Put your sales team on steroids with smart marketing

With two new hires in inside sales at Marketing Eye Atlanta, we have been privy to seeing how the other half lives. By that, I mean how new, fresh blood makes changes to adapt a workplaces processes in order to achieve the goals that they set out.

Every new Inside Sales Executive has something to bring to the table but the last two are definitely more skilled in the discipline because they are seasoned professionals who are determined to reach their goals. At the same time, it looks like they will reach ours.

Everyone seems to be a marketing agency in Atlanta. Seriously. People with no degree, no previous experience other than looking after their cousins social media, are setting up shop. There is a reason for this, and that is primarily the fact that there are not enough marketing jobs out there. 

Challenged with the current economic environment and the uncertainty that surrounds an election year in 2020, it is paramount that companies put their best foot forward now, not wait until later. For all of those entrepreneurs who are hell-bent on sitting on their hands, nows the time to free yourself from the numbness and get moving. The more you move, the more energy you will have.

Here are some sure ways to put your sales efforts on steriods:

Have a business plan that is communicated internally

If everyone knows the goal, they can understand what they need to do to help your company achieve it. If it is ambiguous then expect the same in the results. To ensure that your team is focused on the end goal, they need to know what's inside your head and the steps to achieve those goals. What role do they play?

Make sure your marketing strategy is aligned to your business plan

This is a no-brainer but you would be surprised by how many marketing strategies out there that are not aligned to the business goals. Every single marketing objective needs to meet the aims of the business plan. If marketers can make sure that this happens, everyone wins.

Ensure that there is a love-fest with marketing and sales

Marketing's job is to provide the forum for sales to occur. They need to give sales professionals every opportunity to succeed. If a sales person has excuses as to why they haven't succeed then marketing really hasn't done their job properly. Make sure your teams are joined at the seams and when a sales person asks for something from marketing, marketing jumps. Without sales, there is no business.

Performance reviews keep everyone on track

By having regular performance reviews, your whole team will stay on track to achieving their personal and professional goals, both of which are interwined. Clever managers know that by carefully monitoring performance, people will feel like you appreciate them and will want to stay on track. If everyone stays on track, everyone wins.

Invest in marketing

So many companies just think about it or think that by having a marketing professional in the seat, that's all they need. But that is not true. In fact, using a marketers time efficiently can help you win more deals. For instance, if you use Robotic Marketer for a marketing strategy, it will cost you $1,950. If you use your internal marketing professionals time, it will cost you double or triple that. Instead, those two weeks could be spent on targeted digital marketing efforts.

B2B marketers use LinkedIn

LinkedIn has been one of the most powerful social media platforms on the planet utilized not just for jobs, but for acquiring leads for sales teams. From LinkedIn Helper to Sales Navigator, LinkedIn has pioneered inter-connectivity with other platforms and I find it's partnership with Adobe especially powerful to use for B2B marketing efforts.

B2C marketers use Facebook and Instagram

Advertising particularly with smart content is very influential with buying decisions from consumers. Instagram is currently killing the platform with too many advertisements and it will be interesting to see how this affects B2C marketing efforts.