Wikipedia defines top of mind awareness as follows; "Top of mind awareness is a brand or specific product coming first in customers' minds when thinking of a particular industry."
There are numerous other definitions but the basic concept is simple. Being the first thing, or in the B2B sales vertical, the first sales person a client thinks of.
Staying top of mind with those you wish to do business with is a tricky, and generally speaking, misunderstood concept. That being said, it is critically important if one is to be in the right place at the right time; the person who pops up in the client's mind when they have a need for a product or solution you provide.
A B2B sales person can't always be in the right place at the right time while respecting a client or prospect's reasonable expectation to be left in peace. Harping away with constant attempts to communicate, communications often with no value or interest to the person they were sent to, generally have an effect that is opposite to the one you hope for. It drives people away, and can also alienate the very people you were hoping to build a stronger relationship with in the first place.
Staying top of mind needs to utilize a smart plan and it begins with understanding the target person vs. the target company.
Typical communication strategies commonly take the form of - but are not limited to – news letters, direct mail, market updates, email blasts, etc.,
and generally speaking, most of those vehicles are disruptive and more so, annoying as heck. Worst of all, they offer no point of differentiation, because every one of your direct competitors is doing the same thing.
Now add other suppliers and sales people who aren't your competitors, but have a desire to stay top of mind with this same person (who are also sending all this predictable spam) and do the math. Do you think your emails are being read? How effective has your "market update" been?
Differentiation, or standing out from the crowd, breaking through the clutter of the sea of junk your clients are subjected to is paramount if you intend to be recognized in a positive light, and stay top of mind.
So, back to the concept of knowing the person vs. the company and how that integrates into a successful strategy for staying "top of mind."
Touch points, or connecting in a meaningful and differentiating way is the best road map to achieving the right kind of top of mind awareness. Unfortunately, most sales people assume that all communication initiatives have to be about a subject germane to the company's business. This is a dangerous and counterproductive strategy, because it quickly spirals into the spam hopper as described above.
Instead, here is what I do.
- I get to know the people, not just the company.
- Where appropriate, I try and learn as much about the person I'm dealing with, what their career path has been, do they have a family, where do they live, hobbies, etc.
I seek out this information not so much as a strategy, but because I am genuinely curious and interested in the people I meet. Not interested in the “people”? Then you should likely consider a different profession because sales is a people business first and foremost
- When I'm back in my office, I make careful notes about what I've learned, again not just about their company – your typical "needs analysis" – but the person.
- Because of this, I often know what personal interests the individual has aside from their business needs, and because of this I'm able to reach out with subjects or content that has nothing to do with the business end of their existence, but instead other things they hold interest in.
I'm not talking about birthday cards and the-oh-so predictable holiday season card, but unique and meaningful overtures that are far more likely to be of interest to the intended target.
5) In my business, I am always thinking about my clients and prospects, and strive to reach out and communicate with them as often as is possible and reasonable, in ways that often have nothing to do with a business issue or subject. Sometimes, I just reach out on a subject that interests me, with little inside knowledge that my client will share that interest, but because I found it interesting and worth sharing, just because…
Have a client with small children? Maybe you saw an ad about a children’s storybook event at a local book store. Let them know...
Maybe you find out a client or prospect has a passion for cooking, think of the possibilities?
Maybe they talked about how much they enjoy traveling or a specific destination..., let them know if something catches your eye about that subject.
If you go beyond the norm, that is, if you find out about the people you're doing business with, and you keep your eyes and ears open, you'll never be at a loss for ideas or subjects you can use to stay in touch, nurture a relationship, and most importantly, stay top of mind.
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