Qabalistic Sales

The above diagram is the tree of life, taken from the Jewish mystical tradition of Qabalah. The original use of the diagram was to help one "know thyself" and unite with God via the meditation and visualization of different aspects of God as they divide into the ten sephirot laid over three pillars connected by twenty two paths. 

In the above presentation of the tree, you will notice that I have transposed my own approach to the sales process in place of the traditional God names associated with each Sephirot.

While gazing upon the tree one day, I began to imagine the tree with the left pillar (severity), the middle pillar (mildness) and the right pillar (mercy) as a template for the sales process. Over the past two years, I have developed my own style of sales which being mostly the product of psychospiritual introspection, found the tree would make for a perfect visual representation of my approach.

 I believe that sales is first and foremost a game of intentions rather than one of numbers. It is this distinction within my perspective however, that has allowed me to win within the numbers game that sales is...

Via the combination of creative visualization, cold calling, sigilization, emotional alchemical marketing and a continued drive to serve others with the intent of helping and improving the lives of other human beings, I have been able to sign two companies that have eluded my sales team for over twenty years over the course of a one week period.

What am I doing differently? 

I am looking at the sales process as a psychological and spiritual/emotional pursuit rather than that of a financial goal. It is not the commission or the size of the sale that I focus on, but rather how well the customer is being taken care of. 

By showing a level compassion inherent within my elevator pitch, daily cold call routine and mannerisms when in a live meeting, I have found that in light of hard work based upon an intent of love projected towards prospects, I am able to naturally attract business to my client base.

I hope that this graphic is of some use to your own endeavors.

Sigilize For Sales Success!

Sigils are a tool used for bending reality, that is to say, increasing the probability of a statement of intent (desire) to manifest.

I suspect that I have peaked the interest of those of you who work in sales and marketing and for good reason. Bending reality (also known as magick) is an art form which heavily parallels modern marketing and sales psychology/practice.

The technique of sigilzation which I use for my own sales endeavors is a take on artist and magician Austin Osman Spares version of said craft.

That is to say that by way of a created symbol, made from the letters of a written statement of intent, one advertises a desire to their own subconscious mind with the intent of changing ones own psychology to alter ones decisions throughout the day in a way which will increase the probability of ones success in achieving said desire.

It should be obvious to those of you who work in advertising that sigils are almost synonymous with logos. Indeed, it has been stated that logos are simply viral corporate sigils which work heavily upon the subconscious mind of consumers on a daily basis.

From the fourth article linked above:

  

In “Pop Magic!” – Morrison’s manifesto on how to be a modern magician – the author writes about the power of viral sigils. He writes, “The viral sigil also known as the BRAND or LOGO is not of recent development (see ”Christianity,” “the Nazis” and any flag of any nation) but has become an inescapable global phenomenon in recent years.” He further goes on to write, “The McDonald’s Golden Arches, the Nike swoosh and the Virgin autograph are all corporate viral sigils.”

More Examples: Coca-Cola, Burger King, Disney, Pepsi.

I am willing to bet that you are able to vividly recall what each of the logos of the aforementioned companies look like in your minds eye. I am also willing to bet they produced very specific emotions when thought of.

The difference between spares techniques of sigilization and that of corporations like those mentioned above, is that those done in the style of spare are used by the individual person to change their world via crafting their own subconscious feedback where the viral corporate sigils mentioned above, are made with the intent of  manipulating the masses subconscious with a desire based upon that corporations intent.

Basically, corporate logos are long-term attempts of a small group of people to manipulate the decisions of people en mass, where spares work is focused on an individual using their own personal symbology to subconsciously affect change within themselves and by extension, the world as it relates to them and their needs.

As there has been much written on modern sigilization techniques and while I could write my own guide, I would like to point interested parties to an advertising professional and blogger who has written an exquisite guide that far transcends the need for any additional perspectives on such matters (at least from my point of view) which can be found here. 

I would also advise further research on Grant Morrison's (the biggest name in comics today) work and perspectives regarding sigils, from one article Grant states:

Corporate sigils are super-breeders.They attack unbranded imaginative space.They invade Red Square, they infest the cranky streets of Tibet, they etch themselves into hairstyles. They breed across clothing, turning people into advertising hoardings. They are a very powerful development in the history of sigil magic, which dates back to the first bison drawn on the first cave wall.
The logo or brand, like any sigil, is a condensation, a compressed, symbolic summoning up of the world of desire which the corporation intends to represent. The logo is the only visible sign of the corporate intelligence seething behind it. Walt Disney died long ago but his sigil, that familiar, cartoonish signature, persists, carrying its own vast weight of meanings, associations, nostalgia and significance. People are born and grow up to become Disney executives, mouthing jargon and the credo of a living corporate entity. Walt Disney the man is long dead and frozen (or so folkmyth would have it) but Disney, the immense invisible corporate egregore persists.

