I am a baseball fan and this is the first week in April.
That means that the beginning of the Major League Baseball season is upon us.
Of course it also means that the April showers that bring May flowers have already
rained out two opening day games. Baseball is not a game that can be played
well in the rain. So when rainy days shower down upon us, baseball players
wait. This is not unlike what happens in business.
For many businesses, the past several years have been one
long rainy season. Just when they think they are ready to take the field,
another cloudburst keeps them in the dugout. The sentiment is, they would like
to put together a marketing plan and grow their business, but the time just
isn’t right… or is it? If you are waiting for everything to get itself
straightened out in the economy before you start marketing, you are seriously
behind the curve. What has happened the past few years is markets have
tightened up and money doesn’t flow like it used to. It is why being smarter in
the way you market is essential. In particular, it calls for an integration
between your marketing and your sales in a way that keeps leads from getting
lost. There are all kinds of software that will help you make contact with
potential customers and track them through sales steps. Do you know the biggest
hurdle to handing off leads from marketing to sales is not the software, it is
the people who make excuses and refuse to take the next steps.
Here is what I would suggest you do if you find yourself in
a rainy season. First, put together a list of current customers and prospects. Secondly,
get some sort of marketing piece in front of them that engages them in a way
that you can measure their response. That may be an e-blast that links to your
web site. It may be a blog or an article you post on social media. Whatever
engages with your customer, do it. Thirdly, make two lists. Make a list of engaged customers and have
your sales staff make a call on them. This might mean taking them to lunch if
they are a really good client. It may mean simply giving them a phone call.
Make sure you touch them in a human way (in other words, don’t send them
another e-mail!) The other list should be prospects who have engaged with you.
Get another form of marketing in front of them. Drive them to look at your web
site. And again, have the sales staff
call on them. I know sales people don’t love to make cold calls. But if they
are engaging with you in your marketing, it is not a cold call, it is a warm
lead. There is a reason someone would look at your web site if you sent them an
e-blast – they have some level of interest in what you are selling. This is
where marketing and sales have to work hand in glove.
Do you know what happens when baseball games are rained out?
Professional baseball players practice. Batters take to the cages under the
stadium to keep up their swing. Scheduled pitchers throw a simulated game. If
they don’t do this on rain out days, their skills will diminish to the point they
will be cut from the team. Baseball and marketing your business aren’t that far
apart from each other, are they?