This document summarizes the December 2011 issue of the official magazine of Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc. It includes 3 articles: 1. An article on compensation and coaching strategies for 2012, noting that quotas are increasing while compensation is decreasing, and emphasizing the importance of coaching, even for senior reps. 2. An article on using expressions and questions that evoke emotion when selling, to engage prospects emotionally before rationally. It provides examples of emotional language and questions. 3. A list of 7 digital trends that marketers should be aware of, such as the growth of mobile internet and social media.

1. marketingtimes
Official magazine of Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc. December 2011
®
Christmas Wish List
Customers that
The Right Coach don’t complain
7
Expressions
My Career Back
that help Digital
me sell Trends
on Track!
George Orwell’s
help with branding
Strategies for retaining
my profitable accounts
1 marketingtimes 2011
Award
Photos

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3. CONTENTS
8 COMPENSATION & COACHING: 2012 STYLE
10 AAAAAHHHHH! (AND A LIST OF OTHER EXPRESSIONS
THAT HELP YOU SELL)
12 SEVEN DIGITAL TRENDS MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW
14 ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS ALWAYS RIGHT?
16 A BRANDING LESSON FROM GEORGE ORWELL
18 HOW TO GET YOUR DERAILED EXECUTIVE CAREER
BACK ON TRACK
20 PROTECTING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE: 3 STRATEGIES
FOR RETAINING YOURMOST PROFITABLE ACCOUNTS
DEPARTMENTS
4 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
7 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

4. marketingtimes
Official magazine of
Sales & Marketing Executives
chairman’sreport
International, Inc. JEFF FAWCETT, CSE
Jeff.fawcett@smei.org
It’s been an amazing year for SMEI and we have been
working hard with your SMEI leadership team all around the
world. Earlier in the year we were in Vietnam to plan for
® our upcoming launch and also in Beijing to launch a new
four year agreement for cooperation on SMEI’s professional
SMEI OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 2011- 2012 certification programs.
OFFICERS SMEI just completed a four-city lecture tour in China lead by
Jeff Fawcett – Chairman our president Willis Turner, CAE CSE, with stops in Beijing,
Nathalie Roemer, CME – Secretary Treasurer
Clinton Schroeder, CME CSE - Chairman Elect
Dalian, Jinan and Shenzhen. The theme of the lecture topic
Jeffery Jackson, CME CSE – Immediate Past Chairman was “Creating Champions: The impact of sales training
Willis Turner CAE CSE – President & CEO on your organization.” Feedback has been very positive with a local slogan being
developed of “People before Profits,” with human resource managers and marketing
SENIOR VICE CHAIRS leaders responding to the need for sales and marketing training. In this competitive
Lynn Argenbright – Membership
world market, sales and marketing managers in developing countries are adopting
Lisa Dennis – Affiliate & Chapter Relations
Kim Ferguson – Programs SMEI’s certification programs in an effort to reach a globally recognized standard of
Ben Mastboom – Europe professionalism.
Antonio Rios-Ramirez, Ph.D. – Mexico
SMEI’s Senior Vice Chair in Europe, Ben Mastboom has been instrumental in helping
DIRECTORS
us set up a partnership with HAN University to promote membership and certification
Jose Corujo, CME
Colleen Francis
in the Netherlands. An SMEI study mission to Europe is planned for May 2012. Stay
Jeananne Hawking tuned for more information.
Mike Hilbert
Keali’i Kane We have just returned from San Juan Puerto Rico where we partnered with SME Puerto
Karl Post Rico for the 2011 Sales & Marketing Conference. SME Puerto Rico President Carlos
Mary Tricaso, CSE
Marchi, CME CSE, the Puerto Rico board and staff, made us all feel very welcome.
Jack Criswell, CSE – Chairman Emeritus We held our SMEI board meeting, Certification Governance meeting and we ran a
Don Covington, Jr., CSE – Director Emeritus successful Leadership Training session. Next year’s Leadership Event will be held in Las
Vegas during October.
Marketing Times is published quarterly by Sales & Marketing I want to end with a story from my visit to San Juan. On my family’s last day we
Executives International, Inc. (SMEI).
visited the very large Plaza Americas. I visited the Bose Store, looking for a cable part
CERTIFIED MARKETING & SALES PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION I misplaced from our speaker system. I was greeted by the local assistant manager
Nathalie Roemer, CME – Chairman William, who asked how he could help. He took me to the portable unit area to make
Melissa Medley, CME - Immediate Past Chairman sure we were talking about the right system. He asked me where I was visiting from,
I said Vancouver Canada. His eyes lit up as he explained his love for Vancouver. He
was given the opportunity to open the Bose Store in Vancouver 4 years ago. He quickly
SMEI disappeared to the back of the store and re-appeared with the cable part. He put it in
PO Box 1390 a bag and said have a great stay in Puerto Rico. No payment was required. No good
Sumas, WA 98295-1390 USA deed goes untold in SMEI’s world of Sales & Marketing!
T 312-893-0751
F 604-855-0165
As we continue execution on our marketing plan to help SMEI grow, get ready to reach
admin@smei.org www.smei.org
out and share your SMEI with friends and business associates around the world.
Willis Turner CAE, CSE – Executive Editor
Have a great holiday season.
Copyright Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc.
Subscription Rates: 4 issues/year
USA: $35.00
Jeff Fawcett
Canada: $45.00 Chairman, SMEI Board of Directors
All other countries/territories: $95.00
The statements and opinions expressed in this magazine are not
necessarily those of SMEI.
4 marketingtimes