The thing about many of the corporations who have been using this technology for so long is that they don't really want these ideas available to the public. The archetypical salesmen of the world would prefer you don't open your mind and express your will so much as they hope for you to gladly consume theirs.

The intent of this article is to provide knowledge and information of this technology so that you can as a customer/consumer be aware of what kinds of subtle attacks happen to you on a daily basis and how you can flip the script on such attacks and begin to craft your reality with your own symbolic expressions of self.

If these ideas resonate with you I would invite you to consider furthering your studies to include the concept of the hypersigil which is essentially a story or work of art which by way of its fictional universe creates changes in the authors reality.

Grant Morrison's comic series "The Invisibles" is an example of a hypersigil. In this tradition, I have also created a comic series based around my "Destroy Your Printer Contest" which acts as a hypersigil to some extent and can be found here.

The Unspeakable Question

Prospects! I have a tool in this video that will guarantee you get the best price on the copiers, printers, and other forms of imaging equipment that you purchase!

Watch this video and then use it! I promise you, you will always get a better price after asking your vendors salesmen/saleswomen this question.

Happy purchasing!

AIOI Greatest Hits

With the reality of greater lengths of time between posts here at AIOI, I wanted to compile a list of "greatest hits" in multiple categories of content.

Below you will find a hand picked selection of the best posts from my archives.

So, from MPS to printers, copiers and beyond, I present you with the best of Adventures in Office Imaging!

Managed Print Services

1. MPS And The New Paradigm

2. Skipping This Years Recharger

3. MPS, This Ain't Boxes Or Bullsh*t

4. The Division Line

Destroy Your Printer Contest  

1. Destroy Your Printer Contest 1

2. Destroy Your Printer Contest 2

3. Destroy Your Printer Contest 3

Interviews

1. MPS Interview #1: Chad Anguilm

2. MPS Interview #2: Greg VanDeWalker

3. MPS Interview #3: Greg Walters

4. MPS Interview #4: DOTC

5. MPS Interview #5: Eddie Lederer

6. MPS Interview #6: Harry Hecht

7. MPS Interview #7: Jim Lyons

Printers 

1. Inkjet Printers vs. Laser Printers

2. TCO And The Human Footprint

3. Environmental Inkjet Evils 

Social Media (Marketing/Sales)

1. Relational Sales Via Twitter

2. MPS Contract Via Social Media

3. Paying It Forward

Environmental Perspectives

1. Green Without Green  

2. New England Landfills Thank ELS!

Guest Posts

1. Amanda Rogerson Speaks On MPS

2. Illuminations On E-Waste

Music (Edutainment)

1. Songs In The Key Of MPS

2. Songs In The Key Of MPS Part II

3. Dark Side Of The Bizhub

White Papers, Logos, SOI and (Hyper)Sigils

A while back I wrote a post about the similarities between marketing and magick.

While I think that it is still fair to suggest that marketing is not in and of itself a form of magick, one must consider that clearly, marketing may have it's roots in said craft...

As previously noted, it is certainly possible that a corporation is a physical manifestation of what is known as an egregore. If this odd notion happens to be true, then would it not be fair to suggest that logos are actually a from of sigils?

What about white papers? Are they not merely the corporate equivalent of the hypersigil?

Think about it...

What effect do logos from companies such as McDonald's, BP oil, Pepsi and Coca Cola have on you? What do you feel or do when you see said logos?

Is it any surprise that brands like Kool, Gucci, Bentley, Master Card, etc. Use powerful and ancient occult symbols such as the "vesica piscis" and/or the "winged sun disc" in their logos?

Is the process by which the magician uses to project his statement of intent (or SOI) into the sigil really that much different from the marketing professional who pours hours of the same SOI into creating a logo that will become well known and subconsciously digested by the public?

Is the intent of all corporations and their logos really to help their customers? Is their intent to become a constant in your life one of love and service towards you as the consumer and as the customer or is their intent focused on something else?

Money? Control? Power?

Does the food you eat, the car you drive, the music you listen too, the products you buy every day empower and serve you?

Or do they serve another purpose?

