by Bill Poole | Jan 22, 2019 | Marketing, Sales
Both sales professionals and companies have brands. In our world of overwhelming options and distractions, a brand becomes shorthand to communicate things like:
- You’re in the right place
- You can trust me
In his book, This Is Marketing, Seth Godin says that as consumers, “We scan instead of study.”
We area all busy. We are bombarded with messages. So, our mind filters things out and quickly categorizes them. When we see a person or a company our mind immediately asks, “What does this remind me of?” (more…)
by Bill Poole | May 31, 2018 | Marketing
At a recent industry trade show, I saw some ridiculous statistics about the effectiveness of email marketing. Yes, email can be highly effective. However, done the wrong way, it can be destructive. How do you take advantage of email to get results without the risks?
(more…)
by Bill Poole | Apr 23, 2018 | Marketing
Why do sales people win? Until recently, the primary points of differentiation for companies have been based on two factors:
- We provide great products
- We back them up with great service
While that may be true, the challenge is that these provide little differentiation in a marketplace where the great product you sell can be sourced from dozens of vendors online. And while great service is rare, the reality is that there are many companies that provide great service.
In order to win sales, we need to differentiate ourselves. How do we do that? We have to bring value beyond the product and service.
(more…)
by Bill Poole | Mar 23, 2018 | Marketing
As competitive dealer principals, sales leaders, and sales reps, we all want to win. But in our highly commoditized industry it can be hard for buyers to differentiate between products that seem to have the same features and dealerships that all promise to deliver great service.
How do you differentiate in this marketplace? You need to resonate! (more…)
by Bill Poole | Mar 6, 2018 | Marketing
Are you frustrated that you’re not getting more from your website? After all, everyone keeps quoting the stats that 94% of B2B buyers begin their journey online. And, if you hang out with me for more than 10 minutes, you’ll be reminded of the Corporate Executive Board’s research that buyers are over 70% of the way through their decision making process before engaging a vendor or sales rep.
(more…)
by Bill Poole | Feb 10, 2018 | Marketing
Hang around with me for any amount of time and you’ll hear about Buyer 2.0 and how buyers are on average 71% of the way through their buying process before contacting a vendor or sales rep. Why? Because when we have questions the fastest and most unbiased way to get answers is online. So, we’ve become a culture dependent on search and social proof.
(more…)
