Marketing Clique

Sometimes we become overly dependent on one leg of our online marketing plan. We become reliant on that one online marketing campaign to the point that it's unhealthy. We begin to ignore other opportunities because we're obsessing over one tactic in our overall marketing strategy. This obsession becomes unhealthy. We become myopic and we're unable to consider additional opportunities.

Online Codependency Defined

Online Codependency (OC) is the dysfunctional relationship that a marketer can develop with one of his/her online marketing tactics. The marketer begins to obsess over one particular online marketing campaign. This may result in an exaggerated sense of responsibility for the campaign, and the marketer may even display an inability to maintain healthy boundaries, letting the campaign become too controlling over the his/her life in the office. The unfortunate result is that the marketer becomes overly stressed, suffers from anxiety, guilt, depression, and even resentment for more successful marketing campaigns happening around him/her.

The Cure

While OC is a potentially destructive disease there are ways to cure it. In fact, there are ways to prevent it.

• Make sure you've got a balanced marketing plan. Over reliance on only one leg of the online marketing campaign is a recipe for OC.
• If you're already suffering from OC, take a step back and analyze what's working, and what's not. Many times there are missing parts. For example, if you're addicted to search marketing perhaps you should try some email marketing for awhile.
• Try bringing in some additional help. Considering hiring an outside consultant to take a look at your SEO plan. Ask for help on additional online lead generation ideas.
• If you feel yourself feeling like you need the campaign to need you seek help immediately. There are professionals who can help.

Today, Shirley S. Wang of the Wall Street Journal published an article in the Health Section entitled Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions. The article discussed how our approach to decision-making can affect our lives and relationships. Some people make decisions rquickly, while others take longer.

• Some people are what psychologists categorize as ambivalent. They tend to weigh both the pros and cons when making decisions. And they take longer to make decisions.
• Other personalities see decisions as being more black and white. These folks tend to have strong positive or negative views, and require less time to make decisions.

The article caused me to consider both of these camps when thinking about sales and marketing campaigns, especially when we're using marketing automation applications like Eloqua, Marketo, and Sliverpop. Likewise, our general email marketing outreach should be segmented based on the different types of decision-makers. At the very least, we should be testing different messaging that appeals to these different buyer behaviors. The black and white-minded decision makers are probably going to respond more positively to a direct response type of message, while an ambivalent decision-maker is more likely to respond favorably to more information and time.

The Take Away

Always be testing. Adapt your marketing message to speak to both types of decision-makers.

• Think act now direct response messaging for the black and white decision makers: special offers, incentives, discounts.
• Use more of a progressive approach with the ambivalent people: white papers, case studies, statistics.

The convergence of marketing and sales has left some managers scratching their heads. What's the best way to approach commission programs and create compelling incentives that motivate both marketing and sales, working together?

Traditionally, marketing and sales have operated in segregated silos with separate incentive programs. Salespeople = brawn. Marketing = brains. Now that marketing and sales are increasingly working side by side, especially in the B2B world, what kinds of incentives and goals make sense?

B2B marketing automation software (eg. Eloqua, Marketo, Silverpop) has caused an awkward task for some organizations: how to get marketing and sales to the same table and agree on how to integrate lead generation, marketing automation and sales force automation with a predictable and smooth hand off from marketing to sales. This leads to re-working the incentive plan.

Should both marketing and sales be on a progressive, juicy commission plan?

Most upper-management and sales force personnel, as well as workers in many other jobs, are paid based on performance, which is widely perceived as motivating effort and enhancing productivity relative to non-contingent pay schemes. However, psychological research suggests that excessive rewards can in some cases produce supra-optimal motivation, resulting in a decline in performance. To test whether very high monetary rewards can decrease performance, we conducted a set of experiments at MIT, the University of Chicago, and rural India. Subjects in our experiment worked on different tasks and received performance-contingent payments that varied in amount from small to large relative to their typical levels of pay. With some important exceptions, we observed that high reward levels can have detrimental effects on performance. – Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

I think we can look to the 2005 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Study for some revealing insight. The study demonstrates the paradox of how people will surprisingly perform more poorly if they are working under a tiered reward schedule that offers a really big carrot on a stick at the top end - like most sales organizations. So what's the secret to success? Dan Pink says we need to be working in an environment that allows:

1. Autonomy
2. Mastery & Challenge
3. Transcendent Purpose

Let's think about this...

