Get Marketing Synced with Sales

You make money is by turning prospects into customers and customers into repeat and bigger customers.

Clearly, your sales team is the heart of this effort, or is it?

If your strategy for converting leads means handing them off to the sales team, then yes, that team needs to convert. But, if your marketing and sales teams work together to identify where prospects fall in their buying cycle, then you have a big leg up!

Get Marketing Synced with Sales

Assigning a salesperson to close a prospect while the prospect is in information gathering mode is likely to backfire. Think about all the times a retail salesperson has asked if you need help and you've responded, "I'm just looking." Were you just looking, or were you really just trying to avoid dealing with a salesperson because you weren't yet ready to buy? The same happens all the time in business!

What if the salesperson instead said, "All of our sales items are over there," and left it at that? You'd probably head over to the sales items, relieved that the salesperson isn't on your tail!

You need to think of your leads in the same way. Most are perfectly capable of finding you when they are ready to buy, but they might not know where to find the information they are looking for while they are moving through their buying process. It's your job to help them find it!

This is where the link between sales and marketing becomes crucial. The most important thing a salesperson can do to help nurture an early-stage prospect is to connect that prospect with informational, non-salesy, content. Help the prospect through the education phase, turning your company from a veder into a resource!

Marketing needs to keep sales stocked with white papers, case studies, research data, and other information that stretches the arsenal beyond features, benefits, and pricing. Marketing also needs to thave turn=key lead nurturing campaigns ready to go for each product or service you offer

Sales needs a way to plug prospects into automated, lead-nurturing email campaigns without having to involve the marketing team at every step.

One of the best ways we've found to do this is through the implementation of HubSpot marketing software. We use it to create multiple lead nurtuting campaigns, and pull leads through their buying process. We know what information our customers generally need as they make buying decisions.

HubSpot allows us to deliver information pro-actively, in a pre-determined order, on a pre-determined schedule, all the while keeping track of the actions our prospects are taking with the information. After we have helped buyers get through the information gethering stage, a sales rep is then flagged to reac out directly on the phone to see if there is more information the prospect needs.

This process keeps our sales and marketing synced, and most importantly, keeps us from trying to close sales before the buyer is ready to buy.

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, HubSpot, Marketing, Sales, Lead Conversion

How to Use Traditional Media in a Social Media World

Posted by jon yoffie

"Don't tell me who I might reach, tell me exactly who I have reached, so I can follow them up and sell them something... even if that means losing a ton of 'untrackable' sales."

This is the conundrum facing traditional media in a social media world - the world I lived in for 25+ years before launching Domino Theory. Advertising in traditional media is all about Reach, Frequency, and Cost per Thousand. It's about intruding on an audience that is previously engaged in the hopes that your message is sufficiently interesting that it will be viewed as a value-add.

While research can be done to show that your message is being delivered to the proper audience, the problem is that it assumes I am interested in your product or service right now! So what's the answer? How should marketers use traditional media?

In a Smarter Business Communications plan, advertising should do two things: Drive awareness and drive action.

Driving Awareness
If you include pre- and post-awareness research as part of your marketing program, traditional media can be a great tool. After all, people need to be aware of your product before they can educate themselves about it. However, it you're not asking customers and prospects the right questions, how can you justify your traditional ad buy?

Driving Action
Sales are the ultimate action step (well, unless you count re-purchases and referrals). But before your customer gets to the purchase, they go through a number of other steps, and none more important than Education.

So what would it look like if you assume the Awareness piece and focus on Education as your Action? What would you want your traditional ad to accomplish?

First, you need a measurable objective (if you can't count it, why do it?). Let's just say you want your prospect to learn more about your product or service. How could you accomplish this? It's really pretty easy, offer the information they will need before they are able to make a buying decision!

BUT, don't put that information in your ad! Offer the information, for free, on your web site. (Your web site isn't a 21st century Yellow Pages ad, is it?).

This is the first step toward turning your untrackable sales into trackable leads. The white paper, product info, video, pictures, slidshow, webinar, or whatever tool you're using to educate your audience is free, but in exchange you ask for an e-mail address. You now have a prospect with whom you can communicate (if they won't give you an e-mail address, either your offer is not meeting their needs, or they weren't a good prospect to begin with!).

