This Friday! Maximizing the Sales & Marketing Partnership

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

SMEI’s next guest speaker will be Jonathan Freeland, Vice President of Marketing for Cox Virginia. Cox Communications is the third-largest cable entertainment and broadband services provider in the country. Drawing from over fifteen years of experience working with both the sales and marketing departments at Cox, Jonathan will share a first-hand perspective on maximizing the sales and marketing partnership.

Register Here! Topics to be discussed include:

Attributes of world-class sales and marketing organizations
The key intersections between marketing and sales
Reflections from the journey Cox is on in this area

Jonathan Freeland serves as Vice President of Marketing for Cox Communications serving Cox’s Virginia Region which includes the Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg, Fairfax County and Roanoke markets. In his role, Mr. Freeland leads a team of 40 marketers responsible for the implementation of marketing strategies for all residential services as well as Cox Business, which total over $1B in annual revenue accountability. He reports to the senior vice president and general manager for Virginia, Gary McCollum.

Freeland joined Cox Communications in 1995 as a sales representative in Hampton Roads, VA. During his tenure with Cox he has succeeded in a variety of sales and marketing leadership roles, serving most recently as the Vice President of Marketing for 3 years and the Vice President of Sales and Distribution for Cox’s Midwest markets in Kansas/Arkansas

Don’t forget to register here!

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Member: $7 Non-Member: $14

Optional lunch buffet will be offered for $23 at the event

What Good Is Cause Marketing? STIHL Knows.

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

A few years ago, STIHL – the #1 selling brand of handheld outdoor power equipment in America – discovered it had a brand awareness problem. You might think, “How could a #1 brand possibly have a brand awareness problem?” Well, the problem was very unique. STIHL discovered that its two most important audiences – independent dealers and general consumers – harbored some crucial misconceptions about the brand. The solution? Cause marketing. Continue reading →

What Is Cause Marketing?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

What is “cause related marketing” or “cause marketing?” The Oxford Business Dictionary defines it as: “A method of marketing products or services in which a company aims not only to make a profit, but also to help an organization such as a charity.” This goes beyond just raising money, though. Cause marketing raises meaningful awareness to make a significant difference in a community. Continue reading →

Sales and Cause Marketing for the Greater Good

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Roger Phelps, Promotional Communications Manager for STIHL, will be SMEI’s next guest speaker. STIHL is the #1 selling brand of handheld outdoor power equipment in America. Roger is also instrumental in the STIHL-sponsored Independant We Stand organization, which promotes independently owned business and touts the benefits of “buying local.” Roger will discuss the following.

“How Sales and Cause Marketing Work for the Greater Good” Click to Register

Best practices for implementing cause marketing.
Utilizing cause marketing to enhance sales via brand awareness.
The STIHL model for achieving successful cause marketing Continue reading →

What’s the Difference?

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

What’s the difference between SMEI (Sales and Marketing Executives International) and other professional organizations? I get this question a lot. I’d have to say the short answer is valuable knowledge-sharing. Our local chapter is made up of members who hold leadership positions in Hampton Roads. We share knowledge and experiences related to leadership, sales and marketing. Because the group is focused on learning from each other, members gain an education that can’t be replicated anywhere else. A recent article from Inside Business explains, “SMEI provides invaluable opportunities to sales and marketing executives who want to learn to be better managers. It offers certification in sales and marketing areas, and provides executives with a chance to network and learn more about how other industries are doing and what’s working for them.”

That’s a great description of the group. However, this is how SMEI Hampton Roads was first described to me, and I think this is the best part:

“When you leave an SMEI event, you should be able to begin implementing something in your business that you weren’t doing before, or stop doing something that you realized is unproductive.”

The great thing is – you’re as likely to learn that “something” from a fellow member at a peer-to-peer luncheon as you are from one of SMEI’s expert guest speakers. For me, that’s what truly makes SMEI Hampton Roads stand out from the crowd.

(Photo: Member Maggie Lowery welcomes me at my first SMEI event. I had been invited to be a guest round-table facilitator.)

