Marketing and Sales Enablement Programs

With the economy under increasing stress, many companies are finding that tactical marketing programs (for a look-ahead period of 12 to 18 months) are the most cost-effective use of their marketing dollar. Too much will change (even within that timeframe) to attempt to plan for a longer horizon.

Also - building marketing programs on the key reasons as to why your customers buy from you will help put the many marketing tools (such as social media, video, advertising, public relations) in the correct priority for your competitive environment, your customers, your offerings - and your budget.

A third element is the often-elusive sales and marketing alignment - so that your marketing is supporting your sales team - not going off in a different direction. Only if your sales process (how your sales team actually sells) is reflected in your marketing messaging, content and programs will you attain marketing and sales alignment. That requires a marketing advisor who understands sales process.

A theme that is currently in vogue is that the Internet has changed the buying environment because the customer is now in charge with greater information. That reasoning overlooks two very key issues: First, simply access to raw information is far different than understanding what that information means in context (what it means to your situation), and secondly, the fact that a savvy sales team will always be ahead of the public information curve (commonly known as re-visioning) on issues of changing technology, their company's product road map and other unique competitive factors. Leveraging this knowledge in the marketing program is critical for support of the sales process.

We work with clients in the business-to-business technology or difficult-to-sell markets, and support them with marketing projects and programs that support sales. Our services include primary and secondary market research, tactical marketing programs and marketing public relations which focuses on the marketing and sales support aspects of public relations. We also help clients evaluate marketing tools - such as social media (digital marketing), video, public relations - for their marketing. We find that often these tools are mis-applied, and in some cases, not appropriate for the given competitive environment. This is often due to the lack of a sales orientation.

Our work is always distinguished by a research component - no 'secret sauce' or other such imaginary illusions. Our programs and recommendations are backed by facts from our clients' sales team, customers, competition and markets.

Our messaging and programs follow the general structure of Solution Selling® - in other words, customer visualization of your solutions for their business problems. We have found that this is the most accurate method for consistent messaging and marketing results.

For both market research and marketing programs, we use a diagnostic approach {our Sales Autopsy ^SM}, that serves to map out the customer thinking and the customer buying process. This process highlights the messages that will reach similar customers, and we implement these through marketing and public relations programs in support of sales.

We help our clients visualize how their products will be sold (the first step in the solution selling process) diagnose and anticipate the marketing, sales and public relations issues, and then build flexible marketing and public relations programs that can be adjusted quickly as the market changes.

Our clients benefit from our 20+ years of consulting experience in marketing and public relations programs for many forms of technology, professional services, construction and design. This experience, backed by technical and sustainability credentials (BSME, LEED AP and experience with Solution Selling® methodology) provides our clients with rapid insights and actionable programs.