Lead Generation Insight

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  • Illuminating the Furture

  • What Does It Take to Be a Thought Leader?

    • What Does It Take to Be a Thought Leader?
    20 Jul, 2010
    It's probably clear by now that an individual's compensation or an enterprise's growth is tied to what sets it apart. You won't succeed in this marketplace if you don't specialize and offer something that is truly distinctive. But it's not...

  • Getting Provocative: How Visual Provocations Engage Buyers

    • Getting Provocative: How Visual Provocations Engage Buyers
    26 Jun, 2010
    It's now tougher than ever to turn prospects into customers. But prospective buyers won't make any moves unless they understand the full scope and magnitude of the challenges they currently face - and comprehend what a value-rich solution might look...

  • The Demand Center Breakthrough

    • The Demand Center Breakthrough
    10 Jun, 2010
    As the pace of marketing innovation accelerates, B2B marketers are struggling with growing complexity and growing expectations. "B2B Marketers now have access to dynamic technologies that are transforming how leads are generated, prospects are engaged and customers are acquired," according...

  • 7 Keys to the Kingdom: How to Fully Capitalize on Your Content Investment

    • 7 Keys to the Kingdom: How to Fully Capitalize on Your Content Investment
    04 May, 2010
    Some say content is king. They recognize the power of relevant and resonant content to attract buyers, guide them through challenging decisions and drive growth to new levels. But many other organizations seem to consider content an unruly tyrant. One...

  • Leading Lights: Marketing and PR Strategist David Meerman Scott

    • Leading Lights: Marketing and PR Strategist David Meerman Scott
    10 Apr, 2010
    We've been liberated to elevate our businesses and ourselves through the new tools of marketing. In fact, new tools mean new rules. We no longer need to rely on the media for attention and publicity. We are the the media...

  • The Visibility Premium

    • The Visibility Premium
    31 Mar, 2010
    Are you personally seeking higher visibility in your field or profession? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. More and more of us are aiming to be widely recognized. This can benefit us personally as well as the companies we...

  • Leading Lights: Visual Communicator and Problem Solver Dan Roam

    • Leading Lights: Visual Communicator and Problem Solver Dan Roam
    25 Mar, 2010
    Dan Roam is giving us the power of sight. How about that for a gift? Roam, who is the author of the best-selling book Back of the Napkin and the newly released Unfolding the Napkin, is an expert in discovering,...

  • Shorting Our Customers

    • Shorting Our Customers
    23 Mar, 2010
    Just got finished watching Michael Lewis (one of my favorite writers) on the Charlie Rose show. He was describing his new book, The Big Short, about contrarians who bet against the sub-prime mortgage debacle and made millions doing so. What’s...

  • Leading Lights: Content Marketing Strategist Ardath Albee

    • Leading Lights: Content Marketing Strategist Ardath Albee
    21 Feb, 2010
    As one of the most insightful and prolific strategists in the emerging field of content marketing, Ardath Albee deserves your attention. She is the author of the compelling new book eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale. But she also blogs...

  • What Jack Bauer Can Teach Us

    • What Jack Bauer Can Teach Us
    22 Jan, 2010
    Jack is back. With a new season of 24, Kiefer Sutherland (aka Jack Bauer) is back on TV taking out bad guys. Should you care? I think so. Here’s why: Every week, this fast-paced drama offers us insights into the...
  • Idea Sellers

  • Superior Sales Managers Defined

    • Superior Sales Managers Defined
    29 Jul, 2010
    The sales environment, like all aspects of the world around it, has changed drastically over time. Though these changes have occurred, selling, at its core, has basically not. Selling, distilled down to its core, can be described as the transference...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    29 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    28 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Is Your Prospect Trying To Buy Something?

    • Is Your Prospect Trying To Buy Something?
    27 Jul, 2010
    It seems simple enough: After reviewing their web site for the first time, a prospect contacts a supplier and wants to order something. (As all the marketers shout Halleluiah!) Before we get too excited, let's stop and examine this scenario...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    27 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Words of Encouragement Go a Long Way

    • Words of Encouragement Go a Long Way
    26 Jul, 2010
    Clemson's Dabo Swinney received encouraging support for their coming ACC title effort from perhaps the most unlikely of sources, South Carolina Gamecocks' Head Coach, Steve Spurrier. The Clemson Tigers, ranked #25, face neighboring Georgia Tech, ranked #12, for the coveted...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    26 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    25 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    24 Jul, 2010
    There are two types of business owners: 1. Those who view their sales team as an asset. 2. Those who view their sales team as an expense. Type 2's do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They...

  • Thank Heavens for This Economic Crisis!

    • Thank Heavens for This Economic Crisis!
    24 Jul, 2010
    Yes, thank heavens for this economic crisis! You heard me right. I am actually grateful for how it has impacted me. As it turns out, this horrible recession has revealed to me just how deep a sales rut I have...
  • B2B Rainmaker / Jim Logan

  • What is the character of your business?

    • What is the character of your business?
    05 Jul, 2010
    Whether or not you are aware, your business is known for something.  Your customers know it and your prospects will eventually discover it. Your business is known for one of these or related characteristics: fast response, committed, hard to work with, stringent, openness, expert, clueless, trustworthy, loyal, etc.  Just as people carry favorable or negative reputations, your business character is known. It can be a great asset or a reason to avoid your offer. And it's not just your business th more »

  • The small business advantage

    • The small business advantage
    02 Jul, 2010
    Here is a simple way small businesses can offer their customers an advantage in doing business with them as opposed to their larger competitors: make yourself available and respond faster. Many businesses place roadblocks and barriers to customer interaction – voice mail, call screening, auto attendants, unnamed email boxes, etc.  These are barriers that limit the timeliness of customer interaction and hinder quick response to customer questions and issues. Sure, a level of technology bet more »

  • What's your big idea?

    • What's your big idea?
    01 Jul, 2010
    Do you have a big idea - a thought or perspective of your business or market that simplifies complex concepts or causes a paradigm shift in how others view their world?  If not, you should pursue one. A big idea guides you, leads your approach to solving problems, and is your fall-back when things get tough in your business or market. Big ideas are worth paying for.  Big ideas are what prospective customers notice.  Big ideas are the creative engine of your business and person. Big ideas can b more »

  • Can you be replaced? If not, you can't lose.

    • Can you be replaced? If not, you can't lose.
    01 Jul, 2010
    I've worked with a company, product or service that wasn't the best.  Maybe you have too. You know the scenario – we weren't the least expensive, the most feature rich, the most flexible. We were a good company with a good offer, but we didn't really offer anything special.  Or did we? I believe we offered something far superior to our competition -- ourselves.  We offered outstanding sales, service, and account management.  I always believed my team and I were the superior part of the more »

  • You need a plan

    • You need a plan
    23 May, 2010
    You need a plan.  I’m not talking about a business plan, although you probably need one of those too.  I’m talking about a personal plan.We all need a little focus, direction, and map to guide our activities.  Not something to tell us what to do today, that would be a calendar or organizer.  No, that’s not what I mean.  I mean we need some focused thought and a few notes on what we want to accomplish.A few well thought activities, coupled with an outline of key points, o more »

  • Tired of competing on price? Try this instead

    • Tired of competing on price? Try this instead
    20 May, 2010
    Need a simple way to reduce the pressure to discount your offing:  consistently exceed your customer's expectations. Simple.   But not always easy. Give more than expected – deliver faster, add bonuses, giveaway extras, respond faster, increase your quality, and outperform your competition in all areas of customer service and support. Give far more than expected and you will reduce your need to discount. Your price is justified by your actions.  Your customer will realize the benefit an more »

  • The simplest way to improve customer communication

    • The simplest way to improve customer communication
    18 May, 2010
    Here is the simplest and yet possibly the best marketing communication test and tactic of them all. Do this and odds are your ability to communicate the value of your product or service will improve: Present your copy and give your spiel to a number of close friends and family.  Every time you catch yourself saying “What I mean by that is…â€� stop yourself and write it down.  That’s what you should be saying all along. It's a safe bet you're probably not aware how often more »

  • Creating sales-ready leads -- A free 57-page case study

    • Creating sales-ready leads -- A free 57-page case study
    16 Apr, 2010
    Grab your copy of the report at the bottom of this post -- no registration required. ======= Several years ago I wrote a letter on behalf of a client to 40 of the largest counties in one of the largest sates in the United States.  The letter was sent to County Supervisors, the highest elected official in county government. The same techniques used in this letter were used to gain access to senior executives in F1000 offices across the country - same product, same approach, and same incredible r more »

  • A free 57-page tell-all report of how a one page letter created sales meetings with executives ...

