Avoid the Pitfalls of Online Marketing. With Bill Troy [Episode 602]

Bill Troy, CEO of Civilis Marketing and author of the upcoming book Clicksand, joins me on this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Bill says the single biggest challenge facing sales reps today is how the online marketing mindset has affected sales reps. They see leads in an adversarial way to be lured. This is a different path from building relationships.
• Bill’s upcoming book warns sales reps against adopting a marketing view. Bill misses the optimism of approaching a client to work with them, not against them.
• Big data is interpreted through algorithms. Algorithms are written by people with a stake in the sales process. If an ‘open rate’ is the key for email, what happens when you use a deceptive subject line to tweak the open rate?
• Email and other online marketing provide a form of anonymity and make it easier to act differently than you would face-to-face.
• Clark Stanley started selling snake oil at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, mixed fresh on site. He built a multi-million dollar whole business on this ‘liniment.’ He was finally shut down for false labeling practices. It still happens.
• One third of Bill’s book is about all the triggers in our brains that cause a snake oil pitch to work. In ten years people will talk about how everybody bought the online marketing magic pill. Fear of missing out is one trigger.
• Bill wants marketers to stand up and say, this isn’t right. A $2K ad will not bring in a $1million sale. There are appropriate techniques. Start with your marketing and sales approach, and see what tools you need to use.
• Bill gives an example from his book of why one-to-one sales are needed. Even online marketing sellers sell online marketing in person.
• Build your sales and marketing process around what your prospect needs in order to buy from you. This may mean building a relationship before starting a sale.
• Companies have sales processes but are missing relationship processes.
• Don’t use online marketing in a one-to-many model. You aren’t selling to many, you are selling to one person, and the model must be directed to that person with their own needs.
• Whatever you are looking for a client to invest in you, show you are investing that much in them. Marketing is for putting yourself into the position to have a one-on-one conversation with a prospect. Make it good.