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Marketing Eye
By Jagdeep Kapoor

In branding, be persistent, insistent and consistent

Research has shown that the largest amount of sales lost happen because of no follow up and the lack of persistence. This makes demand evaporate and good leads and enquiries are not converted into sales.

In the Indian context of sales marketing and branding many a salesperson gives up too early hence loses out the opportunity of sales. Consider a situation wherein two sales person make the same unit of efforts namely 210 sales calls. In the first case, the traditional salesmen visits 70 customers thrice each, thus leading to 210 calls. However, he gives up after the third call and does not have conversion to sales and productivity.

On the other hand, the other sales person, who is professional makes the same number of sales calls namely 210, but visits 30 customers at least seven times and converts many of them into sales leading to high productivity. The difference between the two sales men is that the second sales person followed up at least seven times and got sales even though the number of sales calls in terms of effort remained the same, 210 calls.

I would recommend that in brand building and in sales and marketing one must be Persistent, Insistent and Consistent. My strong recommendation is to be persistent in efforts as shown in the above example, Insistent for results and consistent in quality and policy.

Let us first look at "Persistent" component in the three parts strategy that I have recommended. Persistence is a virtue in marketing and brand building because it takes time for a customer to get convinced and to be able to buy a product a service. Following up is vital and giving up is suicidal. Marketing professionals must understand that to enter the minds and hearts of customers, it is important to have a sustained convincing process. Why should a consumer change from his current brand, if he or she does not see regular follow up and keenness from the marketeers side ? The world over, marketing professionals are taught to be persistent in going to the customers through regular and sustained efforts. There is no magic in sales but persistence could be one of the components which make up the magic potion.

Let us look at the second part of my three pronged strategy for winning customers. The second part recommends "Be Insistent for results" While you may be persistent in your efforts without your insistence for results you could only be putting in a lot of donkey work. Persistent effort must be married with insistence for result to grow brands and build sales. Insistence for results means focusing on a goal and making sure that the efforts are in the right direction for achieving the goal. For example. A proper lead generation exercise should be done through database and listing and then with quality selling and sales techniques sell your good product to the relevant target audience.

The third part of my recommended strategy is composed of being consistent in policy and quality. In many aspects in marketing, it is important to not only give good quality samples to your customers, but also to have consistent quality throughout the relationship and this would lead to goodwill, reputation, trust as well as good word of mouth. Many Indians exporters spoil their name by not being consistent. They would send good quality samples which would get approved by customers. Then they would send inconsistent quality shipments and shoddy goods which did not meet or match the sample qualities. This led to cancellation of large scale of orders apart from the country earning a very bad name.

However, there are some very good exporters who are consistent in their quality and earn goodwill and profits on a regular basis as well as give the country a good name.

Similarly, consistency in policy is also crucial. Thus my three pronged recommended strategy will definitely build brands and grow sales if you are PERSISTENT, INSISTENT and CONSISTENT. Happy Brand Building.

Jagdeep Kapoor is MD of the Mumbai based, successful, Samsika Marketing Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Phone: 022-8597700/7701.