尋找銷售線索

媒體代理熱衷于投放次數(shù)、品牌互動之類的話題。那么，要想獲得實在的銷售線索，而不僅僅是空虛的投放次數(shù)，直銷人員究竟應(yīng)該怎樣做呢？
Media reps love to talk about impressions and brand interactions. So what does a direct marketer have to do to get a hard sales lead instead of a soft impression?


我的電臺銷售代表為我實現(xiàn)了20.8億次投放，價值超過
了100萬美元，而我只花了20萬美元電臺廣告費。為此他很得意。
我們公司的網(wǎng)站在兩天之內(nèi)就實現(xiàn)了15萬次品牌互動，于是我的互動代理就報名參加了網(wǎng)站營銷評獎活動。
品牌建設(shè)果真是非常出色。但是最重要的，是我想知道我要的銷售線索在哪兒？
我并不是想與人為難。我相信作為全美最大的在線抵押借貸公司的市場人員，投放次數(shù)對我們很有價值；實際上，我知道有些家伙甚至愿意為了實現(xiàn)同樣的數(shù)字而去殺人。我也知道，許多品牌廣告商也心甘情愿付錢買收視點和互動品牌體驗，因為這些東西能夠在消費者心中播下優(yōu)先選擇的種子。我也相信從某種程度上來說，這些東西都有價值。
但是我覺得直接效應(yīng)營銷的道理其實很簡單，廣告就應(yīng)該能產(chǎn)生銷售線索并最終促成一筆交易而收回廣告成本。我希望花在廣告上的每一分錢都有回報。這要求過分嗎？

為什么買單
要說服媒體代理接受我的看法，即贊同花出去的每一分錢都該有回報、每一個廣告應(yīng)該能自負盈虧，其實并不太難。他們也懂這個道理。我們進行詳細的線索跟進，主動與他們分享數(shù)據(jù)，他們對此會心存感激。他們知道，如果我們發(fā)現(xiàn)他們提供的某些東西有用，我每個月都會高高興興給他們開出大額支票，只要他們繼續(xù)盡職盡責就行。
問題是，媒體代理能輕而易舉地把我也要買的銷售線索清單賣給品牌廣告商，而品牌廣告商衡量媒體代理的標準和我的完全不一樣。我又能說什么呢？廣告商和代理們吃吃飯，過一過數(shù)字，假裝推讓一番，然后各讓一步，談妥利潤分成。下午3點一切就都搞定了。多容易的事！
品牌經(jīng)理們要銷售線索和結(jié)果沒用，他們要的是到達率和暴光頻次。只要有觀眾，有不計其數(shù)的人無數(shù)次地看到品牌，他們的任務(wù)就算完成了。
可是直接效應(yīng)營銷人員需要的是銷售線索。如果我的媒體代理告訴我，我的品牌知名度提高了,而且他們還能多給我些銷售線索以示“獎勵”。我只能說謝謝他們,然后把下周的訂單取消。
我們公司負責貸款銀行業(yè)務(wù)的副總裁對收視點和暴光頻次不感興趣，他有上百個銀行家客戶都等著他提供源源不斷的新銷售線索來發(fā)展他們的業(yè)務(wù)。獨立的品牌知名度和“鮮活的品牌體驗”打動不了我們的首席執(zhí)行官，他關(guān)心的是市場營銷投入的回報、按揭貸款的增加。有人會說，積極的品牌體驗會在千千萬萬消費者中流傳開來，最終會聚起人氣，形成我們公司的支持力量。但是我卻覺得一個現(xiàn)有客戶比兩個潛在客戶的價值要高得多。
當然，我可不是久經(jīng)世故的品牌廣告商，能滿有把握地把職業(yè)生涯押在收視點和家庭投放次數(shù)上。和那些家伙相比，我只不過是美國中西部種蘿卜的農(nóng)民罷了。我要算計每個電話、每個銷售線索的成本，銷售線索到真正實現(xiàn)銷售的轉(zhuǎn)化率，每個線索源的收益率，還有達成銷售前15種其他的指標。如果廣告最終也無法收回成本，那打造品牌有多少好處對我來說也都無所謂了。
打造品牌對直接效應(yīng)營銷人員重要嗎？當然了，自己的品牌當然非常重要∶它必須要承載最高度的信任、最獨特的專長、最絕對的專業(yè)，而且還要特別有趣?？蛻魝儜?yīng)當為能和我的公司、和我的品牌打交道而引以自豪。他們要在雞尾酒會上告訴其他人，他們從Quicken Loans公司獲得了不少好處，而且如果人家愿意的話，他們很樂意在中間牽線搭橋。
但是，這些都是在客戶對我們公司的廣告做出反應(yīng)、和我們的某個媒體代理談過話以后的事了。我們的品牌體驗反映的是我們的公司本質(zhì)和價值。如果一個直接效應(yīng)營銷人員能夠熱情高漲地全力幫助客戶提升財務(wù)狀況，如此而產(chǎn)生的正面印象效果是任何廣告活動都無法做到的。

制勝5規(guī)則
那么，直接效應(yīng)營銷人員到底怎么才能夠獲得實在的銷售線索，而不僅僅是空虛的投放次數(shù)呢？我告訴我們的媒體代理，遵循下面的規(guī)則會幫助他們達成更好的交易，也就能讓所有人都受益。了解到了這一點，他們就會拼命為我工作，而不是走投機取巧的路子去和品牌經(jīng)理們打交道了。
給我銷售線索，我就給你開支票。簡單之極，甚至都有點愚蠢了。但是如果我的確發(fā)現(xiàn)某個廣告活動能帶來符合我的效果測量標準的銷售線索，我會敦促媒體代理把活動做大。
而這才是難的地方∶他們必須在內(nèi)部加倍努力，才能拿到更多的銷售線索和資源，這樣才能把項目做大。但是如果我愿意做大，他們應(yīng)該愿意想方設(shè)法做到。
提供更多價值。有很多方式可以達成交易，這就需要富有創(chuàng)造力！如果我拿不到更低的價格，那就得給我更多的銷售線索，承擔我的部分生產(chǎn)成本，或者把我的廣告和別的產(chǎn)品捆綁運作；如果搞電臺秀，那就給我提供網(wǎng)絡(luò)清單，讓主持人做現(xiàn)場廣告；如果是網(wǎng)絡(luò)廣告，那就在我通常不會投放廣告的地方給我提供一些額外的投放次數(shù)，讓交易能夠達到我的要求。
但是不要又拿老套的評級卡來糊弄我。要證明給我看，你們對我的業(yè)務(wù)投資的方式，和我對你們媒體的投資是一樣的。這才是培養(yǎng)長期合作關(guān)系之道。
讓你們的高管層投資我的業(yè)務(wù)。我為自己的事業(yè)感到驕傲，因此也希望你們的高管一起來分享這種興奮。鼓動他們到我的公司看看。我想如果讓他們成為我的客戶，他們就會知道我們與競爭對手的不同之處了。希望他們會打電話給我，與我討論對雙方合作的看法，了解究竟應(yīng)該如何有效地做到對我的業(yè)務(wù)有幫助。
大多數(shù)媒體的高管們都是脫離客戶的，他們期待與了解他們工作的客戶建立密切而堅固的聯(lián)系。這會讓媒體代理感到工作起來很費勁，因為他們可能不想讓自己的上司卷入自己的具體業(yè)務(wù)中。但是優(yōu)秀的銷售代理卻是懂得建立這種密切聯(lián)系的價值的。
始終關(guān)注我的效果測量標準。一定要克制住沖動，想要告訴我有些品牌廣告商愿意出錢買到你剛給我的銷售線索。如果我們之間的交易收效甚微，也別騙我說一切沒問題，別說你給我做了很多品牌推廣工作，因為這并不是我關(guān)心的。
我的效果測量標準才是最重要的標準。如果廣告沒有給我們雙方帶來收效，那我們就不用再做了。我也明白必須把某些機會讓給其他人。我了解這一點。但是我需要我的媒體代理關(guān)注我的標準，幫助我改善它們。要記住∶如果你做到這一點，我是會不斷開給你大額支票的。
成為我團隊的一分子。優(yōu)秀的媒體代理能夠不留痕跡地融入我的營銷團隊。他們不斷為我的業(yè)務(wù)著想，幫助團隊其他人學(xué)會他們那個行業(yè)里的買進、賣出規(guī)矩，其中也包括了解我的競爭對手或者其他大廣告商的做法。
最糟糕的媒體代理，每月的工作成果都是些即使附帶不值一提的短程旅行之類的優(yōu)惠、別人也都不要的銷售線索。
人們常說廣告有一大半純屬浪費，只是你并不知道是哪一半。過去可能真是這樣，但是現(xiàn)在我對哪些是浪費可以看得清清楚楚。直接效應(yīng)營銷人員的工作就是消除浪費。所以我要求媒體代理認真工作，而不是弄點看上去挺光鮮但卻沒有任何價值的垃圾來敷衍我。
（王欣紅 譯）

My radio sales rep is very excited that he got me 208
million impressions-worth more than $1 million-as a make-good on my $200,000 radio buy.
My interactive agency is submitting our company’s Web campaign for an award because it got more than 150,000 brand interactions in a two-day period.
Terrific branding. But I want to know where my leads are!
Now, I’m really not trying to be difficult. As a marketer for the nation’s largest online mortgage lender, I am certain that there is value in gross impression numbers; in fact, I know folks who would kill for some of the numbers we get. And I know that many brand advertisers are comfortable paying for rating points and for an interactive brand experience that sows the seeds of preference in the consumer’s mind. I agree there is value in these things-to a point.
But in my simple world of direct-response marketing, an ad pays for itself by generating a lead, which results in a transaction. I expect to earn a profit on every dollar of advertising spent: Is that too much to ask?

Different Strokes
Selling media reps on the idea that every dollar needs to return a profit-and that every ad needs to pay for itself-really isn't that hard. They get it. They appreciate the detailed tracking we do and our willingness to share the data with them. They know that when we find something that works, I am happy to write them big checks every month as long as they keep performing.
The problem is that it’s so much easier for media reps to sell the same inventory I want to buy to a brand advertiser, who holds them to a very different standard. Who can blame them? How much easier is it to have lunch with some agency guys, run some numbers by them, pretend to negotiate, agree to split the difference and be done by 3 o’clock?
Brand guys don’t buy leads and results; they buy reach and frequency. As long as the audience is there, they’ve done their job by exposing countless millions to the brand.
But a direct-response marketer need leads. When my media reps tell me about all the brand lift I got and how they were able to give me some “bonus” inventory to make it better, I thank them, then cancel the next week’s buy.
My vice president of mortgage banking doesn’t care about rating points and frequency; he has hundreds of bankers who need a steady stream of new leads to build their business. My CEO is not impressed with unaided brand awareness and “bringing the brand experience to life”; he wants a return on his investment in marketing and an increase in mortgage originations. While some would argue that a positive brand experience spread across millions of consumers will ultimately build a groundswell of support for our company, I would argue that a new client today is worth much more than two potential clients tomorrow.
Of course, I am not a sophisticated brand advertiser with the confidence to stake my career on ratings points and household impressions. Compared to those guys, I am a Midwestern turnip farmer. I need to measure cost per call, cost per lead, lead to transaction conversion, profitability per lead source and about 15 other things in-between. At the day’s end, if the advertising doesn’t pay for itself, few branding benefits really matter to me.
In my simple world of direct-response marketing, an ad pays for itself by generating a lead, which results in a transaction. I expect to earn a profit on every dollar of advertising spent: Is that too much to ask?
Does branding matter to a direct-response marketer? Of course it does! My brand is incredibly important: It needs to convey a high level of trust, expertise, professionalism and fun. Folks need to feel smart about working with my company and my brand. It is important for them to be able to say at cocktail parties that they got a great deal at Quicken Loans, and that if you would like, they can refer you to their “guy” because he did a terrific job for them.
But that part of the job kicks in after they respond to our advertising and speak with one of our representatives. Our experts are the brand experience, the true essence of who we are and what we stand for. No amount of advertising can create the positive impression that a passionate team member can when she is working hard to put a client in a better financial situation.

Five Ways to Win
So what does a direct marketer have to do to get a hard lead instead of a soft impression? I tell our media reps that the following rules will help them bring me better deals. And better deals are better for everyone. Knowing this motivates them to work harder for me instead of taking the easy route with the brand guys.
Get me leads and I will write you checks. This is so simple, it’s silly. But the reality is that if I find a program that consistently delivers leads that meet my metrics, I will push the reps to make the program bigger.
And that’s the challenge: They need to work hard internally with their organizations to get more inventory and resources to grow the program. But if I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, they should be willing to find more ways to make it work for me.
Deliver more value. There are always ways to make the deal work: Get creative! If I can’t get a lower price, let’s talk about more inventory. Take on some of my production costs. Or bundle in another property. If it’s a radio show, give me some Web inventory. Have the host do a voiced spot. If it’s a Web deal, offer me some additional impressions in an area I wouldn’t normally buy to make the deal meet my metric.
But don’t hold me to the conventional concept of a rate card. Instead, show me that you are investing in my business in the same way I am investing in your media. That’s the way to cultivate a long-term relationship.
Get your executives invested in my business. I am proud of my business and I want your executives to share that excitement. Fly them out to see our shop. I want them to become clients so that they understand the difference we make in the marketplace. I want them to call and discuss the performance of our deals and to understand what does and doesn’t work for my business.
Most media executives get isolated and crave strong relationships with clients who know their stuff. That’s sometimes tough on the media rep, who may or may not want his chief executive involved in the pipeline. But the best reps see the value in building closer ties.
Stay focused on my metrics. Resist the temptation to tell me how much some brand advertiser would be willing to pay for the inventory you just offered to me. If a deal didn’t perform, don’t tell me that it’s OK because we got a lot of good branding out of it: I don’t care.
The only metrics that matter are mine. If the deal doesn’t work for both parties, we obviously won’t do it. I understand that I will have to pass on certain opportunities that make sense to others-I get that. But I need my media reps to focus on my metrics and help me improve them. And remember: I will continue to write you big checks if you do.
Make yourself part of my team. The best media reps are the ones who function as a seamless extension of my marketing team. They are constantly thinking about my business and helping the rest of my team learn the ins and outs of their world and that of my competitors or other great advertisers.
The worst are pesky vendors who come up with their monthly deal of inventory they couldn’t sell to anyone else, packaged with a boondoggle trip for two.
There is a rule of thumb that says half of all advertising is wasted, you just don’t know which half. That may have been true once, but today I know exactly where to find the waste. As a direct marketer, it is my job is to get rid of all the waste. So I need my media reps to help me keep my house clean, not just give me better-looking trash.

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