1. Autonomy: Contrary to the hype and thinking of sales as "team," salespeople are largely autonomous. Sales isn't a team sport, per se. Management, however, may see sales as a team effort because that's how they get compensated - for overall performance. But the salesperson isn't necessarily thinking of the team's success when s/he closes a deal.

Because the art of sales is normally not mechanical and involves more than rudimentary cognitive skill, salespeople react favorably to environments where they are given an opportunity to pursue mastery and be challenged...

2. Mastery & Challenge: While most mature sales and marketing organizations encourage the development of advanced skills the time has come for marketing and sales to work on these skills together. For example, some progressive organizations encourage all levels (not just management) to devote a day, or two, to be creative and try to think up new ways of doing things better, or differently. This highly focused, free time together has the potential to birth some exciting new ways of approaching marketing and sales.

3. Self Purpose: Organizations should consider becoming more cult-like. Why? Because people who are involved with a goal that is larger than themselves, or larger than their company, or even industry, will reach deeper and produce extraordinary results. If a person's raison d'être becomes interwoven with their company's mission, there's a powerful synergy. Sales and marketing professionals will stick around if you've got a retention plan that involves intrinsic rewards.

What this means to executive management

Marketing and sales goals can, and should, align with what is most important to executive management:

• Higher revenues
• Lower costs...
• Leading to higher profitability
• Increase in market share, with new customers
• Increase in both short and long-term value for the shareholders

Start Small - Think Big - Adapt to Change

Our customers and prospects are everywhere. The trouble is they're not all in the same place at the same time. That's why we need to meet them where they're at.

Forrester Research senior VP of Idea Development Josh Bernoff recently wrote an article for AdAge. In it he discusses research that makes a case for encouraging workers to use technology to connect with customers. Josh goes on to recommend:

If your company shuts off access to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, that has to stop, because you're shutting off your staff from the very places that will give them ideas of how to innovate in connecting to customers. —Josh Bernoff, Marketers Are More Likely to Innovate -- and Here's Proof

Good salespeople have traditionally been adept at meeting their prospects and customers face to face. Today, with increased adoption of technology to increase the efficiency of marketing it's become common that neither salespeople nor marketers will see their prospects during the entire nurturing process. How about once the prospect signs on as a paying customer? Sure, probably. But during the six-month sales process? Maybe not.

While lead nurturing software, like Marketo and Eloqua, allows marketers to manage a much higher volume of prospects, there's still a strong reliance on email as the central vein of outbound communication. Logic paths are carefully planned so certain emails are sent to certain people at certain times, all based on certain prospect/client activities or inactivity.

My question is, will email continue to prevail as the preferred method of communication? Moreover has email already fallen by the wayside as the best way to nurture all prospects and clients?

Don't get me wrong. Email marketing is generally effective, especially when customers and prospects have opted in and indicated it's their preferred method of contact. But relying solely on email to nurture prospects and customers may be inadequate, especially with the growing acceptance of other communication forms: SMS/text, Facebook, Twitter. And don't forget about the old school methods that many people still hold onto: face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and even snail mail! By the way, if you must send snail mail, use FedEx. It's still better at getting someone's attention. People will almost always open a FedEx overnight envelope.

The take away

Try not to accept technology for technology's sake. If you can use technology to become more efficient in some areas of marketing and sales that's great. But one software solution isn't going to take care of everything.

