a milestone. To this effect, start the process by presenting the question below the next time Sales and Marketing are all together:
“What do you consider to be a “good lead”?
This is the first area where “bridging” needs to occur. Make certain that there is consensus from the discuss as to what a good lead looks like and that the definition is captured on paper. This exercise alone can help make great strides toward bringing the two, often discordant, groups together.
As detailed in the white paper “Why Marketing Throws Sales under the Bus (and how to avoid fatalities)”, by the marketing automation company, Silverpop, the challenges are fairly common and the detriment to go-to-market efforts evident:
“Much of the problem lies in marketing and sales having different definitions of what constitutes a lead. For example, marketing might consider a person who downloaded a white paper to be a lead, while sales labels that person merely a contact or information request. Generally, salespeople want to work prospects that are further along in the pipeline than merely showing interest in a topic. They prefer to jump in when prospects are at a point where they’re ready to make a buying decision. And they certainly don’t want to follow up on a supposedly “hot” lead only to be told, “Actually, I’m not looking to buy anytime soon, I was just checking out a Webinar.”
Frustration builds when lead generation becomes a numbers game. Marketing rushes to fill the pipeline at the top, with little concern for quality over quantity, believing sales can sort through the chaff. Marketing feels it’s fulfilled its responsibility of driving more leads sales’ way, not realizing that unqualified leads become a distracting nuisance to the salesperson.”
If you would like directions to the web site where Silverpop houses this white paper (it is very good) or another excellent article on the subject from our strategic partner, The Annuitas Group.
In any event, take the first step in 2010 toward accountability, visibility to your marketing investment and measurement of ROI.
At the end of 2009, I find myself reflecting and a year full of change. New child, new business venture, sold a home, bought a home, moved family from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Portland, Maine, from the suburbs to the country, working in an office to full-time home office, from a place I new everyone and everything to a clean slate.
Lots of new challenges and at some points, wasn't sure I was going to make it. But sure enough, I made it through. So with 2009 nearing the end, 2010 is wide open for new adventures, challenges and opportunities. A sort of rebirth of everything now that the 2009 dust is settling. I can't wait.
So as you're thinking at this year's end yourself, remember:
Personally, look back and reflect, but also look forward and wonder what awaits.
Professionally, reflect as well, how did things go and where can you improve going forward?
Relationships, value them all.
Happy holidays and giddyup!