Tired marketing or why are you all doing it - 2
The first article was one-sided, which led to the belief that in the future it will turn into an advertising blog of some company. It is a pity if you thought so - you were mistaken. So, as I promised, a more complete version of my vision of the problems of marketing efforts of medium and small companies.
The author of the article does not set out to offer you a product, impose your personal opinion on you, convince you of your abilities or otherwise insult, humiliate, or just deceive you.
For almost 15 years I have been engaged in sales, negotiations, marketing, advertising, training, promotion, and other interesting and engaging things. And I love it all and enjoy doing it. Yes, I have had both good starts and bad finishes. I met great leaders and ugly managers. And if you are interested in reading about it - gather your strength into a fist and read on.
Most of the companies with which I somehow collaborated will not be able to tell right away how many customers they have, what they do, how many deals they have in a month, at what time of year they have a peak of sales, not to mention “high matters” .
')
In the first article I already wrote that the CRM-system to help them, but no! All our managers, managers, administrators, supervisors and other people are absolutely sure that the diary is the best conductor of their ideas!
In half of the companies, the choice of daily logs takes months for the operations of the farms, secretaries, clerks, and “marketers”. It is very important that the diary is comfortable, stylish, inexpensive and with a “wow effect”. More important than learning how to systematize information, than keeping track of customers, than knowing about possible transactions.
You know, in most cases, when you suggest that business leaders start with this problem, they happily clap their hands and shout “Hurray”, clearly imagining a picture of extraterrestrial goods on their desk. In the process of communication, you receive sworn assurances that they themselves, now begin to use, that you only show, teach and we all - immediately into battle!
On average, the fuse disappears in 3-4 days. They are trying to load you with other tasks, throwing questions and problems, trying to avoid meeting with CRM in every possible way.
Then they give you a diary. That's the end of the process automation.
I was invited to work in a car parts and repair company. The company is medium in size: about 60 employees in my city and a dozen more in the near abroad.
A week later, I proposed a “draft” plan: a phased reduction of the sales department to 2-3 people, reorienting to the second line of activity and developing it at the expense of saving on costs in the first direction.
The first direction (auto parts) was a huge lump, which rolled the company down without dismantling the road. Managers in the amount of 15 people were absolutely unclaimed, their fixed salary was prohibitive, and the percentage was not much less than in the market as a whole.
It seemed to me that the plan has the right to life and the bosses for 50% agreed with me. That is, one agreed, the second - no. Therefore, I was asked to conduct a more in-depth analysis, to develop plans and motivational schemes for all employees.
After a couple of days, having received an active "caller" and a passive "composer" at his disposal, he began to implement the tasks. And here everything fell into place. It turned out that this company was initially doomed to problems. Judge for yourself: all the employees in it are relatives or close friends, all the money earned was withdrawn every month to zero, all warehouse goods were seasonal leftovers.
The only advantage in the company's work was the quick delivery of the goods (an exclusive product that is not on the market at this time). And this activity accounted for almost 70% of the company's transactions (another 5% was spent on seasonal sales). The remaining 25% did the second direction, spending on it 10 times less resources and funds.
Seeing these numbers, the bosses came in a heated state that lasted for almost a week, after which they divided the business in half. But by the end of the year, they practically lost everything and everyone.
Oh, and morality: the first thing they did when they split up was to choose logos and diaries for their half companies.
You do not know who your client is. It is with a capital letter, because how can you know what all your customers are doing, but does the “Pareto law” really not work for you?
Choose your ideal client: moderately profitable, fairly constant, the one that you most like. Try to learn about him as much as possible, find all the information that will be useful when communicating with him: there may be the names of his children, or maybe a place to study.
Exactly chosen? I propose now to look for just such clients: those with whom you enjoy working and communicating and developing friendly relations. This will be your type of client. Perfect Client for you.
In our space, full of "hot offers", "shares", "discounts", it is difficult to build long and long-term partnerships. Especially competing with assortment, services, special offers, and even more so "naked" price.
The time of the “obsessive” young people is gone, now they only cause irritation. I do not want to deal with a company that asks for permission to call me back in a week - why? I do not want to have anything to do with you! In a week I will not want to have a bit more work with you.
Return to the "old" method of working with the client - friendly communication. Create your own Clients Club. Maybe even in the truest sense of the word. Remember that working with an old client is estimated to be 5 times more profitable than with a new one.
The story took place at the dawn of my youth, I just became the main manager in a small computer company. As a general manager, I became involved not so much in sales as general organizational issues: supplies, purchases, courier routes, and organization of computer assembly.
