The Role of Marketing in the Sales Process
Salespeople are critical to a company's success. Without these customer-savvy professionals and their gift of gab, sales would sag and an organization couldn't generate the revenue to keep an operation going. The role of marketing is to make the sales process easier by finding out what customers want, increasing awareness of how an offering meets needs and keeping customers content with the organization and its services.
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Understanding What Customers Want
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According to the website theMarketingSite.com, the American Marketing Association defines marketing as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." The first step in creating value is understanding customer needs and preferences. Pushing a product is particularly difficult for the sales team when there's no need for your offering in the market, or if your product fails to address needs that are deal breakers for would-be customers. Distributing surveys and holding focus groups that reward participation are two more traditional research strategies, but don't forget that regular meetings with the sales team can deliver valuable customer insights too. Keep your fingers firmly on the pulse of relevant social media feeds and forum posts to stay informed about what customers are looking for.
Getting the Word Out
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A product is easier to sell when the prospective buyer has some pre-existing knowledge about the company, its reputation and its offerings. If the potential customer has never heard of the company, the sales team is left to solidify the company's reputation and explain how a specific product meets buyers' needs. A website that clearly explains who you are and what you do is a good start, but it's also important that your company shows up on Google's first page of results for people researching the type of product or service you offer. Get your best people blogging about relevant industry topics and get in on Web-based conversations. Establish your company as a thought leader that knows what it's talking about. As marketing firm KickStart Alliance suggests, have salespeople review marketing collateral and provide suggestions so that you create content that helps to close sales.
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Maintaining Relationships
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For many companies, keeping revenue up is about securing subscription renewals or encouraging purchase of upgraded products, such as software. Maintaining relationships is especially important for organizations relying on repeat sales. A customer is much more likely to renew if they've received stellar customer services or special discounts based on their "preferred customer" status. Marketing needs to design retention programs that keeps current clients coming back for more. Reward loyal customers with free seminars that explain how to make the most of their purchases. If it makes sense for your line of business, publish informative papers that only customers can access. Offer volume and loyalty purchasing discounts.
Keeping Up Reputation
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People are less likely to buy from companies who get bad press, so traditional PR damage control is important. However, today's smart consumers are also looking for something else from companies, according to strategic communications consultant Sarah Sorensen, writer for O'Reilly Media. They're sick of spin and want to see honest transparency. Watch Twitter feeds and monitor Facebook posts for bad press about your company and have someone from your PR or marketing department respond promptly and personally. Create forums for comments and suggestions on your website that are public with a viewable history. Ensuring customer confidence in your corporation's honesty will make life easier for salespeople on the front lines.
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References
- Photo Credit business woman with headset image by Kurhan from Fotolia.com
