Posts Tagged ‘Communication’

Empowering Your Local Sales Teams to Drive Top Line Results

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

One of the most frustrating challenges for front line sales is not having the appropriate marketing material for customers. Salespeople end up caught between what they wish to communicate to their customers and how the marketing organization distribute marketing communications, often resulting in delays, which slow down the sales cycle. The most successful way to achieve an effective compromise between sales and marketing is by implementing a Precision Marketing Enterprise solution which provides the infrastructure to deliver brand controlled print and digital assets yet is easily customizable for the local sales team.

Today, the economy is mandating the effective distribution of marketing dollars with a demonstrated rate of return. Pressure continues to build as marketers must drive pipeline demand yet adheres to brand guidelines. Today best of breed companies are investing in Marketing Asset Management or MAM platforms that allow for the central control of a company’s marketing material yet can be easily distributed via email, print, and digitally to decentralized sales forces for personalization, relevant and engaging customization. The collateral is created and standardized at the corporate level by creating templates that can be modified and personalized at the lo-cal level. Any part of a marketing communication can be locked to protect the integrity and brand guidelines. MAM platforms are the most efficient way to shorten sales cycle time and track ROI.

Many companies without MAM tools platforms rely on less efficient means of communication. In fact, seven out of ten distributed marketers polled indicated they use their own agencies, printers, and other resources to deliver branded materials greatly increasing the chance of error. Local marketers and sales team either rely on already printed content that needs to be mailed to them in bulk or rely on centralized direct mail campaigns that are generically designed, resulting in cold and impersonal communication. Though it still brings consistent and predictable results, static direct mail is becoming less relevant. Less than one in twenty customers respond to this type of direct mail. On the other hand email is continuing to be the most profitable method with almost every marketing organization and department using it as the primary channel. However just as customers aren’t responsive to “junk mail”, it is increasingly difficult to dodge the spam folder. MAM allows for a personal touch with a customer that has had a positive experience with a local business. MAM has created an excellent continued communication both ways regardless of channel that can mean the difference between being a top performer and wasting marketing budgets, postage and materials.

One of the most frustrating challenges for front line sales is not having the appropriate marketing material for customers. Salespeople end up caught between what they wish to communicate to their customers and how the marketing organization distributes marketing communications, often resulting in delays, which slow down the sales cycle. The most successful way to achieve an effective compromise between sales and marketing is by implementing a Precision Marketing Enterprise solution which provides the infrastructure to deliver brand controlled print and digital assets yet is easily customizable for the local sales team.

Today, the economy is mandating the effective distribution of marketing dollars with a demonstrated rate of return. Pressure continues to build as marketers must drive pipeline demand yet adheres to brand guidelines. Today best of breed companies are investing in Marketing Asset Management or MAM platforms that allow for the central control of a company’s marketing material yet can be easily distributed via email, print, and digitally to decentralized sales forces for personalization, relevant and engaging customization. The collateral is created and standardized at the corporate level by creating templates that can be modified and personalized at the local level. Any part of a marketing communication can be locked to protect the integrity and brand guidelines. MAM platforms are the most efficient way to shorten sales cycle time and track ROI.

Many companies without MAM tools platforms rely on less efficient means of communication. In fact, seven out of ten distributed marketers polled indicated they use their own agencies, printers, and other resources to deliver branded materials greatly increasing the chance of error. Local marketers and sales team either rely on already printed content that needs to be mailed to them in bulk or rely on centralized direct mail campaigns that are generically designed, resulting in cold and impersonal communication. Though it still brings consistent and predictable results, static direct mail is becoming less relevant. Less than one in twenty customers respond to this type of direct mail. On the other hand email is continuing to be the most profitable method with almost every marketing organization and department using it as the primary channel. However just as customers aren’t responsive to “junk mail”, it is increasingly difficult to dodge the spam folder. MAM allows for a personal touch with a customer that has had a positive experience with a local business. MAM has created an excellent continued communication both ways regardless of channel that can mean the difference between being a top performer and wasting marketing budgets, postage and materials.

Top Performers (defined as those organizations that demonstrate superior performance in return on marketing investment, revenue growth, and response rates) use MAM to keep themselves innovative and relevant to the market ensuring that they don’t overpromise and under deliver. They understand the value to be found in effective and changing marketing strategy. They are often early adopters of versatile brands that know to avoid complacency while adhering to brand compliancy.