Ask the Coach: Mohammed’s 2nd Question, Push vs. Pull

My esteemed Plaxo colleague Part 2: Your evaluation on suitability and effectiveness of ‘push’ sales techniques versus ‘pull’ sales techniques ?

I am going to assume that Mohammed is asking me about pushing content to your prospects vs. pulling prospects to your content. This assumption is based on the modern concepts of Push and Pull. First, to define (From the Dictionary in my Brain):

Push methodology: The delivery of content or information to someone that is readily available. Examples: E-mail inbox, voicemail, mailbox.

Pull methodology: The goal of driving prospects to content through a series of communications. Examples: Banner ads that link to websites, television commercials that show 800 numbers.

While Mohammed asks about the suitability and effectiveness of each, I want to be clear about something. EVERY GREAT SALES AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN SHOULD HAVE A HEALTHY DOSE OF BOTH. B2B tends to have more push, I.E. e-mail campaigns, telemarketing and outbound sales initiatives, etc… B2C tends to be more about traditional and Internet advertising. Lately, crossover initiatives have great improved the productivity of many companies.

If you want the best results, blend your push and pull techniques to create constant triggers for prospects and your sales team alike. My favorite example is an e-mail campaign that offers white papers and other valuable resources for prospects that provide important information for their day to day needs. The material may not have anything to do with your offering on the surface, but they have to come to your website to leverage the resource (E-mail push, website pull). By offering the viable content, you build a perception as a thought leader, and your sales team has an easier time prospecting.

Now this may seem like a marketing technique, so let’s take it into a sales activity. Say, I called you today and mentioned some changes in your industry. I may also share with you how a well known company in your sector managed these changes. This part of the conversation is push, along with the follow up e-mail that I send sharing a link to the case study for that company. Now, you receive the e-mail, and while you are on the site downloading read about our services (pull). After reading you register for an online demo, and we engage in an initial relationship of salesperson and prospect. This harmonious relationship between push and pull has given you the impression that I am a business person with value to provide, not a pushy salesperson. Would we want it any other way?

Ask the Coach: Mohammed Thiabs’s 3rd Question, What is my experience with Target Account Selling »« Coffee break: Time is slipping so I am announcing a new group