Sales and marketing roles in the on-line environment

In a “bricks and mortar” trading environment there is a fairly clear relationship between marketing and sales and how the performance of each may be measured. The effectiveness of the marketing can usually be defined by a combination of end-user feedback and other response mechanisms whereas the sales performance can usually be measured in relation to achievement of sales targets, distribution data and warehouse withdrawls.

In the world of bricks and mortar, but also in a hybrid distribution model, the responsibility for achieving effective distribution largely falls upon the sales force gaining product acceptance by resellers, wholesalers, agents plus major and minor retailers. Sure, the marketing department plays its part with supporting materials like selling aids, trade and end-user advertising but it is the sales team that must get the orders.

In this scenario let us asssume that effective distribution is being achieved and the pipeline is filling. So far, so good. Company management are generally happy campers BUT the game isn’t over by any means. Very few repeat sales will occur until the product moves off the shelves and reorders occur. If they do not, or fall below expectations then although the sales personnel may be accountable for failing to follow through, marketing generally gets the blame for ineffective support. Sound familiar?

Now let’s look at the case where online sales have superceded the bricks and mortar model.

Filling the pipeline in this context will generally depend on the reach and effectivemess of the various campaigns that introduce the product/service to potential users. There will be no traditional point of sale to grab attention, not sales persons to call attention to it and convert interest to purchases.

Therefore the promises (called Value Propositions) expoused by the marketing campaign need to resonate with the characteristics and mindset of potential purchasers . No matter how wonderful the design of the website (or direct consumer advertising for that matter) it is communication of the benefits and call to action that will result in success or failure. This can only be achieved by aligning not just the website, but all advertising, user/consumer groups, associations, bulletin boards, newsletters and media involvement into complementary and effective channels.

Increadingly, “Social media” must be considered to be a primary component of the marketing mix but the selection needs to be carefully evaluated for “fit” with the mindset of potential purchasers and the message crafted accordingly. Some channels will obviously be more effective than others and as with many other media-placement considerations, objectivity will be far more appropriate than the personal preferences (and bigotry) of company and/or agency personnel.

As an example, Linkedin may well be an effective channel to reach professionals but if the product/service is essentially designed for broad-based consumer use, there may be better places to allocate funds. There are of course, several social media channels like Facebook that potentially offer an excellent way of reaching a very broad market. However, there are many sub-sections so the same criteria applies in selecting categories that resonate with the relevant target market segments. The Value Propositions themselves as well as the tone of the message need to match the characteristics and mindset of potential purchasers. One size does NOT fit all.

So what is the probable reaction of the sales personnel? The following extract from the Havard Business Review should be considered:

“Most small businesses (and most businesses are small) don’t establish a formal marketing group at all. Their marketing ideas come from company managers, the sales force, or an advertising agency. Such businesses equate marketing with selling; they don’t conceive of marketing as a broader way to position their firms.”

Adoption of proven sales techniques will be critical to the effectiveness of the marketing campaign in achieving the sales results. At its best, selling principles are arguably universal and a few of the most important are worth stating here:

a) In traditional selling, listening may be the most important of all requirements. In the online model, this means defining what prospective buyers think and want. Any and all sub-groups must be identified.

b) The customer should be motivated to buy, as distinct from the seller pushing a sale

c) A good salesperson will overcome objections by rephrasing them as questions that the prospect will find easy to answer in a positive way. Online, FAQ’s are a good way to achieve this

d) Rejection generally means that the seller has failed to present positive value propositions. It does not mean that the customer is stupid

These principles generally DO require a change of mindset on the part of the seller/marketer. It is identifying the characteristics and needs of the prospects that will form the basis of any revised strategy.

The following was written by Doug Kessler – Executive Creative Director https://velocitypartners.com/blog/the-great-shift-a-new-marketing-mindset-for-a-new-era/

"We don’t have to lie any more.

Today, honesty, transparency and authenticity dramatically out-perform the sleaze, sugar-coating and sleight-of-hand we all grew up on. (Yes, some consumer markets—like elections—still richly reward the dark arts of deception and manipulation but I’m hoping this is a transitional glitch. I’m an optimist).

In fact, for the first time in marketing history, misleading people turns out to be bad marketing. Ineffective marketing.

For the last few centuries, misleading people was built into the way marketing worked—the way it had to work. Maybe not outright deception but a kind of acceptable and expected truth-stretching

The change didn’t happen by design.

A discipline built on hype and hoodwink didn’t suddenly decide to discover integrity.

It happened as a by-product of the technologies that re-engineered marketing—chiefly the internet and analytics.

Because the new marketing tech stack is all about ruthless efficiency. Driving out waste. Figuring out what works and slitting the throat-budget of everything else.

Weirdly, against all expectation, this cold, data-vaping precision unleashed an unintended consequence.

It unleashed honesty and integrity.

Today, a new kind of marketing is emerging that starts from a completely different place than the old marketing starting point.

And it’s good.."