By Sharon A.M. MacLean
“It’s nonsense to believe that selling has fundamentally changed, just as it is nonsense to believe advertising is dead,” pushed back a reader from last week’s blog. You may recall I had reviewed Darren Hardy’s CD interview with Jeoffrey James and Todd Duncan on how the “Internet of Things” affected sales over recent years.
Darren’s empire now includes a print magazine titled Success that reaches 2 million readers, a social media following with 216K followers on Twitter, 289K on Facebook, and over 17K on LinkedIn. He also blogs, email markets, and publishes CDs, DVDs, digital downloads, and ebooks. http://darrenhardy.success.com
I believe the reader missed the point.
Fundamental elements of sales—as well as marketing—remain the same. Yet, there are tools combined with an emerging culture that are best embraced if business leaders don’t want to get left behind. After all, the Internet made its appearance over an entire generation ago.
The same is true for advertising as my agitated reader pointed out. Yet, I am not one of those who believes that print is dead—or that social media should stand alone to achieve results.
Integrate mature media with modern sales and marketing
Even Melonie Dodaro, author of The LinkedIn Code http://thelinkedincode.com, with more than 24K connections, recommends taking it offline to advance a deal. Melonie joins fellow LinkedIn superstars Jill Rawley, Darren Hardy and Brendon Burchard in the network’s most viewed category with a pooled list of more than 72K contacts.
On the traditional side of media, the combined print circulation numbers for the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald newspapers—somewhere north of 200K every day—are not to be ignored.
It’s the reason I was delighted to know that Postmedia Team Lead Karen Unland included a quote from a recent blog of mine with those from 5 other entrepreneurs in her Capital Ideas blog. Karen’s photo is pictured above with Shelly Barless of Dust Queen Maid. The digital journalist’s post invites readers to like, share or comment according to the customs of social media. She also plans to run her blog with our contributions in the newspaper in coming weeks.
Capital Ideas started in 2012 to foster the, “Exchange of practical know-how…to create a marketplace of ideas for seekers and sharers of business expertise.” Video of the staged events are posted on The Edmonton Journal’s YouTube channel and also are converted to an audio file.
It’s a generous offer—if carefully constructed.
For example, we engaged slightly different collaborative efforts with my first digital business five years ago. Experts in the wellness space were invited to share content with their respective customers. Sometimes, it worked to everyone’s benefit, if the messages were relevant.
I do the same thing today inside Kim Garst’s Inner Circle. Kim is a power influencer on Facebook and counts over 300K Twitter followers. She has over 400 digital members in her Circle and we share each other’s posts on the various networks every week to grow our respective businesses.
Lessons learned about collaboration
Here’s 6 good tips to consider before emabarking on a collaboration of efforts.
1. Alignment. It works best if participants have similar ideas of what success means to each other. For example, our wellness experts would not share a message about surgical facelifts with their clients if their audience was passionate about holistic health.The same is true for traditional media. We would not seek coverage in a magazine about holistic health care if we were representing a surgical dermatologist.
2. Goal setting. It’s useful to write down exactly what you expect from a collaboration: does it mean straight forward sharing of posts or building a joint customer list using automated email marketing with personalized messages. Kim Garst calls it a “pinky promise” and her goal is simple: if group members tweet our posts, we promise to return the favour.
3. Expect value. Ask yourself how your clients will benefit from knowing about ideas and services from others using either marketing method. Not clear? Walk away. Trust and integrity are big here: how well do your proposed partners take care of their membership? A good idea is join their list to see how they care for their own customers before you make a decision to collaborate.
What about that radio show or Direct TV campaign—either on traditional airways or the web? What type of listeners and viewers call in to those shows? Is your message relevant?
4. Be the first to help. Evaluate what you have to offer a potential partner before making the first move out of the blue. Take an inventory of your assets and brainstorm some ideas before you make the connection. Once an opportunity is revealed, be sure to treat that company’s customers like gold — just as you would want them to treat yours.
Revisions to your Big Plan will be a living process. It takes time to succeed—maybe stumble a few times—before a rhythm is found. This could take weeks, possibly years, to cultivate into its maximum potential.
5. Follow up. Reputation is integral. This is your chance to fulfill a promise and be the catalyst for change, rather than settling in and waiting for the world to roll your way.
Sales and marketing have not fundamentally changed. Nor has advertising. Each discipline has evolved in powerful ways for those who refuse to be left behind.
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Need help with modern marketing? Contact me through LinkedIn or by email: sharon@worldgatemedia.com.
Life-long communications strategist Sharon MacLean owned and published a traditional print magazine over 21 years for business people. She now applies her enhanced knowledge in digital marketing to the needs of her clients and believes in the value of combining the best of both worlds.
Greg Grimer
The “agitated reader” is here again. Actually I am just British, so incapable of commenting without appearing agitated to an American who cannot peer through a thick layer of sarcasm.
“Fundamental elements of sales—as well as marketing—remain the same. Yet, there are tools combined with an emerging culture that are best embraced if business leaders don’t want to get left behind. After all, the Internet made its appearance over an entire generation ago.”
This is a straw-man argument. No salesperson or marketing person IS ignoring those tools. I doubt there is a single salesperson in the entire world still cold-calling from the Yellow Pages or lacking a well connected LinkedIn account. But are the best salespeople in the world, the ones selling big ticket technology to Silicon Valley, the banks and the Fortune 500, blogging half of their day away to connect to new customers? No, they are picking up the telephone and, in-conjunction with social networks, Google, ZoomInfo and perhaps a couple of relevant blog postings per month they are connecting to the right people and selling millions of dollars worth of their stuff per year.
All salespeople have embraced the Internet. I was using it in 1993 before any of my customers had email addresses.
