Marketing WTF? - How do some of you have a job?
During my short tenure in the marketing world, I have noticed several styles of marketing to drive leads into the sales pipeline. The most successful, by far, are multi-touch, multi-message email and direct mail campaigns that are complemented along the way by sales calls. The keyword here is COMPLEMENTED. I have spoken with several “marketers” who do no marketing programs….they simply buy lists and give them to the sales team.
Let me preface my next statement with this: I think all sales people should not rely solely on marketing for leads….they need to cold call and prospect on their own. With that being said….HOW DO SOME OF YOU HAVE A JOB??? If all you do is buy lists…not even role-based, highly targeted lists like I sell…but generic, crappy lists to hand over to sales for them to drive business, how do you have a job? Why couldn’t a 7th grader come over during recess and do the same thing for an ice cream cone? Forget wasted budgets, let’s talk about wasted salaries and benefits to employees who do nothing but spit out a lot of fluff at meetings and then go buy lists to give directly to sales. How is this marketing?
Do some webinars….drive traffic to events you will attend….send out white papers….do email and direct mail campaigns with altered messaging depending on the measured results of each touch….find out criteria about your current customers that you can use to identify “warmer” company targets….and lastly, send all marcom “stuff” to role-based contacts! Without the last step, everything, EVERYTHING, is wasted.
In conclusion, your sales guys need to be driving their own business through cold calls….but marketers need to incorporate multi-touch, nurture programs with measured results and calculated changes in order to not be a complete waste of a salary.
3 Responses to “Marketing WTF? - How do some of you have a job?”
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December 26th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
It amazes me at the level of education that is required for the modern “Marketing” position when that position’s main responsibility is to do what you just described.
Unfortunately, many of the marketing professionals I am contacted by would like to be more proactive and forward in their duties but find resistance from those above them when it comes to implementing many “modern” marketing techniques.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
I’m amazed at how often no follow up or nurturing is considered because there’s no easy way to do it. I belong to a CRM coop who’s having an ACT! Software sweepstakes for exactly this reason…to encourage more businesses to get an accessible database in place.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
while sales should not have to rely on marketing for all of their leads, the marketing department should at least proved collateral material that can be used in a cold calling campaign. Something that will not seem salesy but will establish a relationshp so that at a future point you have earned the right to pitch your products and services.