RainMakers on Sales & Marketing Integration / 21st Century Sales

Ball Buster!

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-14T20:46:25Z

So, yesterday a prospect told me that they didn't want to buy and when I didn't try to handle an objection that contradicted something that they had already said, they acted surprised, but I knew that they didn't want to buy and I didn't want to prolong the call. Later, I sent an email that acknowledged their surprise and explained why I ended the call. He replied that I was arrogant and border-line rude.Today, a prospect indicated that they felt pissed off and pressured. Why? because they want the world to be nice. Nobody lies. Nobody has an agenda. Funny ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Match.com for Sales and Marketing Integration

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-14T19:19:22Z

This is a guest post by Carole Mahoney. Carole is the founder and CEO of Mahoney Internet Marketing and a Certified Hubspot Partner, but more importantly (at least to me), she is a major force behind the Smarketing movement. Enjoy! Since today is Valentine’s day, I thought I would jump onto the sales and marketing dating scenario bandwagon and highlight the first three steps, or stages, of sales and marketing integration. As I was researching some links for the best online dating sites to use in my analogy, my unsuspecting husband came looking over my shoulder. ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Do you know that....

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-14T02:48:36Z

....I have hundreds of clients, followers and evangelists that will earn more than I have? As a matter of fact, a few of them have already earned more than I have. ....I will never write a book? Dave Kurlan was nice enough to acknowledge me in "Baseline Selling" and Paul Roetzer was nice enough to thank me in "The Marketing Agency Blueprint". I don't need the money or to see my name on the cover. Rumor has it that it will happen again this year. Enjoy. Glad I could help. ....I will never be part of ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Business Lesson from The Artist

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-13T13:02:00Z

Elaine and I went to see "The Artist" on Saturday evening. As I watched the movie, I couldn't help comparing George to the salespeople and business owners that I've met that are:staying the courseworking their plandoing what they've always doneThey say that they were the best and they'll rise again.They say that their plan makes sense on paper and they just have to keep at it.They say that their "same old" is different.They say that this is what they went to school for and they just have to get the word out.They are always much smarter than the rest of ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

More Sales Leads?

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-09T14:53:08Z

I've always been a salesman. So, keep that in mind as you read this.Salespeople might not be perfect, but I'm realizing that many marketers suck. Marketers are talking about how many visitors they're attracting, how many 'leads' they're generating and what the market wants. Respectfully, even they know that they're not relevant, but that doesn't keep them from pointing at their sales counterparts and accusing them of not knowing what a qualified lead looks like and not being able to 'close' a door.The problem is, most marketers can't sell. They don't have the core competencies. They can't close. They can't ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Super Bowl Commercials & Integrated Marketing

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-05T02:25:03Z

This guest post was written by Dale Berkebile. Dale is a branding expert that has qualified as a Certified Hubspot Partner and was the first to enroll in the Hubspot Sales Development Program for Marketing Agencies. Upon completion, he realized how much more he wanted to learn and became a coaching client of mine until the end of last year when I retired. I'm pleased to tell you that we have combined forces with a few others to lead the way in the Integration of Sales and Marketing in the Hubspot community and the world. I hope that you enjoy ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Divorce and Sales

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-02-02T12:00:43Z

I hope that you enjoy this post. If you do, please forward, RT or otherwise share with your friends and followers. Divorcerate.org suggests that about half of all marriages end in divorce. As of today, Elaine and I have been married for 38 years, 9 months and 26 days. Sometimes I wonder, "Why?". She married an engineer, but got a salesman. She married a good looking guy, but got a fat, old grouch. We don't agree politically (or on much else). So, why are we not a statistic? Switch gears. Let's talk about sales and new customers. What percentage of ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Sales Goals

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-31T03:50:26Z

So, today, a sales manager downloaded my e-book. This is the form that they filled out.New lead activity on Get your copy of 3 Things You Can Do NOW to GET SALES in Two Weeks!First Name RedactedLast Name RedactedJob Title Sales ManagerEmail RedactedPhone RedactedNumber of Sales People 5-10Annual Revenues $5+ MillionHave you had a Sales Assessment done on your sales team? No - not interestedIs your sales team working closely and aligned with your marketing team? -Choose One-How often does your sales team hit their goals? Rarely Not interested in a sales assessment on their team even though they rarely ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

3 Things That Anyone Can Do To Grow Sales Immediately!

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-30T11:43:23Z

I wonder about writers that make stuff up. There's so much stuff in everyday life. This is a real conversation that happened last week with a real business owner. I thought about making this an e-book, but didn't feel like building a landing page, etc. If you want more or have questions, let me know. I also thought about publishing this as an original/exclusive on the Customer Collective, but they can edit my content and I don't want them to edit this post. Enjoy!This particular business owner happened to be in the floor covering business and wants to increase the ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Sales Growth Question....

