Sales & Marketing Tips & Techniques

People ~ The Differentiating Factor

As a passionate student of state-of-the-art marketing and selling strategies, I have coined the term Full-Circle™ as it relates to a comprehensive program that is essential for a 'lifetime of success'.  A significant element in today's customer-driven environment, People serve as the 'glue' that synchronizes this Full-Circle™ concept.

Marketing is having what people want.  Marketing is the 'in your face' strategy that creates a presence, a brand promise, an inducement to buy, and a validation of the buying decision.  Marketing is a dedication of all policies, planning, and operation for the purpose of attracting and keeping customers.

Selling is getting people to want what you have. Selling is the act of getting and keeping customers.  Selling requires a personal/corporate philosophy* that clearly defines strategies related to: relationships, customer needs, products, and presentations (including customer service).  People on the staff -- every one of them -- must appreciate and implement these strategies.

Marketing plans include eight clearly defined elements, Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, Positioning, Packaging, Physical Distribution, and People.  The power of the eighth element often overshadows the rest -- it's the People.  Not only are People the most important asset of a business, it’s the POTENTENTIAL of the People that truly counts.

Today, there is a resurgent emphasis on marketing and selling strategies that build enduring customer relationships.  Ongoing relationships are consistently more profitable, more long-term, more resilient, and more readily leveraged.  The key element in this scenario is the People -- every member of the staff, regardless their role in a company.

With appropriate leadership and vision, People can affect a synergy between the elements of a Full-Circle™ approach to create brand identity, trust, long-term customer loyalty and profitability.  Considering the evolution of our global economy, technology and ebusiness cannot accomplish this alone.  It's the People that make the difference -- those who touch the customer.

The Bottom line:

This is the era of personal/partnership selling -- an era that is not readily supported by the impersonal nature of the internet.  People are the most powerful marketing resource available to achieve brand identity and customer commitment.  People are the differentiating factor.

© 2006 - Vicki Lynne Morgan, is president of Animal Brands Marketing, Sales, and Consulting Agency and it’s division, Russmor Marketing Group, based in Califon, New Jersey.   In addition to providing private consultations, keynote speaking, and workshops, Morgan teaches many professional education classes at New Jersey community colleges and counsels clients for the SBA-sponsored Small Business Development Centers in New Jersey.  She is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach, certified to teach PSS Professional Selling Skills by Achieve Global, and earned a CMS from a division of ISO9000.  Her topics include marketing, selling skills, customer experience management, and trade showmanship.   For additional information, please visit www.russmormg.com, email: vmorgan@russmormg.com or call 908.832.9557.