By CharTec Guest Blog 1

There is a constant battle between Sales and Marketing. Many feel they are one and the same, while others understand the difference between them. So, what is the difference, you ask? The sole purpose of marketing is to bring leads into the sales funnel. The goal of sales is to take those leads and close them or convert them to a sale or purchase. Seems simple enough, however many people still do not understand the relationship between sales and marketing. Yes, they work hand in hand, but have very different functions. So, if you’re wondering how exactly marketing gets leads to sales, you’re in luck. That’s exactly why you’re reading this blog!

Lead Generation comes from many sources including, Inbound, Outbound, SEO, Website, Blog, Social Media, Email, PPC, Events, Etc. So what should MSPs be utilizing? The answer is simple, all of them! Depending on your market, some lead generation platforms will work better than others. Here are some of our favorite ways to bring leads into the sales team for our MSP, ARRC Technology.

Events: There are several different types of events: community events, internal events, expos, and mixers. Each event requires a different approach. We like internal events best because we can control all variables and elements that can go wrong. These tend to work best in the form of Lunch and Learns, like our monthly Tech Bites luncheon. Community events are great to not only to build up your local community presence, but these are also usually good opportunities to gather free press while helping the community. Expos are always interesting. In Bakersfield, Calif. we only have Chamber expos, which are great opportunities to make an appearance in your community and take a look at what competitors are doing.  Even better: if your city has any vertical-specific expos or trade shows, please take advantage of these. They are great sources of leads.

Social Media and Blogs: These are a great way to keep engaged with your audience and drive traffic to the website. Give them value and they will come! From blogs to newsletters, coupons for our break-fix clients to funny pictures on Fridays, we share lots of different types of content on our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Be yourself and keep it lighthearted. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and you shouldn’t either (For example, have you read our blog on hiring an IT guy).

Outbound Marketing: Our general interest track is a great example of our outbound marketing, which includes postcards, emails, promo items, and phone calls. We include a mix of value content and promotion, with a strong call to action. This drip campaign is used throughout the year and reaches a variety of verticals. Depending on your marketing you may have only one or two verticals to which you’re marketing. In that case, make your general interest track very custom to the problems and concerns of your market. Good content, catchy lines, and amazing images make for a great direct mail campaign!

Knowledge is only half the battle. So, you already know all this? Then, it’s time to implement Remember, marketing’s goal is to fill the pipe with so many leads that the sales team comes up to us and tells us to stop running campaigns because they can’t keep up with the flood of leads. This is when you know you’re doing it right. Now, this won’t happen overnight, but with some time and patience you’ll be on your way to giving the sales department a run for their money!

To learn more, take a look at our recent whitepaper.

Gabe Ulloa is interactive media and marketing event coordinator at CharTec, which offers HaaS, BDR and training services to MSPs. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.