Total Marketing Solutions

Whilst we have been busy putting together our new range of sales and sales management services, we’ve been mindful of the much reported fact that in business to business selling, most companies experience a win ratio of just one in four – that is one opportunity coming to fruition, the other three resulting in failure. That’s 75% of the sales budget wasted. So how can companies reduce this waste level?
Depending on the complexity of your industry, the whole process of writing competitive bids or tenders can be extremely time-consuming. It might seem obvious, but many companies still clutch at straws, submitting tenders they are unable to fully satisfy. In such a competitive landscape, this is a fruitless exercise. What’s more, by trying to process a larger number of opportunities, the more quality can and will suffer. To avoid this vicious circle, companies can take the time to focus on the business that they know they can win, will in turn will help them focus on what’s achievable.
There will still of course be a percentage of failures, but it is important learn from these as well as basking in the glory of the successes. Losing on price is probably the most common issue if all the tender requirements have initially been met. What this in fact means is that a company has failed to correctly understand or sufficiently influence their customers’ requirements and associated budget. It could also mean that the unique business value of their solution just wasn’t communicated strongly enough. Our experience in sales and sales management can really help companies of all sizes address the issue of wasted sales effort to become more targtetted and ultimately more successful. To find out more about how we can help you call TMS on 0845 201 1618.

Following on from our earlier post, I recently spoke at national accountancy conference on the subject of marketing-led CRM and its’ role in professional services businesses. Whilst only a small number of those present did already have a CRM system up and running, a much larger number were aware of the importance of implementing a suitable system for their company in the near future. But what exactly is the relationship between a CRM system and marketing, and why does it matter?

It’s fair to say that both Marketing and CRM remain misunderstood by many companies, regardless of size and business sector. In its simplest terms marketing is all about your customers – getting to know then, segmenting and then targetting them, whilst matching your proposition to their needs. Companies obviously then need to communicate effectively with their customers, ensuring their expectations are met – if not exceed. All this of course needs to be measured along the way to ensure the right strategic direction is taken or tweaked as appropriate.

The level of knowledge required by businesses to be able to compete effectively across the many platforms available today now requires this level of understanding not as the exception but as the rule. Unfortunately, many companies who have purchased a CRM system have regarded this a just a “software” purchase, but a CRM system is not just an external programme to be bolted-on to your business. It can and should permeate every facet or your business, enabling you to get closer to your existing and potential customers, to more effectively manage your existing customers and to maximise each opportunity represented by your customers.

A truly effective, marketing-led CRM system will help you grow your brand and your business effectively and profitably in a more targetted and measured way. Whilst it’s not easy to do well, it’s certainly worth investing in a good CRM system to enable your business to compete more effectively.

Could Customer Relationship Management – CRM – be the new marketing? Without doubt it’s an increasingly important tool to help you grow your business by getting you closer to your existing and prospective customers. It also helps you better manage your existing client relationships and can help you to maximise the opportunity represented by each client. With the right CRM system in place, companies can grow their brand and their business in a more cost-effective and targetted manner than ever before. This all sounds too good to be true, and in many cases it is – simply because a CRM system is seen purely as a software purchase. The wider implications of having accurate, shared and relevant information available across your entire business are often missed and the approach to a new CRM system gets bogged down in the technicalities.

Whilst it is of course important to ensure the correct technical specification is in place, it is crucial to the success of any CRM system that you first decide on what you want the system to do for you.  Ideally a good CRM system should provide information  across your whole customer engagement cycle – including marketing, sales and customer support, together with the relevant analytics and reporting which will enable you to better understand the effectiveness of your business and to closely analyse your customers’ behaviour.

But a good CRM system still won’t create relationships with your customers and add value all on its own. With a new emphasis on customer service, it’s still marketing which drives businesses forward, creates relationships and adds value. For a truly successful CRM system a good starting point is to develop a new approach to communicating with and managing your customers – and then making the software part of this overall approach.

Together with our colleagues at Market Equity, we held a breakfast meeting in Truro at the beginning of December for growing businesses in Cornwall. The undoubted highlight of the morning was the thought-provoking session delivered by Professor Malcolm McDonald on how to develop a meaningful marketing strategy for your business. Professor McDonald is Emeritus Professor at Cranfield University School of Management and Chairman of Market Equity. He cut through a lot of the mystery surrounding marketing to talk about what really matters when developing a clear strategy for growth. We’re in the process of putting together a short video of the session and will be posting it here in the next couple of weeks. We’re also looking into arranging further events later this year along similar lines for businesses based in the South West and will keep you posted on any future dates.

A bit off the beaten track of our usual posts but I saw a really interesting video on the subject of what motivates people at work that challenges the traditional model and approach to incentivising and motivating employees & as it has applications for everyone – including the sales and marketing management community – I thought that I would share it with everyone. Both the content and the delivery style are very engaging and perhaps we can all learn something from thinking about this area a bit more deeply & imaginatively. Stick with the video – its a bit slow to get going, obvious stuff at first & then its get interesting….

If you’re a growing company based in Cornwall, you still have time to reserve your place at a truly unique event to be held in Truro on December 13th. Professor Malcolm McDonald, author of over 40 books on all things marketing and a world-leading authority on marketing planning, is coming to Truro to speak at an event we have put together with our colleagues at Market Equity. Also attending the event will be Jeremy Roberts, Director at investment bank Lansdowne Capital, to guide companies on the best way to secure funding for future growth plans. To secure your place, please call Melanie Brewerton on 0845 201 1618 or email melanie@totalmarketingsolutions.co.uk

We’ve just added another fantastic resource to our website by TMS consultant and branding expert Dave Wilson. This new resource looks at all the key aspects of branding and the impact they can have on your business. Dave argues that branding not only impacts significantly upon your marketplace, but also on the value, longevity and sustainability of your company. Find out what he has to say about all things branding here.

In an increasingly competitive world, making sure your customers are truly delighted with the service they receive at every point of contact throughout their interaction with your company remains as the one real way of differentiating what you have to offer. It’s easier said that done, of course, but that makes it even more important for businesses to get right. Get it wrong, and you become one of the crowd again, not giving your potential customers any reason to buy from you. Our consultant Mel Sallis, who has a wealth of experience in mapping the customer experience and in advising companies both large and small on how to provide their customers with a great experience, has some useful pointers in our new Resource. Take a look here.

Creating a solid marketing plan which effectively and accurately reflects your overall marketing strategy can be a daunting prospect for even the most seasoned marketer. Where to start? How do you know what will work and what won’t? As strategic marketing consultants we like to get stuck into the nitty gritty of developing real marketing plans and seeing them bring real results. So how do we do it?

Like any good plan, your marketing plan sould be realistic and achievable and above all else – measurable. It’s also not cast in stone, so if you need to change tack or make amendments having realised something isn’t working, then it needs to be flexible enough to accommodate any changes along the way. A robust marketing plan is always a good idea, but it becomes crucial when companies are looking to grow their business by securing external funding.

To find out more about the TMS way of developing a marketing plan, click here.

In today’s ever-changing economic landscape, there’s at least still one constant – and that’s the number one challenge facing small businesses up and down the country. Still at the top spot in nearly every survey taken this year, the most challenging issue facing small businesses remains “How to Find New Customers.” As marketing consultants, we’re speaking with new and potential clients every day across a wide range of different market sectors – and their one common goal is how to find new customers.

As small business owners, many of our clients started their business around their own particular area of expertise or interest. And as is often the case, many are also extremely involved in the day to day running of their business, which leaves little time to spend on driving their business forward. And the harsh reality is that, even with a unique product or service, without a well-defined marketing strategy to guide your business towards future growth, running a small business can feel more like drowning rather than plain sailing. Whilst we’re not guaranteeing that a solid, thoughtful marketing strategy to follow will remove all obstacles ahead, it can help small business owners more clearly identify where they want to take their company and what they need to do in order to achieve their growth objectives. To find out how we can help, please call Mark Brewerton on 0845 201 1618.