by admin | Feb 24, 2015 | B2B Sales, Client Experience
Welcome to the ultimate B2B Marketing Agency serving San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle) as the most strategically biased Digital Marketing, Web Design and B2B Marketing Agency.
We gladly serve California and all 50 United States. Partner with a client-centric B2B Market Agency that puts skin in the game… from strategic Telemarketing Services to a Experiential Event Marketing.
“Fire a customer? Absolutely ridiculous…I would get torn to shreds on social media! How could you even suggest such a thing?”
Those thoughts probably went through your head just a few seconds after you thought, “Man, I would so love to do that!” You would love to do it, because you know that there a handful (hopefully not more) of customers that are sucking the life blood out of you and your organization. They cost you time, money and resources. They discourage your staff, dominate your customer service resources and are always looking for the ‘good guy rate’ on everything.
So what if firing a customer was a legitimate option in your business tool belt? How would you go about it?
Know Thyself
The first thing you have to do is an internal audit…on yourself and your company. What’s important to you? What are your values and culture? What do you do best and still make money at? How does a controlling, inflexible customer affect your organization? Which size company is easier and more profitable for your company to deal with? What is it that makes you cringe when you see a customer’s name come up in your email inbox?
These are just a few of the questions you may need to answer frankly, and without equivocation, in order to clearly define what your ideal and unacceptable customers look like. There is no shortcut for this process. You need to take the time to sit down and develop a chart of positive and negative customer traits that you can then translate into a real world description of who you want to do business with.
Set the Limits of Acceptability
Face it, not every customer is going to be ‘ideal’. We live in the real world of a sliding scale of customer response, attitude and profitability. You may have really profitable customers that are tearing the heart out of your account team. You may also have some small customers that you dearly love working with, but you can’t make a dime on. And then there are those you can’t stand working with, who chew up your time, talent and resources and that you make a pittance on.
While the latter may be the no brainer for the “pink slip” list, the others in the list might also need to be looked at carefully. To make a good business decision on who you do business with, you need leverage your learnings from your internal assessment to set limits of acceptability. For example, you may be willing to endure the negatives that go along with working with your cash cow, but you need to understand when they cross the limit and for the good of your business you need to send them packing. The same with the little guy you love. If you can’t afford the ‘pro bono’ work right now and they don’t have the significant upside to merit the investment, you may also have to help them find a more appropriate partner for their work.
In either case you need to decide where, and with who, you are going to draw the line.
Have the Hard Conversation
Once you have decided who you can’t live, with you need to have the hard conversation with them. You can’t just stiff them or slowly withdraw your services until they get upset and leave. That would certainly ignite a firestorm of negative PR. But you do need to sit down and have a frank conversation about the nature of your relationship and make some positive suggestions about who would be a better fit for them. The same with the smaller or unprofitable customers that you really like. In any and all cases, the end game is to make the parting as amicable as possible.
And don’t forget about the internal conversations as well. If the customer is a real nightmare, you probably won’t get much push back from your staff. But if someone’s commission hangs in the balance, you will need to make sure they understand the significance of working with compatible, profitable customers so that your business can grow. Depending on how team-oriented they are, you may be looking for some new staff as well…
Review and Reassess Regularly
In business, as in life, nothing is forever. Things change. Organizations evolve. Processes and technologies improve. Staff and management mature and grow. So you need to plan for regular assessments of your customers, services, products, and processes. If things have changed, than go back and modify your matrix for what is an acceptable customer relationship. And then apply it to your current customer base. And who knows, it might be time to revisit some of those customers you loved to work with but couldn’t make money with. If you remained on good terms, after parting company, there is a possibility that you could be a better match for them the second time around.
So what’s the bottom line? If you are going to do your best work and empower your company to achieve its maximum potential, every now and then you have to fire a customer…or two! And don’t worry to much about the flack you might get…the benefit you will receive, from being released to serve your good customers to the fullest, will far outweigh any negatives.
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class digital marketing strategies and B2B telemarketing sales strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our marketing and sales tactics to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by admin | Jun 9, 2014 | B2B Sales, Brand Marketing, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation
Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales the most strategically biased B2B Telemarketing Services, B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing, B2B Lead Generation and B2B Marketing Agency, serving Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle) and all 50 United States.
It looks like the marketing world is finally turning towards what SalesFish has been saying all along. And that’s that pretty pictures and clever ads aren’t going to do it anymore.
This just came into “The Pond” yesterday.
ADVERTISING TRENDS – from Nimble and Associates, Orange County
- Since January, advertisers are emphasizing Lead Generation not Branding.
- Broad use of social media has not produced effective cost-per-leads.
- Demographic shifts — Southwestern Hispanics 18-34 now prefer English.
The social media hype continues to be exposed. Who cares how many “likes” you have when it doesn’t produce leads. The answer is no one, but most marketing practioners aren’t slowing down enough to realize that they always need to be asking the same questions. What are my target market’s needs and wants and by what means do they like to be communicated to in the B2B business realm.
