In this series of blog posts we investigate the people you are most likely blaming for your marketing woes.
Our next target is your Sales Manager.
When sales are flat, you’ll often hear the pitter patter of little sales people’s feet in your office asking for permission to discount your products or services.
That’s fair enough because the only power they have in your system is the power to discount. They are probably being told by their customers that your offer is too expensive. The problem is that their customers are not entirely sure why they’re not buying from you. You’re just not grabbing them and there’s no sense of desire or urgency.
You’ve got to feel sorry for the poor sales team. They might have a good product and customers are out there. They’re just not buying.
But … I hear you ask … If I have BETTER sales people, they will fix the problem.
However amazing sales people are extremely hard to find, and what we want to do is to make your sales team’s job easier. Putting them under more pressure and getting cranky when they don’t deliver is never the answer.
There’s a caveat here. If the sales team are giving you feedback concerning a product problem, no matter how brilliant your brand strategy is, it will never fix a sub-par product. As my Dad used to say, you can’t polish a turd.
But if you have a good product, but your brand needs work, what you CAN do is fix the brand problem first. Then you’ll see your sales team turn around.
In any of these examples, the magic bullet is not to fire your marketing manager. It’s not going to fix the underlying cause of your ineffective marketing. So stop rehearsing your first warning, cancel the appointment with your HR Manager and have a cup of tea.
Here’s the problem:
- Without a Brand Strategy, your marketing budget is lost at sea without a rudder.
- Your Marketing Manager and agencies have no map.
- Your Sales Team is hiding below deck.
- Your budget is set by spinning the ship’s wheel.
- And your website and graphics are like a ripped sail.
But most importantly, as the Captain, you have abandoned ship!
What you CAN do now, is provide your marketing team with the time and space to go back to the foundations and prepare a brand strategy. It’s not productive to keep blaming others. You have the ability to take control now and lead your team.
Start by downloading my e-book, The Case of the Missing Sales. It’s free and it will set you on the right path.
