When Quiet Marketing Is Smart Marketing.
I’m Tony Compton, Welcome to my Marketing Podcast!
It may be a surprise to many marketers, it may run counter-intuitive to some marketers, but there are times when the marketing department will do more for themselves, their colleagues, their partners, and their employer’s bottom line by remaining silent - quiet - in key business situations.
This is important for sales and marketing alignment. Listen Up!
One specific situation is when sales is working on an opportunity, close to signing a deal, and the sales person wants no interference from marketing.
No emails, not being part of any social campaign, nothing.
No content or conversation that may be adverse to what the sales person is delivering.
Marketing needs to be quiet. To stand down. Remember, in alignment.
Because there are multiple marketing activities any company can undertake. Trade shows and exhibit hall booths… just to name a couple items in the area of industry events. Those events are prime opportunities for multiple people from a target account to appear without warning. No notice. Next thing you know, you’re in conversation.
You and your marketing colleagues may know how or not to approach attendees from a sales target company, but you may have colleagues from other areas of your company who just don’t know. Service, support, tech, consultants, and yes, executives who may see an opportunity to converse with a senior executive, decision maker, influencer, or user from a target company without understanding the sales opportunity in play.
Now it’s cross-functional alignment.
Marketing should check its people, data, systems, and upcoming activities to ensure that nothing jeopardizes the pursuit.
But what happens when you do find yourself on the spot in front of a target company?
Listen with intent. Be polite. Helpful. Supportive. Professional. Take notes, report, and act in concert with sales objectives.
Remember you’re working in alignment, as a team.
Astute listeners will pick up on business challenges, meaningful intel, and revenue-generating opportunities.
When marketing and sales - and everybody - works in a cross-functional manner - timely, quiet marketing employs great teamwork as a part of a winning revenue machine.
You just may help get a deal across the finish line, set up for more, and be proud to stand with sales at the end of the quarter, and fiscal year.
Of course, there’s another way you can talk and give it all away. That's not about being quiet, or silent.
I’ll talk to you about that on my next podcast. Which will be experienced, down to business, and right to the point.
Now That’s a Marketing Podcast!
I’m Tony Compton.