I Am Not My Target Market

How Well Do You Understand Your B2B Buyers?

Are Your Messages Aimed at You or your Target Market?

When my clients and I discuss ideas for marketing programs, campaigns and messaging, they often say “I don’t think I would go for that”, or “that doesn’t sound appealing to me”, or “if I were the buyer, this is what I’d want”.

Do you see a problem here?  Is it possible that buyers might want what doesn’t appeal to you or that they don’t love what you love?  Are your decisions based on your personal perceptions rather than the reality of your target audience?  If so, you won’t achieve your goals relative to the product/service that you've designed, the campaign you've launched, the channels you’ve selected, or the price points you've set.

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By John Bernardi

Unique Value Proposition Converts a Sales Proposal to a Business Proposal

A Profitable Sales Proposal Has an Excellent Executive Summary

After a lead has been nurtured to sales-ready status, the right steps are taken by the sales team to move it through the funnel.  They begin proposal discussions early, but only present their proposal when they are positioned to win politically, technically and financially.  Otherwise, they’ll join a pool of sameness and compete on price instead of leveraging the business advantages to be gained from their solution.

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By John Bernardi

Marketing Assisted Selling Helps Deal Makers

Develop Your Marketing Competency to Reach the Next Level

Sales driven companies are slanted towards transactions.  Their sales reps sell existing products to existing markets and are accountable for prospecting and account management.  They rely on the “marketing department” for sales support and are not interested in developing or acquiring a marketing competency.

Companies Evolve from Being Entrepreneurial to Having a Sales Driven Identity.

But Most Don’t Achieve Marketing Driven Status.

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By John Bernardi

Field Marketing Boosts Sales Success From Lead Generation Thru Account Management

Field Marketing Boosts Sales Rep Productivity

Successful sales professionals consistently close profitable deals and manage a healthy sales funnel while being skillful at key account marketing, customer experience management and high-profile networking.  High business acumen enables them to facilitate peer-to-peer relationships and provide market intelligence to the leadership team.  Companies that provide this class of environment are able to attract and retain top sales reps who want to be the best that they can be.

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By John Bernardi

Separate Vs. Unified Marketing, Sales and Support Teams For Each Product Line

Benefits and Disadvantages of Consolidating Customer Facing Processes

I have been involved in situations where clients have separate marketing, sales and support teams representing different product lines that are often purchased by the same buyers.  What do you think are the advantages to this approach?  What are the benefits of consolidating customer facing processes?

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Marketing Funnel Acumen Is Essential For High Marketing ROI

Apply Art and Science In Order to Generate Highly Qualified Leads For Your Sales Force

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By John Bernardi

Should You Raise Your Marketing Environment to Hallmark Status?

Excellent execution of an adequate plan will produce stronger results than adequate execution of an excellent plan.

Who will identify which changes are necessary to raise an important aspect of your business to the next level?

Who will implement your changes?

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Sales Compensation Plans Should Foster High Business Acumen

Sales Compensation Plans Should Foster High Business Acumen

Sales Acumen Is Not The Same As Business Acumen

Sales pros with high sales acumen know how to qualify and nurture prospects, and how to close deals.  They don't rely on leads generated by the marketing process, so they have a plan for approaching the right suspects in search of new prospects.  They interpret and respond well to objections and know when to persist or move on.  Only after understanding needs do they recommend a solution. Following up on each sale conveys authenticity and by quickly resolving issues they earn renewals and referrals.

High Business Acumen Is A Key Differentiator

Business acumen blends perspective in Finance [P&L and balance sheet], Market [opportunities and threats] and Strategy [goal attainment methodology].  Business acumen elevates a sales pro's position to partner when they earn the right to collaborate with customers to solve a business problem.

Sales Pros With High Business Acumen Understand How Their Company Wins

Sales compensation programs should encourage participants to develop both business and sales acumen. In addition to motivating short term behavior, these programs should also support the company's business strategy that doesn't vary much from year to year.

Participants understand that sales overhead [salary, benefits, memberships, certifications and expenses] is covered when they fully implement the process, and build a strong customer portfolio and a healthy sales funnel.  Real time feedback will keep participants on track to meeting this basic requirement.

Depending on the nature of your business, you can add the right incentives such as:

• Situational incentives i.e. off-season sales, new accounts, new market segments, etc.
• A % of gross profit is paid for closing large opportunities if the sale exceeds targeted %GP, includes a plan to close the deal, and the proposal leverages a unique value proposition.
• Achieving Annual Quota earns a budgeted commission with YTD payments.
• Participants who exceed their quota are eligible to earn a share of Company Net Profit Contribution where NPC = [Total Gross Profit - Total Sales Overhead].

By John Bernardi

Business Strategies Based On Sales Models Limit Growth

Business Strategies Based On Sales Models Limit Growth

Are you a CEO whose company implements a sales model as its underlying business strategy?  Does it provide a comfort zone that enables you to focus on the transactions that populate your P&L rather than continually nurturing the health of your customer and market portfolios?  Do you have the necessary knowledge, belief, patience and risk tolerance to invest in a growth strategy?

Growth Strategy Matrix

Are your marketing people really marketing assisted selling tacticians who create content, run promotions and  coordinate events instead of leading the growth strategy?

 

What level of marketing competency has your company achieved?

• Marketing novice
• Marketing apprentice
• Marketing practitioner
• Marketing master

What level would you like to attain?

By John Bernardi

Are Your Sales Reps Emotionally Involved?

Emotionally Involved Sales Pros Win More Big Deals More Quickly. They Also Earn Repeat Business And Referrals.

Emotionally involved sales reps are better equipped to differentiate themselves. It starts when they invest time researching a business and its power base prior to making contact.  The knowledge gained enables a solid customer-centric conversation, which sets the stage for a prospect to ask how your product or service can provide the value and benefits they need.  This knowledge can be weaved into your proposal and price negotiations.

Emotional attachment continues after the sale and throughout the customer relationship cycle.  As customer ambassador, the sales rep ensures extraordinary support and listens to customer ideas for product/service enhancements, new products and services, and suggestions for improving your touch points and making it easier to do business with your company.

When sales reps have a lot invested, it is more difficult for them to give up. What are your chances of real success, if you can't get emotionally involved?

By John Bernardi