B2B marketing and sales strategies always come down to staying in tune with the fundamentals. What we do isn’t rocket science, but staying disciplined enough to say no to hype and distractions. Now therein lies the challenge.
The question is, who is your target market and what’s the most cost effective and impactful way to market to them.
You then test and measure those tactics tightly, whether it be digital marketing (SEO & SEM), traditional advertising, public relations, experiential event Marketing, B2B telemarketing etc…
So, just say NO to self indulgent fluffy marketing practices and say yes to intelligent brand marketing and B2B telemarketing services.
When it comes to B2B Lead Generation, SalesFish believes in a fully integrated approach, which is why we offer brand marketing, digital marketing, b2b telemarketing services and sales (B2B lead generation) activities.
Our relentless mantra at SalesFish is let sales and marketing integration not be a platitude, but a fulltime obsession to realize!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class B2B Lead Generation, B2B Telemarketing, Telemarketing Services and B2B Marketing Agency Strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales say thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and let our team of experienced professionals assist you in assessing your B2B sales goals, so we can create a successful campaign to fit your specific ROI.
SalesFish Net of Sales ( B2B Lead Generation ), Brand Marketing and Digital Marketing Services:
- Market Research and Strategic Marketing Planning
- Public Relations and Media Relations
- Branding and Corporate Identity
- Creative Design and Creative Writing
- Direct Response and Advertising
- Media Planning and Media Buying
- Multimedia and New Media
- Web Design, Web Development and E-Business
- Digital Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media
- Experiential Event Marketing and Event Management
- Trade Shows, User Conferences, Road Shows, Sales Conferences, Workshops and Seminars etc…
- B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing, Telemarketing Services, Sponsorship Sales and Exhibit Sales
by admin | Aug 19, 2013 | B2B Sales
B2B Lead Generation and Telemarketing Services Must Compliment Each Other
B2B Lead generation, demand generation, now there’s a couple of a buzz words for you. And depending on who you’re talking with it could mean a variety of things. For instance you might have an e-mail marketer that thinks just because 500 people opened up e-mails that constitutes as a lead. We say not so at SalesFish. When we say B2B lead generation we mean you have a qualified prospect that has shown legitimate interest in your company’s product or service.
Now how you get to a qualified lead is 100% about being strategic and understanding your target markets needs and wants and how they like to be communicated to. And then applying the right tactical marketing and sales (B2B lead generation) mix.
When it comes to B2B lead generation SalesFish believes in a fully integrated approach, which is why we offer brand marketing, digital marketing and B2B lead generation activities.
One tactic does NOT fit all, but having a clear understanding of how you’re going to integrate your B2B marketing and B2B lead generation tactics is the key to any successful marketing and B2B lead generation campaign. And most importantly is to test measure and monitor along the way.
We are quite aware of the many companies that struggle with internal marketing and sales integration, so that they can actually get a true picture of what their cost per lead is and what their overall ROI is on a specific marketing or B2B lead generation campaign. We hear a lot of people talking about cost per lead and ROI, but how can they truly measure if both marketing and sales aren’t connected. The answer is they can’t!
This is why all roads must lead to an “integrated” sales and marketing approach. This intersection is what SalesFish the B2B marketing agency brings to every partnership.
Your greatest intellectual competency is to integrate your marketing and B2B lead generation activities. And there should always be a collaborative relationship between marketing and sales departments.
This begins with understanding what your sales B2B lead generation goals and objectives are. Then familiarizing yourselves with who your target market is and how they like to be communicated to. These basic steps form the foundation for a winning B2B marketing and B2B lead generation strategy.
In our experience once an organization has fully integrated their sales and marketing teams (strategies) it truly is their “Ah ha” moment. We are dumbfounded at why so few companies actually integrate their marketing and sales activities completely. It’s the essence of being a world-class sales and marketing organization, which leads to BRAND.
Our relentless mantra at SalesFish is let sales and marketing integration not be a platitude, but a fulltime obsession to realize!
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class B2B Lead Generation, B2B Telemarketing, Telemarketing Services and B2B Marketing Agency Strategies. We at SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales say thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution.
Call today and let our team of experienced professionals assist you in assessing your B2B sales goals, so we can create a successful campaign to fit your specific ROI.
SalesFish Net of Sales ( B2B Lead Generation ), Brand Marketing and Digital Marketing Services:
- Market Research and Strategic Marketing Planning
- Public Relations and Media Relations
- Branding and Corporate Identity
- Creative Design and Creative Writing
- Direct Response and Advertising
- Media Planning and Media Buying
- Multimedia and New Media
- Web Design, Web Development and E-Business
- Digital Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media
- Experiential Event Marketing and Event Management
- Trade Shows, User Conferences, Road Shows, Sales Conferences, Workshops and Seminars etc…
- B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing, Telemarketing Services, Sponsorship Sales and Exhibit Sales
by admin | Jul 31, 2013 | B2B Sales, B2B Telemarketing, Telemarketing Services
Finding legitimate telemarketing companies and telemarketing services is like looking for a needle in a haystack. We at SalesFish are constantly hearing from prospects about how they’ve been burnt or taken advantage of before they even come to us.
Unfortunately, the problem starts with companies not really doing their due diligence and thinking it through before they decide to embark on an outsourced telemarketing services relationship, entertain various telemarketing companies, etc.
In selecting a B2B telemarketing services partner, you’re looking to outsource your B2B sales and B2B lead generation, right? So why would you EVER consider a $10 an hour smile and dial operation? Do you buy from people you don’t like? Chances are you don’t! Yet we expect to hire people or organizations that have zero acumen pertaining to connecting with prospects, understanding how to create credibility, conveying benefits, and earning the right to close.
When looking to outsource your inside sales or B2B lead generation activities, it’s imperative to do the math as if you were setting up your own inside sales force internally or extending an existing one.
Let’s assume most professionals want to be great. Why would we ever want to “create” or “partner” with another organization on one of the most import facets of our business, SALES? And then decide to do it on the cheap. Every day we receive calls from companies that have tried once or twice to outsource their B2B Telemarketing and sales activities on the cheap. And it NEVER works out!
How much would you be willing to pay for a superstar sales professional? This is the rhetorical question to ask yourself.
If you choose to outsource your lead generation and B2B sales activities, you say, “I’m only going to hire the very best and it’s going to cost me equal to what it might cost me to do it in-house.” Yet you won’t have the headache or burden of trying to execute an acumen that might not be your core competency. We have a saying at SalesFish: It’s either great or gone!
Most services offered on the market are transactionally driven. This means the people on the phone or even in management have very little knowledge about branding and creating a relationship with prospects and your brand, not just dialing the phone and reading a script.
Here are a few things to consider when searching for telemarketing companies and a telemarketing services organization:
- Do you have clearly defined goals, objectives and expectations?
- Do you have the budget to engage a competent B2B sales and marketing partner?
- When you pick up the phone or e-mail your potential sales partner, don’t just ask them for a proposal. Set-up a conference call so both parties can do their due diligence to see if there is a fit.
- Is the person you’re meeting with an “A” gamer? Do they “get it” and understand high level sales and marketing acumen?
- Is your prospective partner saying “yes” to everything you ask them? If so, this is a sure sign they will rip you off. A worthy sales and marketing partner will give you some push back and try and find holes in your thinking, just to make sure you’re set up to win.
- Check your future partner’s references and please do not fall for the 100 hour intro deal, just the credit card pitch. Do you really want to work with a partner that’s not in it for the long term?
- Remember you’re outsourcing, it’s not just telemarketing services, so you need to think, can I be married to this partner for my success? Can I build with them? Are they the real deal?
- Throw your prospective sales partner some curve balls. See if they’re thin skinned. Create some scenarios for them to figure out so you can see how they think, or if they are just another one trick pony.
- Have fun with your search. Take your time so nothing bad happens. If you make rushed emotional decisions you will have to take two steps back.
Call today and our “high-touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals to tailor our B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing and Telemarketing Services to your specific needs.
SalesFish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Lead Generation
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telemarketing Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
by admin | Feb 19, 2013 | B2B Sales
Welcome to Salesfish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Telesales, Business to Business Telemarketing Services, B2B Inside Sales Agency and B2B Marketing Agency serving Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle) and all 50 states.
Simply put, it’s one company selling to another company.
The dynamics and nuances in B2B telemarketing vs. Consumer Telemarketing are very different. It requires a more sophisticated approach, or what we call at SalesFish a “high touch” approach.
Today’s business professionals are saturated with information, e-mails and vendors looking to sell their wares. This makes it even more critical for the sales professional to be prepared.
Your company and whatever product or service you’re selling must have a strong “value proposition,” one you can pitch in seconds, not minutes.
It also requires pre-call planning so that you understand who you’re calling on and why they might specifically need your product or service. No business professional has time to listen to an unprepared business to business telemarketing sales agent babble or “data dump” on them.
We found that 90% of the time if you show respect for a target prospect’s time and are prepared to reflect the value proposition and benefits of your product or service in less than a minute, you earn the right to continue the dialogue with your prospect.
Real professionals do not like sloppy business people who don’t come to the call prepared. People buy from people they like and respect.
Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class B2B Telesales, Business to Business Telemarketing and B2B Inside Sales strategies. We at Salesfish Brand Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering strategic planning, B2B brand marketing and B2B sales execution. Call today and our “high touch” dedicated team will assist you in assessing your strategic sales goals and how our B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing and Salesfish Net of Sales Services:
- B2B Direct Sales, Channel Sales and Marketing Strategies
- On-Site B2B Presentation, Negotiation and Sales
- B2B Telemarketing and B2B Telesales Services
- Cold Calls and Appointment Setting
- Online Presentations and Webinars
- Product Awareness and Announcement Calls
- Primary Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Surveys
- Experiential Event Marketing
- Pre and Post-Event Calls
- Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales
