ARTICLES
Long before I became the CEO of a digital marketing company in Nashville, I worked as a salesperson in the 90s. I used to admire the “slick” sales folks with their trial closes, Always Be Closing mantra, and the way they would brush off rejection with the apathy of a sociopath (and some slick salespeople were).
But times have changed. Today’s sales model is based mostly on marketing. Companies create marketing campaigns to pique your interest. Once you connect, you are handed off to a salesperson, who most likely holds a title such as Account Executive or Client Success Consultant. They’re still salespeople.
Still, the old-school salespeople exist in digital marketing. Their sales model is still based on cold calling, networking, and crafting email campaigns to create that next sale. I’m not saying this is a bad thing; it’s just that traditional sales becomes a different dynamic when working in the digital marketing and sales model.
My job at Power Marketing as the dedicated salesperson and CEO is to weigh the need to close the deal against the usefulness of the product for the client and the client’s specific needs. The same rule applies whether my client is in manufacturing, logistics, trucking, home construction, or other home building services. I can often assess the client’s needs by the types of questions they ask. And they’re not always easy to answer. I recommend you ask these questions when vetting digital marketing agencies via the salesperson.
Why is it important to know if you’re working with a dedicated salesperson? Product knowledge is a salesperson’s best friend. But most “dedicated salespeople” don’t have the time to study the best digital marketing tools and tactics such as CMS technology, AEO strategy, or how to optimize Google Ads campaigns. They’re too busy finding prospects, setting appointments, and closing deals. So their ability to determine if their products or services are right for you is limited.
Asking about the salesperson’s tenure provides a “tell” of the company’s culture. If they’ve been there less than two years, check sources like LinkedIn to see how many people have held that position over the last six years. If it’s been more than two, the company may be more interested in getting as much business as possible, rather than delivering a product or service to serve your needs.
Typically, salespeople will hand off accounts to project managers. But with dedicated salespeople, sometimes after that handoff, that’s the last you will hear from them unless you track them down. Their job is to bring in business, not spend time monitoring project progress and success. This mentality disassociates the salesperson from your business and can keep them from accountability. Ideally, you would like your salesperson to meet with you quarterly to review progress, KPI’s, etc.
The first time I was asked this question, I nearly spilled my coffee. It’s a tough question, but fair. As a business owner, I know sometimes projects or programs fall short.
It’s possible you’ve worked with marketing agencies where the digital marketing campaigns didn’t hit your specific sales goals. Was it because the service wasn’t right for your business? Did the salesperson overpromise and fail to deliver?
The reason may be that the salesperson was insulated from the day-to-day complexities of digital marketing. They were likely too busy with the stress of meeting their monthly quota or budget. Sometimes salespeople will do what they have to do to keep their job safe for another quarter.
My answer: digital marketing. Many of our sales leads come from organic traffic to our website (blogs, case studies, industry-specific service pages, etc.) and from targeted marketing campaigns.
If a dedicated salesperson only receives leads they generate, in my experience, their chances of being around in the long term and interested in your company’s success are limited (see question #1). The salespeople with the most longevity will receive most of their leads from company marketing and supplement them with cold calling, networking, and emails.
To be clear, I love salespeople. I have special respect for anyone in this role, successfully or unsuccessfully. It’s a tough, hard existence. It takes a certain amount of grit. But sometimes those “gritty” salespeople can focus less on matching your company’s needs and more on their personal targets.
As the CEO at Power Marketing, I am the “dedicated salesperson” who won’t disappear after the sale. Got some questions for me? Give me a call at our Nashville office at 615.257.0057, or ask your questions using our quick-and-easy Contact Us form.
I’ll do my best to give you straight answers. I can tell you this: our digital marketing agency doesn’t try to be all things to all people. We focus on the B2C and B2B industries we know best. We use strong visuals, local SEO, and proven digital marketing strategies and tactics to increase visibility and drive high-quality sales leads. Feel free to reach out to learn more.