The Real ABCs of Sales and Marketing
Instead of always trying to get the sale right away, focus on truly connecting with potential customers first.
A B C, it’s easy as 1, 2, 3 . . .
Now that I’ve got you humming the Jackson 5, let’s talk about the real ABCs of sales and marketing.
In sales, ABC is “Always Be Closing.”
This always on, push to close mentality is distilled to it’s raw, get the money and run, essence in Alec Baldwin’s scene-chewing scene in Glengarry Glenn Ross (embedded below to enjoy again or for the first time).
I’ve always thought that approach was wrong.
I didn’t really understand why until I got into content marketing 15 years ago.
Instead of “Always Be Closing,” the ABCs of sales and marketing should be “Always Be Connecting.”
Or maybe an even better – and more accurate – way to say it would be ABCTC (Always Be Connecting TO Close).
I always feel a weird tension when creating marketing content.
On the one hand, I want to help (and maybe even be a little funny) by providing information you can use to think about marketing a little differently, write a little bit better, or come to grips with AI (a topic I’ll be writing more about soon).
On the other hand, I want you (or at least some of you) to use me to write your newsletter (or blogs, ebooks, email campaigns, etc.) or work on your content strategy and it’s implementation.
Marketing IS about making money.
So when it comes to inbound and content marketing, you absolutely want to close. If you’re marketing a mass market/consumer type product, then you want to use your marketing to lead directly to sales. If you’re passing leads along, you do want those leads to close.
We’re not marketing to be altruistic, but to improve sales.
But, being as intense as Alec Baldwin is – in your face, pushing, always on – is as or more likely to turn customers off than to result in a sale.
Content marketing is often a slow burn.
You want to warm up your leads before turning them over to sales. You don’t want to have a salesperson start dry humping a lead immediately after they said “yes” to a connection from you.
That’s like being on a first date and then proposing marriage 10 minutes into the date.
It’s creepy.
But.
Magic happens when we make a connection with another person.
Remember that it’s always a person.
Not click.
Not eyeball.
Person.
Behind every click is a person potentially looking to buy what you sell.
Other ABCs
I toyed around with “Always Be Conversing” or “Always Be Talking,” but the first doesn’t flow and ABT is just … weird, plus it sounds like something to do with taxes.
Always be conversing sounds better, because you want to be talking and informing and interacting with your customers. Conversing is just an odd formulation of conversation or converse (great shoes) and chatting is too . . . ephemeral of a word to support the weight of strategy.
You chat with your neighbor, the person next to you in the checkout line, or your co-worker on Slack. As the carrier of a concept for marketing, always be chatting leaves something to be desired.
5 Tips for Making an Online Connection
How do you connect online? These common tips will get you started.
And, yes, these tips ARE commonly shared. BUT MOST PEOPLE DON’T FOLLOW THEM.
So, are these tips basic? Yep. Do they work? Yep.
Personalize Your Outreach: Customize your messages to reflect the recipient's interests or needs. No one wants to feel like a number. Personalization also boosts response rates and can lead to a real connection – and even a real-life friendship.
Engage on Social Media: Be active on platforms where your target audience spends time. Comment on their posts, share valuable content, and participate in discussions to build visibility and credibility. DON’T SELL YOUR PRODUCT – especially at first and especially not a hard sell.
Provide Value First: Share insights, resources, or assistance without expecting immediate returns
Be Consistent and Follow Up: Regularly engage with your connections and follow up after initial contact. Don’t just drop in when you need to meet your quarterly or end of year quotes. Consistency helps to keep you top of mind.
Join and Participate in Online Communities: Find forums, groups, or professional networks relevant to your industry – Reddit and LinkedIn are two to start with. Active participation in these communities helps you connect with like-minded individuals, share knowledge, and establish yourself as a trusted member of the community.
Connect to Close
The old school "Always Be Closing" mantra is played out.
It's time to embrace the new ABCs – "Always Be Connecting." Content marketing is all about the slow burn, warming up those potential customers by providing value and making real connections, not instantly going for the hard sell like Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross.
Personalize your outreach, engage authentically on social, share killer content - that's how you build trust and credibility. Nurture those relationships and ask to close without being a creep about it.
Magic happens when you connect as people, not just eyeballs or clicks. So leave the intense closing tactics behind – always be connecting instead.
Do you want to connect regularly with your customers? You need a newsletter. Check out my “Newsletter-in-a-Box” offer here.
I look forward to working with you.
And here is the ABC from Glengarry Glenn Rose.