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2003 Annual Conference - Sales & Marketing Panel
Part Four in a Series of Articles Detailing the Exchange in Des Moines, Iowa
by Don Sterkel, Dir., Learning & Development, Time Warner Retail
In this our final installment of the 2003 ASMT Annual Conference Recap of the Sales and Marketing Panel, we will be looking at some of the shared best practices of panel members and audience questions.
Bernie DeFreitas
Dow is conducting loyalty studies, and customer intimacy sessions to determine the needs of the customer and their buying behavior. The research leads to development of customer segmentation by buying behavior for enhanced selling effectiveness. A second area of “customer centered” activities is the involvement of the entire organization around the customer(s). All departments across the organization align goals and scorecards around the customers’ goals. In return the customer needs to be involved with the goals of the organization as well. When everyone is aligned the key question asked of employees is … “What did you do today to create value for this customer?” This question needs to be asked across the entire organization every day to every employee in every department.
Steve Burbridge
Time Distribution Services has established a Team Captain Program consisting of collaboration between field VP’s and the Brand Managers of its key magazine titles. Monthly get-togethers are designed to review scorecards of brands vs. goals and update status and action plans as needed to achieve the stated goal or revise the goal. This collaborative decision-making and communication has proved most helpful in providing all parties an understanding of issues from both sides and avoids end year “oops” and excuses.
In late 2003 (for 2004) joint-planning sessions began in which marketers presented the magazines goals for discussion with Account Managers. These meetings designed to help marketers gain an understanding of retail customer goals, opportunities and issues and get agreement from both parties prior to booking the plan.
To gain greater understanding of the Sales and Marketing roles TDS is promoting “job swaps” by placing staff in other jobs for a day. Identified “High Potentials” from Sales and Marketing have swapped roles for a day and lived “a day in each others work life”. Accelerated learning has resulted and a number of key problems and opportunities have been resolved and initiated as a result.
Mike Kostrzewa
Pioneer is using the Job Description as a tool for Marketers to gain understanding of the sales role and customers. Approximately 40% of Marketers time is designated to working in the field with sales professionals. This is then coupled with regional marketing plans that link with the sales opportunities. Objectives and job descriptions are integrated to gain understanding from both Sales and Marketing. Internal marketing development is utilizing competency models and surveys to help determine gaps for learning and development. Focus is on the customer, customer needs, and how the competencies meet customer needs.
Vic Hunter
Focus on the customer – 3M has created a loyalty index by surveying the customers, asking questions and recording responses to behavioral questions. These results are then linked to a “share of wallet” measurement, thus taking a soft assessment of a relationship to a hard measure. This process has resulted in a different way of defining behavior. The model changes the scorecard and allows executive management to change the view of sales as a cost, to sales and marketing as an investment.
Midwest Express Airlines is engaged in a customer initiative with freight forwarders to assist with government Compliance Forms that are changing frequently as a result of 9/11 security issues. Midwest Airlines through its sales and marketing departments developed a dynamic program to help freight forwarders understand the correct forms, signatures needed and new compliance rules. Midwest Express as a result is gaining share in the highly profitable airfreight business.
John Aiello
If the goal is alignment, part of the sales budget should be directed to “beer”. It can be beer, coffee, soft drinks or lemonade - whatever the beverage of choice, a casual get-together between Sales and Marketing will reap big rewards. This type of setting allows Sales and Marketing professionals to gain an understanding of issues and help identify why individuals are in the business and those who have the same levels of passion for the business.
A second area is to “share a little credit”. Marketing people never get the thrill or pleasure of “the close”. The closest the come is the creation of an ad or a campaign. Share the credit formally and informally to help grease the skids of alignment.
Audience Questions
“What needs to happen at the boardroom level to make the mid-management changes we are seeing a reality?”
Bernie – Get both on the same scorecard so they succeed or fail as a team.
Steve – get them out with customers to see the “real world” and understand that customers do make decisions based upon irrational thoughts, flawed thinking, bias or personal beliefs. Profitability, financial metrics or a perceived brilliant marketing plan developed without customer input is often not of interest.
“There doesn’t seem to be many marketing training programs like sales programs. Do we have any training for marketing?”
Mike – Many marketers have been brought in by acquisition, but internal growth is needed as well. Internal candidates with demonstrated success in other areas are surveyed on marketing competencies and trained and enlightened on the job.
Bernie – Competencies have been developed to address marketing. Roger Best has marketing attitude surveys and Dow uses their diagnostics to determine gaps and develop courses, curriculum and speakers to address the gaps. Training is done internally and Bernie’s title reflects his responsibility – Marketing Education Leader.
The SMT Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to again thank Bernie, Steve, Mike, Vic and John for their time and contributions to the panel and the society.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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2005 SMT Sales & Marketing Training Survey to Close Soon. Last Chance to Complete Survey and Receive Complimentary Report Detailing Results. Click here to take survey.
Deadline Extended to Submit Nomination for Best Sales Trainer Award
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Author: Anne Miller
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2005 Training for the Sales & Marketing Trainer Workshop
May 3 - 5, 2005
DePaul University O'Hare Campus
Rosemont, Illinois
2005 SMT Annual Conference
November 14 - 16, 2005
Amelia Island Plantation
Amelia Island, Florida
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SMT Welcomes Our New Members
Piece of Pie Strategic Coaching
ProActive Training and Consulting
Softmed Systems, Inc.
"Being a member of SMT provides me with an invaluable network of sales and marketing training professionals that have an incredible amount of experience and knowledge to share... I rely on this prestigious group to support me in dealing with business challenges unique to our profession...
SMT members are my peers, my mentors, my friends... SMT is the only professional organization I belong to..."
Mary Elliott Bassett, Worldwide Director, Sales and Customer Training, Entertainment Imaging, Eastman Kodak Company
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