Recently, I was consulting with a client regarding their marketing plan. As we moved through the process of strategizing, several things became quite clear. First, the client considered promotion and advertising as the same thing. Nothing could be farther from the truth – more on that in a moment. Secondly, while they had a “nice” website, it was doing absolutely nothing for them. Thirdly, they felt that Brand was the same thing as a logo. Fourthly, there was a lackluster sales effort that had been beaten down by the crush of the declines that they had been experiencing over the past few months. Lastly, each of the above named areas was seemingly its own world. In other words, there was no coordination, no consistency. It was the last fact that paved the way for our discussion, which is encapsulated as follows:

0. Advertising versus Promotion. Advertising seeks to connect with a targeted audience and is filled with claims/images controlled by you, while promotion (let’s call it public relations – TV interviews, mentions in print media, etc.) involves a well-known third party who, for neutral reasons, assists you in making credible claims. While I could go on for pages, let’s suffice to say that the two are quite different and in order to gain a similar message from both, targeted approaches are necessary.
0. Website. Just because a website is pretty, does mean it is effective. When we coordinate the creation of websites for our clients, we stress that the site is structured to support search engine marketing (SEM). In addition, the logic flow of the site needs to be considered, as well as easy maintenance.
0. SEO. Fewer than 5% of organizations have any type of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or social networking strategy. Yet, your prospects are increasingly using these tools during their decision-making process. As such, it is imperative that professionals and organizations pay more attention to this important area. Please note: the most important social networking and SEM elements are detailed during a segment of our Sales Simplified boot camps.
0. Brand. In a nutshell, brand is the image of your company that the customer carries in their mind. Brand is not a logo, tagline, or slogan. It is what people say about you and your company.
0. Salesmanship. For many, sales skills are at a low ebb. A large number of sales professionals have allowed a tough selling environment to get into their head and to lower their morale. In a sense, it is understandable. To a greater sense, it is time to raise the bar.
0. Coordination & Consistency. Too many businesses view the above five mentioned categories as independent items. They are not, and as such, should be discussed simultaneously. Moreover, the strategies and tactics driving these areas should be well thought out and crafted by professionals who are experts in the field.

Bottom Line: The smart companies have a congruent sales strategy. They strategically blend public relations, search engine optimization, advertising, and branding, and complement it with first class sales skills. In the end, they send a consistent message to customers and prospects that delivers targeted, goal-breaking results.