Shoot the Messenger or the Message?
You have carefully crafted your marketing plans, presented them to the sales team at their biannual meeting and…
the sales numbers move not all in the next couple of months. Or, worse, they slide in the wrong direction.
What went wrong? Was it your marketing plan or did the competition’s marketing team hit one out of the park?
I have been in this position as a salesperson and would be lying if I did not admit that on a few occasions the thought crossed my mind that maybe my marketing team had been…wrong.
But the blame game is useless.
Most likely, your first action will be an objective analysis of your original marketing plans. Hindsight may reveal subtle but significant weaknesses hidden from you months ago.
However, from a sales perspective, there are a few other considerations you might explore.
Consider speaking to some of your veteran sales representatives and ask how the messaging landed with customers. Were the representatives presenting the message as you originally intended? Did the representatives believe in the messaging when they left the sales meeting?
Next, go back over your market research. The messaging may have met with approval in your test groups but did it decisively make your customers purchase your product? At the end of some of my sales presentations, my customers gave every indication our discussion met with their approval only to find they did not actually buy.
The better marketing research question would seem to be which messages resonate with your purchasing customers?
If you are launching a product, you will have to wait a bit to learn this valuable information.
From a sales perspective, do present your market research in your sales meeting presentation. Salespeople will always respond more favorably if they feel there is solid evidence to support a new marketing direction.
Finally, keep lines of communication open between yourself and the sales group.
Honest discussion will do much to turn sales back in right direction.
