Why AWeber Doesn’t Have a Sales Team
Articles & Tips - Marc Kline - December 11th, 2007 - Permalink
Our Education Team is here to provide free marketing resources such as this blog, our Knowledge Base, and our live seminars.
Besides us, here at AWeber’s offices there is also our Customer Solutions team, available to solve problems and offer advice, and our Development Team, the geeks (as we so affectionately call them) who power an evolving feature set and who we owe credit for keeping things running smoothly.
But isn’t there a piece missing? Where is the team of hawkish marketers sealing deals then taking names (and credit card numbers)?
Really? No Sales Team?
That’s right — we don’t have a sales team. OK, so if you dial us up on the phone, you will find an option to talk to “Sales”. But in doing so, you will be connected to the same people who provide solutions to our customers.
We put them on the phone because they know of the ins and outs of how to best use our service to engage and connect with subscribers. We think that because of that, they are most qualified to understand the position and needs of those new to email marketing and/or our service, and they don’t receive commissions or push sales for sake of sales.
We’re Not Bragging … and That’s the Point
Now, my point is not to say, “Our model is so lucrative and flawless that we attract business — it just comes to us!”.
By focusing our communications on educating and providing real solutions […] we think we’re establishing the types of mutually beneficial relationships that generate lifelong customers
In fact, we work hard to position our business online and encourage word of mouth marketing, including through our affiliate partnership, which our customers and others tend to market our service to other businesses who could use really use email marketing.
What I am saying is that by focusing our communications on educating and providing real solutions to our prospects and customers, rather than an endless onslaught of hype and product pitching with unrealistic claims, we think we’re establishing the types of mutually beneficial relationships that generate lifelong customers who tell their friends about our service.
And this is an equation for effective marketing that many businesses (but still too few) are using.
Preaching What We Practice
One thing that’s neat about my job is that I get to share with business owners tips and advice that we use for our own business, and we’re happy to include our marketing as an evolving case study, informing you of what works well and cautioning on what doesn’t.
We have seen success with focusing our communications (including email) on providing value to our audience, and frequently tell our readers, viewers, and listeners to do the same with their email campaigns.
Today, think of ways to emphasize providing value within your own marketing plan.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 10:02 am and is filed under Articles & Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment response, trackback from your own site, or permalink.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Finally someone stands up and proudly announces they don’t have a sales team!
Very cool and motivating.
Reverse marketing works when combined with affiliate marketing.
Who else is out there? Stand up!
December 13th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Ironically enough, my mgmt. training has always reflected the mindset that "EVERYONE in the company is in sales", so this is an interesting take.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Value sells! Everyone knows that Aweber provides the best email marketing system in the industry, bar none.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Though we’re a competitor, I love this post as we too work in exactly the same way.
We don’t push for sales, but instead try and offer as much assistance as we can to any of our customers. At the same time, this gives the support team a vast wealth of experience on email marketing which can be passed on to new clients. Which in a way is sales, but in a good way which allows us to sleep at night.
I’m not even going to put a link to our site on this as I don’t want it to be some shameless promotion for our company. Glad to hear other organisations running like this!
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Greetings I too like AWeber. Although I am still a newbie, I am eager to learn the best strategy for my interest in making my baking hobby a lucrative business. I just feel that this company will be a assest to that end.
Viola Gary
December 31st, 2007 at 10:34 am
WOW!
I love it when a company has a message that "flies in the face of tradition"!!
In my Marketing MBA program I see that this is not readily taught!
Thank you Aweber!
I have loved using your service for the last 7+ years!
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Ditto for us too. Our website does the selling. Call us, and our customer service, administrative and packaging people will have your solutions.