These are excellent questions to ask yourself when choosing from whom you purchase your family's food as much as they are when choosing a managed print services provider for your business...

Sometimes we are creatures of habit and we continue to do things the way we have always done, the way our parents have always done, the way we have just assumed things must be done.

By taking a step back and looking at the products and services we consume, we must ask our selves; are these the best choices we can be making for ourselves? For our children? For our family and friends?

Before you buy your next happy meal, your next tank of gas, your next toner cartridge...

Read the labels and consider the source.

Should you find that certain products that you have been purchasing for years are actually sub-par or in some cases even bad for you...

Ask yourself why did I choose these things? Ask yourself what caused me to make these choices?

Why am I buying what they are selling?

Ask yourself...

Who is really in control of my mind?

My New Book Is Now Available

I am pretty excited to announce the release of my first book (in e-book format only, for now).

"Music, Mischief And Marketing: A guerrilla's guide for the creative protagonist" is a detailed account of my exploits regarding the wild ride which has been my career in marketing.

Part inspirational, part how to guide; the book highlights my own tales in professional marketing adventures while also providing examples to inspire your own creative marketing endeavors.

The book covers topics which include how to leverage social networks as catalysts for thought leadership, how to correctly approach and work within the blogosphere to develop a community of readers and how to use these "new age" techniques in conjunction with old school marketing know-how to produce a powerful brand awareness and various other returns on investment.

When The Student Is Ready...

Mark Schaefer and I at "CLINK" Boston, MA.

Here is an excerpt from my new book

Music, Mischief And Marketing: A Guerrillas Guide For The Creative Protagonist

From chapter 9:
When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear

"The title of this chapter is an old Buddhist proverb that speaks volumes about my own experiences in Marketing. When I started out in my position as Expert Laser Services “Chief Social Media Marketing Engineer” (as I have been dubbed by management) I had no credentials, no budget and a mere six months to show some ROI.

What on earth was I to do?

Not only was thinking outside of the box my only option, it was the only thing that made sense at that point in time. As an autodidact, I leapt headlong into educating myself about social media, B2B Marketing, the state of our industry and how to combine and utilize knowledge from each of those resources.

In addition to studying marketing and mps industry blogs I worked hard at developing my own perspective, a unique voice within an industry that already had its fair share of experts spread over the blogosphere.

Being true to your self is key in a position such as this. Listening to my own intuition and trying to think as a consumer within my market space, I created content that I would want to see coming from a vendor such as my own company.

With the internet still pulsing with free knowledge I simply soaked up everything I could from all other marketing experts and industry pundits that I could while simultaneously presenting my own variants of opinions and information via the company blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn page and Twitter account.

To be an “expert” you simply have to be at least two steps ahead of those who view you as a thought leader and always learning more, day in and day out.

While using this same process in becoming a thought leader in my own industry, I formulated the first installment of the “Destroy Your Printer Contest”.

On October 19^th of 2009 I (the student) had apparently become ready for exposure on Mark Scheafer’s (the teacher) “Grow” marketing blog. Mark who is a legend in his own right as author of one of the top marketing blogs on the net, Professor of social media at Rutgers University and author of the book “The Tao of Twitter” was the first person to break the story of my now infamous and annual destruction contest.

I truly feel that his post about my work is the seed that has sprouted into a cornucopia of media surrounding my work which includes coverage from countless blogs in both the marketing and MPS industries as well as the New York Times, Recycler Magazine, and multiple books.

Indeed, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear…"

In the picture above you will find both myself and Mark Schaefer striking a pose. In this shot we are sitting in the restaurant "CLINK" which resides in the beautiful Liberty Hotel in Boston Massachusetts. Mark and I finally had the chance to meet here in person after years of communication via the internet and a short phone call a while back.

Meeting Mark in person was more like reconnecting with an old friend than meeting a fellow human being in person for the first time.

Friendly, professional, humble and generous...

In addition to being a master of his craft, Mark is the epitome of the above terms.

If you ever have the chance to meet with Mark, I highly recommend jumping at the opportunity. A conversation with this man will likely result in your own bursts of inspiration. Truly a great person with a great mind, Mark is simply a joy to be around.

The Power Of The Egregore

First off...

What is an egregore?

Wikipedia has this to say about the subject...

"Egregore (also egregor) is an occult concept representing a "thoughtform" or "collective group mind", an autonomous psychic entity made up of, and influencing, the thoughts of a group of people. The symbiotic relationship between an egregore and its group has been compared to the more recent, non-occult concepts of the corporation (as a legal entity) and the meme."

