Building a Better 2011

Okay, less than 75 days left till the end of the year.  Planning for 2011 is well underway in many companies, or quickly will be.  A-D and IMARK members have already held their annual meetings, enabling them to start next year’s discussions.

Currently the 2011 economic outlook looks like a repeat of 2010, so if you want to control your own destiny, planning for profitable growth in 2011 is critical.

Recently we wrote a couple of articles for Electrical Wholesaling that hopefully share some ideas.  The first one, entitled “10 Trends for 2011 and Beyond” focuses on marketing ideas for distributors.  “10 Ways Manufacturers Can Build a Better 2011” is a companion article.

Ideas for distributors included:

1. Use the Snap-On Tools Approach
2. Sell Strategically
3. Rethink Your Counter Area
4. Recalibrate your inventory levels and stock management strategies
5. Beef up your data analysis
6. Rethink how you reach specific demographics
7. Think retail
8. Integrate your marketing and sales strategies so you can customize your sales pitches
9. Harness the power of social media and web-based marketing
10. Blend in new products with your existing basket of products

And for manufacturers.

1. Be social
2. Distribute information electronically
3. Develop new distributor incentive programs
4. Build your brand preference
5. Consider jointly developing customer demand with synergistic manufacturers
6. Don’t underestimate the power of product samples
7. Rebuild relationships in the market
8. Make sure your salespeople are getting enough face time with customers
9. Consider new distribution channels
10. Advertise

We encourage you to read the complete articles on EW at:

• Distributors
• Manufacturers

or if you prefer, email us and we’ll send you a copy of the original article submission (yes, publishers do slightly edit the articles a little … we consultants have a tendency to write too many words for limited editorial space!)

And consider a recent study from Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc. that was mentioned in the October issue of The Wholesaler. The study concluded that sales teams under the oversight of a highly skilled sales manager produced 29% highger revenue, 47% higher employee satisfaction and 16% higher customer satisfaction.

So, what new, or unique, marketing initiatives are you planning for 2011? Do you consider your sales management team “highly skilled?” What skills should “highly skilled” sales management have?