If you're looking at ways to improve your success in digital marketing and sales strategy, listen to what Marcus Sheridan has to say. One of TMSA's most incredible "thought leaders" and recently named as the “web marketing guru” by the New York Times, Sheridan started in 2009 his sales and marketing blog, The Sales Lion. He has since grown this brand to be synonymous with inbound and content marketing excellence.
Sheridan was TMSA’s keynote presenter at the 2017 TMSA Logistics Marketing & Sales Conference, and as a follow-up he presented 7 steps to a successful digital culture in a recent TMSA Webinar:
- ”Obsess over Simple Education (Mission). Make sure to explain the "What" so key stakeholders understand it, explain "How" we're going to do it (roles and strategy), and explain "Why" it's critical—for the individual and the collective.
- Define Who Owns This (Content Manager). Then make sure that person wants their sales team to look like geniuses.
- Leverage the Team with Insourcing. Identify key people who will be subject matter experts internally. But remember that each individual acts differently in how they present their expertise and knowledge. There are four key types of “content producers” in every organization: Writers, Actors, Talkers, and Questioners. How they prefer to generate their content depends upon the type of producer they are. The more you understand the type of producer they are, the more effective you will be in enlisting their contribution.
- Start at the Bottom of the Funnel. Remember: Produce content that helps the sales team immediately! The subjects that move every buying decision – especially in the transportation and logistics industry, involve cost, problems, comparisons, reviews, and best practices. Remember this as you develop your content.
- Make it Your Greatest Sales Tool. Interestingly, most sales teams don’t intentionally use content in the sales process. Be a consultant and help to provide them with content that can be helpful. Also, ask them what their most common objections or sales barriers are – and address these within your content strategy. This can help to eliminate objections or barriers early on, and speed up sales cycles.
- Use video to link Sales and Marketing. Buyers must see us before we’ve seen them, hear us before we’ve heard them, and know us before we know them. By 2019, 80% of content consumed online will be video. Get ahead of this curve.
- Measure It. Prove It. Show It. Then make sure your key stakeholders are aware of your SEO victories; your read, watch, and listen statistics; lead generation statistics; customer comments; sales and revenue attribution.
Want to learn more about how to create a world-class digital culture within your own organization?
> View Webinar: “How to Eliminate Sales & Marketing Silos To Get Results” (58 minutes)