    • A free 57-page tell-all report of how a one page letter created sales meetings with executives ...
    14 Apr, 2010
    Grab your copy of the report at the bottom of this post -- no registration required. ======= Several years ago I wrote a letter on behalf of a client to 40 of the largest counties in one of the largest sates in the United States.  The letter was sent to County Supervisors, the highest elected official in county government. The same techniques used in this letter were used to gain access to senior executives in F1000 offices across the country - same product, same approach, and same incredible r more »

  • What's wrong with this email? -- The answer

    • What's wrong with this email? -- The answer
    07 Apr, 2010
    In a previous post I shared an email I received and asked if you thought there were anything wrong with it.  Here's my answer:  Plenty. Here's the email again: My names is [Joe Salesperson] and I am contacting you on behalf of [Company]. We are a lead validation and management provider. As an affiliate network, you know the importance of lead quality and understand how vital it is to the success of your business. We are currently offering two validation platforms at highly competitive prices more »
  • Marketing Interactions

  • Manticore Technology VII Enhancements Boost Marketing Performance Management

    • Manticore Technology VII Enhancements Boost Marketing Performance Management
    28 Jul, 2010
    Manticore Technology is rolling out over 40 enhancements and features to their marketing automation platform to improve usability, accelerate lead flow and more closely align marketing with sales. What this means is that they’re simplifying the process while expanding the capabilities. Marketers can now accomplish more while increasing precision at the same time. I recently had the opportunity to see...

  • The Fallacy of No Competition

    • The Fallacy of No Competition
    25 Jul, 2010
    We all want to think our products and solutions are unique, differentiated and give us a competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, we're passionate about what we do. We wouldn't be in business if we weren't. But competition often has the characteristics of a chameleon. I find that businesses often underestimate who/what they're competing against. They think that just...

  • How to Get UnLinked on LinkedIn

    • How to Get UnLinked on LinkedIn
    23 Jul, 2010
    LinkedIn can be a very valuable tool for B2B professionals to meet colleagues they'd never otherwise have access to, network with those they don't see very often and engage in conversations on topics of interest. It's also one heck of a community for getting to know your prospects and customers. LinkedIn can also expose a lack of integrity and authenticity...

  • Is Sales Stepping on Your Marketing Dialogue?

    • Is Sales Stepping on Your Marketing Dialogue?
    22 Jul, 2010
    I was on the phone with a B2B software marketer discussing the difficulty of keeping sales from trying to "sell" to any lead they could get their hands on—regardless of their degree of sales readiness. While I appreciate the sales team's enthusiasm, restraint can be a good thing. There are many online behaviors that do NOT translate into "Sell to...

  • Get SNAP Selling and Stay Out of the Dreaded "D" Zone

    • Get SNAP Selling and Stay Out of the Dreaded "D" Zone
    21 Jul, 2010
    My excellent friend, Jill Konrath, has done it again! Her new book, SNAP Selling, has launched to much well-deserved acclaim. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to go get a copy - Do it right now. Whether you're in sales or in marketing, one of the things most of us struggle with is getting to know our...

  • Using Editorial Calendars in B2B Content Marketing

    • Using Editorial Calendars in B2B Content Marketing
    17 Jul, 2010
    This post is due to a Twitter exchange that ended a bit badly because I misunderstood the person's intentions. He was using Twitter to fire rapid questions at me after I completed my session at the Lead Management Summit on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. The questions were coming so fast - before I could answer one, another several would...

  • Lose the B2B Website Laundry Lists!

    • Lose the B2B Website Laundry Lists!
    16 Jul, 2010
    B2B websites still flounder in trying to connect with prospects. There are many issues that we can shine a light on, but for today, let's talk about those dreaded laundry lists. You know what I mean. Those endless, scrolling lists of links to stuff that make your website visitors' eyes glaze over. Even worse, is when those lists have no...

  • Do You Plan For The Content Experience?

    • Do You Plan For The Content Experience?
    12 Jul, 2010
    As the business environment becomes more interactive and "social," content must follow step and become more experiential. I was working on a project over the weekend and thinking about the entire experience we were building for prospects with content. Content is not just about an email send, or a blog post, or a white paper, or a Tweet. Content marketing...

  • Define Progressive Triggers for Content Marketing Programs

    • Define Progressive Triggers for Content Marketing Programs
    09 Jul, 2010
    One of the questions I get asked often is how to define and respond to triggers within content marketing programs for B2B complex sales. I wish there was a simple answer to this question because it feels like I'm copping out if I say, "Well, it depends..." Unfortunately, it does. What works as a trigger for other companies' buyers may...

