9 Tools that will make a Difference in 2010
:Part 2:

Watch out for pressures to separate marketing and sales
Salespeople are known to have ‘problems’ with marketers. They see themselves on top of the totem pole, with marketers far below. This can be trouble. For a company’s sales to be successful, both are needed. They need to listen and learn from one another.

Diversify your marketing activities
Marketing today is far more demanding than ever.  It’s complicated.

It’s a matter of following the customers, being where they are, and offering messages that speak to all your customer segments.  Sensitivity to the way customers think and behave is the marketing task.  For example, one marketing agency surveyed their clients to determine which day/night they prefer to receive their e-bulletins and what they want in the salespeople who call on them.

Don’t let ‘free’ bite you in the end
It will do that if you let it. The power of free is enormous, a pervasive state of mind driven by the internet. In fact, it’s blinding. Free has the power and it’s what customers expect today. But don’t get fooled by free. Sending 10,000 emails is free, but it doesn’t mean it produces positive results.

Put an edge on your message
A bland message leads to blasé, and that’s deadly. Your message needs to have teeth in it. Without a sharp edge, there is no message. Whatever the economic situation in 2010, sitting around with your fingers crossed is irresponsible. It is time to stick your head up and be seen. It is time to put marketing to work

Source: John R. Graham President of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm in MA. CANVAS Magazine, December 2009.