During 20th Century recessions, sales and marketing people were often heroic. As companies came under financial pressure sales people often started selling like crazy. And marketing people launched innovative advertising, promotions and public relations campaigns. As a result, 20th Century sales and marketing efforts often got turnarounds turned around. They reversed sales and profit declines and built a foundation for continuing growth.
Without a doubt, sales and marketing folks often saved the day during 20th Century recessions. But, that was then. This is now. And here in the first business recession of the 21st Century most sales and marketing efforts are failing the turnaround test.
The problem is that what customers want (and in fact demand) here in the 21st Century is almost the polar opposite of what they wanted back in the 20th. Back in the 20th Century customers often welcomed sales and marketing efforts because they wanted and often needed the information that those efforts provided. In appreciation, they frequently rewarded information providers with lucrative sales.
In contrast, here in the 21st Century Internet wired and inspired customers often know more about what they buy than the sales and marketing people who attempt to sell it to them. They resist and resent being marketed or sold to. And, they often punish 21st Century sales and marketing efforts by paying only the lowest possible price (which seldom yields a profit) . . . and they hop from one competitor to another in a heartbeat.
So, facing today’s recessionary pressures what is a CEO to do?
According to Dr. Bob Roth, founder of the BPI for Sales(TM) sales and marketing method (BPI stands for “Business Process Improvement”) what a CEO and his or her sales and marketing team need to do is to connect their “dots.” They need to connect the cross-functional business process dots that Promise, Produce and Deliver what their customers want (and will pay for).
They need to recognize that the sales and marketing people are only one of three dots that need connecting. The people who produce (or purchase and stock) what the company sells are the second business process dot. And, the people who deliver what the company delivers are the third dot.
Simply put, here in the 21st Century it takes a cross-functional sales and marketing team to provide customers with value, make them feel important and build strong and lasting bonds. Doing that is the only way to increase sales and profits and to build a foundation for growth here in the first 21st Century recession.