  • Webinar Q&A Part 2: How to Build an eMarketing Strategy to Drive Sales

    • Webinar Q&A Part 2: How to Build an eMarketing Strategy to Drive Sales
    08 Jul, 2010
    Yesterday, I posted round 1 of the answers to questions submitted during the webinar. This is round 2. Unbelievably, I still have a few more, so stay tuned. Q. Does marketing have the right to unplug a prospect from a nurture sequence or is that the responsibility of sales? This depends on your lead management process. The responsibility for “unplugging�...
  • Marketing Operations Partn ...

  • Marketing Ops, Social Media Monitoring and NewComm Forum 2010

    • Marketing Ops, Social Media Monitoring and NewComm Forum 2010
    14 Apr, 2010
    In previous blog posts, I explored the relationship of Marketing Operations to Social Media and the ”instant gratification” Marketing ROI organizations... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Increasing the Value of Marketing Operations with Predictive Analytics

    • Increasing the Value of Marketing Operations with Predictive Analytics
    25 Mar, 2010
    Today our Marketing Analytics team lead, Creig Foster, dives into the sexy topic of predictive analytics (PA). Why are we so enamored with PA? One of my students, the Marketing Operations leader... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Social Media ROI?????

    • Social Media ROI?????
    13 Mar, 2010
    Whether in a new business process, in conversation with current client executives or via a daily supply of Tweets from Social Media experts and wannabees alike,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Marrying Marketing Ops and the Social Web

    • Marrying Marketing Ops and the Social Web
    04 Mar, 2010
    As I write this, I’ve just celebrated my 26th Valentine’s Day as husband to the love of my life, Melissa. A successful long-term marriage... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • What Marketing Needs from IT

    • What Marketing Needs from IT
    04 Mar, 2010
    Marketing and IT are arguably two of the most overloaded and under-resourced functions in the enterprise. As marketing complexity increases, a key aspect of a scalable marketing strategy is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Reengineering Marketing Operations at Work

    • Reengineering Marketing Operations at Work
    03 Mar, 2010
    My avid readers (both of you? ( [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Think Like Your Customer: Aligning Selling to Buying Process

    • Think Like Your Customer: Aligning Selling to Buying Process
    03 Mar, 2010
    I'm finishing up Bill Stinnett's excellent book, Think Like Your Customer, which should be required reading for anyone in Sales and Marketing, especially if you market high-value products and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Talking Marketing Ops at EBIG

    • Talking Marketing Ops at EBIG
    03 Mar, 2010
    In addition to our webinar, I’ll be speaking about Marketing Operations before the Sales & Marketing SIG of the East Bay IT Group (EBIG) this Thursday, November 16... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Looking back on Henry Stewart NY 2007

    • Looking back on Henry Stewart NY 2007
    03 Mar, 2010
    Well, I didn’t have any takers go out on the limb by sharing their thoughts on the Henry Stewart Conference in advance of my post, so here we go. One... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Marketing 2.0 Author in San Francisco This Week

    • Marketing 2.0 Author in San Francisco This Week
    03 Mar, 2010
    Bernie Borges of Find and Convert, author of the upcoming book, Marketing 2.0: Bridging the Gap Between Seller and Buyer on the Social Web, will be in San... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
  • My Educated Guess / TechTa ...

  • Coaching Your Inside Sales Team to Improve Online Lead Conversion

    • Coaching Your Inside Sales Team to Improve Online Lead Conversion
    12 Jun, 2010
    I don’t know of any marketer that doesn’t have improving lead conversion to sales high on their list of priorities these days, especially since marketers are so focused on revenue and getting the most out of their budget dollars. As marketers, you do the best you can to cultivate and prioritize leads so they are [...]

  • New Evidence Shows the Rules for B2B Marketing are Changing

    • New Evidence Shows the Rules for B2B Marketing are Changing
    19 May, 2010
    A new report reveals helpful insights on how the B2B marketing landscape is changing and how marketers should respond to better meet customer needs. The data supports much of the research TechTarget has done over the past several years, and is a good reminder to all B2B marketers that your customers are in the driver’s [...]

  • Impacting Your Pipeline More Effectively

    • Impacting Your Pipeline More Effectively
    07 May, 2010
    One of the challenges I often hear from online marketers is figuring out what to do with the hundreds of leads they generate from their online campaigns. Understanding the best way to identify the real opportunities for marketers and sales people can be found in the content they download, the stories they read, and the [...]

  • The Big Event Showdown: Face-to-Face Trade Shows vs. Virtual Trade Shows

    • The Big Event Showdown: Face-to-Face Trade Shows vs. Virtual Trade Shows
    26 Mar, 2010
    2009 was the year of the “Great Recession”, in which both consumers and marketers had to get creative to make the most of drastically cut budgets. One area which saw a large impact was the face-to-face trade shows - which, when all is said and done, can get quite costly when you start adding dollars [...]

  • How the Right Content Can Help Drive the Sale

    • How the Right Content Can Help Drive the Sale
    05 Mar, 2010
    In today’s tough economy IT marketers want their online leads to turn into sales as soon as possible. Regardless of whether their sales cycle is six weeks or nine months, they want to see hot leads now!  And it’s not only about generating as many leads as possible, but to really focus on lead quality.  [...]

  • Social networking is here to stay!

    • Social networking is here to stay!
    22 Feb, 2010
    Social networking has become a powerful, but necessary strategy for any technology marketer to actively increase their membership base. Many IT companies are getting into the social media arena by blogging, creating fan pages on Facebook, building a Twitter following, or by creating Groups on Linkedin. But, there are no guarantees your message is heard amongst all [...]

  • Let actual CIO behavior train your technology marketing

    • Let actual CIO behavior train your technology marketing
    02 Feb, 2010
    The closest we can get you to actually standing over the shoulder of an IT buyer as they research technology business solutions, is our latest Google/TechTarget behavioral research study on the enterprise technology buying process. But on February 11 at the Google offices in NYC, we’re taking it one step further and inviting you to join [...]

  • Don’t Let Organic Search Leads Fall by the Wayside

    • Don’t Let Organic Search Leads Fall by the Wayside
    28 Jan, 2010
    As we enter 2010 and online marketing strategies are getting even more targeted, IT marketers forget about the importance of nurturing organic search leads versus their targeted leads.  Marketers are concerned with only promoting to a certain audience and utilizing leads that are from email list promotions.  Late stage leads that are further down the [...]

  • Social Media – Is it any easier to determine ROI?

    • Social Media – Is it any easier to determine ROI?
    22 Jan, 2010
    Social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are continuing to gain traction and increasing in popularity every day.  People use these sites to keep in touch with friends, keep up to date on the latest trends and stay up to date on some of their favorite products, groups, etc.  More recently, social networking sites [...]

  • Have you considered everything in your targeting strategy?

    • Have you considered everything in your targeting strategy?
    05 Jan, 2010
    An old boss once told me that success happens when preparation and opportunity meet. This also holds true for targeting an audience with your marketing campaigns. I’ve been thinking about the evolution of targeting and how it has and, in some cases, has not progressed. As marketers, we often default to the basics of a [...]
  • Revenue Journal

  • Social Commerce: Harnessing social media power during the buying process

    • Social Commerce: Harnessing social media power during the buying process
    08 Jul, 2010
    The word "social" in "social media" really means conversations between individuals. In social media, those conversations happen "out there" - on social media sites. These conversations may or may not be related to a customer's buying process.

  • The Great Marketing and Selling Crisis of 2010 - and how to escape it

    • The Great Marketing and Selling Crisis of 2010 - and how to escape it
    06 Jun, 2010
    We are smack dab in the middle of a terrible dilemma. The entire marketing and selling world is "betwixt and between." Traditional marketing and selling methods are not working the way they used to, and social media is not the end-all answer, either. In spite of the hype level and some people who are actually making it work, it's just a hint at the answer. But it isn't THE answer. There is an answer, fortunately, but first let's look at the crisis itself. This is a serious crisis because it's a more »

  • How well do you stack up against the three revenue success factors?

    • How well do you stack up against the three revenue success factors?
    14 May, 2010
    Most CEOs assume they have firm control of their company's success. They make decisions all day long, and believe that what they are deciding is driving their revenue. But they're missing something. In my experience, their control is more in the 50% range - because they not focusing on the three revenue success factors. What are the success factors? And, as a CEO, how can you get them under your control? Success Factor #1: Your website actually makes it easy for customers to buy.

  • Intranets: That Giant Sucking Sound

    • Intranets: That Giant Sucking Sound
    29 Apr, 2010
    Intranets are places where someone - usually a customer, partner, or employee - signs in and then tries to do something.   Given my own experience as the user of intranets, and as someone who rebuilds broken intranets, here's my take on the current state of intranets.   Intranets, on the whole, are TERRIBLE.   Most executives visit their company websites occasionally, but they never go to their company's intranets. They especially never try to do anything on those sites. They simply don't real more »

  • Do You Secretly Believe You Are Smarter Than Your Customer?

