There are two things that motivated us (including eCommerce CMOs):
- Because we want to.
- Because someone else wants us to.
Side Note: PsyBlog is a great resource for anyone in business. Great insight into how psychology affects us all including those in business.
Anyway, those two simple insights give you a big advantage when you apply it to the people you’re selling your service to a) eTailer Internet Managers and b) eTailer CMOs.
eTailer Internet Managers
When you reach out to companies you’re often going to be speaking with the people one or two levels below the CMO. These are the folks in charge of managing Internet programs like PPC, SEO, Social Media, etc.
Most of these folks are driven to do well at their job. We all want to make a decent living and provide for ourselves and for our families.
These folks are also internally driven in most cases. They want to be part of projects that succeed for the business. They want to be able to put their name on something successful for their company because it opens up opportunities.
Managers also want to impress their boss, the Internet Director or CMO.
To sell your service to Internet managers you can use these motivations to your advantage. Slant your sales pitch in a way that will make the manager see the vision for their own success. Align your goals with theirs and let them see the opportunity.
eTailer CMO
The CMO deals with a lot of opportunities. It’s part of their job to determine priorities.
The CMO reports to the CEO and to the finance department. These folks care about a few things, but nothing is more important than long-term profit growth.
Vendors that can accurately forecast expected profit and return for their services will have a much easier time earning business.
The CMO is motivated for the company to succeed. They want to be part of success. They want to impress the CEO.
Discuss profit with the people you contact at eTailers and you’ll have a much easier time convincing your prospects to use your service.
Final Thought
Find the motivations of your prospects and you’ll have an easier time making a sale. The best salespeople start with questions to figure out motivation and from there they communicate the benefits of the service in terms of motivation.
It’s a simple and effective strategy.