You’ve Got to Be a Little Out of Your Mind to Be Successful

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Phil Rea is speaking at SMEI’s event on Thursday – “Leading a Sales Team to Greatness” (click for info). When you watch Phil Rea’s web videos, you see an enthusiastic sales expert providing spontaneous, sometimes off-the-wall insight for an audience of sales professionals who tune in to hear him regularly. They aren’t high quality Hollywood productions. They are simple messages that make it easy for Phil to get his message out, and easy for his audience to share. After all, sharing a video is just a matter of cutting and pasting a YouTube link into an email or Facebook message. This skyrockets Phil’s word-of-mouth brand awareness, providing him an outlet to reach more people than he ever has in his 35-year sales career.

Phil’s videos are simply Phil’s face in front of his webcam, filmed from his office, his home – even the beach and the golf course. He says exactly what’s on his mind whenever and wherever he feels like it. According to Phil, some people call him crazy for doing this. But Phil has some wise words for those who find his methods unorthodox. According to Phil:

“People who are successful in every single industry are the ones who say things other people won’t say, go places other people won’t go, and do things other people won’t do. You’ve got to be a little out of your mind to be successful.”

You can experience just how well Phil lives this mantra at SMEI’s January 26^th event, “Leading a Sales Team to Greatness.” Check out what Phil says about being called “crazy” in his video below.

Phil Rea, National Sales Speaker and Author – January 26th

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

SMEI’s next guest speaker will be Phil Rea, nationally-recognized sales expert and President of marketing firm R2R Associates. The event will be held January 26th. You can find out more details about the event and register here. Phil is a professional sales speaker, author and trainer with 35 years of sales experience. He is considered by many to be America’s best in-home salesperson. He has authored several books, including How to Become a Millionare Selling Remodeling and How to Coach Your Team to More Sales! He also speaks on tours sponsored by the likes of Andersen Windows, Owens Corning & Remodeling Magazine. Phil is best known as a “salesperson’s salesperson” with a distinct southern style,

I can tell you for certain that Phil is a charismatic sales person who will be VERY interesting. One minute you’ll be laughing at what seems to be a crazy personal story, and the next minute you’ll find yourself reevaluating your whole approach to leadership and sales. Continue reading →

150 lbs. of Food & 1 Blingin’ Boot!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

Last night, five great Hampton Roads marketing professional organizations hosted Mingle Bells, a social and networking event held at Red Star Tavern at Town Center in Virginia Beach. Attendees collected a total of 150 lbs. of food for our local Food Bank! Old friends were reunited and new connections were made, but one of the most entertaining parts of the night was a boot. Yes – a boot! HRAMA’s President-elect, Rachel Kemp, arrived at Mingle Bells with one-of-a-kind, designer footwear in the form of a blinged-out orthopedic boot. Rachel injured her foot a few weeks ago, but she’s definitely making the best of it! Check out her now-famous blinged-out boot as well as all the photos from Mingle Bells in the slideshow below! You can also see the photos with full captions at SMEI’s Facebook page. Thanks to SMEI, HRAMA, AAF, Ad2, PRSA, and Red Star for a wonderful night! And remember – if you missed Mingle Bells, you can still donate to the Food Bank online!

Don’t Miss “Mingle Bells” FREE Networking Event December 8!

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

Be a part of the biggest December social networking event in Hampton Roads! It’s FREE! Join us for a great time that will benefit our local Foodbank. Come out, catch up with your comrades and meet new professionals, too. This is a joint event organized by the Hampton Roads chapters of these great organizations:

SMEI
AMA
AAF
Ad2
PRSA

Register for FREE here!

Grab a raffle ticket when you come. You can get additional raffle tickets if you:

Bring canned goods for the Foodbank!
Dress up in holiday attire!
Bring a friend!

So, come on out December 8! Help the Foodbank and have some fun!

Red Star Tavern

Town Center, Virginia Beach

December 8

5:30 – 8:00