But what if you had a strong online presence that was compelling? Would those prospects have connected with you? Sent you a message? Requested a meeting?

Maybe. But without offering an opportunity for them to learn more and possibly become intrigued by who you are and what you offer, you'll simply never know. How much opportunity has slipped away because you're only providing part of the puzzle? At best, you'll only ever know anecdotally. Not a good answer to take to the bank.

It takes a team effort

Even if you've completely bought into the “we need to be marketing” idea, you need to approach it from a strategic perspective and lead it from the top. The agency needs to determine the message and ensure everyone follows through, sharing it accurately and consistency.

It takes a team effort to create the type of consistent presence and impact that buyers need to see to drive them into taking action. Buyers need to hear from you repeatedly for the message to really sink in and for them to make the connection between their needs and your ideas/solutions.

One-time activities like sponsoring a charity golf tournament, sending out a single direct mailer or speaking once at a Rotary event won't cut it. And giving the responsibilities to just one person or one group won't either. Think through the whole process and create a plan for a flow of consistent activities that includes everyone on the team:

• Producers need to stir up interest with prospecting activities such as cold calling/emailing, participating in networking events, asking for client referrals, and sharing referrals with centers of influence.
• Agency leaders should be committed to developing a strong value proposition for their clients and have clear messaging explaining how it benefits the clients. At a minimum, this message should be shared on the website and on company social media accounts.
• Producers, leaders, account managers (typically client-facing team members) should be committed to sharing those same ideas through their own online presence and building on them, reinforcing them, and acting as an educational guide for their followers and connections around the core ideas of the value proposition.
• In-house or outsourced marketing managers need to be sharing the message along with everyone else.

Buyers want a consistent message

What your buyers hear from producers during prospecting interactions needs to match what they read online or through other marketing activities. Be sure there is only one message and it's being shared and reinforced through all of your activity, not just on the website or buried in a brochure.

You have to both talk it and walk it. The more buyers see consistency in a message that resonates with them, the more interested they become in having a conversation. And when they meet up for that conversation, the same message needs to carry through there, as well.

Now more than ever before, it takes both prospecting and marketing to get to a qualified sales meeting. Give yourself every possible opportunity to open that door.

Be sure to attend Wendy Keneipp's Motivation Track session, “Finding Sales Success at the Intersection of Prospecting & Marketing,” April 18 at 4:00 p.m. at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo.