Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Marketers and management know the effect that marketing has on the bottom line.
However, if the sales and customer service staff are not trained in marketing, the business could be missing out on opportunities to increase sales, now and in the future.
The Importance of a Strong Email List
A strong email list is very important to the bottom line.
Marketers know this.
In fact, as a recent eMarketer article points out, a study conducted by Ascend2 in January of 2015 found that email list growth remains a top focus for many marketers.
However, the same study found that 43% of the surveyed marketers said that list growth expertise was an obstacle to email list growth. A similar percentage (39%) said that problems forming an effective strategy hindered the growth of their email marketing list.
The study also examined which tactics marketers thought were most effective and which ones were most difficult for marketers who are looking to grow their email marketing lists.
It is interesting to note that only 11% said that getting customers to opt-in to receive emails while talking to the call center or via in-store capture was the most effective tactic for list growth.
Furthermore, about one in five surveyed marketers said that getting customers to opt-in while talking to the call-center or via in-store capture was the most difficult email list growth tactic.
There are many reasons why call center or in-store capture might be a difficult way to get many customers to opt-in to receive marketing emails.
However, part of the problem here might be the fact that while marketers and management know the value of the email list, sales and customer service staff are not always trained to know the positive effect that each email opt-in has on the business’s bottom line.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is already very important to the success of many businesses today. And, it will only play a larger role in the future.
Therefore, it is important that marketers and management continually look for ways to meet the needs of customers who are using mobile devices in many different settings.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of ways that customers can interact with your business via a mobile phone, including SMS, MMS, QR Codes, the mobile web, and proprietary mobile apps. The business might also partner with third party apps to help drive sales.
If customer service and sales staff are not trained on the latest ways mobile phones are being used to increase sales, the business will be missing out on an opportunity to educate the customer and possibly get an opt-in.
Furthermore, as I pointed out in a post last year, having sales and customer service employees who are not trained properly in the different ways that customers are interacting with the business via a mobile device can lead to frustration and delays in transaction time, which can lead to decreased customer satisfaction and fewer sales.
Some Possible Remedies
The most important thing is to provide proper training to your sales and customer service employees.
This will allow them to provide knowledgeable answers to questions about your mobile and email marketing campaigns. It will also give them the knowledge needed to “sell” customers on the value of downloading your mobile app or opting in to your email or SMS marketing campaigns.
Keep in mind, the hard sell is not needed and may end up backfiring.
More subtle techniques such as educating and showing customers all the ways that they can save money might be better.
For example, if the business offers discounts or coupons on their proprietary mobile app, have staff mention it to customers and educate them about how to use the app, if needed. If the brand is partnering with third-party apps, suggesting that customers use them might also be a good idea.
Furthermore, some stores offer discounts when customers opt-in to receive marketing emails at the cash register. This is something that your business might want to consider.
Final Thoughts
Marketers are trying to reach their customers in some very innovative ways in order to provide them with value that will lead to a sale.
Sales and customer service staff have a great opportunity to educate customers about the value that these marketing campaigns can provide.
However, this is only possible if sales and customer service staff are properly trained on the different ways that your business is marketing its products and services to customers and prospects.
Photo credit: Wonderlane on Flickr.
Clik here to view.
