Recently, I came across an interesting column in a national marketing publication. The writer indicated that marketing programs don't perform well because of 'business marketers' dogmatic belief that 'selling is the only form of marketing I need to do.''
This is an amazing statement because our experience at Graham Communications is quite different. As we see it, the problem is failing to achieve the benefits of marketing because the emphasis is always on sell, sell, sell.
Do any of these phrases sound familiar?
- 'Keep dialing for dollars. You'll hit a live one eventually.'
- 'Just make more cold calls. You'll find the needle in the haystack.'
- 'Make the sale and move on.'
- 'It's all a matter of numbers. Make enough calls and you'll make your quota.'
- 'Keep focused on what you want to sell.'
Given this sales philosophy, should it be surprising that serious customer loyalty problems exist, it's more difficult to retain business, and customers are less trusting and far less satisfied?
It's not a faulty marketing philosophy that creates these conditions. It's a flawed sales approach. Think about it:
- Salespeople are congratulated for getting an appointment after the 200th cold call.
- Salespeople are rewarded for going back 10 times to finally nab the prospect.
- Salespeople are applauded for calling prospects to say, 'I'm going to be in your neighborhood next Wednesday.'
- Salespeople are recognized for making the sale, even if it doesn't meet the customer's needs.
- Salespeople are promoted for meeting their quota even though they've lost half their current customers.
The message is clear: When there's inadequate marketing support, selling depends on flawed techniques. Customers aren't stupid, despite the way many are treated. Why should they be loyal? Why should they be patient? Why should they be trusting?
Good marketing helps answer these questions-making it much easier for the sales staff to sell, not connive. Marketing and sales (people who say it the other way around inadvertently express the problem) should have a unified strategy, a single vision. When this happens, everyone benefits-including customers.