You know that conducting an upcoming marketing campaign is right
for your company. You've talked to some of your best customers and
they're interested. You've heard through the grapevine that your
toughest competitors are doing something soon. Your sales force has
asked if you have anything coming up. And still the boss says, "No."
How do you justify campaigns to management? How do you help them understand that the right campaign, done correctly, can take the company to new levels of success?
1) What Holds Them Back?
When many managers think about marketing campaigns, they remember indiscriminately throwing lots of money at a hodge podge of ads and mailings and seminars and sales contests. You know that those days are gone.
Bad Past Experience
Find out if past experiences are blocking their decision. Ask the following:
• What has been your experience in the past with campaigns?
• What is it about a sales campaign that you think won't work for our company?
• What do you think might have to change for us to be successful now?
• What would you need to know to feel comfortable with us launching this campaign?
Colleague's Bad Experience
While asking questions, you may find that their reluctance is based on the past bad experience of a colleague. You might ask, "What do you think it is that they did or didn't do that kept them from being successful?" Or, "What do you think has changed since then?" Challenge them with, "How do you know that we wouldn't be successful this time?"
Funding
Perhaps what holds them back is a lack of funding. If your company is like many, you have an advertising budget. Perhaps reallocating a portion of the ad budget to a different marketing campaign would be acceptable. To get their acceptance, you need to show your manager that the campaign expenditure will do better than the advertisements. Instead of focusing on the number of leads that the ads bring in, look at the number of sales closed from the leads brought in by the ad. Traditionally, campaigns lead to sales much more rapidly than any other marketing method.
You may be able to show your manager that a request for campaign funding is worthwhile. Do this by creating a proposal outlining the costs and the return on investment based on profitable sales.
No Experience
Perhaps your manager hasn't had any experience in marketing campaigns. Maybe they've come from an industry that didn't rely on campaigns or was formerly in a position where they weren't exposed to campaigns. In this case, you may wish to give a short presentation on the advantages of campaigns in your market. Use your ideas to create a compelling presentation that convinces them that a campaign, done properly, will work.
2) Deliver What Management Wants to See and Hear
Knowing how to sell the idea of the campaign to your manager is a big part of your job. Knowing what words to use and how to make the presentation is important. Here are some ideas that can help:
Show the Big Picture
Most managers want to see the big picture. They need to know how campaigns allow them do what they're hired to do. They don't need to see the specific details of exactly how the program will be executed, at least not in the beginning.
What's a Customer Worth?
Most managers understand that customers are worth a lot of money over the long haul. Savvy companies know that selling to existing customers is five to 10 times more profitable than finding a new customer. Campaigns are a great way to keep existing customers.
Calculate what a customer is worth by multiplying your customers' average sales, with the average number of times they buy from you in a year and the average number of years they buy from you. This resulting figure is the average lifetime value of your customer. Is it worth launching a campaign to find more customers?
How are They Motivated?
When making your campaign proposal, zero in on what motivates your manager. Focus on creating results more quickly and at a reasonable cost.
Listen carefully to how your manager talks about the business. If they want the business to grow, then tell your story about the campaign enabling them to hit their goal more quickly and more efficiently. If they talk about business survival, tell them that the campaign will keep the company alive because you'll keep the old business that your competition may get if you don't stay with the program.
Illustrate Success
Managers need to have a level of certainty that the plan will succeed. If you have friendly competition -- companies that call on your customers, but you don't compete head-to-head -- interview them about their success with similar campaigns. Find out what new business they get and what old business they retain because of their participation. Present these as case studies of sales-campaign success in your industry.
You can also increase your manager's confidence by including an appendix of checklists and budget items that they can review. Include a follow-up action plan that enlists the sales force. Let your manager know that your team is ready to act on the opportunity, guaranteeing success.
Give Them Options
Many managers need to choose from an array of options. Offer them a series of participation options, ranging from a simple program to a complex campaign. Give them price versus payback options.
3) Measure Outcome
Good management never argues with success (if you're arguing that you don't have good management, change jobs). So show your manager your success and you'll create all of the campaigns you wish.
Require that all participating staff submit a single-page report on the campaign. Ask them to write their opinion of the program:
• Was it worthwhile?
• What did you do well?
• What should you do differently next time?
• What are the competitive trends?
• What are the industry trends?
These reports give you a good indication of the success of the campaign.
Track sales from the campaign. Compare the list of customers who buy after the campaign to the list used. It's safe to assume that the campaign either promoted the sale or kept the sale from being stolen by the competition.
Poll participants after the campaign. Ninety days after the program, grab a random stack of leads and give these people a call. Simply ask them, "Did you buy?" If they bought from the competition, you know the list was good, but your product or sales force wasn't doing the job. If they didn't buy, it gives you some indication of the market place. Either way, you'll learn if the campaign attracted buyers or not.
