Marketing 101 By Andy Slipher

Three Critical Ways Marketing Can Be Applied to Close More Sales D

o you operate in an organization where sales begins with a capital “S” and marketing with a lower case “m?” Sales-centric organizations often operate at such a high level in sales, they lack mar- keting prowess. Some are even altogether marketing-phobic, believing marketers exist to usurp the importance of sales- people or to replace them altogether. As a result, sales-centric organizations fail to integrate fundamental marketing prin- ciples into the sales process – principles that could actually improve their effec- tiveness. Although this phenomenon is not uncommon, it can leave customers with feelings that range from a lack of a clear understanding to downright confu- sion. Who does this kind of thinking ben- efit? Certainly not the customer. The bottom line regarding marketing and its place in a sales-dependent orga- nization is that it should be supporting sales, and not supplanting it. It’s a sim- ple fact that in certain environments where customer relationships must be continually nurtured and where product investment is high (business-to-business environments, for example), good sales- people are of paramount importance. They help solve customer problems, be- stow benefits, share product knowledge, behave proactively, and are simply there for customers when called upon. At the same time, such organizations can have blind spots when it comes to using marketing to their collective advantage. They don’t see that marketing is there to extend and expand the sales opportunity. As a result, their salespeople aren’t fully prepared and equipped with what they need to do their best while enabling better outcomes for their customers. Do you want to improve your odds of success in sales by using marketing to your advantage? Here are three ways: 1. Understand what marketing is and what it is not. Marketing is not simply me-

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dia. It’s not cheap or cheesy gimmicks de- signed to get the attention of your custom- er. Rather, proper marketing is anything you do in good faith to get your product or service into the hands of the custom- er. The breadth of marketing spans the entire buying cycle, and beyond. As such, effective marketing involves planning, investment and understanding of the needs of your customer. Think of it as ev- erything else that wraps around your sales approach to ensure that the customer has a positive and persuasive experience. For example, what if you learn your business-to-business customer will have to champion your business and product to others within his or her organization? What do you do? It’s not feasible to be at every internal meeting. You need succinct messaging and professional materials to leave with your customer. This is one pos- sible marketing tool. But, it begins by dis- covering and understanding customer’s own mindset, needs and buying process. 2. Embrace the visual. Effective sales- people are generally great at the verbal aspect of selling – persuading with words. However, virtually all customers today also rely upon and expect the visual. For example, who would have thought 20 years ago that we could manage a signifi- cant part of buying a new home by taking virtual home tours from anywhere? Yet this is the world we now live in, thanks to technology. The lesson is that people are now accustomed to buying only what they can see. It’s a studied fact that people generally remember only 20 percent of what they hear, but up to 50 percent of what they both hear and see. Therefore, the more you can help them visualize what they are buying, the greater your odds of success. How does this play into your sales pro- cess? How could you improve upon the visual accuracy of the recycled auto parts you sell? If you cannot yet answer these

questions, start by asking your customers what they would want to see. 3. Integrate your process. Have you identified and broken down your sales process? What is the first thing you do? Second, third and so on? How does your process both move the sale forward and serve the needs of the customer? These are wider questions beyond, “How do I get more chances in front of the custom- er?” Yet, by asking such questions, you have the opportunity to integrate a wid- er range of tactics into your sales process that work toward a common goal. For example, what about a sales ap- proach that begins with having a wider conversation with would-be customers about their needs and challenges? Would you engage with them around a common issue through social media or mail an old- school letter? Would you make a gratis overture to solve a relevant problem in order to build goodwill and trust? This process engages a marketing mindset. It integrates your everyday sales tools with a broader set of options that work together for better outcomes.

Sales and marketing shouldn’t be thought of as mutually exclusive. After all, they serve a common goal. Even if you are deep in a sales-centric organization, you can still integrate strategic marketing thinking and tactics into your own ap- proach to improve your chances for suc- cess, while satisfying more of your custom- ers’ wants and needs in the process.

Andy Slipher is founder of Slipher Marketing, a consultancy where strategy comes first, followed by tangible marketing results. He is an accomplished strategist, interim CMO, speaker and writer

on marketing strategy. He is marketing lecturer for SMU’s accredited Bank Operations Institute for professional bankers, and for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT). Andy is the author of The Big How: Where Strategy Meets Success. For more information, visit TheBigHow.com.

July-August 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING