From 99 Marketing Traps and How To Avoid Them*
On the surface, that is generally true. They don’t know the mechanics of mass marketing (though they have been introduced to enough of it to think they do).
They generally don’t understand pricing and positioning and distribution on a macro level. And they certainly don’t have an expert’s grasp of advertising and point-of-purchase promotion.
They know what they like to see. They know what they think will work. And with any savvy at all, they know what’s worked in the past.
But you don’t rely on them for their marketing expertise. That expertise is what the marketing manager is supposed to bring to the job. And yet too often, the sale guys’ understanding of the dynamics that are at play in the marketplace are overlooked just because those guys are sales pros, not marketing pros.
That understanding is very valuable intellectual property, and overlooking it could be very costly to your marketing.
How To Help A Brand That May Have Fallen Into This Trap:
Sales pros have something of great value for marketers, something that makes them one of the most important resources a marketing manager has.
More than anyone else in your company, they have insider’s knowledge of your buyers, whether they are channel partners or end users. They know these people the way you wish you could know them … and can.
If you want to know what’s really going on where you are selling, spend at least a day or two on the road each month with your sales force. Meet the people who will make both of you successful. You will absorb more practical insight than you would ever find in a research report. And once you’ve won his confidence, the sales pro will be happy to have you along.
*Available now from Amazon.
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