Organically Growing Champions, Sales, Market Share
Organically Growing Champions, Sales, Market Share
BD nor HD DVD optical formats haven’t gotten people rushing to stores with cash flowing out of their pockets begging to buy either flavor of burner, player, optical disc.
Forget about laying blame on any of the companies involved.
My gawd they’re doing their part.
They’re spending truckloads of money to convince consumers – business and individual – that tomorrow is here…it is better…it is time to make the move…NOW!
They point with pride to the positive reviews.
They have their share of early adopters who are first in line to buy anything. You know the guy/gal in your neighborhood or company who is always on the bleeding edge of technology.
Their marketing people are creative and smart.
They have more plans and programs in the works all designed to convince folks that if they don’t get on the horse and ride they’ll be left in the dust.
In today’s instant news, constantly connected world they know that for the products to succeed they have to tap into and leverage consumer behavior.
There’s only one thing missing.
Giving more than lip service to their best weapon -- their best marketing tool – customers.
You know those innovators and early adopters that folks turn to for information and recommendations.
If they products don’t jump Geoffrey Moore’s Chasm fast enough they advertise more…add features…introduce new versions…lower the prices.
The marketing/advertising options are almost limitless today.
Companies will do almost anything to get visibility for their new products.
They want the press coverage, the reviewers’ praises, the analysts’ reports, all of that marketing buzz that makes products fly out of the warehouse and off the shelves.
But they seldom leveraged word-of-mouth (WOM).
You know advice from family, friends, business associates, people actually using the products.
Talk to and work with the customer on a real 1:1 basis?
Are you out of your freakin mind?
That requires time…requires effort…requires patience…requires painful “self analysis” that the product, documentation, solution may be fallible and might – just might – need updates, modifications before it is ready to go mainstream and win the hearts and pockets of the early majority.
All of the post-Chasm crowd relies on word of mouth – face to face, blogs, company review sites, community interest/networking sites – for their purchasing information and ideas.
And in today’s iNet world; word of mouth information is almost instantly available to in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, Middle East.
With very little effort anyone, anywhere can easily tap into this trustworthy information and customer insights/opinions/recommendations.
If this resource is becoming so broadly consulted by prospects, it has to become an integral part of firms’ marketing strategy.
Unfortunately most firms blow off WOM.
Why?
Oh yeah…
- it’s time consuming
- it requires patience…lots of patience
- it means you have to look at the users’ views, opinions, ideas in a non-defensive manner with an understanding that the user – the real user – might know more about what he/she wants, how he/she wants to work than engineers, programmers, designers (translation – sometimes the king may not have any cloths on or he simply has mismatched socks)
- it requires cold, hard analysis of what was said – and not said – and delicate handling of the feedback to the people who nurtured the product from concept to introduction. Trust us…no one likes to be told their kid is ugly!
But some firms are giving these undiluted user inputs, ideas and recommendations the attention they deserve even when it hurts…a “little.”
Dell is one of the latest to closely examine and mine these inputs and unbiased opinions for ways to improve policies, programs, products.
Michael has finally gotten his head around the fact that consumers – channel partners, corporate buyers, individuals – trust the opinions of other consumers.
If his team doesn’t listen you can darn well bet those who ask for advice will…that could hurt a lot more than an unhappy/dissatisfied customer.
If individual online reviews are going to be posted and trusted by other consumers. Getting in front of the situation isn’t just important…it’s vital!
The challenge is two-fold.
We all know that ticked off customers are the first to post and tell others. Ten, 15 years ago that wasn’t a huge problem. The dissatisfied customer would probably only complain to 10-15 people.
Today he or she posts his/her complaint and BAM!! it is instantly out there for 10-50 million people to read…and pass along.
The other challenge is inspiring happy consumers to help spread the positive words...the praise.
Do it wrong and they’ll get the idea you’re trying to con them, turn them into shills.
Not good.
Do it right.
Very good.
There are millions of passionate, empowered consumers out there in special interest/user groups who are more than a little favorable toward brands/products that they like/use in their work, hobby, home.
You know die-hard Wii or Xbox groups; PC/camera/video user groups; product/service specific groups.
These people spend hours at work and late into the evening scouring the iNet chatting on uselists, searching web sites, devouring blogs and sharing information and ideas with people who are just as passionate about their interest area.
Some have regular meetings to exchange information and “tricks” to do things better with their products. Most special interest groups have web sites where they review products with varying degrees of expertise for anyone/everyone to read.
And read them people do!
More importantly, consumers looking for advice and assistance find these groups, these sites, these reviews extremely credible because:
- they share something in common with the reviewer
- the reviewer talks in usage terms the reader can identify with…where the rubber meets the road
The problem for most marketers is that influentials are only important to them when they want to sell something.
The influentials and their sphere of influence are a pain in the *** when it comes to:
- helping them with their web sites/publications
- supporting their special events, educational activities
- assisting them in developing a more organized effort to expand their membership, their numbers
Too bad.
According to eMarketer there are about 26.8 million influencers (you know folks who are regularly asked for advice) in the U.S. today and 58.7 million worldwide.
Most are not only first in line to buy, they actually enjoy the responsibility of providing others assistance.
When they spread the word…influencees buy.
Ok we admit it. It isn’t as sexy as a thoroughly researched/crafted ad that taps into the very deepest reaches of the consumers’ behavior.
But those geeky, weird, passionate influentials might do a helluva lot better job of grabbing more customers…and keeping them longer.
Organic growth may not agree with you but don’t wait for someone to ask the question…
Listen to the whisperer.
charts/illustrations available by contacting andy@markencom.com
Organically Growing Champions Sales Market Share - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Vista hasn’t exactly swept the globe.
BD nor HD DVD optical formats haven’t gotten people rushing to stores with cash flowing out of their pockets begging to buy either flavor of burner, player, optical disc.
Forget about laying blame on any of the companies involved.
My gawd they’re doing their part.
They’re spending truckloads of money to convince consumers – business and individual – that tomorrow is here…it is better…it is time to make the move…NOW!
They point with pride to the positive reviews.
They have their share of early adopters who are first in line to buy anything. You know the guy/gal in your neighborhood or company who is always on the bleeding edge of technology.
Their marketing people are creative and smart.
They have more plans and programs in the works all designed to convince folks that if they don’t get on the horse and ride they’ll be left in the dust.
In today’s instant news, constantly connected world they know that for the products to succeed they have to tap into and leverage consumer behavior.
There’s only one thing missing.
Giving more than lip service to their best weapon -- their best marketing tool – customers.
You know those innovators and early adopters that folks turn to for information and recommendations.
If they products don’t jump Geoffrey Moore’s Chasm fast enough they advertise more…add features…introduce new versions…lower the prices.
The marketing/advertising options are almost limitless today.
Companies will do almost anything to get visibility for their new products.
They want the press coverage, the reviewers’ praises, the analysts’ reports, all of that marketing buzz that makes products fly out of the warehouse and off the shelves.
But they seldom leveraged word-of-mouth (WOM).
You know advice from family, friends, business associates, people actually using the products.
Talk to and work with the customer on a real 1:1 basis?
Are you out of your freakin mind?
That requires time…requires effort…requires patience…requires painful “self analysis” that the product, documentation, solution may be fallible and might – just might – need updates, modifications before it is ready to go mainstream and win the hearts and pockets of the early majority.
All of the post-Chasm crowd relies on word of mouth – face to face, blogs, company review sites, community interest/networking sites – for their purchasing information and ideas.
And in today’s iNet world; word of mouth information is almost instantly available to in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, Middle East.
With very little effort anyone, anywhere can easily tap into this trustworthy information and customer insights/opinions/recommendations.
If this resource is becoming so broadly consulted by prospects, it has to become an integral part of firms’ marketing strategy.
Unfortunately most firms blow off WOM.
Why?
Oh yeah…
- it’s time consuming
- it requires patience…lots of patience
- it means you have to look at the users’ views, opinions, ideas in a non-defensive manner with an understanding that the user – the real user – might know more about what he/she wants, how he/she wants to work than engineers, programmers, designers (translation – sometimes the king may not have any cloths on or he simply has mismatched socks)
- it requires cold, hard analysis of what was said – and not said – and delicate handling of the feedback to the people who nurtured the product from concept to introduction. Trust us…no one likes to be told their kid is ugly!
But some firms are giving these undiluted user inputs, ideas and recommendations the attention they deserve even when it hurts…a “little.”
Dell is one of the latest to closely examine and mine these inputs and unbiased opinions for ways to improve policies, programs, products.
Michael has finally gotten his head around the fact that consumers – channel partners, corporate buyers, individuals – trust the opinions of other consumers.
If his team doesn’t listen you can darn well bet those who ask for advice will…that could hurt a lot more than an unhappy/dissatisfied customer.
If individual online reviews are going to be posted and trusted by other consumers. Getting in front of the situation isn’t just important…it’s vital!
The challenge is two-fold.
We all know that ticked off customers are the first to post and tell others. Ten, 15 years ago that wasn’t a huge problem. The dissatisfied customer would probably only complain to 10-15 people.
Today he or she posts his/her complaint and BAM!! it is instantly out there for 10-50 million people to read…and pass along.
The other challenge is inspiring happy consumers to help spread the positive words...the praise.
Do it wrong and they’ll get the idea you’re trying to con them, turn them into shills.
Not good.
Do it right.
Very good.
There are millions of passionate, empowered consumers out there in special interest/user groups who are more than a little favorable toward brands/products that they like/use in their work, hobby, home.
You know die-hard Wii or Xbox groups; PC/camera/video user groups; product/service specific groups.
These people spend hours at work and late into the evening scouring the iNet chatting on uselists, searching web sites, devouring blogs and sharing information and ideas with people who are just as passionate about their interest area.
Some have regular meetings to exchange information and “tricks” to do things better with their products. Most special interest groups have web sites where they review products with varying degrees of expertise for anyone/everyone to read.
And read them people do!
More importantly, consumers looking for advice and assistance find these groups, these sites, these reviews extremely credible because:
- they share something in common with the reviewer
- the reviewer talks in usage terms the reader can identify with…where the rubber meets the road
The problem for most marketers is that influentials are only important to them when they want to sell something.
The influentials and their sphere of influence are a pain in the *** when it comes to:
- helping them with their web sites/publications
- supporting their special events, educational activities
- assisting them in developing a more organized effort to expand their membership, their numbers
Too bad.
According to eMarketer there are about 26.8 million influencers (you know folks who are regularly asked for advice) in the U.S. today and 58.7 million worldwide.
Most are not only first in line to buy, they actually enjoy the responsibility of providing others assistance.
When they spread the word…influencees buy.
Ok we admit it. It isn’t as sexy as a thoroughly researched/crafted ad that taps into the very deepest reaches of the consumers’ behavior.
But those geeky, weird, passionate influentials might do a helluva lot better job of grabbing more customers…and keeping them longer.
Organic growth may not agree with you but don’t wait for someone to ask the question…
Listen to the whisperer.
charts/illustrations available by contacting andy@markencom.com
Organically Growing Champions Sales Market Share - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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