Launching a New Nontraditional Offering
Launching a New Nontraditional Offering
Use these techniques to engage your whole company to create awareness for a new, non-traditional offering.
Marketing
While it might sound obvious, executing a traditional marketing campaign for a new offering is sometimes overlooked. Even the most basic marketing functions can be immeasurably valuable to the success of a new offering. For example:
Announce the new service via direct mail or email communication
Issue a news release and send it to key industry publications and reporters, and publications in your local markets
Provide the news release to reps to use in their selling activities
Highlight the new offering in your company's regular publications to customers, such as newsletters or monthly communications
Advertise in the most likely target markets
Update your website to include the new offering
Educate the sales force positioning the new offering, new value proposition, and the first 1-3 questions to ask to id opportunities
Create concise sales materials reps can use to describe the new offerings and position them with your current solutions. These can be as simple as PowerPoint presentations that are printed or emailed for use in sales meetings. Use the materials to train the sales force, too.
Telemarket to set appointments for reps to discuss the new offering and qualify if there is an opportunity to pursue the account. Begin with your top target markets.
Sales
With an awareness marketing campaign in place, your sales force will have the support it needs to generate leads and drive sales. The key to success here is for reps to have a few messages and questions they can use during the sales process to create awareness for your new offering and uncover leads.
Some steps to take in the sales process include:
Mention the company's movement into the new area in customer discussions and sales meetings. Work this into Building Rapport discussions at the front end of a sales call.
When uncovering needs with a customer, ask questions that will help id leads for the new offering. If it's uncomfortable to integrate new questions into the current line of needs questioning, wait until it has been completed to change the questioning focus.
If possible, include the new offering in proposals in a way that complements the solution that's being proposed. If it doesn't complement the solution, use another method to bring it to the customer's attention.
Take time to update customers and prospects on what's new within your company, including the new offering. This shows the growth and evolution of your company while also getting the message out.
Internal Support Teams
Engage your internal support teams and solution providers, educating them on your new offering.
Give them a solid, yet simple, message they can use in customer conversations to discuss the new offering
Encourage both to tell customers and prospects about the new offering, and to ask a few questions that will id a possible need
Have reps stay in frequent contact with partners and internal teams while building awareness
Get everyone engaged as you launch your new offering. The only way you'll build awareness and drive leads is by having as many people as possible get the message out. This is especially true if the offering is one customers are not expecting you to provide.
Launching a New Nontraditional Offering - To learn more about this author, visit 's Website.
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KLA is often introduced to companies that want to launch a new offering outside their traditional suite of products and services. These companies have developed a valuable service, but aren't sure how to generate awareness and drive leads with their customers and prospects. This challenge is especially difficult when approaching customers and prospects with something new that they would never expect the company to provide.
Use these techniques to engage your whole company to create awareness for a new, non-traditional offering.
Marketing
While it might sound obvious, executing a traditional marketing campaign for a new offering is sometimes overlooked. Even the most basic marketing functions can be immeasurably valuable to the success of a new offering. For example:
Announce the new service via direct mail or email communication
Issue a news release and send it to key industry publications and reporters, and publications in your local markets
Provide the news release to reps to use in their selling activities
Highlight the new offering in your company's regular publications to customers, such as newsletters or monthly communications
Advertise in the most likely target markets
Update your website to include the new offering
Educate the sales force positioning the new offering, new value proposition, and the first 1-3 questions to ask to id opportunities
Create concise sales materials reps can use to describe the new offerings and position them with your current solutions. These can be as simple as PowerPoint presentations that are printed or emailed for use in sales meetings. Use the materials to train the sales force, too.
Telemarket to set appointments for reps to discuss the new offering and qualify if there is an opportunity to pursue the account. Begin with your top target markets.
Sales
With an awareness marketing campaign in place, your sales force will have the support it needs to generate leads and drive sales. The key to success here is for reps to have a few messages and questions they can use during the sales process to create awareness for your new offering and uncover leads.
Some steps to take in the sales process include:
Mention the company's movement into the new area in customer discussions and sales meetings. Work this into Building Rapport discussions at the front end of a sales call.
When uncovering needs with a customer, ask questions that will help id leads for the new offering. If it's uncomfortable to integrate new questions into the current line of needs questioning, wait until it has been completed to change the questioning focus.
If possible, include the new offering in proposals in a way that complements the solution that's being proposed. If it doesn't complement the solution, use another method to bring it to the customer's attention.
Take time to update customers and prospects on what's new within your company, including the new offering. This shows the growth and evolution of your company while also getting the message out.
Internal Support Teams
Engage your internal support teams and solution providers, educating them on your new offering.
Give them a solid, yet simple, message they can use in customer conversations to discuss the new offering
Encourage both to tell customers and prospects about the new offering, and to ask a few questions that will id a possible need
Have reps stay in frequent contact with partners and internal teams while building awareness
Get everyone engaged as you launch your new offering. The only way you'll build awareness and drive leads is by having as many people as possible get the message out. This is especially true if the offering is one customers are not expecting you to provide.
Launching a New Nontraditional Offering - To learn more about this author, visit 's Website.
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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