Marketing + Technology - Latest Comments

Re: Part 2: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Ryan Michael Ballow — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:13:54 -0000

Sure man, glad to be here. Love what you're putting out, seriously! It's always the balance. It would be incredible if all of the peeps engaged through social.

Re: Part 2: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Mike Kang — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:14:18 -0000

Hey Ryan!

Thanks for being here and supporting my blog! I'm glad that you agree, although I can't say that I'm surprised! You and I definitely agree on many things social. I never realized how impersonal the sales game has become until I started reading your blog so thanks for the inspiration.

B2C and B2B sales should try to figure out a better balance between immediate returns and relationship building. A business can build relationships on a macro level but customers deal with people. Imagine how great it would be if the PEOPLE (employees) actually tried to engage through SM.

Thanks for your awesome comment!

Re: Part 2: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Ryan Critchett — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:29:07 -0000

Love the dance analogies. This is seriously one of the best explanations of the collective psychological affects social media is having on consumers. I agree with what you're saying on so many levels. I'd say, I align particularly with the idea that the connections made on these channels are in depth connections, so the sales pitch just isn't as effective, if it has any life at all at this point.

Really detailed, and well worded post man. This was awesome!

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Mike Kang — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:10:39 -0000

Hey Robert,

Thanks for stopping by! Sorry for the late response. Still having trouble finding time with work, school, and life (like most of us!).

I love what you say about quality over quantity. It's easy for high level company execs to focus on revenue but there is a paradigm shift happening that says that consumers want to build deeper relationships with the brands that they interact with.

You're right, consumers have built a pretty high barrier that can only be broken by building trust. Today's definition of trust is different from what sales training programs have taught in the past. Trust is not spewing your expertise about your product to your customer. Today's brand of trust is built on respecting the consumers right to choose what and when they buy. This will drive some managers crazy but it is what it is. Sure, the old sales model will stick around but I have a feeling that successful salespeople will forgo instant gratification with building long lasting relationships that will pay itself over and over again.

Thanks again for continuing the conversation! Hope to see you hear again!

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Robert Pinto-Fernandes — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:57:12 -0000

Hey dude,

I've seen you all over iMark and thought I had to check out your blog, what a first post to read!

No wonder you and Ryan get on so well dude, and I'm totally on the same page!

I agree with all the points you have made. Consumers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the old sales model that you so brilliantly described in this post. The idea of "old" salesmen having a closing ratio is so accurate. Those are words echoed by guys like Jim Rohn. Although he is awesome, that model is certainly obsolete. Quality over quantity all day.

There are so many people who have extensive marketing backgrounds, but focussing on numbers and pushing sales completely misses the point.

More and more consumers are creating high barriers for salesmen to break down.

Great point about the recession also. The consumer is becoming more demanding AND spending less. We're going to see many businesses in the Western world go under in the next ten years bro. The only way this won't happen is if they adopt the awesome new selling model you talk about and engage with their customers.

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Mike Kang — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:22:05 -0000

Amy,

Thank you for the visit and the comment! Much appreciated.

The sales game is quickly changing whether companies want to recognize it or not. Consumers are better equipped to make informed decisions as well as the influence factor via social media channels. This evolution of sales will force sales people to truly build relationships before a transaction is completed. People just don't want to listen to a sales presentation anymore.

However, I still believe that sales people have an important role within an organization and certain aspects of "selling" people are still relevant. The conversation to a 100% relationship based sale will take time but I see it happening!

Thanks again and I hope to see you again soon.

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Amy Putkonen — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:20:51 -0000

This is great, Mike. It is refreshing to see a marketing person talk about how no one wants to be sold to. It is really true and yet there is still so much out there about selling to people.

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Mike Kang — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:30:13 -0000

Ryan,

Thanks for taking time to read it. Hey, I'm happy to give you props because I think your vision about social media strategy is what so many businesses who want to be involved need right now.

Yes, there needs to be a better way to implement relationship selling, but you're right, as long as money is the focus, it's going to take some time. I think that's why a dual strategy is the best way to ease into doing it the right way. Car dealerships kind of have the right idea with their Internet Sales teams.

