As I am working hard on launching a new region, I am working closely with corporate marketing to leverage all the possible resources available. My company has a great marketing buzz already, so I am already ahead of the game. In addition, we have a corporate marketing team that really understands the in's and out's of demand generation. We are way ahead of the game on those fronts. However, sales managers can't rely on corporate marketing to do all their work. Each region must build their own brand that is consistent with the brand being built by corporate. In my region (Southeast US / Latin America), there are a variety of traditional marketing activities that are just as important as the web 2.0 type marketing activities. So, what exactly are the traditional marketing activities that regional sales teams should concentrate on building?
1. Direct Mail - We all get so much email that nobody bothers to read unsolicited email anymore. In fact, if someone doesn't have a spam blocker already set extremely high, I would question their decision making ability...
2. Local Organizations - Each region has influential groups and organizations that can make a huge difference. Join those groups and network with the key players.
3. Press - Yes, corporate marketing and their PR firm probably handle all the major press. However, there are a lot of smaller business papers and technical websites that can improve your brand awareness.
4. Sponsorship - Although this takes some budget, I would suggest carving out at least two events to sponsor. You don't need to go for the gold or platinum sponsorship, but try to be on the map...
5. Blog - Let me follow your growth, your wins, your customer success...give it to me unfiltered in a way that is personalized to the region.
6. Partners - This is really the key for software vendors. For every person you meet, there are potential partners having discussions with x 100 prospects on a daily basis. Remember, partnering is about a mutually beneficial relationship....not who will bring you the most business.
Yes, we all know these basics, and there are many others that I left off the list, but how many sales teams are waking up each day and reviewing this list to see what more they can do on each topic.
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