247. Miss Communicating To Your Best (Target) Customers?

Distribution Strategy, Index

Forthcoming Book for Distributors

This is my third blog inspired by Susan Merlo’s insightful, forthcoming book on: Digital Sales and Marketing for Distributors. Do check out my last two blogs, Susan’s website and register for notification of the books release at – nextlevelimedia.com/book-coming-soon.

A Case Study You May Have Experienced

Susan shares a case study in which a distributor CEO calls on a huge account to find out why they stopped buying. He learns that the customer switched suppliers, because of a chronic, packaging problem. The CEO is stunned. The customer had not heard about the great fix (plus some) to the packaging problem that was put in place months earlier. The CEO does win back some of the business, but not all! He then digs into the root-causes for the poor communication.

Uncovered Facts:

  1. There was a sales meeting on the packaging solution along with a printed brochure for sharing with customers.
  2. The rep for the now-saved account claims that he immediately dropped off the brochure to his regular, buyer contact. But, not to other buying influences.

Questions:

  1. Is one repetition of the news sufficient for reps to do a subsequent thorough selling job?
  2. Will one pitch – to just one of several buying influences at key accounts – achieve perfect understanding by the customer?
  3. In our attention-deficit economy – in which all buying influences increasingly get answers from digital sources first – what needs to improve?

Susan offers the recipe solutions to these questions which stresses better alignment with and systems for both – sales and marketing – management.

My Two Cents

As both a coach and a distributor CEO, I insisted on the learning rules of: “5 to 7” and “1 to 10”. My reps had to go over new stuff 5 to 7 times (on average) – to be able to understand the information in a thorough and unforgettable way.

But, to evangelize (preach, teach) the story to customers for wins, they had to practice via role plays. For every 1 unit of time for understanding, we had to spend 10 units of time doing role-play practice. Then, they could do fluent, spontaneous wow-pitches to customers. For a 4 minute+ vid clip of mine on these rules, go to: Slide 62: 5-7 for: Rules of 5-to-7 & 1-to-10 – YouTube.

Action Step?

Register for Susan’s book! Upgrade and transform your (digital) sales and marketing for the win in today’s Attention-Deficit Economy.