You now are starting to collect actionable data from your traditional advertising. Of the people you reached, how many took action? (If the numbers aren't what you needed, you need to review your message, your offer, and your media buy). How many asked for more information?

Traditional advertising still serves an important role in your advertising and marketing programs, but only if you use it to drive traffic to your inbound marketing funnel!

If you enjoyed this post and found it informative and useful, please use the buttons below to share it via e-mail and on your social networks.

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Marketing, Content Marketing, Inbound marketing, social media, Communications, Customer Acquistion, plan, Business, El Dorado Hills, Sacramento, Folsom, El Dorado County

Know the 6 Steps in Your Customer's Buying Cycle

Posted by jon yoffie

Do you have a sales process? Unless you're just winging it, you likely track your sales prospects through a series of steps until they purchase - or not. Perhaps you call it a sales funnel, lead nurturing, or have another name for it. When you built this process, did you consider that your customers also have a buying process? Does your sales process mirror the buying process?

A buying process? At Domino Theory: Smarter Business Communications we coach our clients to mirror the buying the process rather than force your buyers through your sales process. Let's take a look.

Forget about your customers for a minute and think about yourself - we're all making buying decisions all the time. What is the process your buying journey takes?

Whether we're buying a new pair of shoes, a new car, or a new backpacking tent, we generally will travel the same path. If you keep this path in mind during your sales process, you'll be able to lead your customers through the process, helping them with the right information at the right time leading to the decision that fits their needs - a purchase of your goods or services!

It could very well be a new watch, pair of shoes, bottle of wine, or a skateboard for your son, the process is typically similar. To simplify this, let's look at the 6 Steps in a typical car purchase.

Interest
Your lease is up, your car is spending too much time in the shop, or you just want a shiny new car with all the latest technology. Whatever your reason, you have developed an interest in buying a new car (new car, used car, it doesn't really matter, the process is the same). This stage can be short (your lease is up, your engine seized, etc), or longer (you want to replace your vehicle, but have no urgency). Whatever the reason, you have developed an interest in purchasing a vehicle.

Educate
The next step on our buying path is to educate ourselves. With so much information available online, the Internet is the go-to place where most of us begin to research. Some people check the car sites, some read safety information, others want to know about performance, reliability, or fuel efficiency. We look at pictures, color options, interiors finishes.

We also seed advice from friends, family, and even strangers. We ask questions of people who own a similar make and model. perhaps we visit bulletin boards online or post questions to our Facebook friends. How many people does it seat? How comfortable is it? How much does it cost? What are the advantages of buying new versus used?

Ultimately we visit the dealer or a private seller. Here we continue to educate ourselves. We inspect the car, get brochures, ask more questions, and more likely than not get hit with a sales pitch that makes uncomfortable (because we're still educating ourselves, we're not ready to make a decision yet!!)

Have you noticed how long and and extensive the education process can be? This is why Domino Theory is such a strong believer in Content Marketing! Ultimately, though, we are ready to move to the next step.

Transfer
Finally, we're ready to get behind the wheel for a test drive. Ownership has been transferred, at least temporarily. This is the same thing as when we try on a new pair of shoes or listen to music sample on iTunes. When you try the free samples at Costco, the seller knows you are one step closer to making a purchase decision.

While that 5-minute test drive around the block gives us information about the car, it also allows us to take ownership of the vehicle and see how it feels to own it. Some people want to crank the stereo, others step on the gas and give it a go, while others just want to get a feel for how they look in the car - do people check it out?

Justify
We've reached the 5th step of our purchasing journey. Can we justify the purchase? Do I really need a new car? Can I really afford it? Should I be buying used? Should I be buying a new car? Do I really want an SUV with gas prices where they are? Can I fit all my stuff in this little hybrid? Do I really need all the performance? Is red too flashy? Will silver look clean longer? Can I buy a used car from someone I've never met before?