    • Do You Secretly Believe You Are Smarter Than Your Customer?
    22 Apr, 2010
    I took a book called Mastering the Complex Sale on a recent flight. In it, the author says that the complex sale consists of three main components: Determine, Design, and Deploy. No argument there. Nice way of thinking about it. But then he goes on to say that most customers of the complex sale are not equipped to make a good buying decision - that the salesperson selling to them must guide them through the process. This is a basic premise of the book. The word that sprung to my mind when I more »

  • Is Your Website Hot?

    • Is Your Website Hot?
    21 Apr, 2010
    When you were a kid, did you ever play a game where one person was blindfolded, and was supposed to find something, with hints from the other people in the room: "You're getting warmer…nope, you just went cold…yep, getting warmer…now you are really, really hot!" That's what it's like for your website customer. The customer is the person with a blindfold, groping around, and your website navigation and content are the people in the room. more »

  • Your Website and Your Revenue: If They Don't Buy Your Content, They Won't Buy Your Product

    • Your Website and Your Revenue: If They Don't Buy Your Content, They Won't Buy Your Product
    13 Apr, 2010
    Before someone will buy your product, they have to "buy" your content. Your content is actually your first product, and should be viewed that way. If they don't like your free content, they won't pay for your product. Most CEOs view content as something "out there," created by people who are not part of the strategic leadership team. They are just seen as "do-bees": Marcom people, webmasters, copywriters, designers, and nerds. Quite often, there is no top executive responsible for the success of more »

  • Top 10 Characteristics of An Effective Leader

    • Top 10 Characteristics of An Effective Leader
    24 Mar, 2010
    Every business needs an effective leader. And yet, highly effective leadership is rare. Here's a checklist that comes from helping hundreds of CEOs, entrepreneurs and managers become more effective leaders. If you're feeling brave, in the spirit of a new year, you might rate yourself on the following characteristics on a scale of 1 - 10, then ask some customers and staff to do the same - anonymously, of course, using something like SurveyMonkey http://www.SurveyMonkey.com. The results might surpr more »

  • Are your salespeople making these terrible mistakes?

    • Are your salespeople making these terrible mistakes?
    23 Mar, 2010
    It started out innocently enough. I was looking for a company to provide contact info for good prospects, based on their job titles, for one of my clients. I was making sure I was up to date on the latest sources. I came across one company that looked good online, a software-based tool you could use to search for certain types of people in particular industries. The site was hip, and they claimed to have 50,156,715 people and 5,201,085 companies. Cool.

  • Time to start taking care of each other

    • Time to start taking care of each other
    22 Mar, 2010
    Yes, 'tis the season - a season I dearly love. And this article is definitely related. It's actually about what really matters, in business. Your business. My business. Everybody's business. See, I love business. The more I'm in business, the more I'm in love with business. I love what businesses do for people.
  • Sales Lead Insights

  • Responsible for B2B marketing or lead generation? Be my guest at B2B University in Boston on May 18th

    • Responsible for B2B marketing or lead generation? Be my guest at B2B University in Boston on May 18th
    01 Jul, 2010
    Responsible for B2B marketing or lead generation? Be my guest at B2B University in Boston on May 18th. This all-new-for-2010 session is focused on helping you stay ahead of the curve and excel in the changing B2B marketing environment. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.

  • Webinar Leads Demystified: Free webinar on April 28, 2010 at 2:00 pm EDT

    • Webinar Leads Demystified: Free webinar on April 28, 2010 at 2:00 pm EDT
    30 Jun, 2010
    Don't miss this complimentary webinar about turning webinar registrants and attendees into qualified, sales-ready leads. Webinar Leads Demystified: Best practices for leveraging both webinar registrants and attendees Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. PDT) For more information and to register, click here. A webinar, or webinar series, can be a strong performer in a marketer’s demand-generation program. [...] If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me more »

  • B2B Marketing University: See you in Palo Alto on April 7th…

    • B2B Marketing University: See you in Palo Alto on April 7th…
    29 Jun, 2010
    B2B Marketing University. A free half-day seminar on April 7, 2010 in Palo Alto, CA. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.

  • What B2B marketing automation is all about, and why you should care: Executive Breakfast Briefing Tomorrow (6/29) in Waltham MA from 8:30 to 10:00 am.

