Right now the inbound marketing movement and the Sales 2.0 movement are around 3 to 4 years old, and I believe we're sizing each other up rather like my kids, deciding whether it's OK to play together.
My prediction is we're about to get on like a "house on fire" and not want to go home. To me, inbound marketing and Sales 2.0 are natural playmates.
What is Sales 2.0?
So what the heck is Sales 2.0 anyway? Sales 2.0 is a term I coined (yes, me) in 2006.
Sales 2.0 is about sales people using Web 2.0 tools and social media to sell more effectively.
The inbound marketing movement has realized that traditional "interruption based" marketing is becoming less-and-less effective and that era is coming to an end. Similarly the Sales 2.0 movement has realized that "interruption based" selling is becoming less effective (particularly volume cold calling) and that era is coming to end too. (We sales people are slower to learn than marketers, as most innovation in the sales profession took place in the 1890's. So that era is certainly due to end.)
Why Should I Care?
I have to admit I'm an inbound marketing "fan boy." I practice inbound marketing all-day every-day. I have LinkedIn open all day long. I look at my site analytics at least weekly. I think about keywords, blog and even tweet regularly. I love this stuff. It totally appeals to my "closet geek" (I was once a micro chip designer, so I'd fit in with the HubSpot MIT crowd, I think).
But there are cases where inbound marketing is not enough on its own. In these cases, Sales 2.0 is going to be essential to small business owners and marketers. Some cases:
1. Target Accounts: If your business is about selling something expensive, you often have a finite target account list. Depending on how specialized the thing is you sell (usually equated with how expensive it is), then there may only be between a few hundred and a few dozen companies that want it and can afford it. In this scenario, you need a proactive approach to selling. Inbound marketing alone is not going to be enough.
I always imagine a sales rep in this scenario whose boss comes to him and says "how are we getting on penetrating GE" and the rep who loves inbound marketing too much says "we're waiting for them to hit our website and download a white paper".
2. After Inbound: So what happens after someone does download that white paper from your website (after they've been magnetically attracted by your inbound marketing)? You get in touch with them, right? If they fill in the right values in your Web forms, you get in touch with them fast. You may even call them.
When you call, you are suddenly in "outbound land." Sure, you have a bit more permission since the person hit your site and filled out a form, but usually you still have a lot of selling to do. So being smart about selling is still going to critical, otherwise you are going to blow your hard earned inbound lead with some ineffective "Sales 1.0" sales techniques.
3. Further down the Funnel: Whichever way the lead gets to you, sooner or later it's going to be the sales team's ball. There's a whole bunch of tools now that can make sales people smarter in the ways they progress deals to closure. All these tools fall under the Sales 2.0 mantel...but I'm not going to talk about them on this post.
I believe inbound marketing and Sales 2.0 are natural playmates . Inbound marketing has been conceived by marketers for marketers. Sales 2.0 has been conceived by sales people for sales people. Both have been catalyzed by the Internet and all the changes it has brought about in buyer behavior.
With a bit of luck, inbound marketing and Sales 2.0 together may even fix the infamous divide between marketing and sales departments. If that happens, we will truly never "want to go home".
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Shawn 8:52 AM on February 11, 2010
Our marketing team is very inbound marketing savvy and just about all of our leads are brought in through inbound.
But sales is a different story. What articles or books could I pass along to our sales manager to help him know where to dive in? He's open to the idea, probably just doesn't know where to start.
Thanks!
Shawn Cohen 8:53 AM on February 11, 2010
Actually, that was probably a dumb question--he should start w/ Sales 2.0:-)
Nic Windley 9:06 AM on February 11, 2010
Nice article. Carefully blending sales and marketing strategies that continue to bond your audience with your organisation is the key to this. I coined it The SAMA Department, where there is no longer a divide in sales or marketing but a process of ascension that guides customers to new levels of buy in. Its the first step towards "deep support" for business....which will be the future of the worlds economies to come.
trish bertuzzi 9:32 AM on February 11, 2010
Nigel, what a great post. You laid out the perfect strategy in plain English (even if you do have a funny accent).
I love the term coined by Mike Damphousse at Green Leads. He calls this strategy "unified marketing". Inbound plus intelligent outbound = a big win for everyone!
Chris Snell 9:39 AM on February 11, 2010
Nigel,
Great article! I completely agree with you (and what a great analogy with the kids). Inbound marketing can take you only SO far, and at some point, someone needs to reach out to them. I'm not knocking inbound marketing; it's crucial. I like how you blend the two.
Thanks for writing,
Chris
Luke Brown 9:44 AM on February 11, 2010
Good points and observations, Nigel. For far too long, sales and marketing have been fighting cousins, each trying to have their way at the expense of the other. The result was both departments looked foolish and companies lost revenue they could easily have obtained.
Your systematic approach is definitely a way to take inbound marketing concepts and integrate them into sales.
Shawn, you might have your sales manager check out the Sales 2.0 Alliance, which includes Kadient, a company mentioned by David Meerman Scott in one of his e-books. The Sales 2.0 Alliance is presenting 'Strategies For Sales Success in 2010 webinar on February 17. I hope that helps you and your sales manager.
Chad Larson 10:38 AM on February 11, 2010
Key take away is: "being smart about selling is still going to critical, otherwise you are going to blow your hard earned inbound lead"
Understanding the customers business and bringing added value beyond their inbound interest already defined. Great stuff and I love the playtime comparison.
@clarson82
Dawood Mirza 11:04 AM on February 11, 2010
Very informative thx for sharing. It will be nice if your next article talks about how to use Google Buzz for social marketing.
Pamela Seiple 11:07 AM on February 11, 2010
Dawood,
We actually blogged about Google Buzz yesterday! http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5581/Marketing-Tips-for-Using-Google-Buzz.aspx
Pamela
Shawn Cohen 12:22 PM on February 11, 2010
@Luke Thanks! I sent him and our marketing director the link to Nigel's website earlier today. I already got positive feedback from the marketing director:-)
Jacques Werth 12:25 PM on February 11, 2010
Sales 2.0 is about using technology to automate, track and measure obsolete selling systems that are at least 50 years old.
Example:
Billions of dollars have been, and are being, spent on Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management systems. Most of those systems are producing little, or negative, ROI.
Nigel Edelshain 1:47 PM on February 11, 2010
Chaps,
Great comments. Much appreciated indeed.
Shawn, right "Sales 2.0" by Anneke Seley great book (great author too). Check out "Selling to Big Companies" for prospecting too, by that "uber" sales expert Jill Konrath. Thanks for sending our site to your marketing folks. I can feel the cross-departmental love from here.
Nic, yup SAMA. Unity brothers!
Trish, thanks as ever. Yes, Mike D and I actually have the same great, great grandfather (well we should).
Jacques, "Sales 1.0" was invented in the 1890's by John Patterson so you're being kind with the "50 years old" sales systems.
Thanks everyone. Really appreciate your comments.
Nigel