--- title: Are you $&#%%ing Me? description: Sales and marketing contest. image: https://www.rickroberge.com/hubfs/Crazy_idea.jpg --- # [SELLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY](https://www.rickroberge.com/) [![header-sm-linkedin-blue](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-465400397-png/images/header-sm-linkedin-blue.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickroberge) [![header-sm-twitter-blue](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-465371692-png/images/header-sm-twitter-blue.png)](https://twitter.com/RainMakerMaker) [![header-sm-google-plus-red](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-462412948-png/images/header-sm-google-plus-red.png)](https://plus.google.com/+RickRoberge/posts) [![header-sm-rss](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-480298330-png/images/header-sm-rss.png)](https://www.rickroberge.com/rss.xml) # [Science for Sales Rock Stars](https://www.rickroberge.com/) ## [Are you $&#%%ing Me?](https://www.rickroberge.com/are-you-ing-me) ![](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/RR.jpg?width=35&height=35&name=RR.jpg) By [Rick Roberge](https://www.rickroberge.com/author/rick-roberge)   Nov 18, 2015 4:55:36 PM This has to be the dumbest email that I've seen this year! ![Crazy_idea.jpg](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crazy_idea.jpg?width=609&height=505&name=Crazy_idea.jpg "Crazy_idea.jpg") Take budget away from sales and give it to marketing? Why? So they can generate more leads that suck? So marketing can complain that the salespeople don't know how to sell? Please let me make three points. 1. Every client that we work with has someone in their database that's ready to buy from them. How do we know that? Because when we work with a client, we find them and help our client close them. Last May, when some marketing agencies were saying that they were generating leads, but still getting fired, I started asking, **[Should you fire your marketing agency](https://www.rickroberge.com/should-you-fire-your-marketing-agency)**? I have a lot of marketing agency friends, but if they send you an email like the one above, you should fire them. 2. Two years ago Pete Caputa suggested that **[salespeople should grow their own reputation on line](https://www.collaborativegrowthnetwork.com/blog/bid/104615/3-Theories-I-d-like-to-Prove-About-Selling)**. Your prospects are checking your salespeople's profiles out as your salespeople are pitching them. Ask yourself the question. Who would you rather have calling on you, the "Top Closer" for the past 5 years or a recognized expert in the field that has written several thought leader papers is respected for what they know rather what they close. 3. Inbound is awesome, but even **[Brian Halligan has admitted that Inbound is not all that you need](http://therainmakermaker.com/2011/12/11/sales-lies/)**. Referrals can work. Trade shows can work. Networking can work. Especially when they're part of a holistic, integrated, fully aligned program. So, here's my suggestion. Rather than taking budget away from sales and giving it to marketing, take some budget away from sales and the same amount away from marketing. Then give it back to sales and marketing in proportion to the number of $$$ that are generated by sales on leads that the salespeople self generate and the number of $$$ that are generated by sales that marketing makes with no help from sales. Crazy? or evil genius? - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Want updates as they're published? #### Enter your email: BTW, do you have an idea or question that would make a good article? Would you like to write or co-author it? Either way, **[ send me an email](mailto:therainmakermaker@gmail.com?Subject=Blog%20article/author%20idea)**. **[Rick Roberge](https://plus.google.com/116082120720832878924/posts?rel=author)** ## About this blog *This blog is for, by and about Sales Rock Stars, RainMakers, Entrepreneurs (and/or those that strive to be)* ## [Read My Articles on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/rickroberge) ## [About Rick](https://www.rickroberge.com/contact-me) **[The Original ](http://therainmakermaker.com/)****[RainMaker Maker Blog (pre-2012)](http://therainmakermaker.com/)** [**Remote Bookkeeping**](http://www.slcbookkeeping.com/blog/bid/116710/remote-bookkeeping-made-easy)[** Made Easy**](http://www.slcbookkeeping.com/blog/bid/116710/remote-bookkeeping-made-easy) [**Awesome Website Design**](https://www.inbounddesignstudio.com/contact/) Search RainMakers & Sales Rock Stars Search ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Posts by Month - [November 2025 (19)](https://www.rickroberge.com/archive/2025/11) - 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