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The Forgotten Element: Mixing Communications
May 06, 2008
How sales fits into the marketing communications mix
By Mark N. Clemente
A focus on the top-line should be top-of-mind when designing integrated marketing communication programs. Unfortunately, the sales function is often an afterthought in many marcom campaigns undertaken by B2B and B2C marketers today.
Somewhere along the way, marketers forgot that "personal selling" is one of the main elements of the marketing communications mix. Few marketers effectively factor sales strategies and the communication needs of front-line sellers into the overall campaign plan.
In what is the ultimate paradox, program results suffer. The problem isn't necessarily a lack of "integrated" marketing communication thinking, but rather, a lack of sales-focused communication components.
The marketing communication mix consists of four major components:
Advertising. This includes print, broadcast and online ad placements – as well as SEO and the full range of digital advertising and personalized messaging techniques.
Sales promotion. All forms of print and digital communications aimed at inducing consumers to try or continue to buy product are included here. In B2B, sales promotion includes such things as special customer offers, incentives and strategic pricing.
Public relations. This describes media-driven information programs that produce product publicity and help effect demand generation for consumer and B2B offerings. For service businesses, PR in the marcom mix addresses noteworthy client or business problems.
Personal selling. Falling into this category are the marketing- and product-related communications delivered in an interpersonal encounter between a sales professional and a prospect or customer.
In order for integrated marcom programs to truly work, sales professionals need sales-oriented communications of both an internal and external nature:
Internally focused communications. These are largely informative. They alert the sales force to the fundamental aspects of the marcom effort: the basic "what, when and (strategic) why" of the effort (i.e., a new-product launch or customer discount program). Internal communications should also announce the availability of specially designed selling tools and intelligence that dovetail with the marcom effort. Generally speaking, it is advisable to give the sales force at least 90 days' notice of any initiatives that are coming up.
Externally focused communications. These are typically campaign-specific and tie into the positioning of the marcom program. Externally focused communications should be product- or service-oriented and be designed to help sellers in their direct interactions with customers. External communications must also be strategy-driven and be supported by relevant market intelligence. They must help the seller understand the offering, how to position it in light of other company products and services, and provide a means of probing issue-specific customer requirements.
Whenever appropriate, it is advisable to develop campaign-customized sales tools. Examples include issues-oriented briefing documents and diagnostic "audit" exercises that provide a mechanism for identifying customer requirements.
When marcom programs are designed to include both internally and externally focused communications that specifically address sales professionals' needs, the chances of the program being successful increase exponentially.
Going forward, marketers must reassess their approach to integrated marketing communications planning by keying on the crucial component of personal selling. Only then will marketing campaigns fully deliver what they're designed to produce: top-line revenues.
Mark N. Clemente is an internationally recognized consultant, author and expert in strategic marketing and communications. He is the senior vice president and managing partner of the New York office of GlobalFluency, an international marketing communication agency network.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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