Sales, Marketing and Consumer Disconnect

How often do you feel that your company is just not connecting with your customers in an effective manner? Is this disconnect a result of a weak brand image, off-target marketing, poor listening, or do you merely lack the means to communicate with your target audience? Or... could it be that you simply do not employ the most effective strategies or make the necessary effort. Whatever the reason, the symptoms will quickly become evident if your message veers from your expected outcome.

"How do you connect with your customers to keep the relationships alive?" is a question commonly asked by customer service expert Deborah Chaddock Brown. She effectively tells the story of missed opportunity for an area business in her latest article at her blog, Make or Break Moments. Connecting with customers must be forever on the minds of marketers and salespeople alike. Just ask BB King... he is always in-tune with his audience and never takes his fans for granted.

Often, managers devise sales plans which have been carefully crafted, thought-out and revised a dozen times before they feel comfortable executing their strategy. Usually, by then, the parameters upon which the original plan was based have changed drastically, making the revised plan obsolete long before it is released. Over-analysis, indecision and not enough action are usually at the root cause of such failures.

At times, marketers may employ a strategy or campaign that they think is effective and will work well. They then have a kick-off event and allow their program to run on auto-pilot. Many may consider this their "connection" with the marketplace. Unfortunately, as depicted in this short video, customers need far more attention than that. They want a strong connection; to feel important; to be valued. Give them any less and you will certainly lose them.

Salespeople need to narrow their focus and show their customers that they care about them. Connecting and staying connected with customers should be Job #1. Relationships of all kinds are kept alive by communication. The sales relationship is no different.

Marketing: Communicate with Sales and vice versa; being certain to always include the customer in the conversation. After all,... his or her input is always most important.

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Daniel Sitter
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Comments

[Dissertation Ideas]

Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!

[Online Business Cookbook]

I wish Charter communications would read this. The worst customer service I have ever experienced. I guess monopolies can do what they like for a time. The experience did inspire me to look at our procedures for dealing with clients and make extra sure they knew we value them as real people with feelings!