Magnus Marketing Blog

So, after the horrendous meeting with the JS Group, I called my friend Bill and told him what happened. Bill is super smart and was an executive at a well-known reseller, he knows everything about the channel and is one hell of a program architect. He is a great friend and supporter.

According to The JS Group, they have RESEARCH proving that the market is changing - that CIO's now are going online and researching vendors and calling them. She can prove it. And she mentioned something about Social Networks and how LinkedIN Q&A is so critical because a CIO will post a question about datawarehousing and all of his peers will answer. If a salesguy isn't in that loop, god help him, he will not survive.

As I said, when the e-commerce bubble enlarged (before popping into a million dot.com shards) everyone envisioned salespeople as being un-necessary. The result six years later is that people are hiring salespeople with a greater vengeance. Because ladies and gentleman - business is still a relationship game between people - no technology can ever replace a friendly smile, a genuine offer to help, a business luncheon, great discourse over a technology or business idea, or a shared story about children, golf games, or the latest excursion to the Islands for vacation.

Well, Bill and I recounted how many times a CIO called us at our reseller, system integrator, ISV workplaces over the last 10 years and the gooseegg came up. ZERO. Uh, any CIO that is surfing the internet looking for vendors has some serious issues in running his division. I do recall an Admin to a CIO researching vendors who asked me about the company I was working for and wanted literature and at an infrastructure outsourcing company, the CIO did call us - but that was because the entire IT department was going to be outsourced - so yah, it is worth his time. Actually, if a CIO is researching or calling vendors and not spending time learning about the business, getting his MBA, or learning about globalization - the CIO will be on MySpace looking for a new role.

Like I said, marketers did a great job pumping out so much crap, they overeducated the buyers who can be selective. Information overload. The fact that the CIO will know vendors is absolute - which is precisely why the differentiation isn't coming from product/benefit crap - it will come from the salesguy who can articulate the business value for the solution and be as smart or smarter than the guy in front of him. Another key benefit for Sales Intelligence which enables the salesguy to have that business level and even, proactive discussion.

Regarding Social Networks, what is the difference between LinkedIN QA and a CIO meeting his peers at a conference (which are far and few between), golf event, or ad hoc to ask about the preferred data warehouse solution? Plus, isn't that an "old school" marketing concept called "opinion leadership" or "thought leadership" - I think I learned about that in my MBA program in Market Research or Consumer Marketing Class 10 years ago.

All LinkedIN does is impersonally automate a formerly social function. When I was a Marketing Manager at Hexaware, my boss made me (bless him a million times) call other Marketing Directors and VP's to ask what they do to help me get a sense of best practices for my job. I am sure CIO's do the same thing. They won't be using LinkedIN either for that.

I also do not want LinkedIn to become AdvertisingINYOURFACE network. One expert also pointed out that C-level execs wouldn't be caught dead on social networks - they are C-level and VP-level execs they DONT NEED A STUPID SOCIAL NETWORK to be networked. I'd say if a C-VP level exec is on a social network they can't be prominent business leaders. However, one supreme reason why a C-level or VP-level person will be on the social networks is to scout for talent which is becoming scarcer by the generation. LinkedIN especially is a super way to find employees or network with people who know people seeking a change.

Only people like me and other SMB folks may be on the social networks - yah, I am not a prominent business leader, I need it to get some visibility cause I have no major connections and get some awareness for my little business for which I have no money for advertising. The Social Network thing is another great fad, here today - gone tomorrow - these stupid things are proliferating everyday with some idiot or another dreaming up another segregation tool. Anyone stop to think how potentially segregating, discriminatory, and exclusionary these networks are? There is a potential to create caste systems the likes of India in the pre-British days. At least with traditional prospecting, everyone has a chance to succeed.

Salesguys are not dead-men walking. I think these fools that call themselves consultants are - people actually pay money to listen to this crap. Please spend your money on things that really build your business. Actually resellers and tech companies can't find and hire salesguys fast enough.

No computer, no social network, no internet will ever take the place of a salesguy. Any CIO that relies on the internet alone for vendor recommendations and ignores new technology is someone who won't last long in a job. I heard that CIO's prefer to work with smaller firms and are interested in new technologies, many of whom are produced by SMB's with limited marketing budgets, lower internet visibility, and yes a lot of salesguys!

What they really speak of is the automation of interpersonal activity. Another testament to the rapidly deteriorating social condition of America - the soon to be nation of clods whose insenstivity and incapability to communicate will create serious issues. I think there will be a backlash and return to the "old school" of salesguys wearing suits, intelligently pitching solutions, and lunching with executives. I hope so, lest everyone hide behind a fake facade of baubles and screechy tunes on MySpace.