5. ®
Click here to learn more!
5 marketingtimes

6. 6 marketingtimes

7. president’smessage
WILLIS TURNER, CAE, CSE
willis.turner@smei.org
Wow! Time has gotten away on me since we last
communicated with you through Marketing Times. As you’ll
see by this issue, it has been a very busy and enjoyable
time for SMEI as we continue to develop SMEI globally.
It was a great privilege to be treated to the hospitality
of Alan Zhang, CME CSE, CEO of SMEI China as we I also had the opportunity to attend the Grand
conducted a four city lecture tour in October. The many Opening Ceremonies for SMEI Vietnam, held in
years of labor in P China are beginning to bear fruit. I
.R. Ho Chi Minh City on October 28th. The event
was very impressed with the professionalism of our leaders was professionally produced and many senior
and members in every city. executives and decision makers attended the
event. We presented the certificates to the first
CME and CSE graduating class. A great start for
Vietnam!
CME/CSE Train the Trainer Class
in Beijing, P China
.R.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Oct 28, 2011
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Visit SMEI on:
LinkedIn
Facebook
CME/CSE Train the Trainer Graduates Twitter
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
7 marketingtimes

8. Compensation &
Coaching: 2012 Style
By Barry Trailer
8 marketingtimes

9. SMEI was a supporter again this year of CSO Insights’ 2011 the more likely the answer is to be “no.” If I’m right, your
Sales Compensation & Performance Management study. sales manager is making a big mistake. Again, turning to
More than 900 firms responded to our survey sharing their the data, it is interesting to note that as the deal size goes up
data, experiences and plans. The picture that emerged from (presumably with the experience and responsibility earned by
this collective is both interesting and informative. being successful), coaching actually tapers off—even in firms
The interesting part is, that after a year’s breather, quotas with a philosophy supporting rigorous coaching! (See table
are heading north again—(on average increasing $100K) below.)
and doing so at a speed that is outpacing compensation
(targeted comp at quota down an average of $1150). No I believe this happens for a couple of reasons. First,
surprise there, but still worth noting. This also seems to beg managers see successful veterans and think, “I get this
the question: If 62% of reps met or exceeded their assigned guy what he needs when he needs it, and the rest of the
quotas in 2011 (projected from data collected during Q3) time I stay out of his way.” Besides, there are younger,
what will change to allow a similar percentage to reach less experienced and remedial reps that need a manager’s
even higher numbers? attention. The second scenario is more fear based, with
Incidentally, while it’s important that 100% of reps be able a manager that would be willing to coach but fearing the
to make their number, you should know that comp plans successful rep will simply say, “Look, I don’t have time for
are not developed with the assumption that they will. This this crap. If you want to inspect what I’m doing all the time,
may come as no surprise either and it is left to you to decide I’ll go to the competition where they’ll just be happy with my
whether comp design with 30% not attaining their goal is results and let me be.”
being realistic (based on past performance) or cynical. And yet, the data show that in those firms where coaching
As with so many other things in life, since you can’t control continues to be conducted even as deal size increases,
this you needn’t spend much time worrying about it. Rather, performance also increases and turnover is lower!
you should examine what you can do and control to make Don’t be too big, too old, too smart, too proud, too busy or
sure you’re in the winners’ circle at end of year. too anything else to not be open to coaching. It’s the #1 key
The top measures for compensation are quota attainment to mastery and the surest path to you attaining that higher
and new account acquisition. These are the results against number you’ll be facing come January.
which you will be measured and for which you will be
paid. But you don’t do results; you do certain actions that
are reflected in your results. This is where performance Barry Trailer is a Managing Partner of CSO Insights,
management comes in and, specifically, coaching. a research firm that specializes in benchmarking how
companies are leveraging people, process, technology
What things can you do that, if improved and consistently and knowledge to optimize the way they market to, sell
executed, will get you the results you’re after? to, and service customers. Mr. Trailer has over 30 years of
The data clearly support higher levels of relationship professional selling experience and is an expert on sales
and process implementation correlate with higher levels processes and methodologies for complex B2B environments.
of performance. Have you sat down and planned your Prior to CSO Insights, Barry was vice president of North
territory, accounts, mix of new/existing business, and American Sales, then president of the GoldMine Division of
developed a game plan and timeline for executing? Yes, FrontRange. He has presented to thousands of sales reps and
good. Now, has your manager reviewed this and provided executives and is a sought-after speaker.
you regular and rigorous coaching?
My bet is that the more senior and experienced you are,
Company’s No Coaching Informal Rigorous
Attitude Left to Managers Coaching Coaching
Toward
Coaching
% Reps Meeting 58% 57% 61%
Quota
Total Rep Turnover 30% 22% 21%
Deal Size <$10K 24% 42% 31%
Deal Size $50- 32% 40% 17%
100K
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Deal Size >$250K 29% 46% 18%

