Working better with sales
/We’ve been attending FT Longitude’s excellent master class series on thought leadership. And we’ve seen a number of really good questions in the Zoom Q&A that we also hear from clients. Here are three of those questions, and our answers. They apply to thought leadership and most other kinds of marketing campaigns.
How can I convince sales about the importance and the effectiveness of thought leadership marketing without return-on-investment (ROI) numbers?
I usually rely on success stories, backed up where possible by numbers. But I’ve never had the opportunity to cite a quantitative ROI and I don’t expect to anytime soon.
Is it even possible to quantify thought leadership ROI? Let’s consider its ROI in driving sales, which is usually a secondary goal for thought leadership.
Think of all the factors that contribute to the campaign’s success, all the people involved, the many steps (micro-conversions) on the way to a sale. The things you can measure (click-through rates, downloads, social shares) don’t hint at ROI.
The things you can’t measure—a salesperson’s skill, the quality of the idea, the effectiveness of the content—may be more important to success, in the aggregate, than the things you can measure. Much of this activity is offline.
Now let’s consider your primary goal, which is usually strategic and is measured differently (usually by quantitative surveys over time). This is expensive, if done at all, and has equally difficult attribution problems.
I think we over-rate numbers as hard-hitting, rock-solid facts and under-rate case studies as anecdotal or contrived. But we’re all humans, and for us, narratives are a powerful way to deliver and receive information.
A good case study allows us to inhabit the story, imagine ourselves in the situation, and think about how we might use whatever’s being talked about to our advantage. Numbers are great for highlighting, emphasizing, summing up. But they’re the ace in a royal flush (10, jack, queen, king, ace)—more powerful within the context of a narrative.
When we include sales in developing thought leadership, it feels like too many cooks in the kitchen. What’s the right time to involve sales?
Two different questions here: when to involve sales and how to involve sales. The bigger problem is how you’re involving sales.
“Conversation” (1929), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
Sales shouldn’t be in the kitchen with you at all, but somehow they got the impression that it’s OK for them to be there. Maybe that’s how they did things where they came from, or before you showed up. Maybe they want to see how much they can get away with. Or maybe you unintentionally welcomed them into the kitchen and they honestly think they’re there to help. It really doesn’t matter.
Boundaries, people! As early as possible, make it clear that the campaign’s business objective is mainly strategic (managing brand perception, etc.), and that driving sales is important but secondary. Also make it clear you’re incorporating feedback from many people—not just sales but product, legal/compliance, senior management, whoever. It’s your job to negotiate all those demands and produce the best outcome that everyone can get behind.
Be cheerful, firm, and focused on business objectives.
I prefer involving sales early on. They should feel that they’re included, their feedback is wanted, and they’re being heard. One way to do that is to make meaningful adjustments that address their feedback and legitimately make the program better. (Your campaign can always be improved.)
I like to ask how they plan on using the campaign in their sales process. I want details. That helps me think more creatively about what adjustments to make. And I make sure sales knows we’re using their feedback.
How do you get sales to read and use your thought leadership?
The first time a salesperson hears about the campaign should not be when it launches.
Bring sales into the program from the very beginning, as I’ve described above and with very clear boundaries. I like keeping them in the loop while the program is being developed, whetting their appetite and building anticipation where I can.
By the time the campaign launches, they’ve not only read the thought leadership but they’re primed to use it.
Your internal campaign launch is just as important your external launch. That could include a presentation to sales on how to work it. Don’t do that by yourself—ask a salesperson who’s good at selling with thought leadership to join you and give a quick demonstration on how he or she plans to use your thought leadership:
To start a cold conversation… or a warm conversation
As a hook in an email campaign
To stay in touch with current clients
To get that permission to discuss or sell products.
Seasoned salespeople who’ve bought into your campaign already (because you brought them in early) know how they’re going to use it to sell. By having them train your less experienced salespeople, you’ll also be selling your campaign. Checks a lot of boxes.