JSA was honored to be asked by Global Telecoms Business Magazine to write a second article, but this time, on the top questions marketers should asking the sales team. The article was just released on Friday- here are some highlights:
1 . Why is this new product/service launch important to your overall business strategy?
In order to be an effective extension of a team, we have to be part of the team. This means trusted access — in accordance with our strict non-disclosure agreements, of course — as to where the company is heading.
For example, what’s the end-game strategy? Is it a series of acquisitions/mergers, going public, going national or global? Is it a medley of these strategies? And how does the new launch of a service/product or news further this corporate end goal? How will it make the company stronger or more accessible? How does it add to your customers’ experience and/or that of the telecom industry as a whole? Ensuring that each new message further strengthens the company’s underlying essence goes a long way in strengthening the brand and overall company value and perception.
2. Who do you see as your competitor for this new/existing product/service?
With today’s telecoms companies redefining themselves and consolidating their offerings on a regular basis, a competitive check-in, even per product, can result in some surprising answers. Clients can be partners as well as competitors and we need to be mindful of this ecosystem as we craft new messages. We also need to stay on top of competitive benchmarking, to understand and define our niche differences.
By clearing outlining these differences to the marketplace, we are not only providing more educational resources, which helps further position our company as the thought leader on this particular keyword or phrase — see my Global Telecoms Business article in the July/August issue for more on this — but ideally shortening the time needed to close the deal, something your sales team will love.
3 . What’s your timeline?
It’s not enough to have a strategy if you don’t marry it to a hard-hitting timetable that illustrates a sense of industry/community awareness. Line up your launch plan with a networking event or trade show that targets your prospect base. Make sure the media attending this event receives as much information and advance notice to pique their interest and to plan one-on-one interviews on-site. We have to be aggressive in this industry to be the first to market with a new idea or product, but be wary of announcing before your company is ready — for example, your provisioning capabilities and so on.
Also try to set realistic deadlines so that your collective teams are able to work together constructively to ensure streamlined messages and outreach. A launch of a new product or offering should not just be handled by the communications team; it should include, for example, the sales teams contacting their prospects or existing client base to inform them of this exciting news and how it could potentially benefit them.
Want more? Read the full article here: http://www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com/Article/3096149/Top-seven-questions-telecom-marketers-should-be-asking-your-sales-team.html
And leave a comment below the article. We want to hear your top tips for inclusion in our next article!
