Question

Topic: Strategy

Producing Cross Selling Collateral

Posted by Anonymous on 9/2/2004 at 8:27 AM ET 125 Points

Has anyone got any ideas for good marketing material to increase awareness of other services for cross selling opportunities. The challenge is that our sales people only deal with one division each i.e. they have a point of contact in say the finance dept of a firm but we also have services for IT departments as well. Much of the contact is via telephone and it is diffcult to get primary contacts to distribute info on our other services to other depts who they percieve are not relevance to them.

Our slaes people do have face to face meetings whereby there is the opportunity to give their contacts something really creative about our other services to pass on to decision makers in other areas of the business. We're looking for something more than a flat document detailing other offerings. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Blaine Wilkerson on 9/2/2004 at 8:35 AM Member
    When you say: "it is diffcult to get primary contacts to distribute info on our other services to other depts who they percieve are not relevance to them." ...are you referring to the internal client contacts, or the salespeople?

    Either way, it is not the maanger of the finance departments job to sell your IT services to the IT managers. This is YOUR job. I don't been to be harsh, but it is the simple truth.

    You mentioned face to face meetings. I can't think of a better way! Think of how you got into the finance department in the first place, then use the same technique for the IT department. Get a name and number, set up an appointment or lunch date, and throw your pitch!

    I hope this helps give you a different perspective!

    Good Luck!
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 9/2/2004 at 8:42 AM Accepted
    Leverage your existing contacts, but maintain control.

    Why not offer the finance people a hosted lunch seminar. They would invite their peers from other departments (you specify must-haves), you put on a cross-enterprise presentation over a conference room lunch.

    The other departments come to feed their faces and you get to feed their minds and understand their needs. Then your people have the names and business cards for the required primary contacts in every department of relevance, and they take the sales effort up one-on-one with each new contact.

    Sounds like a plan. When's lunch?

    ChrisB
  • Posted on 9/5/2004 at 12:44 PM Accepted
    Hello,

    Two thoughts:

    1. I agree with all who say you need to be selling your services. It's up to you to cross sell and up sell.

    2. There's plenty of room for collateral or ideas for helping to generate referrals internally. Specific collateral materials wouldn't be my first choice for doing this as, while sales collateral materials serve a role in the sales process, they don't tend to be big influencers on selling activity.

    You might want to try bringing all these diverse users together for a user meeting. Or bring the users and non-users together for something they'd find of particular value. Then you can facilitiate a discussion with them on how they can all derive more value with your services and area of expertise.

    Contact me if you'd like more help.

    Best of luck,

    Mike Schultz
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