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-23T02:25:10Z

Today is January 22nd.Is 2012 going the same way that 2011 went?Can you bill $20,000 in April?Can you be at a million dollar pace by the end of the year?Is it your head?your heart?or your plan? ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

21st Century Sales Misconceptions

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-21T14:31:50Z

I've been out and about this week and had several conversations with business owners and managers that (I write this with love in my heart.) are confused and don't get it. A regional sales manager for an international consumer products wrote, "Our meeting is going to be centered around using technology more and how we can engage our customer base through Facebook etc. I am not the "Hi-Tech" guy....". It's not about technology. It's about knowing where your customers are 'hanging out' and being there with an interesting piece of information. It's also not something that happens overnight. ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

The Coaching Difference

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-19T19:04:11Z

It's not unusual for me to draw criticism for the way that I sell. Rick's way or the highway. Start with "No". Don't blow them up. About an hour ago, I received this email from a former client. Hi RickSo, a recent mailing prompted a few calls from "the dead." One of them wanted to get started at last, but wants to take a real go slow approach. I could have just blown him off, but I did want to have some fun first:Here's some interesting history: I see that ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Is Free Sales Training Good or Bad?

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-16T12:57:08Z

I saw an email recently that started with, "Learn Our Advanced Sales Methodology in a Free, Eight-Week Webinar Course!" and closed with, "We'll dive deep in to the tactics and tools which have resulted in over 5,500 customers to date for our company and our partners." Huh? Wait a second here! Some companies have been boasting transparency lately. Glass is transparent. Have you ever seen anyone walk into a glass door. It's funny to watch, but the person walking into the door might break their nose. People with big glass picture windows often watch birds fly ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Chicken/Egg Question for Entrepreneurial Salespeople

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-11T02:47:55Z

You know the question, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?"If you're starting a business, do you learn how to market to get leads first or do you develop a sales process and learn how to sell first?If you've got $1,000, $10,000 or $100,000, to invest, do you put it into marketing, sales development, split it?Anybody know what Brian Halligan told Mark Roberge?Want to know what I think? Get on the waiting list for Sales and Marketing Integration. ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Social Media & Social Selling ROI

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-09T15:29:58Z

As you may know, I retired on December 29. I had one client tell me that I liked her too much to just drop her. Yesterday I got an email that read, "Just wanted you to know that I miss you." Another one sent an email telling me that they closed a $35K deal and thanking me. I may eventually take on another client, but never as many as I had and not today.But, I digress.So, not having clients allows me time to think. Does Social Media have any relationship with Social Selling? One thing that I think is interesting ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Your Sales Lifeline

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-09T02:15:00Z

So I was listening to Cee Lo being interviewed on Dateline tonight and I heard him say that it's good when your lifeline has ups and downs... Because a flat line means your dead! Up Down Up Down Up Down Up Down Up Down - Keep on keeping on. ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

10 Questions to ask about Sales & Marketing Integration

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-05T14:46:59Z

1.) Is your message relevant to your target customer?2.) Is marketing's target customer the same as sales' target customer?3.) What percentage of your customers are true evangelists?4.) Is marketing or sales more responsible for identifying up-sells, cross-sells and round-outs?5.) What are your integrated metrics for your sales and marketing integrated process?6.) What impact does the skill level of your salespeople have on your marketing department?7.) How many issues does marketing identify before the lead is labelled 'sales ready'?8.) Do your salespeople reference the marketing process when they approach, qualify and close?9.) ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Networking Shorts

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-04T19:36:00Z

This article was originally posted on 6/25/2009 on the Kurlan blog. I thought that we should resurrect it in honor of Dan's most recent comment! Enjoy!In case you don't know Dan Tyre, I've heard him described as a machine. I've been told that he's the first one on the phone and the last one off the phone and his last call is as energetic as the first. This is a paraphrased email from him today. "I've offered my rolodex (look it up) to hundreds of folks to ask for intros and you are one of 10 who have taken me ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Sales Goals, Revenue and Mindset

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-04T15:22:44Z

I talked to the owner of a marketing agency recently because they wanted to talk to me about growing their business. I was referred to them by an existing client in the same space. They've been "free-lancing" for years, but full time for two years. Their goal last year was to bill $40,000. They didn't do it. During the past year, I've had many clients bill $40K in a month and some billed $40K a week. $40,000 a year? Why would somebody set that as a goal? Then I thought back over some of the agency owners that ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.

Sales Senses & Awareness

rick@theRAINMAKERmaker.com (Rick Roberge) — 2012-01-02T17:04:37Z

I just went to the supermarket for Elaine. (At this point, you need to know that I drive a Ford Fusion Hybrid.) So, I'm driving in the parking lot and I watch this lady get out of her minivan, and without ever looking around, walk to the back of her minivan, turn and face the minivan, point her remote at it and chirp the minivan to lock the doors. Then, she did an about face (still without looking up) and walked directly in front of my car. During her about face, she dropped her keys in her purse, snapped it ...

Although imitation is flattery, plagiarism is not. Feel free to use it as long as you give proper credit and a link to my page.