10. AAAAAHHHHH!
(and a list of other expressions that help
you sell) Dan Seidman
I’ve always wanted to use that as a title to an
article. I love the sound of it. And honestly, I
struggled between using AAAARRGGGHHH!
and AAAAAAHHHHH! and believe you’ll agree
that I chose the right one.
The point of that expression? The fact that it
represents an emotion, an outburst of feeling.
Say it again, right now. Did our title come
flying off your tongue as a good feeling, or
one of disgust, possibly despair?
We open today’s column with a feeling
because the understanding of emotions is one
of the least understood, and certainly least
taught, concepts in selling.
Here’s what you want to walk away with, after
today’s teaching:
You must evoke emotion when you converse
with prospects.
How best to do this? By crafting your questions
so that they create, not simply a logical, but a
gut response from your buyers.
How do we know this is important? How do we
know it works?
The study of Neuroeconomics is a combination
of research from the fields of psychology,
economics and neuroscience. It looks at the
role of the brain when we evaluate decisions,
categorize risks and rewards, and interact with
each other.
Almost every study on decision-making reveals
that when a buyer decides to buy, she or he
is first driven by emotion, then validates or
rationalizes with logic.
Therefore, as a sales professional, we need to
understand that evoking emotion during a
sales call is key to helping buyers buy. If you
neglect to create an environment where an
emotional response occurs, you’ll end up
with a clinical, rational prospect who decides
with his or her head vs. their heart. If this
fascinates you and you want more information,
you’ll be captivated by the stories, research
and applications from Jonah Lehrer’s book,
How We Decide.
Corporate marketing executives understands
this quite well. For example, at the writing of
this article, BMW came out with an automobile
commercial that illustrates this point:
BMW: What you make people feel is as
important as what you make. 10 marketingtimes

11. !
We don’t just make cars, we make joy! This means you can develop questions
It is accompanied with many images, all connected with the that generate either positive or negative
word “joy,” a powerful emotion. emotions. Here are a few examples.
It’s time for sales pros in across our planet to intentionally adapt Positive emotions
these practices as well. ●Excitement
The basis of all our questioning strategies centers on evoking ●Empathy
emotion first. Which means we need to understand the ●Hope
emotional component of every benefit we offer and every
problem solved by our products and/or services. ●Calm
When prospects make decisions they will either choose based ●Surprise
on benefits, good things they get, or they will be motivated to
take action and buy based on avoiding problems, in the present
Negative emotions
or future.
●Disgust
●Irritation
●Fear
●Embarrassment
●Stress
You reinforce the power of emotion when
you ask your questions by directly inserting a
bit of feeling. Try this one out;
“You had customized books ordered for your
national sales conference and they arrived
at the end of the event? Oh no! What did
your boss say?”
Now you can assume, the “oh no!” shows
you’re empathetic to the bad experience
(much like former U.S. President Bill
Clinton’s classic “I feel your pain”), but
the boss question is a real rough one.
Your buyer will most likely go right back
to that place and time where his manager,
executive or owner got angry with the poor
person for letting this mistake happen in the
first place.
Evoke emotion! Take a couple of your
favorite sales questions and use both words
and vocal tone to bring some emotion to the
surface.
For a chart of the 48 emotions and sample
questions, send me an email at Dan@
GotInfluenceInc.com.
Dan Seidman’s 900 page encyclopedia
of best-practices in sales training will be
released globally in February, 2012. For a
unique keynote or to review your existing
sales training program (it might be time to
redesign!), contact Dan at 1-847-359-7860
or Dan@GotInfluenceInc.com.
11 marketingtimes

12. digital
Trends 7
M arketers
Should Know
By Chris Chariton
Changes in the digital world of marketing 1. Online events
keep coming fast and furious. As a marketer, According to a recent GlobalSpec Marketing
it can be challenging to know which online Trends Survey, 47% of industrial companies
trends are important and which are nothing are increasing their spending on online
but fads. One thing most marketers do know events. Online events, sometimes called virtual
by now is that digital marketing is marketing events or online tradeshows, are a trend
— in other words, with your audience having made possible by high bandwidth availability
fully migrated online to search for suppliers, and emerging technologies that allow media
products, and services, digital marketing is companies to produce and host highly-
the most effective way to connect with your interactive experiences. Online events targeted
prospects and customers. to your specific audience offer you an excellent
opportunity to showcase your product line,
Here, then, are seven digital trends worth build your brand reputation, provide content to
paying attention to. your audience, and connect with prospects and
customers. What’s more, you can do it all from
the comfort and convenience of your desktop
— as can your audience.
12 marketingtimes