Either way, it's a work in progress but I hope a company comes out with a way to truly blow the minds of their customers!

Re: Part 1: Why I Won’t Buy From You… Anymore

Ryan Critchett — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:19:52 -0000

Another HUGE post bro. I like where you talked about how the focus should be more on the customer, and how the old sales model is just that, OLD!

I'm humbled. Thanks for the shout my man! That's HUGE!!

You really hit it when you talked about the fact that people are pushed to sell, and that's part of the problem. We get that people need to make money, and that sales is the bloodlife of the biz, but perhaps it would be better if the people weren't in an antsy sales conscious position. Intuitively, I think we all get that. Or maybe not! Leave the success then, to those who get it. I'm ok with dominating while the people who don't get it, don't! Me and you will just hit home runs, Mike!

Re: How Google, Apple, and Blackberry are Changing You

Ryan Critchett — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:20:24 -0000

This is a post that millions of people need to read. This is so on, bro. It makes you really sit down and think about how fast evolution is happening right now, when our smart phones are more powerful than desktop computers were, just a few years back. Solid post.

Re: Overnight Blogging All-Star, I am not

Mike Kang — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:42:59 -0000

Ryan,

Thanks for commenting! Very cool! You're right, writing and publishing is awesome. There is something extremely gratifying about it. It's like you're throwing a part of yourself out there and although the 'net is a big place, doing so makes it feel cozier. No problem on linking your stuff... I like what you have to say because I agree with a lot of it. Thanks again for visiting!

Re: Overnight Blogging All-Star, I am not

Ryan Michael Ballow — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:34:30 -0000

Hey Man,

The interesting thing is, it's like this for EVERYONE. We're all right there with you my friend.
On an awesome note, doesn't it feel good to crank stuff out and publish it up? Blogging is next to Godliness! Thanks for linking, looking forward to more stuff from you Mike.

Re: QR Codes are the Locusts of Digital Marketing

Mike Kang — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:30:01 -0000

Jay,

You are right, the craze blinds people from learning the "why" behind the tool. I agree with you about people using it because it's the newest marketing tool. It doesn't help that it's relatively simple to implement. Exactly... I hate dumb QR codes! Such a waste of time (for the consumer) and it really makes whoever placed the code look bad. Agreed... as a business owner, ROI should be close to the top of the list.

Thanks for your insight and your comment!

Re: QR Codes are the Locusts of Digital Marketing

Jayamandus — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:41:06 -0000

Mike I agree that QR codes can be a unique marketing tool if used properly. Just like any other new craze I think people don't properly analyze the use of the tool. They see something cool that other people use and say "I have to have that" I recently scanned a QR code in a car dealer ad and found that it just uploaded the dealerships contact info. I thought "what a waste of time". Shouldn't it have loaded a video or maybe a coupon to entice me to visit the business? Capital is precious to a business, especially these days. As a business owner make sure you understand the value of the money you are spending before you spend it.

Re: Social Networking Isn’t Booming. It’s Evolving.

Mike Kang — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:33:17 -0000

Hey Jason,

Thanks for commenting. All these popular sites started somewhere and there will be better sites in the future. Yeah, AOL was tons for fun. Wasted a lot of time on that! Hope you're doing well.

Re: Social Networking Isn’t Booming. It’s Evolving.

Jason — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:29:34 -0000

nice article hyung! never really thought about the past social networking devices or websites and how it evolved to the newer ones. I remember chatting on AOL haha fun times.

Re: Hey

Mike Kang — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:36:30 -0000

Jay,

Thanks for the comment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

There is definitely a lot of room for improvement. I believe that hype is a great thing to have when you enter a market because it draws people in but then what? People who consider themselves "experts" emerge and try to capitalize on the opportunity. Nothing wrong with that but there are too many so-called "experts" out there.

Re: Hey

Jayamandus — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:22:43 -0000

Mike,

Looking forward to reading your blog in the future. Although there is an abundance of social media marketing being sold right now I believe you're correct in that it's not being administered in the proper way/format to maximize returns.