So, what does this concept have to do with anything regarding our industry?

Well to really understand the depth of this question, let us consider a few examples of well known egregores.

Santa Claus
Uncle Sam
Bugs Bunny

All three of these characters are egregores. None of them exist in reality, however they are very much so "real" to thousands if not millions of people as known personalities.

Santa Claus is actually considered by many (primarily children) to be a real, living and breathing magical human being who takes residence in the north pole. As such he is one of a select few if not the only person to posses a group of flying reindeer whom he employs to deliver toys to all the children of the world on Christmas eve.

The egregore that is Santa Claus is given and sustains its life as an artificial psychic entity by the countless children whom believe him to be real and by their parents who suggest and support his existence.

While Santa Claus is also a talisman of great power of which parents use from time to time as a way to have their children behave well on occasions where they become unruly, he is also a symbol of great love, peace, magic(k), myth and wonderment.

In addition he is used as a marketing tool to generate millions of dollars in sales in multiple industries every year.

Some would even suggest that he is the epitome of the demi-god...

I have illustrated these points to lead up to this part of the post where I will now remind you of the non-occult, egregorious concept of the corporation.

When a large corporation has a name, logo or other symbolic sign of power associated with said organization it is essentially an egregore.

Often times, due to the perceptions of those people who make up the group mind surrounding the egregores identity (perhaps the corporations logo or name for example) people tend to make assumptions about what that corporation and it's symbols mean.

Lets say you have a giant in the industry who is well known for producing laser printers, computers and or various other pieces of technology many of which revolve around the business/office side of the perceptions surrounding its brand...

Because said entity is so established as an "expert" or "thought leader" within one spectrum of the industry, it may be very easy for said entity to suggest to the public that upon entering the managed print services industry despite its gross lack of expertise, it is an expert in said industry simply because it claims to be one.

Now, because this corporation is in and of itself or has created an egregore in relation to its logo or brand, those in the public whose presumptions form the basis of the egregores identity via the group mind that exists because of their preconceived notions about what that corporation is, now also support the notion that this corporation is an expert in this field whether or not this is actually true.

So to clarify...

A well established business that is an expert in one relm of an industry can enter another realm of the same industry with no experience and still take a large share of the market away from smaller true industry experts, simply because they wield the psychological power to shift the perspectives of the public in favor of what they want you to believe.

Sound to crazy to be true?

If you think so, take a look the companies in the managed print services space who have the majority of the market share on contract and compare how long they have been in the industry to some of the smaller independent providers.

Do you honestly think that 5 years, 6 years or even 10 years is enough time for those larger companies to build the infrastructure, train their sales staff, service techs and other employees, sign multi-year contracts, and experience/learn from the dynamic atmosphere related to the execution of said contracts to really suggest they are experts?

Well fortunately for them, they have large marketing departments with talented professionals who are trained in the craft.

After all, if you have a global presence that must automatically make you an expert right?

Something to consider the next time a salesman walks through your door and asks to speak to your CFO or IT manager about managed print services...

Is Marketing, Magick?

While using the Google+ Sparks function a few days ago in search of articles using the keyword “esoteric” I stumbled upon a most peculiar and enlightening blog post…

“The esoteric art of non-coercive persuasion — sometimes called advertising — evolved long before there was a Manhattan avenue named after our fourth president. Even the Scriptures tell of blind and elderly Isaac being persuaded, through gentle deception, to yield his older son’s birthright.”

The headline to this article written by Stanley M. Aronson, M.D. hit me like a ton of bricks in the “when the student is ready the teacher will appear” kind of way.

As an open minded young man I have a deep thirst for knowledge in regards to both the exoteric and esoteric dynamics of well, pretty much everything. I generally develop a deep interest in whatever topics that resonate with me.

As a human being who has found himself in a rather successful career as a marketing and sales professional I have often asked my self…

Is Marketing, Magick?

There are no words written else ware in the world however, that have spurned such a question for me personally more than the following paragraph also from the article mentioned above.

“Inducing people to choose paths or to purchase things that had not initially been on their shopping lists requires a special virtuosity that combines a malign knowledge of motivation with skills in inveiglement, witless repetition and selective button-pushing. Sometimes the promises accompanying the advertisements exceed realities (a gentle euphemism for fraud). And if the product offered somehow does not approach the promised expectations, there is always yet another product to promote.”

By now you are probably wondering two things. What is Magick and or who cares if Marketing is a form of said art?

