It’s too easy for a business owner to fall into a false sense of security when they hear from a young marketing graduate that they have a marketing strategy. Marketing strategies are worthless unless they produce sales.

Marketing people without a successful track record of selling view their job as a short term “apprenticeship” before a managerial role. The marketing strategy is only 20% of the job. Making sales is the other 80% and that’s where the imposters are separated from the real thing.

If you’re looking for more sales look for someone who loves, sleeps and lives making sales. Pay them plenty of money based on the sales they deliver. Everyone needs to be on sales. Your product team need to know what is selling so they can develop products that prospects will buy. Admin staff are often the first point of contact and need to know what your key selling messages are. You don’t want any leads slipping through your fingers.

It starts with the head of the business. If they aren’t obsessive about making sales then it’s unlikely that other employees will react the same way. It takes determination to achieve sales targets so you need to be strong with strong people around you.

If you are a new business you will have more barriers than a well established business, so it is important that you are determined to make sales. Marketing strategies are worthless unless they produce sales.