I recently listened to a presentation by a marketing executive from a very visible, ostensibly easy-to-reach company. At the end of her PowerPoint presentation there was the quintessential how to contact me slide. Her presentation was fine, up until then. She looked up at her how to contact me slide on the presentation screen and began gloating that she's hard to reach; that she doesn't answer phone calls; travels a lot, and receives such an extreme volume of email that if she doesn't recognize the sender she's unlikely to respond.

The response from many in the audience was a nervous grin and a knowing nod, as if they too were so damn busy they didn't have time to communicate either. My reaction, however, was a gagging in my throat, and I think a few others felt the same.

Given the convergence of sales and marketing, I think it's incredibly important to meet customers where they're at. If a client or prospect "reaches out to you," it's a good thing to respond. In other words, they're not going to respect the idea that you're so busy that you don't have time.

The same goes internally. If you're a big, important executive who has an army of people who report to you, take the time to connect with your tribe. It's good for everyone. Employees are an important variable in the success quotient. Umm, they're human.

The convergence of sales and marketing means that marketing has to be more accessible

The lines are blurring. The roles are converging. Times are different in the B2B lead generation world. Be accessible. I'm not suggesting that you be available 24/7. But if you supposedly make yourself available via telephone, email, IM, then be prepared to use those tools when people are trying to contact you.

The CEO of a very well-known company I used to work for once explained to me:

"Greg, I always answer my phone and respond to emails. Why? Not because I know who everyone is. Quite the opposite—because I don't know who everyone is. It could be someone who helps me and my business. Quite often it is. I'm still in control. If I'm through with the telephone conversation I let the person know. Likewise, I'll tell the person via email what to expect as a next step, and sometimes it's 'don't bother following up with me any further.'"

I can tell you, first-hand, that he held true to his communication ideals. He responded to all direct communications. We were in a taxi together, after hours, and his cell phone (a number he provided on his business card!) rang. He didn't know who it was, didn't recognize the number. It turned out to be a reporter from the Wall Street Journal. She was on deadline, needed to crank out an article within the hour, and wanted a quote from my boss. He gave her a snappy quote. It appeared in the WSJ the following day, was read by many thousands of businesspeople and furthered my boss' position (and our company's) as an authority in the marketplace.

It's somewhat of a surprise, but marketing and sales still rely heavily on paper-based collateral. The reality is that businesspeople of all generations will still hold onto and study something that's printed on paper.

Given the evergreen approach of using paper in your marketing and sales efforts, put your best foot forward:

Business Cards - A crisp, professionally-design business card still makes a favorable impression. Some of what happens is subconscious: people get an impression of your company's quality and style. A thin, flimsy card may give the wrong impression.

Marketing & Sales Collateral - B2B sales collateral has changed. Partly because of a growing trend to becoming more open, authentic, and transparent, there is a willingness to share information that builds trust with buyers. Sellers add value by providing helpful information that benefits the buyers, regardless of whether they buy. For example, marketing automation SaaS company, Marketo, offers a formidable resources page on their website. Marketo's Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing is an exceptionally well designed [paper] guide that adds value to any marketer who's trying to figure out lead nurturing.

• If you're going to hand out whitepapers, or other paper marketing collateral at a conference or trade show, make sure they're quality. Yes, most people will throw them away before they leave. But you've got a chance to make an impression. What kind of impression do you want to make?

Proposals - Once you are ready to propose, it's a good practice to provide a paper-based proposal for your prospect. Ideally, the proposal will be something you can present to the prospect in person. These days it's becoming increasingly common for proposals to be delivered as attachments to emails. But if you get a chance to deliver a beautiful full color paper proposal, do it.

Hand-written Thank-you Notes - Diana Huff recently wrote about 7 Old Fashioned Marketing Tips That Set You Apart. She reminds us that the hand-written thank-you note is a welcome differentiator in today's digital world. I couldn't agree more. Sending your client a hand-written not on quality stationery makes a statement about you and your business. Show your clients and prospects that you have some class and care about their business, personally. It's okay to be personally grateful in a professional relationship.