There are only 100-200 people in the world with the money, authority and the need to buy what I am selling. I don’t need 200,000 readers because 199,000 of them are not going to help me sell more stuff.
Are we all supposed to just sit around blogging? Who will do the work?
Social selling in a B2B context is largely unproven hype. The kind of fluff marketers love selling their CEO to keep their jobs for another few months. Eventually he wises up and fires their ass. That is why if you look on LinkedIn, CMOs have the shortest period of average employment of ANY C-suite executive.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Let’s start here. I am Canadian, not American.
You are a serious and well established big-ticket sales executive with a reputation to match. Your recommendations show they like and respect you. Bravo.
You also have a history in technology, likley an early adopter. And the niche in which you thrive is very small with decision makers capable of signing serious cheques. Good for you.
So, this material may not be for you. Several sales teams I’ve studied in the last year simply are not as advanced as you. Their LinkedIn profiles are incomplete…their photos might be missing or taken in university…and their prospects don’t answer their telephone. And don’t even bring up Twitter.
This is unlike you who has many, many years of developed relationshps, probably with same-aged people who know your telephone number when it shows up.
But what if you had to start over again? Would your friends pick up your phone or answer your email –just because Greg Grimer was calling?
What if you had to re-establish yourself in a niche where you were unknown?
Perhaps then you might agree that writing a blog to establish credibilty might serve your cause.
Until then, it’s best not to lose your company or place in life.
rozbeads
A number of months ago I had an opportunity for my first collaboration. It was inside an inner circle of a group and we had very specific guidelines. I was paired with an artist and together we created an on-line fundraiser auction. We were able to send 15 children with cancer to camp thru the donations and generosity of the artist community. It was an exhilarating experience and I picked up some new skills as well as a friend and a community along the way.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Fantastic story, Ros. Everyone wins with collaboration. I’m wondering if you could also collaborate on some good marketing with a fashion store…hair salon…and shoe store?
Beverley Golden
Research shows that we humans as a species have always thrived in an environment of co-operation and collaboration. Collaboration, to me, is about being in a supportive community, so I love hearing that it is now considered a great way to grow our business and that of those we collaborate with. As I am working currently incubating a TV series/Live Event project, I am collaborating with two other people who each bring their own strengths to the table. Alignment yes and follow-up always. Very key components in any kind of successful collaboration. Thanks for the great read again, Sharon.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Thanks, Bev. Everyone wins with a great collaboration. I’m excited to hear more about your TV series as you go along.
Kristen Wilson (@k10wilson)
Excellent post Sharon and great list of tips to follow. I also agree that marketing isn’t just social or just your email list but a collaboration of all things… expand the footprint of your business I always say. Great read.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
We’re on the same page, Kristen. Thanks, again, for the great advice on writing snippets. That set me straight fast!
Beth Niebuhr
I enjoyed this article. Also the comment and your reply above mine! I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 30 years and so have used both olden days methods and, sigh of relief, the ones we have available now. So glad to have this era’s tools to use.
Great points about collaboration.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I’m with you, Beth, on combining mature media with modern methods. Even picking up the phone!
Yes -the feedback was fun this week. 🙂
heartharmony
Your lessons on collaboration are sound ones. It is too easy to leap in and share from within a group out of a sense of responsibility to the group, without remembering the bigger responsibility to your bigger audience.
I also believe that marketing is shifting its footing. People want to know more and spot a hard sell at a hundred paces. The “How To” and DIY market it booming and search results are shifting as people type in questions rather than simply keywords. I now think of marketing as Siri based rather than keyword based. People now ask questions and questions demand more than slogans to answer them.
I get the issue around sitting around blogging your life away rather than doing the work and targeting audience. Everything in life and business needs moderation and a sensible strategy rather than leaping in purely for notches on a scorecard.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I absolutely agree with comment, especially your last line. No question, writing a blog takes time, yet, the purpose is to keep our name in front of customers and prospects. A good mix of acquired and original content works well.
Sherri Frost
I’m certainly enjoying this spirited conversation. I agree with Sharon that a blog or website is necessary in today’s market. It doesn’t mean that you have to sit around all day and write blog posts but it does give others a way to see if your business is a good fit and it gives you the chance to show your personality.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I admit that writing a blog takes a lot of time, Sherri. Yet, the purpose is to keep our name in front of customers and prospects, so acquired content works, too.
I do see that people respond more to original content more, though.
Liz daRosa
It’s great to be able to see that collaboration is one of the keys to successful relationship building & therefore a ‘sales’ relationship (and I mean that in the loosest sense) can naturally develop as a friend to a friend to fulfill a real need. Appreciate your insight and culling information from industry influencers.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Thanks, Liz. Everyone wins with a great collaboration.
Beth Blacker
I “bought into” collaborative marketing before it was a thing. It’s just my personality to want to give to get. Those still living in the “dark ages” of always taking, taking taking may have some short term success by being loud and splashy but I’ll never go for their shiny objects 🙂
Sharon A.M. MacLean
I think collaboration has always been around, as well, Beth. We need to spot them, though. Way to go!
Carol Adamy Rundle
Some great ideas here, Sharon. Being a new business, it’s hard to decide who would be best to collaborate with. However, I think my recent decision to further narrow my target market will help with that. I’m already seeing people step back, which is a good thing. Far more people have stepped forward.
Sharon A.M. MacLean
Great move to narrow your target market, Carol. This absolutely will reveal those potential partners –maybe in complementary areas– to collaborate with.
Lorii Abela
Great presentation of the series of key variables or elements that are varied by those who want to collaborate as part of the customer offering and business productivity.
Stacey McCoy
Thanks for the article! Clear communication when collaborating is so important. I often have to remind myself to do this from start to finish.