Defining Your Brand: The SalesFish Strategy

Defining Your Brand - The SalesFish StrategyWelcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!

“Branding” is often a misinterpreted word and concept. What is a brand? How do you create one? How do you cultivate customer loyalty to your brand? The short answer is that it is not haphazard—defining a brand requires strategic brand marketing.

Many times, a company will come to us having invested a great deal of time and money into building their brand. Investing more money or buying more advertisement space doesn’t guarantee results. Regrettably, it can sometimes have the opposite effect especially if your core message is getting lost in the process.

Let me back up for a moment. Branding essentially refers to the emotional connection you have with a product. So, for example, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup is Mmmmm, mmmmm good. Most people eat chicken noodle soup when they’re not feeling well so there’s an inherent (and effective) “you’ll feel better” within their message. When you drive an Audi car, you Never Follow. When you drink a Coca-Cola, you Have a Coke and a Smile. When you wear Nike shoes or apparel, you’re ready to Just Do It.

We call tissue paper Kleenex. When we search something on the World Wide Web, we say, “Just Google it.” Those connections, those emotional ties are not coincidences. They are the result of intentional, thorough strategic brand marketing.

Branding is a lot like minimalism—you keep removing until you arrive at its essence. So, get ready to par down. SalesFish can guide you drive your brand and we’ll measure the results with sales and service. Next, we’ll provide an outline for the SalesFish strategy to foster a first-rate brand.

Your brand promise is the cornerstone Defining Your Brand - The SalesFish StrategyWe’ve defined branding and discussed the necessity to provide an emotional connection to your brand. In our experience, THE BRAND PROMISE is the >cornerstone. Without it, it doesn’t really matter if you’re marketing effectively or you have the biggest and best placement as far as media buys. Here’s the key: Your brand promise must be accurate, and it must not just connect but also land with your target audience.

Let’s revisit Coca-Cola as an example. We’ve all had an experience Having a Coke and a Smile. Coca-Cola is not the #1-selling soft drink by accident. Many of us relate to the positive connection of family, friends, holidays, and fun to the Coca-Cola brand. Our connection and loyalty is evident to Coca-Cola through their sales reports.

The added benefit of a solid brand promise is that it can withstand bad press. How many of us have read the “test” that states if you submerge a T-Bone steak in Coca-Cola, the steak will disintegrate in 48 hours? Or perhaps you’ve seen the animated Polar Bear parody, claiming that Coca-Cola causes diabetes? Despite these negatives, an authentic brand promise remains intact.

Consistency is key here. Make certain that the message is constant at every level. For instance, the Coca-Cola broadcast television advertisement delivers the same message as the in-store display.

Let’s investigate your brand promise. Contact SalesFish today and find out what it’s like to have a team of strategic brand marketing experts elevate your brand.


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 B2B Telemarketing Services

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

5 Popular Email Marketing Myths Debunked

Salesfish b2b digital marketing 5 popular Email Marketing Myths DebunkedWelcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Marketing Agency, telemarketing services, telemarketing companies (sales agency) and digital marketing companies, serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento and the Pacific Northwest (Bend, Portland, Seattle). We gladly serve California and all 50 United States!

In 2015, email marketing is still an incredibly effective lead generation strategy. Unfortunately however, there are many myths and misinformation surrounding the practice. Here are some common legends you’ll hear about email marketing and the truth behind them.
 

  1. Young people are the most tech savvy, so you should primarily target them. The myth assumes that young people (18-25) are those who are most likely to use a mobile device, and as mobile devices are taking up such a large market segment, you should therefore be focused on young people. According to a report by Hubspot, the highest use of tablets is the 30 to 44 age group. In fact, for those 25 and under, they often prefer SMS subscriptions to email. Base the demographic you target on your individual market research and don’t be quick to rule out any age group.
  1. Once someone has opted in they are a loyal customer. Just because a reader has opted in it doesn’t mean that they’re loyal enough to purchase watch you’re selling. Nor does it mean that it will prevent them from unsubscribing in the future (sometimes immediately). Email marketing is a long haul game, make sure you are constantly generating value and fostering the relationship in order to ensure brand loyalty amongst your subscriber list.
  1. Be careful with how many emails you send out. There are some people that believe that you need to give your customer space, only sending out emails once or twice a month. Sending out frequent emails, once a week or more, is unlikely to lead to higher unsubscribe rates and can actually significantly increase your revenue. Try to stay in frequent contact and even regularly ask for feedback from your list.
  1. An effective subjective line is key to email marketing success. Whilst a subject line is one of the most important aspects that leads to high open rates, there are other factors that contribute to the success of the overall campaign:
  2. Salesfish digital marketing 5 popular Email Marketing Myths Debunked Sender name
    Offer
    Introductory paragraph
    Content length
    Content quality

    Take a holistic approach and focus on all of these aspects. I’ll also point out here that there are no golden rules regarding subject lines, an effective length and tone is dependent on your industry.

    1. Informative content is the most effective way to have people opt-in. While this is a reason many people may subscribe to your email least, there are other ways to generate opt-ins. Many readers will only look for discounts or tailored and exclusive offers. Others may be because of brand loyalty or the desire for product or service updates. Offer various incentives for readers to subscribe to your list if you want to cast a wider net and more effectively build your list.
    1. Images are preferable to text. A report by ExactTarget revealed that in fact, more than 60% of email clients have their images blocked by default. In order to craft an effective email, it’s usually safer to just personalise text and save images and video for your other platforms.

    There you have it, 6 common email marketing myths debunk. Let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments and if you have any experience with email marketing campaigns.


    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 B2B Telemarketing Services

    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

B2B Telesales and B2B Telemarketing Services: The SalesFish Distinction

B2B Telesales and B2B Telemarketing - The SalesFish DistinctionCongratulations. Your company is growing at a rate that demands additional sales support. When contracting out any or all of your sales needs, it’s important to clarify the differences between B2B telesales and B2B telemarketing services. The answer often relies on your current situation.

The most important first step is to assess your immediate sales requirements. Do you simply need someone to create awareness? Or do you need an experienced fully dedicated sales agent who will represent your brand and solution to develop relationships and new clients?

B2B Telesales Team and B2B Telemarketing - The SalesFish Distinction (2)B2B telesales and telemarketing services require more than a simple transaction. In this case, your customer may still have questions and a bit of heavy-lifting is required by your sales agent in order to close the sale. It’s essential to employ sales agents who connect with buyers, understand the market, have sales savvy, and are quick to find solutions for your customers.

On the other hand, if you merely need script reading to introduce your product, then B2B telemarketing is probably your best bet. B2B telemarketing is typically a more transactional style of support. However, please use caution. When hiring a B2B telemarketing resource, check and ensure that they will appropriately represent your product or service. It would be a shame to have the sale perish before it can even begin.

B2B Telesales Team and B2B Telemarketing Call Center - The SalesFish DistinctionMany telemarketing companies outsource their talent and sometimes this means that their employees are working overseas. While there is often a savings in terms of hourly rate, you don’t want language barriers or lack of training to cost you sales and revenue in the long run. Even if you only require what seems like a rudimentary transactional service, employing overseas resources should be carefully considered before making a commitment to that approach.

Here at SalesFish, our sales agents are accustomed to making money so you will receive profitable results because of our high standards. Our agents are U.S.-based, highly-skilled, trained, and proven sales executives who can continue your upward trajectory (or turn it around, as the case may be). We often have companies solicit our skills after they have been disappointed by a less expensive and less effective prior attempt.

We encourage you to “Improve Your Net” and call “The Pond” today…

Don’t Be a Robot

Welcome to SalesFish Brand Marketing & Sales, the most strategically biased B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing, 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 United States. Partner with a client centric B2B Market Agency that puts skin in the game… from strategic Telemarketing Services to Experiential Event Marketing.

 

This week’s entry comes to us from Art Sobczak, author of www.telesalesblog.com.  Mr. Sobczak warns us not to succumb to the robotic delivery of telesales calls:

To Be a Better Salesperson, Don’t SOUND Like One

By Art Sobczak on Sep 8, 2011 in Preparation

Just wondering …… why in the world do some salespeople feel like they must sound like a salesperson when they get someone on the phone?

What is it about presenting … whether it be selling by phone or speaking before a group that causes some people to cinch up and sound like the synthesized voice that gives the phone number on directory assistance?

 

I spend a lot of time on airplanes, and can’t tell you the last time I actually listened to the flight attendant giving the speech about the flat end going into the buckle. Oh yes I can, I flew Southwest a couple of weeks ago and, as many of their attendants do, this one delivered the announcement like they were actually talking to a person, and with humor and enthusiasm. That got my attention.

The bottom line is that on the phone, sounding canned, like you’re reading something, or like you’ve just been awakened at 3:00 a.m. is detrimental to your success.

But, many people sound that way. And many of those don’t realize it. Here are a couple of points to keep in mind.

We tune out–and are often annoyed by–unemotional, canned messages. Think about the sales calls you have received at home … the ones that follow the couple of seconds of dead air after you pick up the phone and say “Hello … hello …?”

You first hear the din of what sounds like a noisy restaurant, and the monotone voice greets you with,

“Hello, can I speak with (bad mispronunciation of your name)?”

Then they begin reading a script.

 

Likewise, think about some really bad acting you’ve seen in a play or movie. It looks and sounds stilted … unnatural, like it’s being read. It has the same turn-off effect.

People will speak with those who sound conversational.

What more can I add?

But please don’t misunderstand me on one key point:

Preparing what you’ll say and scripting your opening is still the best way to approach a call. But never, ever, SOUND like you’re working from an aid.

As I always say, the worst time to think of what you’ll say is as it’s coming from your mouth.

Exercises
So, what to do? Easy. The better prepared you are, the more natural you will sound. “Humanize” your calls. Remember, you’re talking to another person, not at a phone instrument. Listen to your calls on tape, and ask yourself, “Would I talk to a friend like this? Does this sound natural?”

Prepare your openings and recite–not read–them into a tape player. Pretend you are talking to a good friend in a social setting.

The less you sound like a salesperson, the more you’ll sell.

By Art Sobczak on Sep 8, 2011

 

 

Stay tuned for more relevant content on creating world-class B2B Telesales, B2B 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 to tailor our B2B Telesales, B2B Telemarketing and Telemarketing Services 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

 

 

Sponsorship Sales & Exhibit Sales Agency

Welcome to the blog for SalesFish Experiential Event Marketing and Sales. We are California’s most strategically-biased event planning, event management, event marketing, sponsorship sales, exhibit sales, and event marketing agency.

We serve Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle. We are very much at home in all 50 United States. Partner with a client centric B2B Market Agency that puts skin in the game… from strategic Telemarketing Services to Experiential Event Marketing.

If you’re planning an experiential event marketing whether it’s a trade show, user conference, workshop, road show or sales event, without a doubt you must decide how you’re going to SELL your event.

If you’re a first time or fairly new event, how you sell will be even more critical. The old adage, “Build it, they will come,” does not apply to any event. You must gain the trust of your target audience over time, by continuing to give them a world-class experiential event marketing experience.

If you’re a new or mature event, it’s a great idea to tie your event to a worthy cause and give a portion of proceeds to that cause (this is called cause marketing). It’s also a good idea to be prepared to give away landscape as well as opportunities to marquee brands and/or companies.

In regards to audience acquisition, exhibit sales, or sponsorship sales, do you trust in your marketing alone? Do you have an elite Telemarketing Services team to tap into?

When selling an event, it’s never a good idea to represent yourself. There’s a reason Hollywood stars or professional athletes have agents. It’s not just for negotiation purposes but to further reflect how special they are.

There’s something about having an intermediary that “brands” targets minds that your event is special.

Don’t go it alone when it comes to selling your event, whether it’s for audience acquisition, sponsorship sales or exhibit sales. That’s our strong and strategically-biased opinion.

Stay tuned for future relevant Event Planning, Event Management, Event Marketing, Exhibit Sales and Sponsorship Sales content.

We at SalesFish Event Marketing & Sales thank you for joining us in our commitment to unwavering Strategic Event planning, Event Management, B2B telemarketing, B2B Tele-Sales, B2B Inside Sales, Sponsorship Sales, Exhibit Sales, Audience Acquisition, Brand marketing and Execution.

The SalesFish team brings more than 30 years’ experience, and more importantly, extreme focus in each of the following disciplines:

  • Event Management, Planning and Marketing / Advertising: Positioning, Branding, Brand Identity Marketing, Creative, Public Relations, Advertising, Direct Response, Multi-Media, Interactive Media, Promotional and Web Design
  • Event Strategy, Logistics, Event Planning and Event Training
  • Experiential Event Marketing
  • Comprehensive Event Registration (online/onsite) and On-Site Event Production (lighting, sound, staging, talent)
  • Pre- and On-Site Real Time Statistical Data and Market Research
  • Event Sales Activities and Fulfillment (reporting, Sales Activities, B2B Tele-Sales activities, B2B telemarketing services, Audience Acquisition, Exhibit Sales, Sponsorship Sales and Post-Show follow-up)

We welcome the chance to cast your net in the area of Event Management, Event Branding, Event Marketing, Event Sales, Event Promotion and Execution.

Call today and Catch More!