The year was 1988 and these were my two best friends as a copier sales rep...
The first copier dealership I worked for in 1988, had the largest advertisement in the copier section of the Yellow Pages. Dealer principals and business owners didn't think twice as the Yellow Pages was THE SPOT where you advertised to get targeted calls from prospects. Sure it was expensive, but it didn’t matter. Consumers trusted the Yellow Pages for the information they needed. Business owners paid for what worked.
The Yellow Pages were effective. Well into the early 1990's, inside my copier dealership our advertising budgets were all directed to the Yellow Pages. To grow our business this is where you had to be. People plain and simple trusted the big yellow book. No questions asked!
It wasn't uncommon to spend upwards of $90,000 per year to advertise inside the Yellow Pages.
DEATH OF THE YELLOW PAGES
By the mid 1990's the internet became mainstream and revolutionized the business world
Business models failed miserably as consumers moved online. Search engines and other online media broke traditional media.
Then the giants started to fall...
- Yellow Pages publisher, R.H. Donnelley filed for bankruptcy (May 2009).
- Newspaper publisher Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy (Dec 2008).
GOOGLE KILLED THE YELLOW PAGES
Business changed forever when consumers moved online. As consumers began trusting Google and other online media for local products and services, they stopped looking at the Yellow Pages as these now became stands for computer monitors. When consumers stopped consulting traditional media, local businesses stopped advertising there. As a result this began to happen...
CH, CHA, CHANGES BEGAN TO HAPPEN
Business owners and copier dealer principals had to adapt. The migration path was the internet. Everyone soon realized you needed two essential things to be successful operating a business in a networked business world, a website and online marketing.
Priority number one, a great website. As prospects and your clients went online to search it was absolutely essential to have web presence. It became critical to your success to have a solid website. Your business credibility became mission critical as you met your prospects and clients online to answer their questions about your products and services. Your website couldn't suck so you allocated dollars to insure this didn't happen.
Priority number two, good online marketing. As business owners you allocated even more dollars to promote your business online. You forgot about the “if you build it they will come” mindset.A $20,000 website with the latest tricked-out technology is useless if nobody knows you’re there, it’s a wasted effort.
THE 64 MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
As business owners... What are you doing to insure your sales reps have great websites and good online marketing?
I ask you to think about this one for a second. Are you able to answer it?
It is 2016 and your sales reps websites are their LinkedIn profiles. Online marketing is how they use relevant, educational content to draw in prospects and yes, your clients in wanting to know more. It is their social proof, their social visibility and yes their credibility as the represent your company.
Business owners today spend enormous amounts of money to position themselves online in a credible fashion. They spend even more money to chase page one of Google but the elephant in the room...
How much money are you willing to invest to insure your sales reps transform themselves to look credible online?
Whether you believe me or not, as a business owner; I firmly believe how your sales reps position themselves online is THE single biggest investment you can make to insure your success.
Your future clients may not even make it to your fancy, expensive and highly interactive website if they can't make it past your sales reps websites.
I ask you to put on the hat of the best prospect in your marketplace. The prospect every business owner covets. As honest as honest gets and one by one, spend a few minutes on each one of your sales reps LinkedIn profiles or for that matter even Google them.
Ask yourself this question...
What do I see on my sales reps LinkedIn profiles or within a Google search that makes me want to meet with them?
TIME TO REINVEST AND REALLOCATE
The two words my financial advisor shares with me is reinvest and reallocate. As a business owner, I challenge you to do the same. Reinvest in your sales reps. Reallocate dollars to help transform their websites. How can your organization transform inside a highly connected, digital business world when your sales reps haven't been taught to do the same.
A great book comes to mind I encourage all business owners to read. As a team check out Patrick Lencioni's, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
The role of a business leader is to be vulnerable, demand debate, force clarity, bring closure, confront difficult issues and focus on collective outcomes.
I encourage and challenge business owners... Please create and foster an environment to help your sales reps succeed in the modern business world. You owe it to the growth of your company.
I leave you with one last thought... Isn't your sales reps LinkedIn profiles part of the modern Yellow Pages? Encourage your future and current clients to let their fingers do their walking right to your organization. It may not happen unless you help transform your sales reps.
Analog mentality will stifle business growth inside a digital business world. When was the last time you used this...
Please visit the Social Sales Academy, if you would like my special report,"Overcoming The Top 5 Issues That Frustrate Business Owners"
If you would like some inspiration within your sales department I welcome the conversation or send me a message to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net
I get where you all are coming from. I have walked a day in a life of your shoes.
Your comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated.
In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image
You can find more blog posts inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy
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