Improving Sales Performance
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Improving Sales Performance
Media Sales Professionals Want More Effective Marketing Strategies with Dani Buckley
In this episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the recently published Media Sales Report by looking at what sellers and managers say about their company’s marketing strategy.
Here to help Matt investigate why so many are dissatisfied with their organization’s current marketing plan, is Dani Buckley, VP/General Manager at LeadG2.
Dani, as always, offers some amazing points to think about, like:
- Why, when sellers aren’t happy with their company’s marketing efforts, often its a lack of sales and marketing alignment that is really the issue at hand.
- How conducting a content audit is imperative when considering a sales enablement overhaul
- And, finally, how if media companies don’t have a website that’s both educational and easy to navigate, many prospects will simply find their solutions elsewhere.
Links:
The 5th Annual Media Sales Report
Dani Buckley
Matt Sunshine
LeadG2
The Center for Sales Strategy
Welcome to Improving Sales Performance, a podcast highlighting tips and insights aimed at helping sales organizations realize, and maybe even exceed, their goals. Here we chat with thought leaders, experts and gurus who have years of sales experience from a wide range of industries. I'm your host, matt Sunshine, ceo at the Center for Sales Strategy Sales Performance Consulting Company. In this episode, we're continuing our exploration of the recently published Media Sales Report by looking at what sellers and managers say about their company's marketing strategy. Here to help me investigate why so many are dissatisfied with their organization's current marketing plan is Danny Buckley, vp, general Manager at LeadG2. Danny, as always, offers some amazing points to think about, like why, when sellers aren't happy with their company's marketing efforts, often it's a lack of sales and marketing alignment that is really the issue at hand. How conducting a content audit is imperative when considering a sales enablement overall. And, finally, how, if media companies don't have a website that's both educational and easy to navigate, many prospects will simply find their solutions elsewhere. With that, let's start the conversation. Okay, so in the just published fifth annual Media Sales Report it's the fifth year, I know everyone I'm talking to about this. It's kind of like we've all been in it the whole time. It's hard to believe it's been five years.
Matt Sunshine:Here's some of the data I want you to react to. So 70% of sales managers and 63% of salespeople wish their companies would adopt a marketing plan that attracts more leads and promotes thought leadership. So think about that. For a second 6% of managers and salespeople say that their current marketing plan rocks. That's one of the things that we missed, right? Do you think you have a marketing plan that rocks Only 6%? 94% thinking Pretty low. 94% doesn't rock. Yeah, 6% rocks. Okay. So here's the question. First of all, what do you think contributes to this sentiment among salespeople, and what do you most often see when salespeople aren't satisfied with their company's marketing strategy? What causes a sentiment and what do they mean by it?
Dani Buckley:Yeah, so I think, well, I mean the first most obvious that I'll just mention that causes it is that it really might not be very good, right, it could be-.
Matt Sunshine:If at all yeah.
Dani Buckley:If that could be just very accurate and especially in media, it's very possible there just isn't one that exists, so that's probably a big percentage of it. And then for those that do have one and still maybe feel that way, I think that what could be happening is that there often isn't really good sales and marketing alignment, there isn't open communication happening, so salespeople in particular may not know what is going on. They may not know what's in the works, they may not know things that are actually attributing to sales that they're not aware of. There's a lot of things I've seen. There may be leads coming in, but maybe they're not going directly to salespeople so they don't see that, or things aren't being just shared and reported on. So I think there's a lack of maybe knowing. And then the other thing is that sometimes, when there is a lead generation plan in place, I do think that often salespeople maybe aren't seeing the best leads or they're not the actual process of getting the leads to salespeople might be broken in a couple different ways. Yeah, that's good input.
Matt Sunshine:Second, my second question on this what would you tell a sales manager who's frustrated with their current marketing plan or their lack of a marketing plan? What would you tell them?
Dani Buckley:Talk to someone, right. So there's two different things we're talking about. One it doesn't exist. There's no one doing B2B marketing. It doesn't exist, so that what I would tell them to do is they need to be the ones to lead getting something like that created right. Often we see that it is sales leadership that is driving that initiative to get it started within an organization. So that's one thing. If it does exist to some extent, but they're just frustrated with it, then I think that really having more regular and more consistent communication with those people overseeing it is key, and it goes both ways making sure that you're being curious to really understand what marketing's doing and that you really understand it, and also that there's a space for you and your salespeople to give feedback, to make sure that marketing actually understands your sales process. Have they listened in on calls? Do they really understand prospects? That often is why maybe marketing isn't feeling like it's serving sales, because there's just a lack of understanding even.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, that's really good input. But yeah, talk to someone.
Dani Buckley:Yeah, it starts, there.
Matt Sunshine:Like have a conversation, get in the game, right.
Dani Buckley:Yeah, make it happen Like if you want it. Make it a priority.
Matt Sunshine:Yes, manifest it.
Dani Buckley:Yes, exactly that's the way.
Matt Sunshine:That's the 46% of salespeople report being not sure or dissatisfied with their current quality of their sales collateral, their sales enablement resources. First question how can organizations ensure that they're providing the best sales enablement possible for their sellers? What do you recommend?
Dani Buckley:Yeah, okay. So this is something I talk about a lot, so I feel passionate about it. The first thing I always recommend is do an actual content audit. Make sure you know what exists. I hear so often like we don't have resources, we don't have content, and then someone's like wait, we have these 50 things that nobody uses. So make sure you actually know what's out there, and I like to just say separate it Good, this is stuff that's usable, that use it today, stuff that needs to be updated but it's good, or stuff that we need to throw out. I love that process.
Dani Buckley:Do a content audit, so start there and then talk to salespeople. That includes both group brainstorms and discussions, but also one-on-one conversations, because people share differently in those environments and get their feedback right. Find out what they need, what they find valuable, what they're learning in the sales process, things like that. And then I also think, use technology. Track how sales enablement, content resources are being used right. Do you see? There is technology that allows you to see which types of documents or videos are being viewed or shared, or actually get a prospect to open something. Use data to really know what is or isn't working, so that you're not just building things, to build things when you don't actually know if you need it and if it's gonna work.
Matt Sunshine:So same question, maybe a little different. Thinking specifically, what can a salesperson someone who not a sales leader, but a salesperson that is both frustrated that they don't have the sales enablement resources that they wish they had, but at the same time, let's not key in on the frustration, rather, what can they do to better their situation In part? Should they look for something? Should they do something?
Dani Buckley:Yeah, that's a good question. I think that I mean, again, communication, tell someone what you're thinking. But to go even deeper on that, I would say first off, make sure you're actually aware of and using the stuff that you have and I say that again because that can give you talking points and understanding to say, hey, I know we have these three case studies, but the reason I don't use them is because of XYZ. Or I love these things but I don't. I could really use this, like, I think, the more specific of feedback that they can gather and that could be as simple as keeping a post it on your desk and jotting down the stuff you wish you had. Or you notice you're sending an email and it would be awesome to have this thing. Yeah, the more specific the better.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, what? I've heard you say this before and I've heard others say it as well, not necessarily on this topic, but the same general thing is make a list of all the things that you wish you had, be as specific as possible and then prioritize them, knowing that you probably can't do everything. So if you could only do one, which one would you do? All right, you brought up case study videos, so let's go there. So 85% of salespeople, 66% of sales managers, tell us that they don't have more than two case study videos. All right, so that's the setup. In your opinion, what are the reasons that sellers need to have video case studies at the ready?
Dani Buckley:Yeah, because video works. People love video. The data shows it. We see it across the board, not to say that having things that aren't video doesn't work too. But, like, video works, we see it time and time again.
Dani Buckley:A prospect is more likely to watch a 60, 90 second video than they are to open and read a PDF, even if it's just one or two pages. So that's number one. Number two there's just something more relatable, personable, about seeing someone talk about their experience, versus like, oh, a quote was pulled out and put on in writing. I just think there is some psychology to that being able to see a person and it feels just more real and believable. But also I want to add that, yes, it's important and I do agree with the sentiment that we need more case study videos. I also don't think it's absolutely necessary, and what I see happen sometimes is people don't create any case studies because they don't have time to do the video. So my little piece of advice is make the case studies what it's better to have written case studies or even just testimonials, nothing. So start somewhere, but video works.
Matt Sunshine:Do you have any success stories that you can share that came as a result of using a case study video?
Dani Buckley:Yeah, I don't know if I have a very I can think of like just a really specific one, but we see it all the time, both for ourselves, for our own sales here at our companies, but with our clients, with media sales organizations. What we see and hear from salespeople is that they couldn't get an email opened, and then that was the email that someone opened. Right, they couldn't get a prospect to engage with them, and then that was the thing. So the video often we're not just hearing it from them, but we're seeing it in different tracking and tools that we use. That it really does increase engagement and, yeah, so I mean that's the most specific I can get to, but we hear it and see it pretty often.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, I know Leigh G too, that you run has a couple of really really just amazing case study videos. Yeah, it's always fun. From my point of view, it's always fun to watch those with prospects. When prospects ask, do you have any examples? And we can share that video with them and be there while they watch it not on their own and see them say things like wow, you helped that company generate that much in that amount of time. It's very cool and it leads to a different type of conversation. Yeah, I love that. More focused on the result than the product.
Dani Buckley:Yes, how we actually can help.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, all right. Next question for you Over half of the managers 56 percent say their company's website doesn't make it easy for a prospect to understand who they are as an organization or what problems that they solve. So just over half 56 percent of managers say they don't have a website where it makes it easy. So, in your opinion, why do organizations need to have a helpful website as their top priority, especially because this is a media sales report? Yeah, almost every media company, let's just put it out there. Every media company has a website, but it's usually audience-facing. Yeah, viewers or listeners, it's usually for that. Readers. Yeah, we're talking about the business side of it.
Dani Buckley:Yeah, so it's usually that, and then also maybe like a corporate website that has like nothing of value to an advertiser.
Matt Sunshine:Maybe for shareholders.
Dani Buckley:Yes, exactly.
Matt Sunshine:That's the reason.
Dani Buckley:You can see which markets they have. You can see, you know, but it's so. My first just opinion is that I feel like that number is lower than I would think it is because the truth is I feel like if we looked at most media companies in the US even, but even globally, they don't have a strong B2B website that is advertiser facing. And why do I think this should be a top priority? I feel very strongly about this.
Dani Buckley:As you know, it's your storefront. It's often the first thing a prospect or lead is going to see and learn about you, and the reason this matters is that the paradigm of sales has changed over the years. We know that it's been a while now that the power is in the buyer's hands. Right, we have access, as buyers and advertisers talking about here right, to get so much information, do so much research, gather what they need before they talk to a salesperson. They do not typically do not want to talk to a salesperson until they're ready to talk to a salesperson. Back when I sold radio which was now getting close to 15 years ago it it, I had all the power that wasn't available. They had to talk to me early in their journey to get anything related to station numbers, to you know rates, to just knowing about all kinds of things, events, whatever that has changed. We need to get caught up and you need to have a website that is educational, helpful, and if not, they're going to find it somewhere else.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, I think we were together years ago when a manager said boy, after after kind of having a long conversation about this, their their response was I think I'd rather have one less salesperson and have a marketing engine that was producing leads and thought leadership and helping my current salespeople pull prospects through the funnel than anything else. And and I think that you and I would agree with that, we stand on that, we've talked about that for years, years and years and years. Any tips, any tricks, anything that, any advice you'd give to a sales leader or an organization, someone high at the organization whose site could stand to be a little more helpful for a business client-facing website.
Dani Buckley:Yeah, yeah. So number one make sure you have one. Make sure you actually have a B2B website that is advertiser-facing. Be sure you really understand whoever's creating the website. Be sure that they really understand your best customers, your prospects, who your audience is, who you're talking to, what do they care about, what are the questions they have? Start there, of course. Also make it easy to navigate. So having lots of links and calls to action and ways to just move around the site I mean, this is the best practice for websites, but it's easy to skip and so make it easy to move around and have content. This is key. You need to be using that website to show your expertise, to highlight what you know to be valuable to your community and to your market and to the people you work with, and to show that Don't just make it about the services that you provide. Be helpful, be consultative and share content regularly on it.
Matt Sunshine:Yeah, I think for media companies, one of the biggest challenges is that the marketing folks they are focused on talking about their product. Yeah, right, what they do, what their product does. I mean that is it's product-based marketing. That is, by design, right, it's product-based marketing. But when it comes to this, we're talking about the problems that we solve, right, not the products that we have. It's more about the problems that we solve and how we solve them.
Matt Sunshine:That needs to be on that advertiser-facing site and I think that if anyone is interested, all they need to do is go to Leagy2 and read some of the blogs that you guys publish over there and watch some of the case study videos. I know there's at least one, maybe two on two, case study videos on media that demonstrate exactly what you're talking about today that I think people should, should check out. And with that, we'll wrap it up by saying thank you, Danny, for joining us. You are, you are and I say this when you're not around, I say it when you are you are the true expert when it comes to to inbound marketing, lead generation, thought leadership, sales enablement, especially in the media space. I don't think there's anybody in the media space today that knows more about lead gen thought leadership and sales enablement being done the correct way than you. So thank you for for thank you for working with me, but also thank you for being a guest and sharing your wisdom.
Matt Sunshine:Oh, thank you, I appreciate that You're, you're, you're, you're as good as it gets, and that's important for everyone to know. If you want to reach Danny, you can her. Her LinkedIn connection will be in in the show notes, but you can also just go to Danny Buckley, lead you to Google search Danny Buckley lead you to, you'll find Danny. Yeah, she, she optimizes herself very well, as you would, as you would expect, and thank you for joining us and we'll see you again on the next episode of the improving sales performance podcast. This has been improving sales performance. Thanks for listening. If you like what you heard, join us every week by clicking the subscribe button. For more on the topics covered in the show, visit our website, the center for sales strategycom. There you can find helpful resources and content aimed at improving your sales performance.
