Marketing Mix – less pasta, more nuts
Marketing Mix
Your role as a Telesales Consultant is to sell the opportunity to the DM (Decision Maker), the person ultimately responsible for marketing/advertising decisions and, to convince your client to advertise with you so you can sell your product/event/opportunity.
There are many mediums: newspaper, magazine, calendar or an event such as a football game (using the LED’s that go around a pitch or basketball court, etc).
A company is like an individual with certain tastes needing to target a certain audience/ demographic for their product(s). For example, Saga Cruises (targeting over 50/60’s?) is perhaps, unlikely to advertise during a commercial break for “Love Island”. Monster Munch is unlikely to advertise during a commercial break for “Coronation Street”.
To sell their product a company needs to consider the following:
Ringfence or set aside a chunk of their total income, sometimes a percentage, at other times a random amount of money when starting up, to promote themselves. This is called Marketing and, the different types of marketing that a company does collectively is called it’s Marketing Mix.
For example, we all have our preferences when it comes to a pick ‘n’ mix. We can choose to pick peanuts, hazlenuts, walnuts, pistachios – and any kind of nut that we like; in different proportions. We all have our own perfect combination for the ideal pick and mix.
It is the same in marketing. There are different things that go towards the basket of marketing that a company can use.
From experience each company is the expert in what they need… until you come along and convince them otherwise.
Examples of Marketing Media
Television (very expensive).
Radio (expensive, but less so).
OOH (Out Of Home). This is everything that you see outside your front door, including street furniture, bus stops, outdoor billboards, buses and, taxis. All these might be included in the company’s Marketing Mix.
Even while waiting in the Post Office queue or at the GP surgery you are being faced with a screen trying to sell you the best Euro exchange rate, or a holiday in the Bahamas.
Examples of Paid Marketing:
Print.
Newspapers, magazines.
Conferences and exhibitions.
PR (Public Relations) Sometimes not regarded as being in the marketing mix because it’s mostly unpaid for.
If Amazon were to announce they will employ one thousand people over the next three years, the cost of PR is likely to be minimum. People are hanging on their every word.
We have all experienced the launch of a new flavoured drink being given away at mainline train stations (did you go around twice and get a second sample?)
Some companies go further and employ ambassadors. We have all seen a certain well-known personality for hair care products.
The telesales role is to engage with the Decision Maker, and to sell your product or service to add and enhance their current marketing mix.
Start high like on a ski slope, aim for the top executive and, if that is not feasible, go down to the head of marketing. Always aim for the top and work your way down.
Online Marketing
When people are searching for your company on Google, you want to be found near the top. Sometimes costs are involved. This is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Additionally, if targeting millennials (people under 30), an increasingly important avenue of marketing is Social Media (eg. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). Not totally free, therefore part of your marketing mix.
Influencers
Kylie Jenner is a popular Influencer with millions of followers. Should a company’s product be mentioned by her it is almost certain to fly off the shelves. To pay to reach that target group on TV, at a time they are watching, could cost millions. Therefore, social media is worth it’s weight in gold.
As for a potential client: where their mind goes, their wallet will follow.