Marketing & Sales Symposium Breakout Session Takeaways

MSAE started April off with our Marketing and Sales Symposium. Nearly 100 of our members attended to learn new tips, trends and techniques within the marketing and sales realm. Here are the top takeaways from our breakout sessions at our Marketing and Sales Symposium:

How Photography has been Transformed in the Digital Age

• Postproduction apps will transform your work.
• Megapixels don’t matter.
• Use optical zoom – avoid digital zoom.

Social Media Marketing: Can it Drive Sales?

• You need to have a strategy.
• Schedule time – be intentional – have an editorial schedule.
• Monitor and analyze activity.
• Look into HootSuite to manage your social media accounts.

Be Heard, Create Messaging that Resonates with your Audience

• Be aware of others’ communications.
• Be authentic. Human-ness is key.

Drawing Attention to Your Exhibition Booth

• Keep all information at top 2/3 of your booth.
• Phone – credit card (adhere) holder.
  
  

How your iPad can Reinvent your Work and Workflow

• Get a keyboard for your tablet.
• Back up your files (Apple compatibility is key).
• Microsoft Office is available for iPad.

Maximizing your LinkedIn

• Make sure your profile is at 100%
• Manage your endorsements.
• Have a strategy.

Handling Sales Objections

• Send mail – sendoutcards.com
• Kill them with kindness.
• Persistence!
• Listen – "No" means "needs more information".
  
  

Integrate Your Marketing or Die. Be Simple. Be Consistent. 

• Audit all your material – what can you eliminate?
• Send out your communications in small, bite size nuggets.
• Listen to what your audience wants and how to communicate to them.
• ...You won't die.

We had great reviews and are already looking forward to next year!

Want more? Check out our event hashtag on Twitter for our members’ thoughts and pictures - #MSAEsymp.

Cold Calling

MSAE's Allied Networking Group met to discuss tips and best practices for cold calling.  Here are the top takeaways:

1. The definition of cold calling has changed throughout the years with the advancement of technology and new resources to research potential clients. The group's definition included making contact with a potential client who does not know who you are - may be a call, email or LinkedIn introduction and generally isn't cold as you've done some research on the prospect.  
2. When researching prospects, it's best to check more than one place for updated job/contact information - some people don't update their LinkedIn profile or online directory can be out of date.  
3. New resources to research potential clients include: 

• Data.com (formerly Jigsaw.com) - provides name, email and address at company
• My.InsideView.com - provides contact information from CEO to janitor
• LinkedIn - continues to be a good resource

 

Taxes for Online sales starting to look possible

Jim Puzzanghera from the Los Angeles Times reported that lawmakers, looking to help cash strapped local governments, are coalescing around legislation aimed at letting states require most online retailers to collect sales taxes from customers.

http://lat.ms/rMseg5

MSAE Marketing & Sales Symposium Roundtable Take Aways 5.12.11

At the recent Marketing and Sales Symposium each Roundtable identified their top 3 'take-away' ideas.

Twitter
• Don’t always be in ‘sales mode'. Be social. Share.
• Follow speakers that you have hired for an upcoming conference. They will probably follow you and tweet also. This can help promote event.
• Find out where members are, focus there.

Unconventional and Creative Marketing Ideas on a Budget
• Take risks. Stay ahead of current trends. Reward your staff for taking risks. Test – and do it your way.
• Clean up your database so you can actively target your audience.
• Mail chimp.

Creating videos and Promoting Conferences with YouTube
• Set YouTube access according to audience (Public, Private, Invite only)
• Label video clearly, use tags within YouTube
• Audio is more important than video.
• Use interns for free video help.
• 90 seconds to 2 minutes best length.

Creating full value for tradeshow attendees
• Educate your exhibitors on how to market prior to the show.
• Highlight the new trends in your industry – at the show.
• Exhibitors should research whom they want to talk with prior to the show.


Google Analytics and Search Engine Optimization
• Analyze data – and then dig deeper.
• Track hits and regular updates.
• Pay attention to spikes – be creative. Be consistent.

After the Tradeshow, Following up with Leads
• Send a letter thanking people for stopping by the booth.
• Make contact within 10 days of the show.
• When giving a prize, let the customers know in the letter who won the gifts(s)