It’s amazing to me how many companies wish for phenomenal success in sales, yet equip their sales department with limited resources to achieve those goals. They figure that with the sales team’s connections, sales should naturally grow. The pressure is all on the sales team.
To those of us who have witnessed the immense power of effective publicity and marketing, the concept of depriving a sales team of this enormous advantage seems incredibly shortsighted.
We know that when done effectively, the impact of publicity and marketing on sales can be much like gasoline on a fire.
How do we do it? We undertake 3 sure-fire steps to increase sales.
1. Create a Swell of Interest
Easier said than done, right? It’s actually not that hard. A simple way of doing this is by launching a publicity campaign. Get a publicist to generate so much publicity that everyone wants to know about your company. Note that I’m not talking about getting a bit of press coverage here or there. I’m talking about making sure that no matter what trade publication your prospects read, they see your name. And not just this month, but next month, and the next. If they’ve never heard of you before, after seeing your company’s name repeatedly, they will really want to know who you are.
2. Spread the Word
Make sure you’re regularly reaching out to your network of contacts, because you never know when they’ll need you. Whether you have 500 contacts or 5,000, marketing to your database of contacts is critical to success. Reach out to them 1-2 times per month with valuable information and advice they can use and that positions you as the expert, and get ready to see the leads roll in.
3. Look the Part
There’s one thing that Apple taught us: marketing and design matter—a lot. The vast majority of people make buying decisions based on how something looks. That applies to your website, your brochure, your sales presentation, your business card and your email campaign. When you look sharp, your prospects figure your services are equally impressive. Conversely, marketing that has an outdated look or appears to have been done by an inexpensive freelancer will negatively impact your company’s image.
The lesson here? Marketing and publicity are critical to growing sales. Don’t just take my word for it. Try it out yourself. With a 3-6 month test, you will see what a well-executed publicity and marketing campaign can do for your sales.
If you’d like to find out more, let’s talk. Strategic Vantage has helped more than 100 companies in the mortgage industry with their marketing and publicity needs. We’d be happy to help you, too. Just drop us a note at Info@StrategicVantage.com.
By Rosalie Berg, President, Strategic Vantage