It is thought that the global epidemic process we are in will drag companies to digitalization. How do you think digitalization will be affected at the end of this process?
In fact, although the period we are in is a crisis environment, it brings with it various opportunities. We are moving to a new order that we started to call before COVID-19 and After COVID-19 (CÖ, CS). Normally, the importance of digitalization was noticed by everyone, and now it has been accepted that it is time to implement and invest in digitalization. As each era came by destructively influencing the previous one, the Digital Age will also change the way we do business, of course, and it will be diversified by the unlimited possibilities of easier access, faster information and remote detailing technology.
Are there basic dynamics that you say change or change in terms of sales and marketing?
In most companies, F2F (face-to-face) sales before COVID-19 were 70%, Remote Detailing was 30%, now Remote Detailing is 100% and people after COVID-19 will ask themselves when they return to normal, so they can do business. We can touch our customers, so can we restructure to minimize costs? He said. The answer is, yes, all institutions and organizations will be restructured, and perhaps significantly inter-city travel will be reduced in terms of cost savings compared to the past. For a while the rate will be 50% F2F (face to face), 50% RD (Remote Detailing). Then, the rate will quickly evolve as 70% Remote Detailing and 30% F2F (face to face) interviews. It is necessary to talk about the future of sales here. Purchasing behavior will not change radically at once, but our way of doing business and our purchasing channels will definitely change. This should have happened already, this pandemic has sharply speeded up the process.
As the award-winning sales marketing expert of the best instructor of the year, what is “good marketing” for you and how should it be?
Firstly, thank you. This award given to me is one of the most precious awards I have received. However, there is an important issue here; That Sales and Marketing are different things. While planning and preparing all processes related to the promotion, positioning, pricing and making it ready for presentation, in its simplest form. Sales is the part that explains, persuades and sells this prepared product or service and / or campaign to the end user. A sales without marketing, a marketing without sales is unthinkable. These two very interactive concepts are always seen as one concept, but both are disciplines, so ‘Good Sales’ is as important as ‘Good Marketing’. Nothing you can not sell has no value. The only department that puts money inside a company is sales, except that all departments spend money. For this reason, good marketing takes place through a strategy that touches emotions, transmits positive internal messages and facilitates sales activities. It should be with a strategy that listens to the customer in good sales, creates value and offers benefits. Because price is what people pay and buy value.
What is the importance of social media management and website design in value oriented sales?
I am happy to work with you in this regard, you do your job meticulously and offer a value. As the author of the Value-Oriented Sales book, I must say that everyone who delivers value first will win tomorrow as it is today. For example, for a long time, we create a value together on the re-design of www.umitunker.com and increase its technological superiority. I do this in order to provide more valuable benefits to my valuable followers, and you value me to realize this, you understand me, and you respond patiently and resolutely to all my requests. You are actually doing what it should be, but this is not so much done right now that it is perceived as an important value. People buy not the things, but the emotions that those things make them feel. I believe and recommend that social media and website designs should also be managed with “Feeling Feeling” + “Perceived Value”. Professor Dr. Robert CIALDINI talks about the 6 basic psychologies of persuading people and explains the principle of “Responding”. At any time, if you do someone a favor, even if you are standing still, then that person will also respond to you with possible goodness. This is a very effective method, especially in societies like us. You, your followers, your clients, your customers, whoever they do first, do unconditional favors and then they will definitely pay you back. Either they will continue to follow, they will announce you by making WOMM (Mouth to Mouth Marketing) or they will buy something from you. Remember, we must be the first to do good, because good is contagious.
What kind of developments do you change your marketing strategies? What are the main factors affecting marketing?
Marketing is a dynamic field, a living mechanism that feeds on basic fields such as human science, sociology, psychology, and mathematics, which can quickly change and adapt to consumer behavior according to the agenda. The behavior of consumers affects marketing, which can sometimes be an agenda, an important area of awareness or much talked about on social media. For example; Paco Underhill, Why Do We Buy It? He explains in his book how interesting we are, and even our brains are gradually adapting to it. While we wait to pay for what we get in front of a supermarket cashier, if our time exceeds 3 minutes, our brain doubles every minute that passes after this time. If we have waited for 5 minutes, we will say “I have been waiting for 10 minutes!” When asked. This is the big time difference between real time and our fast living world and our self-adapting brain perception! So psychological time. If we go from this example, marketing will take a strategic approach to this situation such as “Quick Results”, “24 hours delivery” etc. It should produce concrete solutions with concrete data, which is a friction that affects marketing.
We are in a very different process in terms of sales and marketing strategies. Have you encountered any studies that you have been inspired in this field recently?
I recommend everyone the following works and books that I use as a resource in this regard.
Outliers Malcolm Gladwell
Strategy – Harvard Business Review HBR’s 10 Must Reads
Harvard Business Rewiew articles
What are your advices to those who want to improve themselves in sales and marketing in this voluntary quarantine period?
All your preparations before going to work, your desk layout in the office environment, and even your journey to work cause a certain routine in your mind. It relates all these processes to the study. Since you don’t have these normal routines when working remotely, you may experience disruptions to focus and efficiency. When working from home, you can set your own triggers to mirror your work routine in the office environment. In this case, you can use ‘Start the Day’ triggers to prepare your mind in a similar way, such as doing some exercises, looking at short-term news, getting a hot coffee and checking your mails.
However, creating a work environment will be very useful for you.
It is very good if you can achieve full efficiency by working wherever, but this may not be possible. Therefore, you may need an order, an isolated environment. This house can be a separate room, winter garden, indoor balcony or a table. For example; If you arrange the table in a part of your home like your work area and set it up like this, your brain will code this environment as an efficient work area. It can also give your brain the message that you are working efficiently without distraction.
Many distractions are one of the biggest challenges to working remotely. To keep your mind in the right mode and concentration area, stay away from all non-business issues that may disrupt you throughout the work process. You may have to cook, go to the supermarket to meet your basic needs, or have to wash the laundry. You should also devote time to these and take care not to do them within your working time.
Maintain your focus and motivation by keeping a ‘To-Do List’.
Love and respect
Ümit ÜNKER
TEDi Education Founder
Trainer & Writer