About six months after the campaign, poll your manager about their overall satisfaction with the program. Have campaign expenses, sales figures, media coverage numbers, and after-campaign survey results handy. Make your manager happy with one campaign and you'll do almost any campaign you wish.
How do you justify campaigns to management? How do you help them understand that the right campaign, done correctly, can take the company to new levels of success?
1) What Holds Them Back?
When many managers think about marketing campaigns, they remember indiscriminately throwing lots of money at a hodge podge of ads and mailings and seminars and sales contests. You know that those days are gone.
Bad Past Experience
Find out if past experiences are blocking their decision. Ask the following:
• What has been your experience in the past with campaigns?
• What is it about a sales campaign that you think won't work for our company?
• What do you think might have to change for us to be successful now?
• What would you need to know to feel comfortable with us launching this campaign?
Colleague's Bad Experience
While asking questions, you may find that their reluctance is based on the past bad experience of a colleague. You might ask, "What do you think it is that they did or didn't do that kept them from being successful?" Or, "What do you think has changed since then?" Challenge them with, "How do you know that we wouldn't be successful this time?"
Funding
Perhaps what holds them back is a lack of funding. If your company is like many, you have an advertising budget. Perhaps reallocating a portion of the ad budget to a different marketing campaign would be acceptable. To get their acceptance, you need to show your manager that the campaign expenditure will do better than the advertisements. Instead of focusing on the number of leads that the ads bring in, look at the number of sales closed from the leads brought in by the ad. Traditionally, campaigns lead to sales much more rapidly than any other marketing method.
You may be able to show your manager that a request for campaign funding is worthwhile. Do this by creating a proposal outlining the costs and the return on investment based on profitable sales.
No Experience
Perhaps your manager hasn't had any experience in marketing campaigns. Maybe they've come from an industry that didn't rely on campaigns or was formerly in a position where they weren't exposed to campaigns. In this case, you may wish to give a short presentation on the advantages of campaigns in your market. Use your ideas to create a compelling presentation that convinces them that a campaign, done properly, will work.
2) Deliver What Management Wants to See and Hear
Knowing how to sell the idea of the campaign to your manager is a big part of your job. Knowing what words to use and how to make the presentation is important. Here are some ideas that can help:
Show the Big Picture
Most managers want to see the big picture. They need to know how campaigns allow them do what they're hired to do. They don't need to see the specific details of exactly how the program will be executed, at least not in the beginning.
What's a Customer Worth?
Most managers understand that customers are worth a lot of money over the long haul. Savvy companies know that selling to existing customers is five to 10 times more profitable than finding a new customer. Campaigns are a great way to keep existing customers.
Calculate what a customer is worth by multiplying your customers' average sales, with the average number of times they buy from you in a year and the average number of years they buy from you. This resulting figure is the average lifetime value of your customer. Is it worth launching a campaign to find more customers?
How are They Motivated?
When making your campaign proposal, zero in on what motivates your manager. Focus on creating results more quickly and at a reasonable cost.
Listen carefully to how your manager talks about the business. If they want the business to grow, then tell your story about the campaign enabling them to hit their goal more quickly and more efficiently. If they talk about business survival, tell them that the campaign will keep the company alive because you'll keep the old business that your competition may get if you don't stay with the program.
Illustrate Success
Managers need to have a level of certainty that the plan will succeed. If you have friendly competition -- companies that call on your customers, but you don't compete head-to-head -- interview them about their success with similar campaigns. Find out what new business they get and what old business they retain because of their participation. Present these as case studies of sales-campaign success in your industry.
You can also increase your manager's confidence by including an appendix of checklists and budget items that they can review. Include a follow-up action plan that enlists the sales force. Let your manager know that your team is ready to act on the opportunity, guaranteeing success.
Give Them Options
Many managers need to choose from an array of options. Offer them a series of participation options, ranging from a simple program to a complex campaign. Give them price versus payback options.
3) Measure Outcome
Good management never argues with success (if you're arguing that you don't have good management, change jobs). So show your manager your success and you'll create all of the campaigns you wish.
Require that all participating staff submit a single-page report on the campaign. Ask them to write their opinion of the program:
• Was it worthwhile?
• What did you do well?
• What should you do differently next time?
• What are the competitive trends?
• What are the industry trends?
These reports give you a good indication of the success of the campaign.
Track sales from the campaign. Compare the list of customers who buy after the campaign to the list used. It's safe to assume that the campaign either promoted the sale or kept the sale from being stolen by the competition.
Poll participants after the campaign. Ninety days after the program, grab a random stack of leads and give these people a call. Simply ask them, "Did you buy?" If they bought from the competition, you know the list was good, but your product or sales force wasn't doing the job. If they didn't buy, it gives you some indication of the market place. Either way, you'll learn if the campaign attracted buyers or not.
About six months after the campaign, poll your manager about their overall satisfaction with the program. Have campaign expenses, sales figures, media coverage numbers, and after-campaign survey results handy. Make your manager happy with one campaign and you'll do almost any campaign you wish.
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