Training & Instruction Guides - If your product or service requires training, there's another opportunity to show off your brand and create a favorable marketing impression. Training collateral is all-too-often overlooked as a branding and marketing opportunity. Take the time to ensure your training materials are presented in a way that allows your company's product or service to be presented optimally.

Can you think of any other paper-based opportunities for your company to step it up? Let me know if you have an example, positive, or negative, that illustrates the importance of paper-based collateral in today's digital world.

Thanks for reading this digital post. If we end up doing business together maybe I'll send you a hand-written note!

Marketing and sales is the life engine of most B2B and B2C companies. This increased reliance on marketing and sales working together – to coordinate and design effective revenue generation plans together – is both strategic and tactical. But given the cost of turnover at an estimated 150% of an employee's total compensation package, and the average sales and marketing tenure of less than 2 years, why do companies continue to fall short with the most important element of their company?

I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I can offer three ways to help:

1. Make your company more cult-like. No, I'm not joking. When marketing and salespeople feel that their company has purpose, and that they're part of it, they begin operating from an intrinsic standpoint. They will contribute more to the company's overall success, both externally and internally.

Purpose drives employee engagement, which is intuitive -- people feel great about working for a company that is making a difference in the world. My view is that brands that are not driven by purpose will have a tougher time acquiring talent, especially as globalization and the influx of younger workers shape the composition of our employee base.
—Erin Mulligan Nelson, June 2010 AdAge article

2. Realize that sales and marketing are melding. When you need marketing at a meeting, invite sales. When you need sales at a meeting, invite marketing. The two work together. If you encourage the two groups to work more closely it will help the bottom line, and esprit de corps.

3. Encourage an open organization. Companies that operate with more open principles can benefit. Marketing and salespeople will gleen the benefits of an open organization. Want to know if your organization is truly open? Take a look at this Openness Audit from Charlene Li's new book Open Leadership:

Some of the fundamental elements fueling a successful religious cult can be used to build a stronger pathway to customer loyalty, and ultimately a stronger sales and marketing organization. I don't want to carry this metaphor too far, but I think there are some obvious comparisons worth mentioning, especially in light of today's energized social media movement.

Finding Oneself — The search for one's self is a lifelong journey that changes as life progresses. A strong marketing message will appeal to customers on a psychological level, not simply as a pure business decision. Likewise, your most loyal employees will find something intrinsically satisfying about joining your organization. It's co-dependency at its finest.

If both your employees and customers can find a personal, psychological reason for being part of your organization, you're on the road to forging something bigger and better than simply a product or a service. Your sales and marketing organization will promote your company in a way that transcends whatever you sell. 

The Power of Community — This is where social media fits in. It can be connected directly or indirectly to your brand. Community fulfills a human need for belonging. At its highest intensity, community helps us discover meaning via a commitment to a lifestyle promoted by your brand. Think Harley-Davidson. Or, Think Different: Apple Computer.

• Explore some of the unconscious, or not-so-obvious motivators in the minds of your best customers and employees. How can these be used to foster stronger community bonds?
• Support and nurture communities where real, personal friendships can bloom.
• The most successful communities are more inclusive than exclusive. Again, think about Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson brand enthusiasts are diverse.

A recent McKinsey report makes another good point about community. It's especially relevant if you're marketing a consumer brand:

Companies also should note the impact of rising digital connectivity—many French consumers, even as they age, will retain their attachments to communities and social networks.

Guy Kawasaki offers some cogent advice in this  succint 2004 presentation to a Stanford University MBA class. He's talking about why it's important to ensure that  your company values meaning over money and how that will drive stronger results:

According to research by Albert Muniz and Thomas O'Guinn the 3 attributes of brand communities include:

1. Shared Consciousness
2. Rituals & Traditions
3. Sense of Moral Responsibility

Why This Matters to Sales & Marketing

While it may be a stretch to turn your company and brand into a cult (I mean that in a good way!) there are definitely ways to take some of cults' most effective strategies and tactics and apply them to your business, especially social media and community-building efforts. We may like to think that modern-day business decisions are rooted solely in cold, unemotional ROI. But they're not. And after all, we're still human.