13. in your industry. Online advertising networks
2. Video also offer the convenience of reaching many
sites with a single buy, helping you save time
Video is experiencing a significant growth and make the most effective use of your budget.
spurt, in fact, a high percentage of companies Banner ads are highly visual; they offer great
are increasing their spending on video, and it’s branding opportunities and can drive qualified,
easy to see why. In the age of YouTube, videos targeted traffic to your website.
are cheap to produce; homemade production
quality is not only acceptable, but cool. Also
working in video’s favor is the fact that many 6. Testing and Analytics
people like to watch, not read. Looking for One big advantage of digital media is that
some good ideas for video? Try brief interviews it is easy to test and measure. A/B testing is
with executives, conversations among product becoming a popular way to optimize e-mail
managers, product demonstrations, or on-site campaigns, Web pages and other online media.
visits to customers where your products are A/B testing basically means you split your list
being used. in two and send each list a slightly different
version of what you’re testing, changing only
3. Social Media one thing at a time and measuring what
performs better. In addition, every company
Although many companies have begun should be performing some type of Web site
implementing social media, make sure you analytics such as measuring traffic, page
understand the specific reasons and goals for popularity, and visitor behavior to help make
your own social media strategy. For example, informed decisions about optimizing your site.
the top reasons companies use social media are
for branding and lead generation purposes,
yet only 3 percent of companies state that 7. Online Marketing Budgets
social media is one of their top three sources The top eight channels for increased marketing
for leads. At this point in the maturation of spend in 2011 are all online — from social
the social media market, increasing brand media and SEO, to Internet banner advertising
awareness and building relationships are the networks and online newsletter sponsorships
outcomes most effectively achieved. LinkedIn and more. In addition, according to
is the most popular social media platform for GlobalSpec’s 2011 Industrial Marketing Trends
sectors such as the industrial industry, followed Survey, companies spend an average of 38
by Facebook and then Twitter. percent of their marketing budget online and 50
percent report that online marketing is a larger
4. Digital Content percentage of their overall marketing budget
this year than last year. Online marketing
A few years ago, everyone was saying “Content should continue to take a bigger slice of the
is King.” Well, in many ways, content still is marketing budget in subsequent years, as more
king — digital content — as attested to by marketers experience the ROI associated with
the huge growth of e-readers, the iPad and online programs and discover they can connect
other devices for consuming digital content. better with customers and prospects online.
And it’s not just Web pages. There are videos,
Webinars, downloadable PDFs, e-books,
interactive tools and more. Your customers About the Author:
and prospects are hungry for content to help Chris Chariton is Senior Vice President of Product Management
them do their jobs and make better purchasing & Supplier Marketing for GlobalSpec (www.globalspec.
decisions. Your job is to create that content and com), the leading providers of online marketing programs for
get it to them in digital format. companies interested in reaching the engineering, industrial and
manufacturing communities. She oversees all direct marketing,
5. Internet Banner Advertising demand generation, product management and market research,
as well as public relations and advertising. She can be reached
Internet banner advertising has become at cchariton@globalspec.com.
a strong value proposition for marketers
because of the availability of highly-targeted
advertising networks that can place your ads
on specific sites frequented by professionals
13 marketingtimes

14. Are Your Customers
always Right?
In business, the squeaky wheel almost always winds
up getting the grease. Customers tend to be rewarded
target the top 20 percent with a top market strategy.
for complaining, but that strategy leaves money on the
table, according to marketing consultant Betsy Kruger. Your business can profit from the 80/20 rule by enacting these
steps:
· Distinguish your top customers – Identify ways the top
No one likes hearing a complaint, so when a customer 20 percent of your customers differ from other customers and
complains, a business quickly and resoundingly rectifies what characteristics they have in common. Realize that your top
the complaint. The problem with this strategy is that customers are highly profitable.
disgruntled customers bring in less profit than loyal
customers. Your business should focus on gratifying
your most profitable customers. · Target your top customers – Gratify your top customers
with a top market strategy. Discontinue marketing to the bottom
80 percent of your customers by automating all interactions
Contrary to popular opinion, the customer is not always with that group.
right, Kruger says.
· Promote to top prospects – Focus resources on converting
It’s wrong to reward complainers. You should reward similar prospects into top customers. When you replace your
loyal customers since they reward your business with less profitable customers with these new customers, you can
higher profit. You should value their business since expect your total profit from customers to quadruple.
loyal customers value your business.”
“You may feel it’s rude to consider some customers as less
valuable than others, but research proves it’s true,” Kruger
The 80/20 rule governs all results, including profits says. “The top 20 percent of your customers magnifies your
from customers. profit, whereas the bottom 20 percent of your customers
magnifies your complaints.”
When you sort customers by their profitability, this
universal law predicts that the top 20 percent of your I feel it’s rude to reward complainers since loyal customers
customers will generate 80 percent of your profit. deserve to be rewarded. When you prioritize your customers
Conversely, the bottom 80 percent of your customers with the 80/20 rule, you are prioritizing your profit.
will generate only 20 percent of your profit – and
virtually all of your complaints. This means you should
About the Author:
Betsy Kruger heads Strategic Power, a marketing consultancy committed to empowering world prosperity, one business at a time.
Business Expert Press released her book, Top Market Strategy: Applying the 80/20 Rule, in August 2011. This book enriches marketing
and strategy textbooks and shows business leaders exactly how to quadruple their profit from customers. She writes articles, motivates
groups, leads seminars, and consults with clients on how to prosper from the 80/20 rule.
14 marketingtimes

15. 15 marketingtimes

16. A Branding Lesson
from George Orwell Jim Signorelli
As I walked into my office today, there was a copy of George Orwell’s 1984 on my desk. On the book was a
sticky note attached to a page with a drawn arrow that pointed to a certain passage. The note wasn’t signed, but
I knew that the words “READ THIS!” were written in my assistant Heather’s handwriting.
Like most books I was supposed to read in high school, all I can remember about George Orwell’s 1984 is what
Cliff Notes told me to remember. And what I remember most are warnings against evil dictators, Big Brother and
the thought police.
As I wondered if Heather was trying to send me a message, I sheepishly started reading the passage. By the time
I was done I was ready to give her a promotion.
Here is an extract from the passage the arrow pointed to:
The book fascinated him, or more exactly it reassured him. In a sense it told him nothing that was new, but that
was part of the attraction. It said what he would have said, if it had been possible for him to set his scattered
thoughts in order. It was the product of a mind similar to his own. The best books, he perceived, are those that
tell you what you know already.
The context is less important than the content of16 message. But if you’re interested, it’s in Chapter 9 when the
this marketingtimes
lead character finishes reading a book he had been struggling to get his hands on.
Heather has known for a while that I have a fascination with the similarities between stories and brands. She also

