I have a feeling that the world of marketing is changing (if not already changed). My prediction is this: before the buyer buys, they have already read a little about your products or services from the internet. Therefore sellers cannot be just information providers. We need to add value to the sales call by providing solutions or ideas that can solve our buyer’s problems or improve their situation. We need to understand their industry issues and challenges and create insights that the buyers themselves couldn’t observe themselves.
Next, I’m not saying the old media – tv, radio, billboards, the newspaper is dead, but I am saying, the Internet has changed the way we receive information. I personally don’t read newspapers anymore, even if I do, I browse through the headlines and scan through the ads to see if there is something new in the market. I don’t watch tv anymore. If i need to watch a certain shows, i can do it online. I also don’t listen to the radio, this may differ some others because i mostly listen to personal development series in my car or i pop my favorite mp3 cds into the player. Billboards? Ok, will drive pass by, it’s good for brand recall, but don’t think there will ever be a call-to-action situation.
Am i the only one in the above situation? Apparently not, a lot of people i know, are also using the internet to replace the old medias. In fact, I was watching the primetime emmy awards and they joke about the online media but they also acknowledged that the new generation is all online people, they do everything using the internet.
So where am I going with all these? In the near future if not now, people will find your business online. So if you are not online, nobody will know your existence. That does not mean putting up a website is the end of the story, that’s just the beginning. It must be strategically positioned for online success using things like search engine optimization (SEO), Google AdWords, blogs, etc… In the world of online, you want to be on page 1 if possible. So work on that.
Next, people will talk to each other before they talk to you. The world of social media. Before they contact you, they would probably go through Facebook or LinkedIn and ask their peers if they have used it and what is feedback. And if the social media world says you suck, you’re dead. Because people trust their friends and people they know rather than people who are selling their stuff! This can be a good thing if we do our job well, provide exceptional quality and service, people will love us. Word of mouth travels. In the social media world, it travels in the speed of a click. So upgrade ourselves and give top-notch products and services.
In summary: The Internet has changed the way we do business. People will find you through search engines. And people will talk among themselves before engaging you.
So let’s restrategize and work towards The NEW World Of Generating More Business!
Unconventionally,
HANZO NG
Sales Ninja Grandmaster
© 2009 Sales Ninja Training. All Rights Reserved.
Hanzo Ng is Sales Ninja Grandmaster, lingo for Chief Trainer of Sales Ninja Training, Asia’s #1 Unconventional Sales Training. Sales Ninja Training specializes in helping small-medium, listed and global companies transform their sales people into the ultimate sales professional known as Sales Ninja. For more information on our sales, motivation, and leadership training, visit our website.
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