More Road Kill for the Google Search Engine Juggernaut
Here's a true story of a small business owner I wrote about this week…
From all outside appearances, Jim Montrose's small business was thriving. As one of only three importers of hot, new tech gadgets to the multi-billion dollar market of logoed premiums, Jim's business was on autopilot.
That was, until Google systematically dismantled his business.
Not the Google company. Google, the search engine.
Like most small businesses, Jim prided himself in solving customer problems with innovative solutions, responsive customer service and nimble custom-order turnaround. His sales reps knew all the major buyers, and over the years, earned the right to get last-look at the big deals.
But in 2001, customers started pulling away. Not just from Jim, but from a dated procurement process built around (and limited by) human effort. While Jim's sales reps were masters at getting appointments, buyers discovered they could easily find the information they needed on the web and avoid the meetings altogether.
Google introduced buyers to vendors all around the world and to a completely new way of doing business. Buyers could go direct to manufacturers in China or try out Jim's new upstart competitors who favored online marketing.
Jim, and his business, had become classic middlemen on their way to disintermediation.
Last month, Jim's business was liquidated. He lost his house, his car, and all forms of income.
More road kill for the Google search engine juggernaut.
The above story is true, but unfortunately, not unique.
In droves, small business owners jam online forums to lick their wounds, reminisce about the old days and to complain about customers not returning phone calls. Some await old days to return. Others hire former competitor salespeople in hope of tapping into Rolodexes of stale contacts.
And the smart ones?
They're not complaining and they're not putting retreads on old tires... They're going back to school to learn how to do Lead-Gen in the new, Google-Economy.
For my part, small business owners are coming to my highly-specialized, 12-week Lead-Generation Marketing Boot Camp... exclusively for small, B2B business owners and executives who recognize that while the game remains the same, the rules of engagement have changed.
No doubt, for lead-generation to be successful, it has to be more than knee-jerk campaigns of boiler-room “smiling and dialing” conducted by highly-paid sales professionals.
In the Google-economy, Cold-Calling not only squanders your best sales talent, it fuels frustration.
Clearly, lead-generation is a job better-suited for Marketing (plus, it's more economical)... but it's taken a recession to bring this fact to light.
Previously unfunded, understaffed and ignored, Marketing is now at center-stage.
But not “Old-School Marketing” of logos and pretty brochures designed by distant ad agencies of know-nothing, Armani bag-carriers or by siloed marketing departments disconnected from real action...
Rather, this new breed of highly-accountable, “Field Marketing,” harnesses a company's unique customer-sales language and turns it into compelling content for lead-generation.
It's the kind of marketing you'll discover in my B2B Marketing Boot Camp.
Beginning Tuesday, June 9th, qualifying small business owners will get detailed, hands-on training for creating their own, custom lead-generation system that:
- Attracts new buyers
- Engages prospective buyers earlier in their vendor selection process
- Binds sales and marketing to a common mission
- Is measured by lead-generation outcomes
Meeting with me for 12 weeks in peer-group and individual calls, I give participants detailed guidance for accomplishing each segment of their overall lead-generation system.
And after the Bootcamp, the coaching continues with on-going reinforcement training and coaching.
What's in the B2B Marketing Bootcamp?
12-weeks of intensive, street-smart training consisting of:
- 1-on-1 consultation
- Team conference calls/training
- How-to training videos
- Online forum
- Vetted resources and tools
- Plus, Free access to all Marketing-Playbook strategies
See if the Bootcamp is right for your company. Signup now to attend my free webinar next Wednesday. I promise, it will not a sales pitch-fest.
You'll get solid, road-tested insight for building your own lead-generation system.
In 30-minutes you will discover 3 keys to:
- The #1 reason Google can't find your website. I'll even give you my checklist so you can fix your website yourself. ($25 value)
- How to energize your sales team by being a P.I.A.
- How to transform your existing sales call plan into a Google-centric system.
Bonus: Everyone who registers for the Lead-Gen Webinar next Wednesday will also get a Bootcamp registration coupon ($100 value).
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