17. knows that this passage supports what I believe is yet associate through brands like Craftsman, Die-Hard,
another in a long list of parallels that can be drawn and Kenmore. We gave Radio Shack a “you’ve got
between good stories and good brands. to be kidding” snicker when they tried to go from
To understand why Orwell’s passage resonated with geeky to hip with its new moniker “The Shack.” And
me, I should first let you in on a couple of beliefs then there’s the archetypal New Coke mistake that
I have about brands, in general. You should know taught us that changing an image, especially when it
that I don’t think brands are objects; rather they ain’t broke, can be a costly mistake.
are labels given to objects for which we associate Time and time again we hear Chicken Little
certain meanings. Furthermore, you should know pronouncements by management that “we must
that I believe that the “best” brands contained within change our identity (read: meaning) or we are going
anyone’s favored set of brands satisfy needs that go to perish.” More often than not, the only thing that
beyond product or service functions. Rather, they are needs to change is an improved sense of meanings
brands that have meanings we value as important. that haven’t changed.
Mercedes means something important to the owners At its core, Old Spice is a brand we have learned to
of Mercedes, as does the meaning of Subaru to its associate with masculinity. Granted, it might be our
owners. father’s aftershave. But “Smell Like A Man,” didn’t
Understanding this, the real “ah ha!” for me is a bother to change Old Spice’s meaning in order to
point that Orwell makes in this passage about “best reignite its appeal. Rather, it stayed the course merely
books.” He says they tell us what we already know with a more contemporized frame of reference
and that they are the “product of minds similar to we now have for masculinity. Volkswagen’s Beetle
ours.” In other words, they don’t create beliefs and found its link to its reverse snobbery roots when it
values as much as they reinforce what’s already reestablished a cult following by introducing the
there. And they do this by awakening our minds or new Beetle with alternative rock music. It furthered
putting “our scattered thoughts in order.” that link by attaching a flower vase to its dashboard.
When Steve Jobs passed away, one of the most Sperry Topsiders, an old, tired brand sold mostly
poignant comments I heard about him was that to men, dramatically increased sales by making
he didn’t give us Apple computers, iPods or iPads. its long-held association with the good life, on or
Rather, he gave us Apple. He gave us a meaning around the water, relevant to women and kids.
that we could connect with emotionally for those of Thank-you George Orwell for putting my scattered
us who, like Jobs, value what is promoted through thoughts in order. And thank-you Heather. You’ve
Apple’s theme line, “Think Different.” The reason been elevated to Super Assistant.
we could connect with this meaning isn’t because
Steve Jobs put that meaning into our belief system.
It was already there. Like a good story, meanings
associated with Apple are meanings that, to borrow
from Orwell, “fascinate or more exactly reassure
us.” Apple gave us something we were already
predisposed to receiving. Jim Signorelli is the founder and CEO of esw
The reason this is an important concept is plain to StoryLab, a Chicago-based marketing firm.
see when examining powerful brands like Apple, Signorelli’s 30+ year career in advertising began
Harley-Davidson, Disney, Nike and others that tap as a “copy/contact” with Marsteller and soon
into and/or celebrate our existing values. But just expanded to account management with major
as there are lessons from success, there are lessons agencies like N.W. Ayer, Frankel & Co. and W.B.
from underestimating just how important it is for Doner. Over the years, he has worked for a number
brands to crystalize rather than create meaning. of national consumer and business brands including
Try as they might, brands like stories cannot change Citibank, Kraft Foods, Burger King, Toshiba,
beliefs and associated values if we are not ready to Emerson Electric, and The American Marketing
have them changed. Marketing history is rife with Association. Signorelli’s agency has been cited as
examples that prove the point. Oldsmobile learned one of the fastest growing independent companies
this lesson the hard way when it tried to convince its in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine for three years running
audience that “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile.”
Despite its clever attempt to shed a different light and, in 2010, he was the recipient of the “Smart
on its brand, the belief that Oldsmobile is a car for Leader” award given by Smart Business Magazine
older people was too entrenched to be radicalized. and U.S. Bank. He currently resides in Evanston, IL
17
As Sears learned through its efforts to shed light on
marketingtimes For more information, please visit www.
with his wife.
“The Softer Side of Sears,” it was impossible for us eswpartners.com.
to let go of its harder side image we had come to

18. How to Get a Derailed
Executive Career Back
on Track
Executive recruiter Colleen Aylward wanted to figure
out how many executives had been displaced by the
poor economy over the last few years, but before she
got her numbers, she discovered something else even
more troubling.
“No one actually keeps track of those stats,” said
Aylward, president of recruiting firm Devon James
and author of Bedlam to Boardroom: How To Get
a Derailed Executive Career Back on Track (www.
devonjames.com). “When I tried to look it up with the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and even talk to some of
the bureau’s staff, I couldn’t get a straight answer.”
Instead, Aylward took the bureau’s 2010 figures for
layoffs in all categories and cherry-picked the job
categories that she knew, as a recruiter, to fit the
executive profile. Her top line figure – 2.5 million
executives out of work – is both troubling and telling
of the depth of the current economic crisis.
“Many of these are not the high-priced CEOs that are
being criticized for taking too much money in salary
and bonuses,” she added. “These are the managers
in the trenches, who spent decades in the corporate
world making the trains run on time, and have since
been displaced by younger, cheaper executives who
lack the experience and institutional memory of those
they replaced.”
Aylward’s specialty as a recruiter is to help those
displaced executives find work and she has figured
out a few key tips to help those who were insiders
for so long, but now find themselves on the outside
looking in.
Those ideas include:
●Be a Specialist
For many years, an executive’s resume was an
exercise in being all things to all people, but that’s
not what corporations want these days. They don’t
18 marketingtimes