For some reason it's become en vogue for people to claim they're "ADD" (attention deficit disorder).

I think what they're really saying is that they're being pulled in too many directions and that it's hard for them to focus.

Recent research suggests that our brain is not adept at multitasking. You see, we're hard-wired to focus on one thing at a time. Even though we're capable of multitasking, we're not good at it.

Our society has placed increasing stress on us and we're now expected to do more work in less time. This self-inflicted stress is almost entirely driven by technology. Because it is technically feasible to drive and talk on the phone, we do it.

The part that I find most interesting is how being busy has somehow become a badge of honor. In my opinion, people are not as busy as they may think they are. Rather, they are doing too much at once. This creates the illusion of being busy. In fact, however, they're simply overloaded, which I believe is a different issue.

Focusing more on less results in a better outcome

The research also suggests that we're better off when we can whittle down our to-do list to one thing at a time. We can produce better work when we focus. While that may seem intuitive, why is that so many of us are focusing less on more?

Mark Hurst has written a book entitled Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of information and E-mail Overload. I think his book on how to manage email, to-dos, photos, a media diet, and other "digital stresses" is testament to the fact that we're all dealing with more than we ever imagined possible, especially when it comes to online information overload.

We're experiencing a queer cycle in evolution and we're overloading ourselves in many ways simply because we can. That's all. We're only doing more because we're capable of doing it and it's somehow satisfying. We're receiving a psychological payoff.

Our bodies, however, were not "designed" to eat as much as we do. Why do we continue to over consume and suffer the repercussions? Because we can, and it feels good while we're doing it. But we're suffering the consequences, mentally and physically.

The take-away for sales and marketing

I think that if we spend more time with fewer clients we'll be more profitable. That's not to say we should be overly dependent on a shorter client list. It just means that we can probably focus more on a fewer number of clients and be of better service to them. The end result is a win-win.

Likewise, I think we can focus our marketing efforts on fewer tactics. While it's important to "be there" for the right prospect at the right time, we can make that number smaller, and higher quality, and get better ROI.

"Our website sucks."

How many times have you heard that?

I can't even count how many times I've heard it. And most of the time it's followed by something like, "We're working on a new site, and it should be much better." It's not too long after the new site's up when it, too, loses its luster. Then, once again, marketing and sales slip back into website apologist mode.

Given the fact that most companies are constantly undergoing some sort of website re-design process, how can marketing and sales align to make the outcome more effective? After all, the company website is often times the single most visible facet of a company.

Here are 5 non-technical things to consider once you begin wading into your next website re-design:

1. Marketing and sales need to meet at the same table and discuss the vision of the new site. The salespeople are eager to move prospects through the funnel and get orders. The marketing team wants to support sales, but also needs to preserve the brand image and showcase products in a methodical manner. A website re-design meeting won't be pretty, but it will help to define internal priorities.
2. Interview customers and prospects to find out what they want to see on the website. Prospects will want to see more content, more examples of the company's work, and demo videos that save them time. Customers might want access to reporting and other self-service functionality. Prospects and customers are arguably your most important stakeholders.
3. Do some user experience studies. They don't have to be ultra formal. Just get 'em done! You will uncover issues you didn't even realize you had. It's easy to become myopic with the re-design and forget about common sense. The result of doing the studies is that you build a website with a better user experience.
4. Don't be afraid to let usability and functionality trump the visual design aspects of your site. Sometimes we get too caught up in particular design elements that can dominate the re-design.
5. Don't keep the re-design a secret. The site doesn't have to be all things to all people. But being open and nimble means you'll end up with a much more functional site.

If your company is normal, you'll go through many website re-designs. The next time you gear up for a re-design, consider adding these 5 thoughts to the mix and I guarantee you'll get a better result!