The role of marketing is to
1) grow the size of your community and
2) enhance the feel of being a part of that community.
If done right, nothing is more powerful than a professionally executed event that gives your employees, clients, recruits, and prospects a "taste" of what it feels like to do business with you.
THE IMPACT OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING ON CULTURE
If you ask employees would you rather have a bonus or company trip, most would say bonus. Smart companies understand that people don't remember bonuses but they never forget the amazing experience of a company trip. The same holds true with events.
Creating an event for clients and prospects that employees participate in has a double bonus. It connects clients and prospects to your brand and grows loyalty. Employees that participate in this experience also feel the brand and it provides them with an employee engagement boost.
BUT WHY DO SO MANY EVENTS FAIL?
With the potential upside of experiential marketing being so high, why are so many poorly planned and executed? The talented team at my most recent media business executed close to 500 events in one year. Large scale awards programs, prospect parties, client events, custom events, small round tables and holiday parties. You name it, we did it and in most cases "we did it right."
When we stubbed our toe or let down a client it was because of the following:
1) Not enough people in the room.
2) The wrong people in the room.
3) The lack of meaning, energy or purpose.
ENERGY AND PURPOSE CREATES A CULTURE
Ultimately, an event is an extension of marketing and is required to bring clients and prospects together so that the sales organization can monetize on that relationship. So when one of the three aforementioned failures occurs, it is due to poor planning or execution. In order to create a successful event that benefits the sales team, follow this process:
1) Install an accountability mindset - read this
2) Create a project plan, with all the steps required to be successful, including when it is due and who is doing it
3) Create a detailed attendance plan, who do you want there and why
4) Automate and outreach rhythm, using SALESROCKIT technology
5) Create a voice and desired energy of event
6) WORK THE PLAN and use SALESROCKIT technology to ensure the plan is being followed
EVENT PROJECT PLANS AND EXECUTION RHYTHMS
When you start using the SALESROCKIT sales enablement technology, your first focus will be on voice and setting up the rhythms to support your current sales activities. Once your team has mastered this process in the first 4-8 weeks, new methods to attract new business can be implemented.
We will provide you with detailed PROJECT PLANS and the related EXECUTION RHYTHMS to ensure these activities get executed. We have them built and ready for you to use when YOU are ready.
Let's have a great growth year!