19. want a general manager of all things executive, but
rather, specialists who have niche expertise that can
be applied immediately. It’s a culture shift for many
executives, so it may seem difficult at first. However,
everyone has at least one, maybe even two areas
in which they could lay claim to being a specialist.
Highlight those areas in your resume and you’ll find
a lot more opportunities open to you.
●Be Creative
Hiring an executive is a big commitment for many
companies, as well as an expensive one. Don’t be
afraid of creating a situation that puts you back
in the saddle while at the same time mitigating a
company’s risk. If a company is on the bubble about
bringing you on full-time, offer to take on a specific
project as an outside contractor and then tie your
compensation to the completion of the project. If you
screw it up, that’s on you. If you succeed and deliver,
not only will you get paid, but you might also win a
full-time gig.
●Get Out and Network
The days of working for one company forever until
you retire have been over for a while. Executives
have to view even their full-time jobs as freelance
gigs with a limited shelf life. In that respect, displaced
executives should look toward more project work
instead of just waiting around for that dream job
to drop in their laps. They need to get out, network
and use their days not to root out jobs, but rather to
talk to individuals in companies that might have a
problem your expertise could solve. More often than
not, one well-executed project will turn into more.
“The old ways don’t work, anymore,” Aylward
added. “In fact, they haven’t worked in a while, but
the executives who have been laid off over the last
few years never had to read that particular news
update. They are still vital and have plenty to offer,
but they need to find new ways to show it. The dream
job doesn’t look at all the way it used to look and
executives need to change their perspective if they
are going to have a shot in the corporate world of
today.”
About Colleen Aylward
Colleen Aylward is the president of Devon James
Associates, a top executive recruiting firm. Her startup
clients have included such industry pioneers as
Amazon, Visio, Spry/Compuserve, Xylo, Quintessent
Communications, Rhapsody Networks, Avenue A,
Cranium, InfoSpace, and many others who have
depended on her onsite recruiting “war room”
approach to kick-start their revenue machines. She
holds a BA in Business Administration from the
University of Washington. (www.devonjames.com)
19 marketingtimes

20. Protect Your Customer Base: 3
Strategies for Retaining Your Most
Profitable Accounts By Michael Leimbach, Ph.D
Sellers as well as buyers are taking stock of priorities
as the economy continues to show weakness across
most industries. As a result, most sales organizations
are pursuing new business—which often means
taking advantage of competitors’ complacency or
mistakes in providing service to customers. In the
face of relentless competitive pressure, sales leaders
are looking for smart answers to an urgent question:
How can we protect our customer base from
erosion as competition intensifies?
While there are a variety of potential answers to this
question, most fail to get to the crux of the problem:
a lack of understanding of how customers want
to buy, and a subsequent failure to apply the right
resources in the right accounts to ensure protection
from predatory competition.
The following discussion offers three effective
strategies for strengthening your relationships
with your most profitable customers. The goal is
to first free up resources that may be tied up in
unproductive accounts. These resources can then
be applied to create value for your best customers,
which will make them resistant to even the most
persuasive cost-cutting competitor.
Strategy 1. Assess Your Portfolio
To strengthen ties with your best customers, start by making sure you know who those customers are. Analyze the type
and quality of business delivered by each account, and assess the cost of sales compared to revenues. Are some
customers using resources that could be better spent on securing more profitable relationships? Are there customers
with the potential to provide more business? And what is the status of your relationship with your loyal customers who
offer a steady flow of good opportunities? Are they getting the attention and level of service they expect and deserve?
When it comes to the less-productive accounts, sales leaders are sometimes surprised to discover how much it costs
to keep customers who are not consistently providing good sales opportunities. Often these same customers demand
value-added services they don’t want to pay for. The resources spent to keep these accounts might be better applied
to building value for other customers.
As you evaluate your better, more profitable accounts, look for those that were more productive in the past. These
20 marketingtimes