But my clients did not leave me, they liked to work with me, and I also liked to sell more than to waste time on free labor. Especially considering that he did not bring me tangible profits, except for the firm conviction that everything is under control and there will be no disruption of transactions.
On one day, I realized that I could be engaged in sales only after lunch, because before this deadline, I did not straighten myself, I solved the problems of the company. Having decided to shift some of the problems to other managers, I came across a lack of understanding - why do this? And I wondered, why am I doing this?
On the same day I discussed my problem with the director. I asked him to decide who I was and, accordingly, pay for my work. Heeding my stories, I promised to calculate the increase. It was risky not to do this, since I, even in such a time trouble, brought about 60% of the company's profits.
Two months later, I received an increase of 20 bucks. Over the past two months. I was very hurt by this, I refused this handout and the position, I worked for another couple of months and quit.
During these two months, I watched transactions break down, when customers do not receive computers on time, as couriers who do not have time for orders swear, how the work of the “assembly shop” is completely due to the lack of details. All this time, I waited for the director to say: come back, here's an increase for you.
I quit because I didn’t want to spoil relations with clients. I did not take them away, they found me and communicated with pleasure. Many of them turn to me even now, if not for shopping, then just for advice. My first company is not as good as it was in those years. Now the director himself is working at the place of the general manager, and he has only one manager. And the assembly shop is long gone. Yes, and the courier is alone.
I honestly tried to help them get back into service. I worked with them again in five years. And almost half a year, making plans for them, told how and what I did, how I combined orders, with whom it was more profitable to work. I was looking for new horizons for them, but they didn’t need it. I left when I realized that they would not reproduce all my ideas, they would not even try.
Moral: client and client - two big differences. Think of their comfort now, so that it will not be boring later.
You are universal. Your company can do everything and do everything. For all. You're good at? Then do not read further.
So not everything goes? This is the problem. It is rather a misfortune of new companies, or companies without a coherent development strategy, without plans for the future. Old whales and dinosaurs have already passed this stage, it is easier for them to tuck their large bodies with napkins in uncomfortable places.
This problem is directly related to the "problem number one" - the ignorance of the client of his company. But this is precisely because you have not yet received these customers. They did not recognize their features and did not understand how to lure them.
Start small. Do not set yourself an initial goal, like: to capture the whole world with your product. Put it at least after the goals: make one sale, make a sales plan for the month, recoup the investment.
Run over all competitors. Make up your personal impression of meeting with them, of communicating with them by phone, of using their website. If you have the opportunity (and need) to compare their product with yours - buy and compare. Learn all you can!
And now determine why people need you. Than you personally can surprise them, please, encourage, help. Let it not result in a “super-discount” or “share when you buy X, get Y for half the price”. Let it be needed, really needed and important. If this does not work out - find where it will turn out.
Understand that the likelihood that you “from the start” “go up the hill” by “leaps and bounds” is close to zero. For this you need to be uniquely in demand, indispensably necessary, creatively presented. So the first problem of your company is actually “problem number three”.
Story about own business. As without him, without his and his own.
One day I thought: what is stopping me from starting my own business? I have been thinking about this for a long time and many times, but I always put it off. First, because of the birth of a child - I was afraid that I could not provide for my family. Then there were other reasons: a little money, a lot of competitors, a sea of ​​papers for registration.
And now, I'm tired of convincing myself that it is difficult, scary and impossible. I registered the company in 1 day, found an office, address and bank account in a week. And the first client.
The deal was pretty cash, easy and successful. Complacency just rolls over. It seemed that now "trample." No, not "flooded." And I did not immediately understand why.
It's very simple: you can not do everything alone. If you are at least a “super seller”, even a “mega-specialist”, nothing will help you to reduce the time spent on trips, negotiations, preparation of documentation, filling in reports, calculating prices, viewing competitors and everything else. I worked 18 hours a day. Sometimes longer. And nothing came of it.
My deals were ridiculous, my efforts were limitless. But, one day, my friend introduced me to a man who was doing almost the same thing as me. And he did it not much, but better.
I practically asked for his helpers, then as partners, we began to jointly make plans, hire employees, and divide the areas of action. For almost 2 years everything worked with constant growth. But over time, the market was filled with our offer, it was necessary to take a step forward, or a step to the side. I insisted on one type of product, my partner on another. I didn’t want big infusions in a new direction, he also wanted to refinance.
We parted. Everyone went about their business. But the fact that we did it perfectly well together, began to go away to nothing. In general, I got into an unfortunate story; my former partner simply did not find the means for further development.
The moral of this story is as follows: having opened a gold mine, having established a loot in it, start looking for a new one, because forever you will not sit on it.
