Here’s a crucial business question many small businesses don’t stop to ask:  “Are we a marketing-driven company supported by our sales force; or does our sales team take the lead and our marketing plays a support role?”

Does the answer matter?  Absolutely.  The answer influences the caliber of salespeople you hire as well as marketing plans and budget.  In this first of two posts we’ll examine the case of the Sales Force that is supported by its marketing.

Marketing Plan To Increase Sales Leads

If you are a “sales-oriented” company, then salespeople are your front-line in actually closing the sale.  Typically, your $$ value is $300 or more (and yes, if you are a hotel or an airline this dollar value may not apply).  Typically, the higher the dollar-value of the product or service you are selling, the more important the sales person’s skill set is to increase sales.

Typically you are going to be hiring salespeople who are hungry to close and very much money-oriented.  Whether your sales cycle is long or short, a conservative approach or an “overcome the objection at all costs” approach, you usually are looking to hire hunters who want to go for the kill, not farmers who are interesting in tilling the soil. However, a seasoned hunter is appreciative of the gunsmith that puts a fine rifle in his hands, or the maker of the scope that allows him to see his quarry.  Just so, the wise salesperson is aware of the value of the marketer who gives him the opportunity to take many shots at the prey he seeks.

Increasing Sales Leads

We’re talking about leads, here. And, if that rifle and scope work well then the smart hunter lets the craftsman that produced the rifle know.  Likewise, if the scope mount is loose or the ammo needs a few more grains added then the wise hunter gives proper feedback and let’s his gunsmith know what’s wrong so he doesn’t miss the shot. Just so in a sales-driven organization, if your salespeople only grouse about their crummy rifles with pitiful scopes — in other words, if they say: “I don’t have any good leads and all my collateral stinks”, then nothing is going to happen and your company will be missing out on lots of big game. What your really good salespeople need are more and better leads.

Because sales close the deal, but marketing can “prep the prospect”.

Management’s job – get S & M to play nice together.  (But that’s the subject for another day…)

Throughout your marketing efforts in the sales-led company, don’t worry exclusively about closing the deal, just close the action.  The action may be to:

• get an appointment set
• get the phone to ring
• enter an email address
• fill out a comment card
• take a survey
• achieve a click through
• follow your company on Twitter

Marketing focuses on the action that will put the prospect closest to the hunter’s sights.  And then…track.  Track the source, track where the lead came from.  However rudimentary your CRM system is, you must make sure you are tracking at least some.  But more on that another day.