Ten Things to Do to Improve Your Sales and Marketing

1.Be a Visionary
  a.Picture what you want your company to be when it grows up
  b.A business is a reflection of the consciousness of its owners
  c.Step back periodically and look at the big opportunities and threats
  d.Examine the social and economic trends and find ways to capitalize on them in your marketing and sales programs

2.Establish goals
  a.Where are we going to go and how will we get there?
  b.Senior management must clearly articulate the goals to everyone
  c.Write them down. Revisit them regularly. Stay on plan.
  d.Make sure you have the right team and enough human and capital resources to make them happen

3.Identify your Position within your marketplace
  a."Positioning" helps your customers understand your company, its services and products. It is not a mission statement.
  b.Positioning is really a promise to your customer segments that you'll deliver what they care about most.
  c.A positioning statement tells:
    -Who you are
    -What business you are in
    -What people do you serve
    -What's needed by the market you serve
    -Why you're different than your competition
    -What unique benefit is derived from your product or services

4.Build Your Brand Identity
  a.Your company has a personality or a brand. It's very important.
  b.I once heard a brand described as What they think of you once you've left the room.
  c.Your brand is really about building trust and long-term relationships.
  d.Your company should be a good reflection on its people and management
  e.It's a little like getting dressed for the party. If you don't, just stay home.

5.Create a Strategic Plan
  a.Build a detailed plan for marketing and sales activities
  b.Once you have defined your objectives you need a sales and marketing action plan to serve as your roadmap.
  c.It should follow a simple formula:
    -Develop a situation analysis
    -Do your research and build a fact base.
    -Clearly state your goals and objectives
    -Identify the specific strategies you'll use
    -Provide details of the sales initiatives or tactics you'll use
    -Determine costs and include a budget spreadsheet
    -A timetable helps to allocate resources in a timely way
    -Make sure the objectives are measurable. Find ways to quantify the results of your sales and marketing activities.

6.Use Advertising & PR wisely
  a.Be realistic in your expectations
  b.There are no silver bullets; no magic pills. The key is Do Something!
  c.Review your results often. If it's working repeat it; If it's not, change it!

7.Creativity is a process, not an event
  a.Explore intelligent ideas that fit your objectives
  b.Surprise your audience with unusual ways to present ordinary problems (Example: Apple shows itself as hip, young, smart, with it, versus the PC user who's a square, bloated, outdated, not with it.
  c.Keep in mind, the effects of traditional forms of advertising are being diluted with through over-saturation.
  d.Seek new methods and creative approaches

8.Build a powerful Website
  a.The Internet will play a major role in your marketing (repeat!)
  b.New study just in titled: How clients buy professional services says:
    -8 out of 10 buyers said they visit the potential providers website before purchasing their services
    -7 out of 10 buyers said websites have at least some influence over their decision to open an initial discussion with the provider.
    -For 1 out of 2 buyers, the providers website has at least some influence over the ultimate decision to buy from the provider

9.Get your entire team pulling together
  a.Once you have your Action Plan outlining the company's goals, objectives and strategies get everyone involved.
  b.Assign responsibilities and timetables. People actually like deadlines.
  c.It's said that "a race without a finish line is really just a chase".
  d.Keep everyone focused, make em sweat, the fun is in winning.

10.Measure the Results
  a.Establish key performance indicators (KPI's)
  b.You can measure by revenues by number of new customers, market share, by growth in new market, territory, etc.
  c.Again, if it's working, repeat it; If it's not, change it.