A lot of times our purchasing process ends here. If we can't justify the purchase, it's time to go back and Educate ourselves further and cycle through the process again. Think about how man pair of shoes you've put back in the box and handed back to the sales person, how many boxes of cereal you've put back on the shelf, how many restaurants your didn't walk into after reading the menu outside. You couldn't justify the purchase even though there was a product that potentially satisfied your needs.

If you are able to Justify, you finally move to the final stage.

Decide
You're ready to buy. No one "closed" you with a hard sell - or if they did, you were still able to justify your purchase. You drive home in your new car, and you immediately become part of someone else's Education process as they check out your new car and ask you questions about it and where you got it.

This sounds familiar, doesn't it? Now apply this process to your customers and their purchasing process. What can you do to Interest them, Educate them, to get them to sample your offering, to demonstrate the ROI, and ultimately to Decide that your product and service is just what they were looking for?

When you align your sales process with your customers' buying process, you are able to hold thier hand and pull them to the next step. If you know they're interested, help educate them. If you know they are educated, give them a way to sample try out what you're offering. Once they've tried it, validate why your service meets the criteria they've shared with you.

Then, close the deal!

If you have enjoyed this post and found it useful, please use the buttons below to share it with your social networks and forward to friends.

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Marketing, Content Marketing, Inbound marketing, Facebook, Communications, Customer Acquistion, Business, El Dorado Hills, word-of-mouth, strategic, customers, Sacramento, Folsom, Smarter, El Dorado County

8 Steps to a Smarter Business Communications Plan

Posted by jon yoffie

At Domino Theory we continually are talking to businesses that have no formal communications plan or strategy. Many of these businesses are moving as fast they can to running day-to-day operations and while they'd like to have a communications plan, they view it as a "soft" business area meaning it would be nice to have, but not necessary to profitable operations.

Domino Theory's response?
- Define profitable.
- How profitable do you want to be?
- How much more profitable could you be?

Studies conducted over the last two decades suggest that formally documenting a company's communication strategies positively impacts the bottom line. In fact, consulting firm Watson Wyatt found that companies with the "highest levels of effective communication experienced a 26 percent total return to shareholders" over a four-year period as compared to the "-15 percent return experienced by firms that communicate least effectively," as reported in "The Essentials of Corporate Communications and Public Relations," published by the Harvard Business School Press.

Putting together a Smarter Business Communications Plan does not need to be a daunting exercise nor does it need to dominate your working hours. Done correctly, taking your business through the following steps will have benefits far beyond the development of a Communications Plan.

Domino Theory's Smarter Business Communications Planning

Objective
Define your desired outcome. Be specific. More customers isn't enough. How many more? Over what time frame? Are some customers more profitable than others? How are they different? Are you looking to grow a market or grow share in an existing market? What is your current competitive situation? Who are the leaders and laggards in your market? What are they doing better, worse and differently than you? It would be highly beneficial at this stage to complete an entire SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). How do customers find you? Why do they leave? Research shows word-of-mouth to be the number one influence among purchasers. Keep this in mind as you shape your communications objectives. Most importantly, always tie your communications objectives to business objectives.

Resources
What resources of time and money can you allocate to a communications plan? Should you manage this in-house or contract with an outside firm like Domino Theory? There are benefits to both approaches, but if keeping the process in-house means you won't get around to getting a Smarter Plan in place, be honest with yourself. Even if you outsource, you will need to dedicate time in your calendar each week and month for status updates and evaluation, so don't expect to be able to hand off the process completely.

Audit Your Current Communications
Take an inventory of all of your current communications. Get copies of every every piece of collateral, print outs of web pages, social media pages, signage, logos, promo pieces, etc. What is working? What isn't? What is being neglected? What is current? What is out of date? What are you doing well? What are you doing poorly? Do an honest evaluation and build from what you have already created.

Define Your Audiences
Most businesses will have multiple audiences to address through a Smarter Communications Plan. Internal audiences, existing customers, past customers, potential customers, and influencers are among the audiences you should consider for your plan.

