Today's economic conditions across the globe dictate prudence in all matters concerning budgets and expenses, and this holds true particularly for expenses related to sales support and marketing. Soon marketing initiatives are replaced by sales calls, lunch'n'learn sessions, and more sales calls. Marketing departments are reduced to a minimum, with reduced budgets, no advertising, no collaterals production allowances, while sales force is usually increased half way through the fiscal year to push for more sales.
As a result of this "band aid" strategy -that aims desperately at increasing sales by shear (sales) force, while at the same time reducing marketing costs, sales representatives are expected to sale, promote, penetrate, expand, conquer, basically empty handed. Having to tell the prospective customer that the company is in the process of reorganizing its literature, or its trade show calendar, or that he or she will send something from the office. In the end, regardless of the company, or if it was the during the IT bubble burst, or the subprime bust, the result is always the same. A band aid strategy does not help when the problem goes deeper.
The problem with these companies was a failure to align the company goals and strategy, with the marketing strategy and the salesmen performance. Only when the three are truly aligned, the company can produce the right sales and marketing tools that will allow the company to pursue its strategy and establish itself as a dominant player in the market, while allowing its sales team to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
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