Here’s a little exercise for you that might be useful.
Make a quick list of what you consider to be marketing activities and then a list of sales activities.
Think of a company you have bought from regularly, or at least more than once, where the purchase is a reasonably considered item e.g. something where you have a choice of supplier and it’s reasonably important to you (probably not Baked Beans!)
Think about how you came to buy from them the first time and how your relationship with them has developed as you became a repeat customer.
If you could remember all the times that company has ‘touched’ you, I’ll bet there are some of the touches that were on your list of marketing activities and some that were on your sales list. And if they did it really well, you probably didn’t stop to register whether you were being marketed to or sold to.
How would it be if that was how our businesses worked with our prospects and customers – a fully integrated sales AND marketing programme that finds and develops prospects into first time customers and then onwards to repeat customers where the customer doesn’t notice whether they are receiving a sales or marketing ‘touch’ from us?
If you had enough prospects in the programme and applied it effectively, could it deliver results that are bigger or faster or both?
And if the programme was monitored and refined regularly so it became more and more effective, what would that make possible?
Could it be done? – absolutely.
Let me know if you want to know more.
Chris