Week 12: MKTG 348- Hubspot Lesson 11

Inbound sales occurs in the close section of methodology. Sales and marketing go together because they work together in the smarketing process to increase revenue. Today, buyers have much more information on companies available, so they have a higher expectation for relevant, personal experiences when making a purchase.

Traditionally a sales team performed cold calling, were information gatekeepers, had static pitches, and were seller-centric. In inbound marketing they attract with content, are an open book, leverage the buyer's content, and are buyer-centric.

There are four best practices for effectively transforming the way you sell. They are, transform the way you target accounts, the way you prospect accounts, the way you connect with accounts, and the way your prospects perceive you as a sales person.

In order to do all of those steps you need to make sure you research your lead thoroughly. You should look up company information, read about their industry, check social media, and have overall lead intelligence. Today being a sales rep is all about understanding the customer before you call. You need to perform research, and have a game plan before you even think about picking up your phone and calling them. Inbound sales is all about providing a customized experience for everyone you call.

Week 11: MKTG 348- Hubspot Lesson 10

Lesson 10 talks about how the marketing and sales team can come together to help increase revenue. This is known as smarketing, and it takes place in the close stage. 87% of the terms sales and marketing use to describe each other are negative. Lesson 10 focuses on combining the two teams to help grow a company.

In order for smarketing to be most effective, both teams must have the same organizational goals. This will help them focus their energy together. The marketing pipeline should be tied to sales quota, and there should be visibility into each other's goals. There should also be compensation based on shared marketing and sales goals. Last, there should be continual communication and education around personas. Smarketing is possible in any size company, it is all about working together as a team instead of as separate groups.

Smarketing can be integrated into your organization by making sure both organizations in smarketing speak the same language. Using the same terms helps them work together much easier. They also need to have a Service Level Agreement, an agreement that defines what each team commits to accomplishing in order to support the other in reaching the shared revenue goals. Closed-loop reporting also should be set up, it completes the feedback loop between marketing and sales. The sales and marketing team should also rely on data, while maintaining open communication. If
marketing and sales can find the balance to work together, companies will experience positive growth.

Week 11: MKTG 348- The Power of Images

Above is a picture of Stonehenge, if you are interested in history I'm sure this image would have grabbed your attention. It is one of the wonders of the world and it is an interesting topic for historians to talk about. If you are not interested in history, this image would probably have no effect on you and you would scroll right by it. Today, we will be talking about the power of images. A lot of people say "content is king," but a lot of the times, it is the image you post that draws the reader in.

For some the image of Stonehenge was enough to get them to start reading my blog. For others, they probably scrolled right by it. When writing an email, blog post, or any type of promotional ad it is important to really understand the audience of the advertisement. Being able to pin point who will be viewing your advertisements will make it easier for you to narrow down the focus of your ad. 

Two great image websites are www.clipart.com and  www.pixabay.com. You can find pictures that can be used to help enhance any email, website, advertisement, or promotion.

Week 10: MKTG 348- Hubspot Lesson 9

Lesson 9 is all about sending the right email to the right person. Email marketing can be an effective way to reach your target market if you learn how to do it right.

Many consumers believe:

1. Email marketing is spam
2. Email marketing is old school

Reasons email marketing still works:

1. 4.3 billion email accounts that send 196 billion emails every day
2. 91% of consumers check their email daily
3. Email is a chnanel that you own
4. 77% of consumers prefer email for marketing commumnications
5. Email lets you be highly personal
6. Email has a marketing ROI of 4,300%

How to send the right email to the right person:

1. Determine your audience
2. Segment your contacts database
3. Send the right email at the right time
4. Nurture your lead into a customer

An effective email should include:

1. Personalization
2. Actionable language
3. Image as CTA
4. Personalized signature with CTA
5. Reason for sending email
6. Benefit to Reader
7. Direct link of communication

If you send an effective email it will help you turn your leads into customers. If you do not, it will turn away possible customers. Email is not old school, it is being adopted and used as a communication by more people every year!

Week 10: MKTG 348- Survey Monkey

We'll take a break from Hubspot right now and talk about SurveyMonkey. SurveyMonkey is a free online survey tool used to collect information and opinions of people who's opinions are relevant to a topic you are trying to learn more on. They are #1 free survey collector and one of their competitors is Qualtrics.

Professor Kelsey used SurveyMonkey to help collect data on MKTG 348 and learn our thoughts and opinions on the online course. It is much better than asking for an email on our thoughts, because it is anonymous so people can write what they want without him knowing who wrote it. It gives a sense of privacy so you can say what you want.

SurveyMonkey is a great tool to use, and we have utilized this website in many of my courses.

Week 12: MKTG 345- Five Basic Interview Questions You Need to Pay Attention to

When on a job search there is a lot of preparing that comes with getting ready for an interview. You must make sure you are prepared for any question that they are going to ask you. While they will ask you many questions, here are five that you need to pay attention to:

1. "Why are you here?" The company wants to know why you are looking to work for them and not a different company. They want to see that you have a reason for being here besides just needing a job.

2. "What can you do for us?" This is a company trying to figure out how you can help them grow as a business. They want someone who can help them face challenges and become a better company. They want to know what your special skills are that will set you apart from the competitors.

3. "What kind of person are you?" They want to know if you have the personality that will fit in with the atmosphere they are trying to create. Companies want to hire individuals who are easy to work with and who share common values with their fellow employees.

4. "What exactly distinguishes you from the nineteen or nine hundred other people who are applying for this job?" They want to know if you have a strong work ethic, good work habits, work fast, maintain high standards, and anything else that will set you apart from other employees.

5. "Can I afford you?" They want to know if you are willing to take the salary they have available for you.

These are the things that employers really want to know. These questions can either help you stand out or set you back from your competitors. Being able to answer these questions with ease and confidence will give you an edge over other applicants.
(page 60-61)

Week 11: MKTG 345- Conversation Tip #9

Even if you come prepared to a job interview, there are still things that can go wrong. Some of these things might seem very small, but interviewers tend to pick up on them. In order to iron out these issues, you must be aware of what they are. Here are 5 things that employers do notice about a potential employer:

1. Your appearance and personal habits. If you are fresh bathed, have freshly laundered clothes, and a fresh haircut you will give off a much better impression than someone who is not. Employers who want people who can represent their business well, so displaying these characteristics helps give interviewers confidence in you.

2. Nervous mannerisms. Some of these include avoiding eye contact, a limp handshake, and slouching in your chair.  Employers want people who are confident and can handle high-pressure situations.

3. Lack of self-confidence. These include speaking softly, giving answers in a hesitant fashion, interrupting the employer, giving one-word answers, or downplaying your achievements. These characteristics show that you are not confident in yourself. If someone can not be confident in themselves how can they be confident about your company?

4. The consideration you show to other people.Some major turnoffs to an employer are if you show a lack of courtesy, you display extreme criticalness toward previous employers, you drink alcohol during the interview process, and forget to thank the interviewer when leaving. Employers want people who are courteous and know how to treat others well. If they cannot treat a future employer well, who knows how they will treat customers.

5. Your values. If you show a sign of arrogance, laziness, constant complaining, irresponsibility, or lack of enthusiasm employers will not want to hire you. They want to make sure you have good morals and you will fit in with the values that their company is trying to instill in their employees.

While all of these things may seem small, they are things that employers notice. The good thing is that all of these things are changeable. Once you are aware that you are doing them, you can work towards changing them. If you fix these 5 mistakes, it will help elevate your job search.