To be honest, I no longer wanted to post this epic for you, dear readers. And just the fact of incompletion made me do it. Thanks for the second try, have a nice day everyone!
Prehistory
The author of the article does not set out to offer you a product, impose your personal opinion on you, convince you of your abilities or otherwise insult, humiliate, or just deceive you.
For almost 15 years I have been engaged in sales, negotiations, marketing, advertising, training, promotion, and other interesting and engaging things. And I love it all and enjoy doing it. Yes, I have had both good starts and bad finishes. I met great leaders and ugly managers. And if you are interested in reading about it - gather your strength into a fist and read on.
Problem number one
Most of the companies with which I somehow collaborated will not be able to tell right away how many customers they have, what they do, how many deals they have in a month, at what time of year they have a peak of sales, not to mention “high matters” .
')
In the first article I already wrote that the CRM-system to help them, but no! All our managers, managers, administrators, supervisors and other people are absolutely sure that the diary is the best conductor of their ideas!
In half of the companies, the choice of daily logs takes months for the operations of the farms, secretaries, clerks, and “marketers”. It is very important that the diary is comfortable, stylish, inexpensive and with a “wow effect”. More important than learning how to systematize information, than keeping track of customers, than knowing about possible transactions.
You know, in most cases, when you suggest that business leaders start with this problem, they happily clap their hands and shout “Hurray”, clearly imagining a picture of extraterrestrial goods on their desk. In the process of communication, you receive sworn assurances that they themselves, now begin to use, that you only show, teach and we all - immediately into battle!
On average, the fuse disappears in 3-4 days. They are trying to load you with other tasks, throwing questions and problems, trying to avoid meeting with CRM in every possible way.
Then they give you a diary. That's the end of the process automation.
History number one
I was invited to work in a car parts and repair company. The company is medium in size: about 60 employees in my city and a dozen more in the near abroad.
A week later, I proposed a “draft” plan: a phased reduction of the sales department to 2-3 people, reorienting to the second line of activity and developing it at the expense of saving on costs in the first direction.
The first direction (auto parts) was a huge lump, which rolled the company down without dismantling the road. Managers in the amount of 15 people were absolutely unclaimed, their fixed salary was prohibitive, and the percentage was not much less than in the market as a whole.
It seemed to me that the plan has the right to life and the bosses for 50% agreed with me. That is, one agreed, the second - no. Therefore, I was asked to conduct a more in-depth analysis, to develop plans and motivational schemes for all employees.
After a couple of days, having received an active "caller" and a passive "composer" at his disposal, he began to implement the tasks. And here everything fell into place. It turned out that this company was initially doomed to problems. Judge for yourself: all the employees in it are relatives or close friends, all the money earned was withdrawn every month to zero, all warehouse goods were seasonal leftovers.
The only advantage in the company's work was the quick delivery of the goods (an exclusive product that is not on the market at this time). And this activity accounted for almost 70% of the company's transactions (another 5% was spent on seasonal sales). The remaining 25% did the second direction, spending on it 10 times less resources and funds.
Seeing these numbers, the bosses came in a heated state that lasted for almost a week, after which they divided the business in half. But by the end of the year, they practically lost everything and everyone.
Oh, and morality: the first thing they did when they split up was to choose logos and diaries for their half companies.
Problem number two
You do not know who your client is. It is with a capital letter, because how can you know what all your customers are doing, but does the “Pareto law” really not work for you?
Choose your ideal client: moderately profitable, fairly constant, the one that you most like. Try to learn about him as much as possible, find all the information that will be useful when communicating with him: there may be the names of his children, or maybe a place to study.
Exactly chosen? I propose now to look for just such clients: those with whom you enjoy working and communicating and developing friendly relations. This will be your type of client. Perfect Client for you.
In our space, full of "hot offers", "shares", "discounts", it is difficult to build long and long-term partnerships. Especially competing with assortment, services, special offers, and even more so "naked" price.
The time of the “obsessive” young people is gone, now they only cause irritation. I do not want to deal with a company that asks for permission to call me back in a week - why? I do not want to have anything to do with you! In a week I will not want to have a bit more work with you.
Return to the "old" method of working with the client - friendly communication. Create your own Clients Club. Maybe even in the truest sense of the word. Remember that working with an old client is estimated to be 5 times more profitable than with a new one.
History number two
The story took place at the dawn of my youth, I just became the main manager in a small computer company. As a general manager, I became involved not so much in sales as general organizational issues: supplies, purchases, courier routes, and organization of computer assembly.
But my clients did not leave me, they liked to work with me, and I also liked to sell more than to waste time on free labor. Especially considering that he did not bring me tangible profits, except for the firm conviction that everything is under control and there will be no disruption of transactions.
On one day, I realized that I could be engaged in sales only after lunch, because before this deadline, I did not straighten myself, I solved the problems of the company. Having decided to shift some of the problems to other managers, I came across a lack of understanding - why do this? And I wondered, why am I doing this?
On the same day I discussed my problem with the director. I asked him to decide who I was and, accordingly, pay for my work. Heeding my stories, I promised to calculate the increase. It was risky not to do this, since I, even in such a time trouble, brought about 60% of the company's profits.
Two months later, I received an increase of 20 bucks. Over the past two months. I was very hurt by this, I refused this handout and the position, I worked for another couple of months and quit.
During these two months, I watched transactions break down, when customers do not receive computers on time, as couriers who do not have time for orders swear, how the work of the “assembly shop” is completely due to the lack of details. All this time, I waited for the director to say: come back, here's an increase for you.
I quit because I didn’t want to spoil relations with clients. I did not take them away, they found me and communicated with pleasure. Many of them turn to me even now, if not for shopping, then just for advice. My first company is not as good as it was in those years. Now the director himself is working at the place of the general manager, and he has only one manager. And the assembly shop is long gone. Yes, and the courier is alone.
I honestly tried to help them get back into service. I worked with them again in five years. And almost half a year, making plans for them, told how and what I did, how I combined orders, with whom it was more profitable to work. I was looking for new horizons for them, but they didn’t need it. I left when I realized that they would not reproduce all my ideas, they would not even try.
Moral: client and client - two big differences. Think of their comfort now, so that it will not be boring later.
Problem number three
You are universal. Your company can do everything and do everything. For all. You're good at? Then do not read further.
So not everything goes? This is the problem. It is rather a misfortune of new companies, or companies without a coherent development strategy, without plans for the future. Old whales and dinosaurs have already passed this stage, it is easier for them to tuck their large bodies with napkins in uncomfortable places.
This problem is directly related to the "problem number one" - the ignorance of the client of his company. But this is precisely because you have not yet received these customers. They did not recognize their features and did not understand how to lure them.
Start small. Do not set yourself an initial goal, like: to capture the whole world with your product. Put it at least after the goals: make one sale, make a sales plan for the month, recoup the investment.
Run over all competitors. Make up your personal impression of meeting with them, of communicating with them by phone, of using their website. If you have the opportunity (and need) to compare their product with yours - buy and compare. Learn all you can!
And now determine why people need you. Than you personally can surprise them, please, encourage, help. Let it not result in a “super-discount” or “share when you buy X, get Y for half the price”. Let it be needed, really needed and important. If this does not work out - find where it will turn out.
Understand that the likelihood that you “from the start” “go up the hill” by “leaps and bounds” is close to zero. For this you need to be uniquely in demand, indispensably necessary, creatively presented. So the first problem of your company is actually “problem number three”.
Story number three
Story about own business. As without him, without his and his own.
One day I thought: what is stopping me from starting my own business? I have been thinking about this for a long time and many times, but I always put it off. First, because of the birth of a child - I was afraid that I could not provide for my family. Then there were other reasons: a little money, a lot of competitors, a sea of ​​papers for registration.
And now, I'm tired of convincing myself that it is difficult, scary and impossible. I registered the company in 1 day, found an office, address and bank account in a week. And the first client.
The deal was pretty cash, easy and successful. Complacency just rolls over. It seemed that now "trample." No, not "flooded." And I did not immediately understand why.
It's very simple: you can not do everything alone. If you are at least a “super seller”, even a “mega-specialist”, nothing will help you to reduce the time spent on trips, negotiations, preparation of documentation, filling in reports, calculating prices, viewing competitors and everything else. I worked 18 hours a day. Sometimes longer. And nothing came of it.
My deals were ridiculous, my efforts were limitless. But, one day, my friend introduced me to a man who was doing almost the same thing as me. And he did it not much, but better.
I practically asked for his helpers, then as partners, we began to jointly make plans, hire employees, and divide the areas of action. For almost 2 years everything worked with constant growth. But over time, the market was filled with our offer, it was necessary to take a step forward, or a step to the side. I insisted on one type of product, my partner on another. I didn’t want big infusions in a new direction, he also wanted to refinance.
We parted. Everyone went about their business. But the fact that we did it perfectly well together, began to go away to nothing. In general, I got into an unfortunate story; my former partner simply did not find the means for further development.
The moral of this story is as follows: having opened a gold mine, having established a loot in it, start looking for a new one, because forever you will not sit on it.
To be honest, I no longer wanted to post this epic for you, dear readers. And just the fact of incompletion made me do it. Thanks for the second try, have a nice day everyone!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/289558/
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