Craft Your Message
You will likely find that there is significant crossover of the messaging for the various audience segments you've defined. Each segment is likely at a different stage of their buying cycle (Interest, Educate, Trial, Purchase, Reaffirm). A well crafted message can often speak to each segment of the cycle eliminating the need to create a new message for each. Testing your messaging at this stage is an important step that is overlooked by too many businesses. Include A/B testing in your plan. Testimonials can also be very powerful, ask for them from satisfied customers.

Select Your Communications Channels
Advertising, brochures, flyers, web sites, e-mail, and social media are often the first channels that come to mind. But don't overlook verbal communications - are there conversations within your place of business and with your audiences that you can start now? Can signage and logos be better displayed? Start with the basics and move from there.

Build a Communications Timeline
Which of your communications elements should roll out first? Which will take longer to create and implement? Set priorities and deadlines. Commit to your dates!

Measure and Tweak
None of the above matters if you don't have the tools in place to measure your progress. If you set measurable objectives against time in Step 1 (above) you now can measure the success of your program. Keep rolling with what works and tweak and evolve the elements that aren't delivering as expected. Be sure you are measuring both business and communications objectives. The feedback you get from this sage of the implementation is your roadmap as you revisit each of the steps outlined above.

Remember, a product, service, or business strategy that is not widely and skillfully communicated to company stakeholders is likely to limp along and eventually fail or simply disappear. Don't short sell yourself or your business by not letting the world know what you do and how good you are at doing it. The only one who will be happy with that strategy is your competition!

For a free consultation on your Smarter Business Communications Plan, contact us through the form below or fill out our interactive planning worksheet online here. [contact-form-7 id="541" title="Contact form 1"]

1 Comment Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Marketing, Content Marketing, Content, Communications, Customer Acquistion, plan, Business, word-of-mouth, blog, time management, strategic, customers, advocates, Smarter

What's Your Customer Retention Plan?

Posted by jon yoffie

I'm a bit of wine geek. I think it comes from being a northern Californian and having been in or near wine country much of my life. Like my fellow wine geeks among you, I have my a list of wines and wineries that make up my favorites and go-to wines, but I am always on the lookout for something new to try.

Dave, who runs the local wine shop knows this. There's not an occasion that I walk into his shop when he doesn't point out to me that a new vintage of one my favorites has arrived and he has set a few bottles aside. "Let me go grab them for you," he'll say, "and while you're waiting, have a taste of this new wine I just got in, you're going to love it!"

These simple techniques have made me a loyal and regular customer of Dave's. He has spent the time to understand what I like, he makes me feel important by setting aside wine, "just for me," and he knows I'm curious about new wines so he makes sure he has something around for me to try.

Dave knows that a regular customer like me will buy multiple bottles on many occasions making me a more valuable customer than a walk-in who buys one and perhaps never returns. He spends significant time and energy to make sure that the value and experience he offers me exceeds anything I would typically get if I were to walk into a shop where no one knows me. In return, Dave not only gets a repeat customer, but one who willfully sends friends and acquaintances to Dave's shop.

How are you working to retain your best customers? If you measure the total lifetime value of your best customers, you'll realize that a customer retention program should be a top priority.

A good customer retention program will have these elements:

A customer database. By keeping track of your customers you'll learn their buying habits and needs and be better able to serve them pro-actively. You will also be able to measure their value to your company over time.

Regular communication. No matter how good a customer you think they are, you should expect that your competition is courting them. Make sure you stay front and center. Use newsletters, e-mail, and phone calls to keep customers up to date on new products and services and to pro-actively address any problems. Where appropriate, in-person visits are even better. Make sure you solicit feedback to ensure your business is meeting expectations. Don't reach out only when you have something new to sell, make the success of their business a key piece of yours.

Rewards for loyalty. Depending on your business, use frequent purchase programs and coupons for repeat customers. Explore discounts based on volume purchasing or other value-add services. Provide white papers or special research that will help your customer improve their business. Even a small gesture will make an impression and let your customers know that you will continue to work hard to earn their business.

An acceptance that complaints are an opportunity to learn. Most customers will never complain - even if they are unhappy. View complaints as an opportunity to show your customers that you are committed to customer service. View complaints as an opportunity to improve your products and service.

