This year has been a difficult one – difficult years mean that budgets are squeezed, and businesses are having to be selective about where to invest. Teams being pushed to make more sales whilst saying “we just don’t have the budget for marketing” and, all too often, marketing is the first place that spending gets slashed.
We are here to tell you why that is the worst decision you can make for your business.
Sales is where you get your income – it pays for your staff, your overheads, your manufacturing costs or production time, it’s vital.
But, with no leads to chase, how can your sales team meet their targets? With no audience to sell to, how can you close a deal? If you don’t tell your potential customers anything about your brand, they have no reason to buy from you.
Marketing is the crop that your sales team harvest; the fertiliser that makes your business grow. Effective marketing is an important investment; it is how you build trust, reputation and relationships with your target market.
Think over your last big purchase; did a stranger knock on your door, thrust a brochure into your hands and talk you into parting with your money? Probably not.
Did you ask around, talk to friends and family, read reviews online and Google the product twenty times to look at the different options? Almost certainly.
When you bought insurance, did you put all of your details into a comparison site and then scroll past the first three quotes because you’d never heard of the company – but the fourth one, even though it cost £5 a month more, was a brand you recognised, and trust? Yep… us too…
Let’s break this down to 3 key points and explain why marketing is the new sales.
Relationships Are More Important Than Transactions
We have all met a smarmy salesman before; he talks a big talk and baffles you out of your money by promising the world and sneaking off before you realise you’ve bought a piece of junk.
He’s made a sale – but in this modern world, we review him online, tell our network not to trust him, and – before he reaches the next town to pitch his wares – word gets out, and now he can’t sell a thing.
If you have an established relationship with people – people who know your brand, who have seen it in action, who know who you are and what you can do for them – and your previous customers have given positive feedback, reviews and testimonials singing your praises, then you don’t need to hope you stumble across the right customers – they’ll come looking for you.
Consumer Trust Is Priceless
You can also showcase what you do when something goes wrong; if a customer has a complaint and you deal with it patiently, professionally and put things right, the trust isn’t damaged. In fact, it’s improved – because nobody gets things right every time, but those who put things right every time are treasured by their loyal customers – and that loyalty is an incredibly powerful tool in making your next sale.
There Are No Sales Without Marketing
You can’t sell to an empty room – and no sales team can function without a sales funnel. Marketing is how people hear about your products and services, how those relationships are built, and how that trust and rapport is showcased so that others are drawn to who you are and what you do.
In a time when we all need to be more careful about what we spend, where we invest and how we work, don’t be short sighted; plan for lasting survival and success, and invest in the future of your brand.
Speak to our team today about how we can deliver effective marketing and sales pipelines for your business and ensure that you thrive through and beyond this challenging year. Give us a call on 01582 292016 to discuss!