It’s probably a little hyperbolic, but an Automatic Marketing Machine sounds great to me, so I’ll take two…
Quik note: I started this post with the intention of talking about the Xerox and XMPie case study about Jubels, a print service provider in a Europe, and their success offering and using omni-channel marketing. As I did that, though, I started thinking more about why they were successful, and how it applies to sales, in general. As a result, this post has gotten a little more general than planned.
One of the things that salespeople struggle with, to varying degrees, is differentiation. I sell copiers (I mean MFPs, I mean Multifunction Printers!) and there are many manufacturers that make pretty good products, being sold by companies that do a pretty good job, being represented by people like me.
It is easy to be lost in the sea of sameness, so how do you stand out?
- Having good service is not enough
- Having good products is not enough
- Being the cheapest is not enough
Sure, when you walk into a competitor’s account that has had 5 days of continuous problems with their copier, it’s pretty easy to differentiate with great service customer referrals. When you’re reviewing a customer’s invoices and find they’re paying six cents a page after 7 years of annual escalators, it’s pretty easy to separate yourself with clear expectations.
But you have to get in the door, to get the attention of the account, to begin with. The real differentiation that is needed (or at least the first) then, is in marketing.
Email works, but everyone’s emailing.
Cold calling, stopping by, knocking on doors works, but your prospects don’t want to be interrupted and have gatekeepers to keep you from doing so.
LinkedIn / Facebook / whatever social media works, but everyone’s there, posting away.
Video works, but everyone’s posting videos of themselves “dropping knowledge” while walking down the street or driving in their car.
Phone calls work, but so many people don’t bother to answer a number they don’t recognize.
You get the idea. All of these things work, but I think the real power is developing a system that does it all. Or, at least, most of it.
So back to my original statement: automatic marketing machines sound great, right?
Jubels, a print and marketing services provider in Europe, created a system of services they sell, and use to gain new clients. An Automated Marketing Machine, they call it. In a very simple nutshell, their system automates marketing through multiple channels, something called omni-marketing.
Jubels:
…developed a personalized campaign with seven basic touch points running over the course of several weeks… mixed direct mail with emails, a personalized website and phone calls, most triggered automatically based partly upon recipient responses
They used an XMPie product called Circle to automate a campaign of contact that didn’t just rely on one or two contact methods, but seven. A direct mail piece here, with a QR Code that brings the recipient to a custom web-page. An email, based on the response the customer gave at the web-page, which generates another phone call from a rep. A follow up mail piece… etc etc.
And in the middle of this, reps can sprinkle in visits, stop-bys, Facebook and LinkedIn posts engaging the same prospective client.
And this is exactly what salespeople, including myself, should be doing to stand out in the sea of sameness… Consistency of message, personalizing messages, and hitting multiple channels. That will open doors. (keeping them open, of course, is a whole different post!)
Read more about Jubels over at the Xerox Blog...
About me: my name is Brian Tuttle, and I am a technology consultant, salesperson and enthusiast. I represent Saxon Business Systems and Xerox, and would be honored to speak with you about your copiers and other office technology. I can be reached at 904-345-0359 or brian@briantuttle.org