Barriers to exit. Making it difficult for your customers to leave can be a strong retention tool and can even enhance customer satisfaction provided your tactics are ethical and not sleazy. Use exit penalties in contracts, product upgrades, and customized solutions. However, be sure that you don't become callous with these tactics or you risk alienating your customers and scaring away new ones.

Promotion materials that recognize your customers. Case studies, white papers and testimonials are a great way to highlight your customers. Let the spotlight shine on them. Not only will they appreciate the exposure you provide, but they will likely share it with potential new customers that would also benefit from your products and services.

Research shows that you will spend 5x more to acquire a new customer than you will to retain and satisfy an existing one. A 5% reduction in customer turnover can result in a 25%-125% increase in profits depending on the industry. The #1 reason customers change vendors is due to a perceived attitude of indifference on the part of the service provider.

While you're pondering how you will implement your customer retention plan, I think I'll run down to Dave's wine shop to see what goodies he has for me this week!

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Communications, plan, word-of-mouth, strategic, customers, advocates, Uncategorized

5 Key Steps to a Smarter Communications Plan

Posted by jon yoffie

As Winston Churchill said, "He who fails to plan is planning to fail."

Successful businesses don't happen by accident. Hard work and long hours put against a plan towards a set objective is the most successful path. A key element, often overlooked or neglected, is a communications plan that integrates internal and external communications, educational programs and advocacy.

If you believe like we do that people want to connect with you, not buy from you, a communications plan needs to be a priority. Follow this plan for Smarter Business Communications and your business reap the rewards!

These 5 steps will set you up to be pro-active and strategic and keep you from falling into the trap of reacting to events all around you.

1. Recognize that each of your organization's efforts has a communications element. Communications is key to every aspect of your business. Hiring, training and retaining employees, product development and testing, internal reporting, and attracting and keeping profitable customers are just some of areas where an ongoing communications plan is critical to your business success.

2. Set your communications goals. For each group with whom you communicate, set a clear objective. Why do you want to communicate with this group and what should be the outcome of your successful communications program? Your audience list should include groups within your organization, partner companies and investors, current customers, targeted customers, key influencers, and the press. You may find that one plan can serve multiple groups, but you'll likely find that different groups are served best by different tactics. For instance internal audiences might be fine with a weekly e-mail blast while the press will require a properly structured press release and follow up.

3. Dedicate time and staff. Messages must be timely, relevant, and consistent. Employee newsletters, customer facing blogs, press releases, Facebook updates, staff meetings, investor relations, and sales materials make up a good list to start with for your program. Add to the list as you identify your businesses unique needs. Set a publishing schedule and stick to it. It's too easy to get distracted by the emergency of the moment. Consistency will drive the success of your communications plan.

4. Develop content that adds value. Your cusomers don't want to be continually bombarded with your latest products. Do that and you become white noise that's skipped over (like you do your self every single day with messages that aren't relevant). Instead of selling, find ways to highlight employees, customers, and partners. Deliver content that your readers can use to better thier businesses. Become a resource. There are e-mails and blogs that you rarely go a day without checking in on. Your goal is become one of those for your customers!

5. Measure, evaluate, revise. Pay attention to the feedback. Use online tools to measure engagement. Run A/B copy splits to determine how your audience reacts differently to different messages and delivery. Continually tweak and improve your plan.

By starting with these 5 key steps, you'll be on your way to creating an environment of happier, better informed employees, more engaged and connected customers, and a stronger list of new business prospects!

Domino Theory: Smarter Business Communications welcomes your feedback. You can e-mail us through the link at the top of this page and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dominothry

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Communications, plan, strategic, customers

Should Your Business be Using Social Networks?

Posted by jon yoffie

In a word - YES!

Chances are you have a personal Facebook account - in fact, more than 750 million people do! You probably even have a LinkedIn account - another 100 million users! In a two months, Google+ has over 20 million more!

Think about these numbers. What is the likelihood that, no matter what kind of business you're in, your customers are using one or more social networks? I'd venture the chances are close to 100%!