Magick by definition is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." ^- Aleister Crowley

In plain English this means forcing your will whether good or ill on the world and it’s inhabitants.

I cannot help but to assume that this same goal is at the heart of many marketing departments.

This aim is not in and of itself wrong or dare I say evil…

That being said, what I mean to point out here in this post however is that marketing whether related to said art or not has a similar aim and it bothers me that so many products such as cigarettes (to name the most obvious) have been so easily implanted into the minds and bodies of the American public as a “good” thing and what’s worse is that even those consumers who know that product is killing them, often times choose to continue in their consumption of said products due to how their minds have been molded to think.

(I am not judging I smoked cigarettes for about 5-6 years)

I suppose what I am really trying to get at here is that everyone has an agenda and there are many folks in powerful places who utilize tools such as marketing to implant ideas into the minds of those who they wish to manifest some kind of control via their will.

Whether their aim is to get you to buy soda or to vote for a political candidate, be warned..

You are bombarded with subtle messages every day for all years of your life to make choices that serve an others agenda and or will.

Be aware and be awake.

Ask why do I need this product? Do your homework and find out about the things you put in your mind and your body and question the message from who it comes from.

As a marketing professional myself I can assure you, if you want to know anything about the products and services I sell for my company or for my own gain I will answer what ever questions you have.

I simply suggest that you do the same with everyone else.

Are Your Customers Fans?

As many of you know I play in the New England based Jamband Jabooda.

While the atmosphere, culture and people surrounding the band is about as far from the corporate/business realm as one could possibly get, the parallels in customer service, marketing and sales is astoundingly similar as is the work ethic involved. The band truly is, a second job.

In the band we place heavy responsibilities on our shoulders in regards to treating our fans (customers) like gold. While we do sell products to our fans we also give many of our live recordings and merchandise away for free as a thank you for their dedication and support. We put hundreds of hours into rehearsals in hopes to make sure that our fans get their moneys worth and we treat each of our fans as both human beings and friends.

In my role as a sales and marketing professional at Expert Laser Services I try to manifest the same dedication in my customers by catalyzing a similar energy to that which I have on stage. The hope is that my customers will truly become fans.

While I don't give away free cds or t-shirts to prospects I have at times given them a toner cartridge for free because I believe in the products my company produces and sells and I know that in certain cases, giving something away will turn a profit and act as a conduit for a positive relationship with that person who in the end, will truly become a fan of our products and services.

In the same way that a soaring guitar solo is at times pushed to its peak even as the muscles in the guitarists hands seem that they will give out from pain, such a sacrifice will almost certainly draw an intense return on investment in the form of ecstatic emotion derived from the crowd. I truly believe that offering unconventional services such as help desk calls after hours, last minute emergency parts delivery or repair calls and so on and so forth (which can be an intense personal burden on myself or other employees at my company depending on the situation) this kind of self sacrifice provides a similar feeling of gratitude to that of the aforementioned guitarist. Sometimes truly great customer service requires that we take added stress and burdens upon ourselves in order to provide the absolute best for our customers.

I can honestly the say that the labor of love as mentioned above is the key to success for both my company and my band. Expert Laser Services emphasis on advanced and caring customer service is what separates us from our competitors both large and small.

In the end, it is not hype or a robust marketing scheme that makes you a literal and or metaphorical rock star. It is the lengths that you are willing to go for your people. It is the actions that you are willing to make in order for your customers to truly become a die hard, dedicated and loving fanbase.

Paying It Forward

Over the past two years my work in social media for Expert Laser Services has acted as a catalyst for connecting with many wonderful, talented and professional individuals who are experts in their respective industries.

I have been humbled by these folks interest in my own work, namely my now infamous destroy your printer contest series. Thanks to the many retweets, blog posts, e-mails and referrals I have to my surprise, become at least somewhat "internet famous" and have managed to generate sales through social media, solidifying myself as my company's "chief social media marketing engineer".

Today I want to take the opportunity to shine a light on some of these incredible and talented people and suggest that you do yourself a favor by checking out their websites/blogs.

@markwschaefer (Mark Schaefer) This man is one of the few individuals who actually deserves the title "social media guru". Not only is he a true professional and gentleman but also one of the most kind hearted folks I have connected with. Marks blog posts are filled with excellent, spot on content relevant to multiple dimensions of the social media universe and are composed of priceless advice that quite frankly, I would pay for. Mark however authors his blog with a passion and love for the art and science of social media and these posts are free for the world to see, if your not already reading Marks blog {grow} do your self a huge favor and subscribe today.

