"Cargo Cult' Sales & Marketing

During WW II cargo dropped from the sky in the South Pacific and Indonesia. The shipment included clothing and food from the U.S. government and also humanitarian missions. This phenomenon drew the attention of the local tribes who became known as "Cargo Cult" because they always stood waiting for the next package.

These tribes believed the cargo came from their ancestors and if they erected a landing strip, air towers, and planes made of bamboo then the cargo would appear because this is what it was like the last time they received a package. The cargo appears as a way of mysticism and magic instead of hard work and ingenuity.

In business we can wait for ideas to magically appear or we can produce the "cargo" ourselves. "Cargo Cult" Sales and Marketing blog was created to talk about the essentials for successful sales and marketing professionals. It covers some tips and observations to be more effective in your endeavors.


Thursday, September 30, 2010

Business Communication




The difference between making the sale or not  can come down to many small things including what you wear, your marketing, and most important communication. Communication can be broken down into three parts...

  1. What you say?
  2. How you say it?
  3. Body Language
By mastering these three parts of communication you can be most effective and ultimately maximize the amount of potential sales.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Incorporating Sales into E-Commerce




When building a successful E-Commernce presence there are 5 questions  you should consider.

  1. What is your online presence?
  2. How do you get people to your site?
  3. What are your online goals?
  4. How do you build rapport, provide value, close the sale?
  5. What is your follow up system?
Your reflective thought to these quetions will help you build an effective site. 

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Social Media Marketing




There is a lot of buzz these days about utilizing social media today to advertise your business. Why is social media the best marketing channel to advertise? There are many ways to explain it, but it returns to the sales process.

1- Build Rapport
2- Provide Value
3- Close the Sale

Social media allows you to build a tremendous amount of rapport, trust, and credibility because you approach people more as a friend and less as a business looking to sell a product or service. This is why people purchase from people they like because they have that level of rapport with them.

Social Media also allows you to provide value in a more simple medium where clients and potential clients have access to information about your product or service in a click of a button or can watch a video and have their questions explained.

Close the sale...this is the final problem with social media is that more often than not it doesn't properly close the sale. It leaves too much up to the potential client and doesn't necessarily create urgency, invite to purchase or provide incentive to close the sale.

By utilizing your social media network and providing it in the framework of the sales process you can be more effective in what you are doing.


Monday, September 27, 2010

Providing Content



One of the best ways to build credibility, trust, and rapport with your current clients or potential clients is to provide valuable relevant information your clients can use in their business. Now this is easy to say and difficult to do. Here are 5 quick tips...
  1. Provide Information that isn't readily known
  2. Make it short
  3. Leave a tease so people need to find out more by contacting you
  4. Don't allow errors
  5. Don't post too much information


5 Ways to create urgency in your marketing



There is a famous quote "Why do it today when you can put it off for tomorrow" this is the theme of someone who never gets anything done. Unfortunately, many of your current and future customers follow this theme and can frustrate your sales team.  They are in no hurray to purchase your product or service. To be more effective and to generate more sales for your company it is essential to create urgency and to have your customers act now. Here are 5 ways to create urgency.

1- Offer promotion
2- Have deadline for promotion
3- Offer discounts
4- Provide value
5- Have a limited number of people who can get a certain deal

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Video E-Mail Marketing



Videos are an effective way to keep in touch with customers. Some of the advantages of video e-mail marketing over traditional approaches include:

  1. More Personable
  2. Easier for people to visualize
  3. Cater to a customer's short attention spans
  4. Builds trust, credibility, and rapport
  5. Provides more value
  6. Helps close the sale
  7. Creates a lead generation tool
  8. Prepares, Educates, and helps your clients understand
By creating quality videos you can take advantage of video e-mail marketing. Here are some key points to consider when making a video.

  1. An Effective Introduction
  2. Catchy Music
  3. Clear Objective
  4. Bullet Points
  5. Conclusion that ties into the main point
  6. Short (only 1-2 minutes)
  7. Lots of images & few words
  8. Key points written on the screen
  9. Hiring actors and actresses.
Video e-mail marketing is a great way to do business.