Big business already knows this: Marriott shifted 50% of its 2011 marketing dollars to digital, Pepsi replaced its 2011 Super Bowl advertising with a social media campaign, Starbucks has over 24 million Facebook fans!

For as long as there has been research on marketing and media, the #1 driver of new customer conversions has been word-of-mouth communication. Your best resource for growing your business is your current, satisfied customer base. Social media is nothing more than a tool that improves communication with your customers and gives them a forum to advocate for your business. Who wouldn't want that? Like any successful business venture, though, launching your business page on any of the social networks requires a plan.

1. Think about what we learned before: Social networks are a way to activate your customer base to create advocates for your business. This must be the key driver of your initiative. This is not a traditional advertising venue - you will not succeed if the focus of your social messaging is the selling of your products and services. Your job is to connect with your audience and create interaction. Engage your customers in a dialog, speak to them like you would if you bumped into them at the grocery store. This is your chance to make them an important part of your business community.

2. Make a commitment. A set it and forget it strategy does nothing more than turn your page into a 21st Century Yellow Pages Ad. Your social network activities reflect directly on your business. A neglected page will not only stunt audience growth, it may even turn off existing customers. Your page must be monitored, updated, and measured.

3. Get creative. Use videos you have from events, trade shows or even those supplied by vendors. Give exposure to your customers. Post photos and interesting links. Don't make the mistake of thinking the page needs to be all about you and your business. Think about how you would create a place where your customers would want to hang out in real life and apply those ideas to your page.

4. Educate yourself. There are numerous tools available that can help make your page more attractive and "sticky." Spend some time on the more popular Facebook pages and get a feel for what is possible. You don't need to copy everything you see, but I promise the few minutes you spend will be an eye opening experience!

5. Measure your progress. There is much more to the success of your page than collecting fans. There are many free and inexpensive tools that help measure the level of engagement you are building with your base. Take advantage of them. Test different approaches to see what works best for you and continue to innovate.

A recent study shows that 64% of small business owners think social media is unnecessary. If you are in the 36% you have a 2-1 advantage over companies lagging behind. In today's business environment, that is too big an advantage to hand to your competitors!

Remember, social networks are nothing more than a tool for building word of mouth and advocacy. If you could put your customers to work helping you to sell your products and services, why wouldn't you?

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, social media, word-of-mouth, Social, customers, advocates, web

Is Your Web Site a 21st Century Yellow Page Ad?

Posted by jon yoffie

A web site to todays business is like a Yellow Page ad is to yesterdays. Too often it is static communication that gets updated infrequently, if ever. It is a one-way communication that you hope your customers will stumble upon so they can read about how great your business is.

Have you read your web site from the perspective of your customer? If you stripped it of your brand, how does it differentiate your business from that of your competition? How many visitors are you getting? Are you capturing visitors and converting them to leads?

Properly designed and executed, a web site will help establish your expertise and build your customer and prospect lists. It should add value to your customers, not just to you!

Are you rewarding your customers for visiting? Are you giving them a reason to visit again? Your customers are looking to make a connection, are you giving them that opportunity?

If you can't answer yes to these questions, you have a 21st century Yellow Pages ad. Is that really what you want?

0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Tags: leads, Social, web

Domino Theory's Marketing Blog

Get Marketing Synced with Sales

You make money is by turning prospects into customers and customers into repeat and bigger customers.

Clearly, your sales team is the heart of this effort, or is it?

How to Use Traditional Media in a Social Media World

"Don't tell me who I might reach, tell me exactly who I have reached, so I can follow them up and sell them something... even if that means losing a ton of 'untrackable' sales."

Know the 6 Steps in Your Customer's Buying Cycle

8 Steps to a Smarter Business Communications Plan

What's Your Customer Retention Plan?

5 Key Steps to a Smarter Communications Plan

Should Your Business be Using Social Networks?

Is Your Web Site a 21st Century Yellow Page Ad?

Follow Me

Get Domino Theory in Your Inbox!

Let's Get Growing! Get a FREE Marketing Consultation.

FREE 2013 Inbound Marketing Report

Download the FREE Guide!

Click to Get More Leads!