@Greg_Walters (Greg Walters) I consider Greg Walters to be the managed print services industry's equivalent combination of Hunter S. Thompson and Larry Flint. His blog Death Of The Copier is a notorious medium known for publishing posts dripping with uber snarky yet spot on expertise regarding the realm of MPS. Most of the images on DOTC may be considered rather tasteless by some, but despite the blogs racy photography I can't help but to view Greg as a true MPS master and I would go so far as to say he may very well be the expert when it comes to managed print services.

@RecyclerMedia (Charlotte Hindle) Charlotte is the editor of Recycler Magazine, one of two (and in my opinion) the superior global trade publication reporting about the toner and ink cartridge remanufacturing industry. Smart, focused, kind hearted and engaging, Charlotte is the epitome of professional. I highly suggest checking out Recycler Magazine and opening your mind to the earth friendly and cost saving possibilities that remanufactured toner and ink cartridges can offer to your business.

From the connections above I have enjoyed other opportunities which have catalyzed relationships with other great people who are also experts in their own right as pertaining to their respective industry.

Below I have listed these new connections in hopes to offer you the chance to also connect with these awesome human beings.

Social Media, Marketing And Or PR Pros You need To Check Out:

@ginidietrich

@lauraclick

@julianng

@suddenlyjamie

@CKsays

@jonbuscall

@TheMikeEllis

@ShellyKramer

@allthingsfadra


Managed Print Services And Or Office Imaging Pros You Need To Check Out:

@ChangeForge

@Greg_VDW

@DFWMPS

@SHendersonIA

@jflyons

@artpost

Toner And Ink Cartridge Remanufacturing Pros You Need To Check Out:

@JetScapeink

Marketing And Sales: Bridging The Gap

As I prepare to head down to Austin Texas to speak at MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Forum I find myself reflecting on my unique position within my company. I am a member of both the marketing and sales teams here at Expert Laser Services and this position has given me a unique perspective on the relationship between the sales and marketing departments.

There is a cliched notion of tension inherent between sales and marketing in the minds of many people and to some extent said presumptions bear the marks of truth.

Working as a living catalyst between these two departments in my own company has given me a true appreciation for both professions. The experience has also provided me with insight into the aforementioned tensions that can arise between the two as well as an understanding of how to diffuse issues that arise from the misconceptions of each. Below I offer a few tips that help breed understanding and positive relationships between the sales and marketing departments in my own company.

● Finding And Nurturing Leads: It is an accepted responsibility of all marketing departments to find leads for the sales team. While many sales professionals are good at chasing down new leads, many fail in nurturing leads after they are turned down. Some would argue that it is marketing’s job to track each interaction with said prospects and to nurture the prospect overtime in the hopes of eventually providing sales with an opportunity to turn the prospect into a customer, however sales professionals would do well to take some of this responsibility into their own hands.

One way to do this is to make use of account management software such as Act. This kind of software is an excellent tool for the sales team. If each member of the sales team made use of such a tool, recording each interaction with new prospects the marketing department can then use said data to produce stronger case sensitive marketing strategies for each specific lead. This is the kind of symbiotic relationship that can help prosper both the marketing and sales team.

● Generating Proposals: While the marketing department can certainly help a sale to move forward faster by producing proposals based upon templates in which the sales professional provides the marketing department with only the key details of the company, contact and products or services being sold, sometimes it is best for the sales professional to generate his or her own proposal with a personal touch. While this is not always necessary there will be occasions where the situation calls for this kind of action and both the marketing and sales department can benefit from these atypical situations.

● Creating Content: One of the best things a sales professional can do to separate his or herself from the flock is to become a noted thought leader in regards to their products and services and becoming involved with social media marketing is an excellent way to do this. Writing a blog, setting up a Facebook and Linkedin page in addition to communicating through micro-bloging services such as twitter are all excellent ways to generate content which communicates expertise.

Some sales professionals will scoff at this and immediately suggest these kind of tools are for marketing folks only. I must insist to hold this perspective is little more than an unfortunate misconception and at worst the kind of sentiment that leads to the loss of sales. It is likely that some of your competitors sales professionals have already established themselves on the social web and have taken some of these albeit “marketing responsibilities” upon themselves.

Granted you may have to invest your own time to become involved with social media should your company not allow you to work with these tools on company time however, once sales opportunities arise from your efforts you may just be able to change their minds about these company policies if they are in fact currently in place.