Printable version: B2B Marketing Report Fall 2014
Back to Business Basics:
Learning from Missteps to Enhance Marketing & Sales Efforts

Autumn is the time of year when reality sets in. The long, sunny days wind down, kids go back to school, and before long, it’s time for report cards. During the fall months, business owners and salespeople are also learning and taking stock of business conditions and company sales performance metrics.

Forbes contributor Kathy Caprino’s insightful article “10 Essential Selling Principles Most Salespeople Get Wrong” discusses some of the mistakes people make as they push for new sales. Caprino reviews some alternative rules of salesmanship advocated by Sandler Training, a leader in sales training and development, including:

• Ask questions. Look for the real problems your business prospect faces. Search for their real goals. Often the prospect talks about the symptoms, not the core business problem.
• Don’t talk too much. Focus on listening to and learning from the prospect first and foremost.
• Help your prospect discover reasons why they should buy from you. Prospects don’t want to be told what to do. Give examples of how other companies have benefited from your products or services.
• Don’t jump to conclusions. Get the facts from the prospect about what they need. Clarify anything you find unclear, including budget parameters.
• Learn when to walk away. You are not an unpaid consultant. Time you spend on a resistant prospect may be better spent exploring other leads.
• Address potential problems before they derail your client relationship. Most people are ready and willing to work with you if you’re open and honest about glitches.

For more rules, see the article in Forbes for the 10 Essential Selling Principles Most Salespeople Get Wrong.

Client Project Notes from NM Marketing Communications
Any business, from solo practitioner to corporate organization, needs more sales activities – and integrating sales with marketing will increase the probability of a business’ growth. NM Marketing Communications (NMMC) continues to help various clients update their marketing/promotion and sales efforts. We evaluate each concern individually, since there’s no one-size-fits-all B2B solution to meet every client’s needs.

Littler Diecast “Casting Call” is On the World Stage
Littler Diecast Corporation specializes in aluminum and high-strength zinc castings. Located in Albany, Indiana, family-operated Littler Diecast emphasizes teamwork and quality production. We’ve been assisting Littler Diecast with its external marketing communications for years; advising them on their website and outreach to potential customers. We recommended featuring a news page on the company website for the latest information on die casting and Littler Diecast. This web feature also includes “Casting Call,” a quarterly column from President & CEO John D. Littler, discussing a variety of issues, such as the reshoring of manufacturing to America. The column and information about Littler Diecast can be found at http://www.littlerdiecast.com.

Count On Us: Branding for Business Results
NMMC has worked on the rebranding of Count On Us (COU), a professional bookkeeping service in Skokie, Illinois. COU has a proven track record of business results for a wide range of companies, organizations and individuals located throughout the Chicago metro area. Various accounting firms often call on COU for added business support especially during tax season. In recent months, we have produced content for the company’s website at http://www.counton-us.com/ and prepared copy and designed a new and distinctive brochure for Count On Us to distribute to potential clients.

B.W. Supply Co.’s Evolving Industrial Website
We are revamping B.W. Supply’s website with improved SEO and more information about the company and what it can provide for the customer. The navigation and more detailed product information will add many options for the online visitor to learn about the Lyons, Ohio, foundry and its tool crib for die casters and smelters. The improvements will soon be available at http://www.bwsupplyco.com.

Presenting a New Portfolio of Content Marketing Strategies
To mark its 15th anniversary, NM Marketing Communications has announced a new suite of content marketing services designed to help organizations improve their online presence and digital communications. Such customized services are designed to support the brand and business goals of every client.

“During the past 15 years, the U.S. has witnessed a dramatic shift in how people receive information and make buying decisions. Companies are now also actively engaging their constituents to build brand loyalty,” said agency founder and managing director Norwin Merens. “While not all businesses or industries should place the same emphasis or resources toward online communication, organizations that don’t engage customers online may soon find themselves irrelevant.”

While NM Marketing Communications has always supported clients with their online communication strategies, NMMC is now better equipped than ever to assist organizations with a complete portfolio of content marketing initiatives. These can include websites, blogs, and social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well as the ongoing introduction of online platforms for smart companies to leverage besides providing creative input, NM Marketing Communications also helps companies and organizations conduct competitive marketplace analysis in online communications, establish best practices for addressing customer relations issues online, develop a social media policy for employees, and monitor and analyze the impact of a company’s online efforts.

Since its founding in 1999, NMMC has served a wide variety of clients in such business sectors as travel, insurance, manufacturing, distribution, nonprofit marketing and many others. With a strong industrial and technical services niche, the agency has represented some of the nation’s best-known and most widely respected distribution, manufacturing and research organizations including: the American Foundry Society, Gas Technology Institute, Metal Service Center Institute, North American Die Casting Association, Saporito Finishing Company, United Stationers and many others.

“As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, we are indebted to those individuals and organizations whose trust and confidence in us has made this occasion a reality,” said Merens.

“The longer one is involved in any business endeavor, the longer should be the list of those to thank and that certainly applies to us.”

NM Marketing Communications, LLC is a full-service, award-winning agency assisting clients with numerous external and internal marketing communications options. Our agency’s areas of expertise include image management, branding, media relations, online communications, collateral material development, issues management, direct mail and trade show/special event management services.