How the heck can you reach customers, prospective customers and interested others when you’re competing with EVERYONE in channels that are NOISY?

Enterprise software sales executives I know have teams of salespeople virtually unable to penetrate the front door of corporate I.T. in order to get their value propositions in front of people who could buy them. Why? There are simply too many software companies banging on the same doors all trying to do what they’re all seemingly mandated to: “Get in at the “C” level and get our story heard.“

Almost all the under, say, $100M firms led by people I know well have a really hard time getting their messages heard so as to sell, grow or position their company, products or services in a better way. Do they still try to use the virtually-completely-ineffective email blast? Go back to the expensive — and low effectiveness — direct mail game? Get better at search engine optimization (SEO)? Give away free stuff in order to build an audience and then try to sell them something later?

Startup-after-startup I deal with are also trying these routes in addition to buzz and viral marketing approaches. “Do a funny video for YouTube” I hear often. “Go after A-list bloggers” is the next refrain. “We’ll lose money for the first year or so but we’ll get the eyeballs and make it up when the advertising hits” is also an oft-heard strategy. It’s getting tougher and tougher to come up with unique things that gets people’s attention and isn’t cheesey.

There are no magic bullets. Most of these traditional (and even new) approaches are simply not working anymore. So what is, Borsch? What do you know that we don’t (and will you tell us)? I’ve certainly got some ideas but I do know that most methods of getting the attention of customers and prospects fail because most recipients are not interested, do not have a need, or already have what you’re trying to sell.

So let’s flip the problem around. Instead of figuring out how to find some sort of magic, efficient and more effective way to scream louder than your competition (or loud enough to be heard at all), instead let’s focus on ways to let your customers and prospects be heard and how you can give them what they need and help them buy.

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