The new year provides an opportunity for reflection, a pause perhaps, a reset or an adjustment in strategy. It's a time for many organisations pre year end to plan ahead, review performance, contemplate market conditions and seek opportunities.
Just Williams works with organisations across a broad range of sectors, focusing on the engineering, manufacturing and built environment sectors – supporting sales growth, internally and externally along with brand profile through content creation. Starting life as a sales consultancy ten years ago this year, we now stand as The SME Agency – covering Sales, Marketing and Events.
Working with organisations to create and implement a cohesive and results driven sales and marketing plan aligned to the overall business strategy. An area we find more and more oganistions struggling to achieve. With internal teams creating content on an ad hoc basis for socials, websites being ten years old, high gloss brochures with out of date information and costing a small forest its life as well as little to no online presence and an ageing customer base. We have a way to go should we desire a sustainable sales future.
Our economy is made up of small businesses, we are the life blood of the Tees Valley and North East region and at around 88% of NE companies, we are a large representation of businesses and employees. There are many challenges that face small businesses but the cost to grow by hiring your first sales and marketing person is up there and is high risk and high cost. As is the time to train them and embed them in the cutlure of your buisness.
So often we as small business owners try to do everything ourselves or expect our team to go from one disciplne to another (I speak from experience and know first hand the expectations!) so when we get to the point of hiring or outsourcing, its crucial if its for one of the above noted roles – the overall objectives are aligned. I would recommend ensuring you have a full overview/plan/ strategy or whatever word you want to call it before any hire is made. Invest in the process of engaging with a specialist to plan pre appointment – it will make all the difference.
To create a strategy, write processes, set metrics, align expectations and create the foundations required to succeed. Sales and marketing professionals are more likely to hit the ground running and embed into an organisations culture and mentality if they have a clear set of guidelines to adhere to. With many smaller owner managed businesses hiring professionals at entry level due to a variety of reasons – cost being the dominant one – the expectation isnt always aligned with the reality.
It is in everyones interest for the individual to be successful from the outset – so give them a fighting chance. Spend your limited resouces creating a plan and laying out some foundations and as we call them, rules of the game. It will save you money in the long term.
Back to combining two disciplines – start with an assessment of your current provision, review your competitors and find an organisation you admire in terms of brand positioning, sustainable growth and overall market positioning. Your sales and marketing team will support the development of these into a fully fledged combined tangible stratgey but it helps us massively if you have a few starting points to go from…
Because integrating sales and marketing is an essential element for any organisation, regardless of size. The two have become much more aligned over the years and have become perhaps not besties but certainly less curt than they once were (but not always…!). At Just Williams, we have integrated the two into one team ensuring we act cohesively and collaboratiively and the two speak, connect and drive results. An integration and true understanding of the alignment, processes and outbound engagement are more than critcal – yet fewer businesses than ideal integrate these two crucial functions. And it shows – when the narrative is not aligned to the outbound appearance and the customers experience – a misalignment and a level of mistrust can become quickly evident.
As a certified B-Corporation, it’s in our DNA to integrate ESG into our Sales and Marketing strategies, training and well, every aspect of all that we do. People is one of the five pillars of BCorp and one we constantly evolve to ensure that as a small business, we support our people as much as possible, investing in our sales and marketing teams with continous professional development through out 5% personal and professional development fund. This continous investment, training and development in our people is one of the reasons businesses ultimately choose to outsource to us rather than go through the challenging and often painful process of recruiting and training and then retaining.
Sales and marketing are two serperate disciplines with mutliple skill sets – outsourcing at the outset to create an initial plan may prove in the longer term a more financially sound alternative.
Just Williams is an impact led sales and marketing organisation working with owner managed businesses to raise brand profile, lead generate and embed ESG.
Just Williams – Sales and Marketing
www.justwilliamsltd.co.uk