Value the Invisible

Whilst I’m waiting for a 1000 files to be deleted from a server, I thought I’d pump out a quick blog post about valuing the invisible

The following is inspired by a conversation with mate & sales guru @realtrevorlever… his effectiveness is measured (pretty much) instantly because if people don’t increase their sales, he’s not good at his job. For the world I exist in (and many others), a lot of the impact on the ‘brand’ seems invisible and not so easily measured.

Here’s my thoughts on the value of the invisible, which I hope will resonate with a few people:

• the job of sales will be a lot easier, if people have heard of companies and services ‘before’ they get that call
• what the company stands for (it’s beliefs, ethics, passion and how it cares for its clients and customers) can filter into the consciousness of the public
• with half a billion people on FaceBook who are not interested in being sold to, those who understand how to operate effectively in this space, will get a percentage of that spending power
• thousands of leaflets printed and trees killed, mucks with the planet and litters peoples lives. We must stop doing it with abundance, just because that’s all you know how to do. Digital is free and all staff can get involved
• ‘sorry’ can be said as soon as mistakes are made and people won’t hate you for it—in fact, do it right and they will warm towards you. Embrace the screw ups!
• people can read, see, question, comment, share and fall in love with branding, in ways that they as customers feel comfortable, not how a company decides is ‘best’
• conversation in the real world is the most valuable marketing you can do. Why wouldn’t you prioritise it digitally?

Whenever I hear conversations about how in tough times people want to increase their income, emphasis is on sales. However, the last thing you should do is put pressure on a salesman but support their efforts by using some of the tactics above.

You should look towards the value of the invisible, and improve it. Quickly. Digital is the fastest way to make an impact with the lowest cost. If there is another way, I’d love to hear about it.

What are your thoughts? Is anyone getting this besides me?

photo credit by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthijs