Acadia Blogs

A predictable sales forecast - is that even possible? We don’t often use "predictable" and "sales" in the same sentence. Our forecast often feels more like a roller coaster ride - not very smooth and not very predictable.

However, we refer to our sales forecast like a prediction of sales to come. So if your sales forecast is a prediction of future sales revenue, we had better stop guessing at the numbers and begin to create a foundation based on information. Oh yeah - and there is no such thing as a crystal ball.

In the past, we've discussed why you should define your ideal client/prospect – and how to do it! We called this creating your buyer persona(s). Have you described your ideal (or best) clients and written up their professional and personal characteristics? Great! Now you’re ready to delight them with compelling content, i.e., present your company to your ideal buyers as a trusted expert within your market space.

In business, resources are always limited, which means using them wisely for the greatest return. It’s true of how you approach your production lines, employee schedules, and facilities management, and it should apply to your marketing efforts too. If you’re like many companies, you have tools, staff, and a budget in place for marketing already. But are they being used as well as they could be? Here’s our take on the smartest ways to deploy marketing resources.

In my work helping companies build their businesses in the manufacturing, engineering, and technical markets, I often receive pushback about the importance of inbound, digital, and outbound sales and marketing. So many of the prospects I deal with on a day-to-day basis insist they don't need help. They tell me they know who their customers are, they are too busy to take on new business, or they get their business from referrals. Why are they so resistant to new growth strategies? As an engineer myself, I understand how my fellow engineers and industry professionals think and seek out information, but my experience on the sales and marketing side has given me some insights that I'd like share.

As  a lead generation company, we're always discussing the importance of being found on the internet through SEO, blogging, content development, the list goes on. But in addition to being found -  you must be REMEMBERED.

Let's face it, getting found is a difficult task unless you have a big budget for marketing (which most  of us don't). So, when you do get found, you'll want to take advantage of that opportunity and draw people in with something special and unique.

How do you do that? By telling YOUR story. Stories are retained, much more so than a list of products or services.  A  story will help you stand out in the crowd of companies vying for attention. You may say, "I don't have a story," but you do.  Everyone has a story.

Now that we've talked about the what, why and how of inbound marketing, it's time to learn the playbook, the many tools you can use to attract prospects to your company and convert them to customers. Following these steps and techniques, you'll get content in front of your prospects and nurture them to become your customers when they're ready to buy. In honor of my professional baseball-playing son, Sean, I'll use a baseball analogy of running the bases. With inbound, just like baseball, you need to know when to act and when to hold back. This playbook will help you know when to apply certain techniques to get the run.

What IS Inbound Marketing Anyway?

Simply put, it's a way to attract customers with online content that addresses their specific needs and establishes your company as a trustworthy and credible one they want to do business with. Let's take a closer look, and start thinking about how to teach the concept to your organization.