Have you ever engaged the services of a marketing agency to generate leads and boost sales? Very often, that’s a reasonable and profitable decision–granted that you’ve selected the right partner, of course.
Perhaps the agency came up with a winning strategy, and they delivered the content and executed the necessary steps to launch the campaign. You were pleased with the results and thought, “Cool, I can keep the ball rolling on my own now.” But, shortly after the peak of website traffic and inbound leads, things started to peter out, despite your best efforts.
So, what do you do now? Do you bring the agency back in for a quick rinse and repeat of a similar strategy? Or… do you get an inbound marketing and sales coach?
You see, there are a few key differences between coaches and consultants, and each will appeal to you depending on the very specific requirements and goals of your business.
Coach or consultant: What’s the difference?
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A coach will identify gaps in your skillset, and work with you to learn and develop so that you have more independent control over decision making and execution.
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A consultant will perform and deliver the work you are unable to do if you lack the skills or in-house resources.
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A coach will work with you to formulate a strategy, and they’ll tell you what to do to achieve success.
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A consultant will advise on the best practices and philosophies, but the ultimate decision to execute on their suggestions lies with you.
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A coach will check in and hold you accountable for each commitment you’ve made.
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A consultant will be accountable for delivering a strategy –– what you do with that is up to you.
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A coach is continuously upskilling and transferring those insights to you, helping to keep you up to date with the latest sales and marketing trends and insider knowledge.
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A consultant will advise on the best practices around a particular project or short term strategy within the inbound sales and marketing framework.
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A coach will be direct about mistakes you’re making and proactively feedback on your progress (or stagnation).
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A consultant will be reluctant or unable to critique decisions, even for constructive purposes, since their role is predominantly delivery-focused.
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A coach is invested in your long term success.
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Consultants are usually invested in the outcomes of projects or campaigns.
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What is inbound sales and marketing coaching, and who is it for?
For many businesses, inbound sales and marketing are exciting and aspirational. They can see the long term value and benefit of applying this methodology and building their strategies on its principles. After all, inbound leads cost about 61% less than outbound leads, and inbound activities generally bring in a measurable ROI.
The reality of executing and staying on course with inbound marketing and sales, however, is tricky. It takes dedication, consistency, continuous evaluation, and sharpening of one’s axe. That’s usually where the consultative approach encounters a bit of friction.
An agency will come in and sing the gospel from the inbound songbook, but if your business isn’t set up and fully invested in the philosophy, you’re going to hit barriers continuously, and results will come in slower. Now, that’s not to say that a consultation service isn’t valuable – quite the opposite, in fact. If you lack the skills and resources and have an aggressive goal you’d like to smash within a very limited time frame, then you need to bring in consultants who can do the heavy lifting and help your team with the workload. But, if you’d like to carry inbound sales and marketing into your future operations, you’ll need a coach to help you integrate your business with this new way of working and thinking.
Coaching is for leaders and teams that have a love for learning and development, are open to guidance and instruction and are willing to roll up their sleeves and do some or all of the work themselves. Inbound sales and marketing go beyond strategy; they require a behavioural commitment.
A coach will help you to shift your thinking in a way that places your buyer persona at the centre of your decision-making process. They’ll engage your creativity and motivate you to proactively seek the opportunities that are available to your business without having to wait on someone with a specific skill set to do it for you. It’s an empowering way of working that puts the success of your business in your hands.
Can you combine coaching and consultation?
Yes, this is often a great solution for businesses that don’t yet have the resources to take everything in-house but want to take a proactive approach to adopting and implementing the inbound methodology. Your coach will be an expert and added resource, helping you to stay on top of your game. Meanwhile, a consultancy service will make sure that the work necessary to achieve your goals and generate income is completed to a high standard.
5 Benefits of having an inbound sales and marketing coach
Your sales and inbound marketing coach can:
- Give you the honest truth when it comes to probable outcomes of current strategy –– even if it’s bad news.
- Analyse your processes and results to ensure you’re never complacent.
- Share a wealth of experience based on observations they’ve made from businesses in similar situations to yours.
- Provide regular, structured meetings in which you’ll review past, present and future actions to ensure you’re actively getting closer to your goals.
- Work with you to make the synergy and co-operation between your sales and marketing departments a reality.
If you’d like to achieve better performance in your marketing and sales and are ambitious, driven, and eager to learn, a coach may be just what you need. To get started, we’d like to invite you to our Sale Enablement Service.
