Business Management - Marketing/Sales

If last week’s (roller derby) post was wild and crazy, this week’s will be much tamer. Because we are going to talk about your behavior when you are spending time talking with your clients and prospects. Boring!

Of the many Sales Challenges my clients face, and subsequently complain about, I think “unreturned voice mail messages” is probably numero uno. Here are the top three reasons why no one is returning your voice mail:

Planning is difficult. It’s tedious hard work. It wears me out just thinkin‘ about it. It works best when you follow certain steps, and our next step is listing your personal sales strengths and weaknesses.

With everyone’s schedules jammed with things to do and places to be, it’s no wonder that strategic market planning, particularly the long-range kind, might not make it to the top of your to-do list. If it’s not, it is a sure sign that somewhere down the road your company may pay a price.

The response rates of your survey will likely vary with the vehicle you use to contact potential respondents. Consider trying a combination of survey contact methods, including phone interviews and mailed questionnaires, to determine which are most effective.

The Internet has changed the game when it comes to voicing your opinion. If you don’t manage your reputation online, you may wake up with a brutal comment at the top of the search results for your company.

When I get behind the eight ball on a high-priority project and I dial the number of my go-to print provider, the exact words I want to hear from a service provider at such a time are simply:

In this session, you will begin to develop individual sales plans for the balance of 2011. If you believe that you already have a plan in place, I hope you will come to understand that static plans are worthless.

Here’s an idea. Be different by being “old school.” But you have to show clients why they should take a step back rather than two forward. It’s all about the applications and uses for print; uses they forgot about.

Market research and data collection are crucial to answering important marketing questions. Start your investigation by gathering as much secondary data as possible. If the data you require doesn’t exist or is outdated, consider doing your own survey research.