3 Ways to Build Your Internal Credibility with Analytics
I work closely with the folks at Aviso Communications, especially Rose Holston. Her job is to get my recommendations implemented within our client’s organizations. Believe it or not, it is hard to get organizations to do the things that will increase their leads and sales, even the most progressive ones.
If you are the conversion champion within your organization, then you know what I’m talking about.
I’ve asked Rose to help us understand how she goes about getting the attention, support and resources she needs to help a team like yours get meaningful changes implemented. In The Agile Marketer’s Story, the second of three parts, she tells us how best to manage internal communications.
1. Building a Communications Toolkit
2. Building Evidence Through Empirical Observation
3. Telling the Story
I look forward to our next installment and the “Book of Swagger.”
Read the full article on ClickZ
Brian Massey is the Conversion Scientist, teaching businesses how to convert more of their Web visitors into leads and sales. Let Brian take a look at your site.
Expertise: conversion rate optimization, AB testing, marketing strategy, digital marketing, analytics, landing page design, computer programming, entrepreneurship
Speaking: IBM, Inbound, LeadsCon, Content Marketing World, Affiliate Summit, and more
Books and Training: Your Conversion Creation Equation, Video CRO, Marketing Videos that Convert, CRO Best Practices
As Seen On: ClickZ, Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, Conversion Sciences Blog, Intended Consequences podcast
Education: Texas A&M University, BS Computer Science and Management
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It would seem converting internal stakeholders to the side of conversion sciences mirrors that of converting visitors online. Build trust through evidence and empirical observation. Then have a conversation through storytelling. Conversion can not take place online or off without a conversation, either digitally through links or face to face.
I like to say that “conversion is simply a conversation without the T&A.” If by “conversation” you mean an exchange of values, I completely agree. In fact, all interaction online is an exchange of values, a conversation. Storytelling is one way of communicating values. Debate is another. Casual banter is yet another. If you want a prospect to share their values with you, you must reveal yours. Transparently, authentically.
Brian, That’s exactly what I mean by conversation, an exchange of values. Regardless if that exchange is face to face or online it always needs to start with authenticity and transparency. That’s the only way to build trust which as you always say is a key component of conversion.
Hi Brian,
May I add a slightly different perspective on building internal credibility? I think marketing professionals lose sight, or don’t fully understand, their roll in the revenue process and their impact on goals and results. Most of your internal audience has specific performance metrics that define their success. Click-throughs, lead conversions, etc. don’t mean a thing to the real players in the organization. Show them an increase in sales pipeline volume and velocity – now you have their attention.
My point – top revenue executives are shifting their focus to an integrated marketing-to-sales revenue process, and are beginning the manage the processes, activities, competencies and results necessary to exceed their revenue goals. Show them how your initiative will help them reach their goals and they will quickly salute.
Brock,
Your point that internal stakeholders don’t care about clicks and conversions is the heart of the problem. There are two problems that the marketer faces that prevent credibility:
1. The stakeholders don’t know how the clicks and conversions help them.
2. The marketer doesn’t really understand how their work impacts stakeholders.
This last point is the great irony. The organization has to come to the conclusion that they can’t hit their company goals without the Web before stakeholders invest the time to map data to their success.
My next Search Engine Land column is a case study of what you describe: executives deciding to give conversion science and testing the attention it needs.
http://budurl.com/bmasseyseland
Thanks for the comment.
–Brian