After more than a decade of specializing in marketing to the world of corporate training and human resources, we have 
formed some definite opinions about how to most effectively prospect to this group.
We have found a marketing system that dramatically improves the quantity (and quality) of prospects entering our sales pipeline – and for less money. Yes, better results and less money to achieve top line revenue growth. Better yet, this is not a complicated system. It’s simple and easy for you to duplicate.
You need prospects that want and are ready to buy your solution. The key is to be in front of them at the right moment, when they need the benefits of your solution. Realistically, not all prospects are ready to buy today. Some will be ready to buy in three months, four months, six months, nine months, a year, etc…
Repetitive Exposure
You must be at the forefront of your prospect’s mind WHEN they are ready to buy. To ensure you are, you have to create consistent communication processes to stay in front of them.
- Communicating every month is critical to selling prospects of all time horizons. I know this is a “no-brainer” – BUT – are YOU doing it?
- How can you communicate in a helpful, effective way to your prospects each and every month?
Consider this…GREAT marketing campaigns accomplish three things:
- Create a sales pipeline of qualified prospects (ready to buy)
- Build and grow awareness of your company/solution (branding)
- Communicate your message consistently (repetitive exposure)
By following the steps outlined below, you can create a new marketing strategy TODAY that will:
- Communicate to your prospects every single month
- Create a favorable image of your company/solution
- Achieve repetitive exposure for less money
- Ensure you invest time ONLY with qualified prospects
- Empower you to measure results of your marketing campaigns
- Reduce direct mail expenses by 75%
So, HOW can you achieve this?
1. Communicate to your prospects every single month
A properly conceived email marketing strategy can achieve superior results – and be highly economical. You can deliver high-quality, professional communications to your prospects, but not just any email marketing program will work. Read on…
2. Create a favorable image of your company/solution
We recommend using curriculum-based content – like an e-newsletter. This means educating your prospects, providing value to them by sharing some of your core competencies. For free? Yes!! We’ve all heard: “You have to give to receive.” Well, it’s true. (Of course, you’ll include a few “oh-by-the-way” links to your website within the newsletter.)
- Create a series of high-quality educational “messages” that provide value to your target market
- Secure a high quality marketing list (including email addresses)
- Utilize a sophisticated email delivery platform to track opens and clicks
3. Achieve repetitive exposure for less money
Since the cost of sending an e-newsletter is dramatically less than the cost of direct mail, it is easier to communicate to your prospects more frequently. We recommend you send an e-newsletter once or twice a month. Be sure to send them consistently, every month. Remember, this is not an advertisement for your services… It is information your prospects will find valuable, which will result in the following:
- Increased email “open rates”
- Your communications will be appreciated (and read!)
- You will create a favorable image of your company – BRANDING!
- Website traffic will increase – readers are more likely to investigate your offerings
- You will be in front of prospects at regular intervals
- Prospects will REMEMBER you when they are ready to buy
4. Ensure you invest time ONLY with qualified prospects
Too much sales time is wasted talking with the wrong people. Using a premium e-marketing platform to send out your email campaigns will help resolve this issue, by allowing you to:
- Capture ALL contact information from your email respondents
- Feed that contact information back into your CRM system for tracking and future marketing purposes
- Create a list of “warm” leads – that is, everyone who reads your e-newsletter.
- Replace cold calling with more effective “warm calling” by contacting these warm leads
- Decrease unproductive sales activities and INCREASE more productive sales activities, allowing sales people to now:
- – Spend more time talking with qualified prospects
- – Spend less time spinning their wheels calling ice cold leads
5. Empower you to measure results of your marketing campaigns
Employing the right e-marketing platform will empower you to make educated decisions about future marketing strategies. You will no longer have to guess about what’s working. By using powerful reporting capabilities and analytics available in most email marketing platforms, you will now know:
- WHO is responding to your message? Who is not?
- What types of companies are responding to your message?
- Which industries are responding? Which are not?
- What size companies are responding? What size are not?
- What should you do more of? What should you do less of?
Knowing the resulting patterns will empower you – perhaps for the first time – to KNOW what you should be doing more of. More importantly, you will know what you should be doing less of. Further, it can reveal some “sweet spots” for your company’s solution that you may not have been aware of.
6. Reduce direct mail expenses by 75%
Since you are now reaching your prospects every month with your e-newsletter, you can afford to use your direct mail programs more sparingly. This “found money” can be used to quickly advance your marketing efforts… Maybe you’ll decide to finally gain access to the most highly-coveted list of 34,000+ corporate decision makers in corporate training, HR and talent management.
Note: This entire strategy hinges on your ability to reach the email inbox of ACTUAL DECISION MAKERS. (If you skimp here, then your results will reflect that.)
Summary:
To achieve peak performance when marketing to corporate training and HR, be sure to:
- Create a curriculum-based e-newsletter containing value-added info for your prospects
- Secure the BEST, most accurate and precisely targeted list possible
- Deliver your e-newsletter using a robust email platform with strong reporting capabilities
- Feed back information regarding all “click-throughs” to your sales team and schedule timely follow up calls
This process will help your sales team identify and focus their time on speaking with qualified, warm prospects who are interested in the value-added content you deliver. And, who knows…they may just have a need for your services as well!
Once you’ve begun to execute this effective marketing strategy, be prepared for two more things:
- How you’re going to close all the additional prospects, and
- How you’re going to spend the extra budget now available!
To start saving money, please call us today at (651) 457-8600, Ext. 3 and inquire about our market intelligence lists in corporate training, HR and talent management. Be sure to ask about the unique benefits that are INCLUDED when you purchase MTG data!
We’re here to help you find the decision-maker contacts you seek – whenever you’re ready!