21. may have the potential to provide more business business. Consider cutting your ties or pulling back
again in the future. And look carefully for customers from these accounts, and re-allocate the resources to
with whom you have a relationship, but where build stronger connections with genuinely profitable
business may have fallen off due to benign neglect customers. Also look at renewing relationships with
or a lack of adequate service. These should be accounts that have potential for increased business.
viewed as “at risk.” With renewed focus and a Strategy 2. Strengthen and Protect Current “Big R”
greater investment of resources, some of these
customer relationships could be the source of more Relationships
revenues. As you assess your current business, determine what
But how do you determine which customers are too type of relationship you currently have with each
costly, and which should be kept and strengthened? customer, and what kind of relationship you want.
First, it’s important to keep in mind the difference
What is needed is an objective way to evaluate which between what could be called a “Big R” and “little
customers are your real “keepers,” and which ones r” relationship. We define “Big R” as long-term
should perhaps be “fired.” Below are some questions relationships with strong company-to-company
you might want to ask to get a more systematic connections. The best of these customers are loyal to
analysis of your account portfolio. your organization—for reasons to be reviewed in a
Questions to Ask About Your Important Accounts moment—and provide a steady flow of good business.
• How do you know which accounts are the most We define “little r” relationships as the networks of
profitable? interpersonal connections sales reps must build with
individual customers. These “little r” relationships—built
You are probably tracking sales per customer, and on personal trust and confidence in the sales rep—are
know the sales and revenues you are gaining per absolutely necessary, but not sufficient to protect a
account. But how recently have you compared the cost customer from predatory competitors.
of sales for key customers? Do you know what you are
spending in terms of time and other resources to gain As every salesperson knows, individual contacts may
those revenues? If you are tracking COS you may have change roles, leave the company, or otherwise become
this data, but many sales leaders say they have focused unavailable to influence buying decisions. (One study
primarily on the top line and do not necessarily suggests that as many as 33% of employees change
compare the COS to revenue per account. jobs each year. ) When the relationship between your
two companies is strong, the loss of even a key contact
• Are you aware of which accounts are regularly is less likely to affect the customer’s commitment and
providing good, winnable opportunities? ongoing sales.
As you review your customers, look closely at the So one question to ask is: How many Big R relationships
quality and quantity of opportunities in each account. do you have among your productive accounts, and
Ask these three questions: what are you doing to make sure these customers
o Is there a consistent flow of real opportunities? continue to do business with you? The advantage of
o Do the opportunities tend to bring true value having these customers in your mix of accounts is that
for both your organization and the customer? price is usually secondary for them. Typically they are
buying solutions from you that are more integrated
o Do you generally win the opportunities you into how they do business and for which they may lack
identify, or are you competing for business at the cost expertise. Their concerns are with the kind of training
of discounting and providing value-added services the and support you offer, your track record and stability,
customer doesn’t pay for? and your capability to grow with them. These factors
• Do any of your current customers have create switching costs. This means it is not easy for
potential to deliver more sales? these companies to change suppliers without incurring
o Did any of your accounts previously provide significant costs associated with re-training, disruption
more business? of their business, and other issues.
o Are there accounts that have been neglected To retain these Big R customers, you need to:
or taken for granted? • Provide high-quality support and service
You may find that some of your long-time customers, commensurate with the customer’s investment in your
even key accounts, are taking up resources such offering and the relationship.
as technical advice, consulting, and other services • Keep them well informed about your
they don’t pay for. And some of these customers organization’s technology, business direction, and
are not yielding a comparable amount of good development of new capabilities and products.
Continued on Page 24
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22. 22 marketingtimes

23. 23 marketingtimes

24. Continued from page 21
If you find that you have a lot of these types of need, when they need it. A supplier who runs out
accounts, make sure they are paying their way. of stock or asks the customer to wait to receive
If they are, make sure they are being well served the materials or products they need may not get
and are completely satisfied with the relationship. another chance to fulfill an order.
Most salespeople can only manage a few of these So these Transaction customers have the
accounts at best, as they do tend to require a lot of advantage of being low maintenance and lower
hand-holding and rightly expect quick responses to cost in terms of demands on your sales resources.
their questions, problems, or concerns. If they don’t At the same time, it is critical to pay attention to
receive the level of support they need, they may hitting their targets every time with quality and
begin to question the wisdom of remaining locked consistency. They need to feel you are providing
into your solutions. them with a fair competitive price, a product or
This is why it is so critical to make sure you are not service that consistently meets their specifications,
neglecting the needs of these customers, and that and delivery and availability that fulfill their
there are adequate resources available to keep expectations—without exception. Since they do
the relationship strong and thriving. As long as have choices and it costs them little to switch
you are demonstrating your understanding of what from one supplier to another, it is imperative to
these customers need from your organization, your be responsive to the concerns of these customers.
competitors are unlikely to make headway, even if If they are completely satisfied, they are far more
they offer the lure of discounted prices. likely to continue to give their business to you,
rather than to a competitor.
Strategy 3. Build a Strong Track Record with Your
With competitive pressures to contend with and
finite resources, your best strategy is to focus the
Important Transaction Customers time and energy of your salespeople on building
Think of your Big R customers as buying in a strong and lasting relationships with your most
Relationship style. Then think of another set of valued customers. Taking customers for granted
customers you have who do not buy from you all is the enemy of retention. Make sure you know
the time, but buy regularly on a repeat transaction what kind of relationship you have with each
basis—order by order. These customers can account, and that your sales reps are aware of
provide very good opportunities, and may even their customers’ expectations based on those
be the “bread and butter” accounts you count on relationships. Keep abreast of any changes
for a regular stream of profitable business. Unlike in the customer’s business model and buying
your long-term Relationship customers, however, preferences. That will ensure you are providing Big
these Transaction customers typically avoid getting R customers what they need from your company,
locked in to a given supplier. Their business model while meeting the very different needs of good
and the products they buy make it possible for Transaction customers as well. If each customer
them to “play the field” if they wish, as they are feels you are providing not only valuable solutions,
not going to incur much in the way of switching but selling to them the way they want to buy, your
costs. These companies are less dependent on a relationship with them will be a strong barrier to
supplier for support, expertise, or long-term mutual competitor encroachment.
growth. They are most likely purchasing a solution About the Author:
or product that is viewed as a commodity and
are more likely to be responsive to offers of price Michael Leimbach, Ph.D., is Vice President of
reductions. How do you ensure you don’t lose Global Research and Design for Wilson Learning
these Transaction customers to competitors? By Worldwide. With over 25 years in the field, Dr.
providing them with what they care about the most: Leimbach provides leadership for researching and
designing Wilson Learning’s diagnostic, learning,
1. Price—These customers do care about and performance improvement capabilities. Dr.
getting a competitive price and are vulnerable to Leimbach has managed major research studies in
cost cutters. sales, leadership, and organizational effectiveness,
2. Conformance to specifications—They may and has developed Wilson Learning’s impact
have quality specifications and other requirements evaluation capability and return on investment
they expect to be met; it’s important to make sure models. Dr. Leimbach has served as a research
they receive exactly what they need, every time. consultant for a wide variety of global client
3. Delivery—How and when do your organizations, is on the editorial board for the
Transaction customers need and expect delivery? ADHR professional journal, and serves in a
If you can be faster than your competitors or more leadership role for the ISO technical committee
able to deliver at certain locations at certain times, TC232: Standards for Learning Service Providers.
you will have a competitive advantage with these Dr. Leimbach has co-authored four books, has
customers. published numerous professional articles, and
is a frequent speaker at national and global
4. Availability—Transaction customers need conferences.
to know they can rely on you to have what they
24 marketingtimes

25. Finding all the sales and marketing industry news has never been easier thanks to the
Sales and Marketing Executives International’s SMEI Weekly. The Weekly provides
only the articles and information that heads of sales or marketing departments
need. Sign up today to start receiving great content from the SMEI Weekly.
Subscribe today at: multibriefs.com/briefs/SMEI
25 marketingtimes

26. 2011 Sales & Marketing Conference
Awards & Recogntion
SMEI Honolu Receives Chairman’s SMEI Akron Receives
Gold & SMEI Raymond Bill Award Chairman’s Gold Award
SMEI Vancouver Receives SMEI Minnesota Receives
Chairman’s Gold Award Chairman’s Gold Award
Ritz-Carlton Resort
San Juan, Puerto Rico
26 marketingtimes

27. 2011 Sales & Marketing Conference
Awards & Recogntion
SMEI Hampton Roads Receives SMEI Past Chairman Award Received
Chairman’s Silver Award by Nathalie Roemer CME on behalf
of Jeffery Jackson CME CSE
SME Puerto Rico Recognized as SME Puerto Rico President Carlos
2012 SMEI Conference Host Marche CME CSE Opens Conference
Ritz-Carlton Resort
San Juan, Puerto Rico
27 marketingtimes

28. 2011
Pinnacle Awards
Ceremony
Angélica Fuentes Téllez Jeffrey Hayzlett, CME CSE
Angélica Fuentes Téllez is one of the Jeffrey Hayzlett is a global business
most influential women in Mexico and celebrity and former Fortune 100
Latin America due to her proven track c-suite executive. From small business
record as a businesswoman, her influence to international corporations, he has
in development of public policies, and put his creativity and extraordinary
her philanthropic commitment with the entrepreneurial skills into play, launching
community, women from Latin America ventures blending his leadership
and the arts. perspectives, insights into professional
development, mass marketing prowess
and affinity for social media.
The SMEI Academy of Achievement was established in 1990 to
recognize notable lifetime contributions to the free enterprise system
through personal and corporate success in sales and marketing. It
is SMEI’s Hall of Fame. Each year, individuals who have made a
substantial contribution are recognized as Arbucle Fellows. Right
Photo: The 2011 Arbuckle Fellow awards were presented, l to r -
Jeffery Jackson, CME CSE (presenting) Clinton Schroeder, CME CSE;
Lisa Dennis, Jeff Fawcett & Willis Turner CAE CSE (presenting).
28 marketingtimes

30. SMEI
Career Center
Find the people and careers
driving innovation.
Dedicated to the sales and marketing Advantages for Employers
community, the SMEI Career Center
Employers can fill positions faster and
is a valuable search and recruitment
at a lower cost than other job websites
resource for professionals and
by reaching a qualified and targeted
employers worldwide. The SMEI
audience of sales and marketing
Career Center offers simple and
professionals.
easy-to-use tools to make searching
for career opportunities and finding
Recruit Top Talent
qualified candidates fast, efficient
Target job seekers committed to
and successful.
the advancement of sales and
Connecting professionals marketing careers.
Tools for Job Seekers
and employers in the sales
The SMEI Career Center gives job Low-Cost Posting Packages
and marketing community. seekers access to inside opportunities Reduce recruitment costs with
available only through the association flexible, affordable posting options.
and provides the tools needed to quickly
find and apply for jobs. Proactive and Direct Recruitment
Take advantage of search, email
Advanced Job Search and online advertising options to
Find the most relevant sales recruit candidates.
and marketing jobs from top
employers across the globe. Visit the SMEI Career Center
Customized Job Alerts Discover the difference the SMEI
Stay up-to-date on the latest Career Center can make for you. To
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automated notifications. visit www.smei.org/jobs.
Apply for Jobs
Create an anonymous profile and
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www.smei.org/jobs