Two marketing experts from the Association for Consulting Expertise advise a reader on how marketing can, and cannot, boost sales. It takes more than good marketing to get revenue results.
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Q: We have a great marketing strategy but are not seeing the result in sales. We’ve really put it out there with a solid brand identity and message. We’re tracking our website clicks with Google Analytics. We have an editorial calendar for our blog and newsletter. What are we doing wrong?
ACE Advises: You are not doing anything wrong. You are, however, assuming that marketing and sales activities are the same and confusing the intent of each. While both marketing and sales support your overall mission and strategy, the tactics and measurements needed are different.
Marketing is company-focused: It communicates your brand identity and message.
Sales is customer-focused: When you approach a potential customer you need to convince the customer that his, her or its need can be filled by your unique value proposition.
Marketing promotes who you are, make it easy for customers to find you, and allows you to measure your reach. Your brand, your message, your website, and your newsletter are opportunities to communicate your brand personality, which must appeal to your target audience.
Success is measured in reactions, not dollars. In the digital world you can measure your audience response down to the click. You can determine whether a marketing campaign makes an impression. How many people enter their email address into your pop-up page? How many later unsubscribe from your newsletter?
One way or another sales are measured in revenue, or revenue opportunities. To have an impact on revenue your sales team must understand the customer need and demonstrate how your product or service can fill that need. A sales process is critical to the success of any organization and always starts with the customer need.
For more on this topic, see “Marketing vs. Sales” at consultexpertise.com/blog/11140135.
Tom Renehan, an ACE board member and principal at Yarmouth-based Tom Renehan Coaching and Leadership Development, can be reached at tom@tomrenehan.com.
Tom Morgan, an ACE Member, is an Ocean Park-based certified sales leader and an outsourced/fractional vice president of sales. He can be reached at tmorgan@salesxceleration.com.
