Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 17

15 Steps to a Fully Featured Marketing Plan

I am often asked about marketing because it can seem intimidating and complicated. The mistake most salespeople make is assuming what they do is like following a straight path to the results they want. However, the truth is that marketing is never a direct process. It’s more like climbing a playground structure: there are multiple ways to the top.

Are You Comfortable with Your Metrics?

It is really important to understand whether certain metrics used to justify expense-reducing capital projects are going to work for you or not. If a metric isn’t working for you, you need to ask yourself why.

The New Marketing

What is the difference between marketing and advertising? Seth Godin, the author of This Is Marketing, points out that while these words used to be synonymous, times have changed. Advertising is reaching out to an audience and making your presence known. Marketing, on the other hand, can be a selfless act, not a selfish one. If done correctly, it is carefully planned and thoughtful outreach.

Weekly Recap, October 22, 2023

Here are our sales-enhancing tips from this week's Selling Energy Blogs...

Breaking Sales Down to a (Neuro)science

What is happening in your brain and body during a high-stakes negotiation?  If you knew, how could that tip things in your favor?

10 Extremely Effective Tips to Connect with Your Prospects

When you’re in a new sales situation, connecting with prospects (in-person or via teleconference) is crucial. Even if you’re an expert in your product or service and you understand how to sell to your prospect, a sale can be ruined by a bad first impression. Here are some extremely effective tips to instantly connect with any sales prospect and increase the probability they’ll become your customer: 

The Dark Side to Rebates and Incentives

Rebates and incentives have been part of the energy services landscape in America since the late-Seventies. Over the years, the collective pool of available funding has waxed and waned; however, in a typical year it’s not uncommon to see billions of dollars up for grabs.

It’s Not Always About Price

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I sometimes get questions regarding how to price products and services. That always reminds me of someone asking their accountant if something is possible and they reply, “It depends.” If you’re asking me how long a piece of string might be without showing it to me, how am I going to give you the right answer?

The Significance of Repeat Customers

Finding new prospects is a time-consuming activity. It often requires a great deal of research, cold calling, email campaigns, and so forth. If you’ve ever done repeat business with a past customer, you know how time-efficient (and financially rewarding) it can be. When is the last time you combed through your customer list to consider how you might continue to provide value for them?

The Challenger Customer

I often extol the virtues of being a Challenger, but what if I told you there was a lot to be gained from pursuing the biggest fish in the sea?