Hold My Hand

I saw a product demo a few weeks back in which the young man described that they wouldn't have to "hold my hand" because their technology is so streamlined and easy to use. Well, I wish he would....

There is so much made of Big Data and analytics these days. Vendors are developing applications that quantify human interaction in an effort to produce efficient business practices. Statistics and surveys may be the basis for go-to-market strategy, but at some point they need to be interpreted.

At the same event, I talked to a young lady who proclaimed herself a Director of Sales. When I asked about her organizational function she told me that she fields inbound calls, qualifies which prospective customer most need their services, and passes that information along to an Account Executive. That sounds like a customer service role to me...?

With so much happening in the world of social media, companies are being founded across the globe that address a specific market need. "Social" is a great niche market at present. The enterprise is infinite and experts are partnering with companies to help them develop go-to-market strategies. Analytics are being tracked so organizations can best utilize this cutting edge form of communication.

I have 2 questions:
1. What happens when these products stop selling themselves?
2. At what point did Marketing become Sales?

Being Human
My company wants to use facebook....now what?

There is a succinct go-to-market strategy that is necessary to ensure you are using social media as an advantage (not allowing it to destroy your brand). With that said, numbers lie!

We cannot pretend that technical platforms of any measure are more important than the people who use them. The design might be cool, the function may even be fun, but at some point you need a strategy relevant to producing critical organizational results.

The world of Sales 2.0 is fascinating! The social enterprise is driving business. The same way the wave of technical options has swelled, it will need surfers to carve it up.

Role Clarity
It is so refreshing to see a demo of a product on you-tube. You are able to see function and hear the story of its development without dealing with an annoying sales person. Which is relaxing until the question is posed:
WHY does it matter to my business?

Product features and function do not interpret an organizational strategy.

Here lies product Z. The label is shiny, the font of the lettering is fancy, and the lady on the back of the box looks happy.

Who Cares!

I need a person to tell me why that product matters to my business. To know my business as well as I do and to diagnose and prescribe medicine for our pain. To interpret a product or service into language that my company speaks.

To Hold My Hand!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave