7 Proven Ways to Ring The Bell and Grow Value, Trust, Sales!

By David Cutler - Smarketing CONNECT Ambassador
Founder & President at www.DavidCutler.net

SUMMARY: Know how to get more from your sales and marketing service partners! Below are 7 of the best ways that your Marketing staff, Agencies, and Consultants can help you grow revenue by enhancing your reputation, building trust, and increasing deeper conversations with your clients and prospects.
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Just remember, in Sales, as in most relationships, your main goal is to just earn the next meeting.
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1- What is your differentiation? Your competitors are fluxing ... hungrier Agencies, zealous freelancers, broadening Consultants, and your client’s in-house teams. The solution is your unique value. So, what is your WHY? Is it your attitude and passion for a vertical industry? Is it your data science integration? Is it how well your team responds and anticipates needs? Remember to reality-check your core proposition and promises in relation to the overall market, revenue projections, and your technical/analytical/marketing capabilities.

File this under deceptively simple: focus on what you REALLY do best, that your customers REALLY need ... that your competitors REALLY do not. See a short description of your Strategic Sweet Spot.

2 - Lean into ALL of your client’s business. Account Based Marketing is getting buzz these days because of the efficient revenue (and reputation) of retaining loyal clients. Just remember that ABM is a foundational concepts in selling – understand your client’s needs and processes for solving them. Then, remember to focus on these. Here is a tip: Get inside their buildings (and online webinars, demos, etc) and trade show (and virtual) booths … listen, learn and literally walk the (digital) halls!

Think of yourself as the most positive and interesting "Trojan Horse" ... find any way to get inside to assess the situation for real needs, solve current problems, and discover how to make the most valuable contribution.
It is your responsibility to help them specifically with THEIR Jobs To Be Done (if you haven't yet, dig into the practical brilliance of Clayton Christensen).
In what tone should you deliver all this helpfulness? Consider "The Challenger/Questioner Sales Method" to politely provoke towards the truth - read a 15 page summary of the book.

3 - Have you flipped with the Funnel? Marketing has gotten great at lead generation handoffs to Sales for customer acquisition. Now S&M needs to be in sync farther down the sales funnel while customers delay decisions researching all their options. As you see in the below graphic, there is always untapped opportunity when you flip the funnel after the sale ... beyond on-boarding and account management. I expanded the "Exponential" zone for relationships across your client's company, other departments, divisions, partners, and all their customers!
Read Jon Miller's detailed description of this opportunity with his sales and marketing management platform at Engagio (as a co-founder of Marketo, he should know!)

WHY? Because as much as 80% of the revenue companies earn is generated after the initial sale (KeyBank SaaS Survey PDF).

​Who are the new decision-makers for up-selling inside? How can your Marketing team engage and cross-sell within your client's ecosystem? What is your referral model?
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​4 - Referral Networking is a team sport. Pass the ball so they can score. Empower others. Make them heros. Regularly say words like these: “Where did you hear about us? Since we are a referral-based business we always throw a deal to who sent you our way. Or we make a donation to your charity of choice … by the way, do you know about our Referred Client Package Deal? … we look forward to you offering it to your network too! Since you are an ideal client/partner, you are sure to know others that will appreciate our methods and perspective.”
Related to this community connecting is "Setting More Value Hooks." You will increase the likelihood of your proposal NOT getting cut if you have people in other departments relying on your added value participation - a promise to deliver a series of blog/Social content, a strategic PR release, a location in their trade show booth, their (or their leader's) speaking invitation at a conference panel, Walk the halls to discover many ways to add more value.

5 - Say no to say yes.  Match what you do best ONLY with prospects that you have researched and know they are the right targets for the real you. Say no to everyone else (this is the hardest thing on this list). Flow like water around the wrong distractions and market shifts towards the most righteous relationships. There is a good ol' helpful acronym to qualify your contacts - do they have BANT?... Budget allocated, Authority to buy, Need for you, and the key... what is their Timing?

6 - Don’t just be a tool. Yes, use your CRM system to efficiently segment and keep track of client details. But your marketing-minded targets see through cold, calculated, automated pings. Don’t pretend. Be human. Reach out directly with something random but relevant (inspired by those nuanced persona segments you created). This is a good way to introduce your latest most pertinent client success case study.
Here is an acronym to make sure you commit to the basic stages of the buying process. Remember AIDAR… How are they even Aware of you? Have you earned their Interest? Do they have the info they need to make a Decision? What are the specific Actions they need to make (sign up, share, buy)? Next, you must Research how to manage all this better while you fulfill on your promises. A second "R" means understanding and tweaking your tactics for customer Retention.

7 - Are you practicing what you preach? Make a plan for your own brand marketing across everything you do. Include your Sales team, and your target prospects, in the services you provide your clients - idea brainstorming around market research, creative collateral and production flow. Test and evolve your messaging across your: inbound lead gen, outbound promotion, blog/social posts, case studies, print collateral, webinar interviews, conference panels, job descriptions, cold-call script, ... even your annoying website chatbot. Remember to enable everything with "handles" (#ashtags, links, survey questions) to inspire interaction and sharing. Dare to demonstrate your industry leadership by openly sharing your journey as a practitioner of the Digital Economy.
Care for your target prospects (almost) as well as your clients. Start by making your own company your best client … just try to be a good client and commit some budget, time and resources.

BONUS: Media/Marketing Channels change, but human nature does not. Put love in every stitch by sincerely caring enough to ask questions and learn about their personal career plans, company culture, and internal processes.

Simply, save them time and solve their problems … not just promise capabilities.
More? Targeting your target prospect Chief Marketing Officers is one sure path to more ideas and deals. So, … A) Read what CMOs are thinking B) Consider their options and your competitors C) There are other ways in(side).
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For pure Sales, consider these Tips on Selling Out.
Remember to have fun... it shows.

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Vertical Divider

By David Cutler - Founder & President,  www.DavidCutler.net

Sales Coaching

My business is providing individualized B2B sales strategy and marketing support to help you and/or your people be more successful.

My clients range from corporate Innovation Labs to the Tech Startups they need.

Some of the large brands I am or have worked with include: Anheuser-Busch,  Audi, Campbell’s, Comcast, General Motors, Hasbro, McKinsey, Pepsi, P&G, Siemens, Verizon, Whole Foods, Yahoo

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