    • What B2B marketing automation is all about, and why you should care: Executive Breakfast Briefing Tomorrow (6/29) in Waltham MA from 8:30 to 10:00 am.
    28 Jun, 2010
    Interested in learning more about marketing automation and how it may benefit your company? You won’t want to miss this complimentary, 90-minute breakfast briefing in Waltham, MA, tomorrow (6/29/2010), from 8:30-10:30am. It is designed specifically for senior executives at mid-sized or large companies, or at a fast-growing, venture-funded, small companies, that sell products or services to other companies. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-80 more »

  • B2B Marketing Automation: Here’s My Definition

    • B2B Marketing Automation: Here’s My Definition
    23 Jun, 2010
    How's this for a definition of B2B marketing automation? The use of technology to generate, nurture, score and qualify leads, and drive sales, using customized, multi-touch marketing communications tailored for each contact's profile, level of interest, behavior or place in the buying process. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.

  • What B2B marketing automation is all about, and why you should care: An Executive Breakfast Briefing near Boston on June 29, 2010

    • What B2B marketing automation is all about, and why you should care: An Executive Breakfast Briefing near Boston on June 29, 2010
    22 Jun, 2010
    Interested in learning more about marketing automation and how it may benefit your company? You won’t want to miss this complimentary, 90-minute breakfast briefing in Waltham, MA, on June 29, 2010, from 8:30-10:30am. It is designed specifically for senior executives at mid-sized or large companies, or at a fast-growing, venture-funded, small companies, that sell products or services to other companies. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-94 more »

  • Sales and Marketing Integration: An Interview with Elizabeth Vanneste, CMO of Miller Heiman

    • Sales and Marketing Integration: An Interview with Elizabeth Vanneste, CMO of Miller Heiman
    21 Jun, 2010
    My guest today is Elizabeth Vanneste, Chief Marketing Officer, Miller Heiman. We are going to be talking about aligning sale and marketing, and the impact it has on a company's sales results. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.

  • Mac McIntosh Announces our New Division for Implementing Lead Generation: AcquireB2B

    • Mac McIntosh Announces our New Division for Implementing Lead Generation: AcquireB2B
    20 Jun, 2010
    Mac McIntosh Inc has provided consulting and speaking/training related to helping companies like yours generate more qualified leads and drive more sales using the latest B2B marketing strategies, tactics, media and technology since 1990. However, many of our clients have also been having us help implement their marketing-driven lead generation programs for them. So we decided to create a new division focused on those implementation services and named it AcquireB2B. If you'd like to learn more more »

  • Are Inbound Leads Really Leads? I Believe the Majority Are Not.

    • Are Inbound Leads Really Leads? I Believe the Majority Are Not.
    14 Jun, 2010
    I think some of the information being touted by companies that have a stake in inbound marketing can be misleading. What I am talking about is the categorizing of all inbound inquiries as “leads.� If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.

  • Managing B2B Leads for Sales Success – 30 minute, on-demand webinar

    • Managing B2B Leads for Sales Success – 30 minute, on-demand webinar
    13 Jun, 2010
    Join us for a conversation with Gord Hotchkiss (author of The BuyerSphere Project) and B2B marketing and sales lead expert, Mac McIntosh, on the current realities of B2B demand generation. If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294-7730, or check out the marketing consulting or speaking and training pages on my website.
  • Six Sigma Selling

  • Six Sigma Selling blog has moved!

    • Six Sigma Selling blog has moved!
    10 Jun, 2009
    We will no longer be updating the blog messages on this site. For future blog posts, and Sales Performance Improvement Forum (SPIF!) messages please visit our primary website: www.salesperformance.com You'll see the blog page in the menu, the url is...

  • Six Easy Ways to Boost Your Company’s Sales Results

    • Six Easy Ways to Boost Your Company’s Sales Results
    10 Jun, 2009
    I hope the spring weather has reached your area. We've finally had rain here in Atlanta, and the buds and blooms are vigorous. Recently, a reader asked: "What is the 20% of sales process improvement that generates 80% of the...

  • Quick Sales Productivity Boosts

    • Quick Sales Productivity Boosts
    10 Jun, 2009
    If you are a salesperson, and you need a productivity boost, there are lots of possibilities, such as better meeting preparation, more practice presenting, maintaining your relationships, and working to become more organized. However, what if your entire organization needs...

  • The Last Thing a Fish Discovers is Water

    • The Last Thing a Fish Discovers is Water
    10 Jun, 2009
    Last week’s blog post “Why People Are NOT Your Most Important Asset� created some strong reaction. Here is an example: Michael, I was recently fired from my sales job, because I wasn’t on the road “cold calling� enough … Instead,...

  • Need More Traction with Prospects?

    • Need More Traction with Prospects?
    10 Jun, 2009
    Why Prospects Don't Understand Your Value - And What You Can Do About It All too often businesses launch products, promotions, and proposals that do not achieve their goals. When that happens, cost of sales goes up and confidence goes...

  • Why People are NOT Your Most Important Asset

    • Why People are NOT Your Most Important Asset
    10 Jun, 2009
    Sales executives often think that having the right people is the key to success. This article shows why this is myopic, and presents a better idea.

  • How to Make Salespeople 25% More Productive in 90 Days or Less

    • How to Make Salespeople 25% More Productive in 90 Days or Less
    10 Jun, 2009
    Michael Webb and Bill Bentley will present a remarkable approach that simultaneously increases forecast accuracy, provides powerful information about the sales process, and eliminates waste in sales and marketing.

  • How to Design Your Sales Process to Help Customers Buy Now

    • How to Design Your Sales Process to Help Customers Buy Now
    10 Jun, 2009
    Most companies haven't thoroughly considered how their sales process should be designed, much less how to make sales easier. This webinar shows how to do it.

  • Got a Technical Team? Here’s a Great Way to Help Them Sell

    • Got a Technical Team? Here’s a Great Way to Help Them Sell
    10 Jun, 2009
    Recently I spoke with Burke, the VP of Business Development for an engineering firm in the material handling industry. What he told me was a great model for how selling can be made easier - and more effective at the same time.

  • Help for improving your sales process

    • Help for improving your sales process
    10 Jun, 2009
    Sales Performance Consultants, Inc., will launch a new professional sales process education website very soon.
  • Inside Sales Tips Blog

  • Improving pipeline quality: what constitutes an “Aâ€� lead?

    • Improving pipeline quality: what constitutes an “Aâ€� lead?
    29 Jul, 2010
    One of my inside sales training course ' target='_self'>inside sales training course clients had a real dilemma a couple of weeks ago. Since her Lead Qualification reps were being compensated on appointments being sent to the field, she was finding that there were a significant number of unqualified appointments being made, and the Field salespeople were beginning to complain.  One of the problems was that there wasn’t a lead grading system in place, so a lead was characterized as either being more »

  • A brutal sales territory: as challenging as yours is, this one’s probably worse

    • A brutal sales territory: as challenging as yours is, this one’s probably worse
    29 Jul, 2010
    Today I'm flying over the Kamchatka Peninsula. It's completely covered in snow, with huge Mt. Fuji-shaped volcanic peaks thrusting out of the landscape. Relatively few extol the beauty of Kamchatka because it's not exactly a tourist destination, remote and uncompromising. It looks cold down there, and it reminds me that no matter how bad a grim sales day can be, there are many jobs that are worse than sales. Just ask those miners working 30,000 feet below me. But then again there are a few reall more »

  • A toast to a past job

    • A toast to a past job
    29 Jul, 2010
    Every time I teach one of my insides sales courses, one of the first things I do is ask what the folks in the room did prior to becoming inside sales people. Not only does this help me to know them better, but when we get to the part of the course where we talk about the importance of knowing the prospect's business, I can link it back to some expertise in business areas that the reps, in many cases, had forgotten they had. We're all experts in something related to business, and the kinds of ques more »

  • Some tough challenges in doing business overseas

    • Some tough challenges in doing business overseas
    29 Jul, 2010
    Two weeks ago, I wrote about the challenge a client of mine is facing, namely being located in an area where an increasingly violent civil protest is taking place.  Even before an M79 grenade hit across the street from his facility, he'd arranged to have his inside sales team work from home. Even so, as power was shut to his building during days where the temperatures reached the mid-90s, he realized that his servers might be damaged, and not work when fired up again, and his concerns turned out more »

  • A technique to increase your online chat sales rate

    • A technique to increase your online chat sales rate
    29 Jul, 2010
    Many of the companies with whom we work in our inside sales training classes are making increasing use of online chat with sales prospects. Much of the time, they're not maximizing the full benefits of chat, either because they're not collecting all the data they might have, or not attempting to engage the prospect in a telephone conversation as soon as the chat session has finished. That second situation is what I'll discuss today. Although chat has the real benefit of engaging a prospect throug more »

  • Increase sales through better compensation? How do I know I’m getting paid the right amount?

    • Increase sales through better compensation? How do I know I’m getting paid the right amount?
    29 Jul, 2010
    Even though we're best known for our telesales training courses, I have dozens of conversations every week regarding compensation issues and hiring new reps. Inside sales managers love talking to us, because we don't charge for referring great reps that have been through our training courses to them. Often, those managers will ask what the going pay rate is for inside sales people, because if the comp plan is too low, reps will leave as soon as a better opportunity comes along. And if they pay to more »

  • Best sales training practices: an inside sales tour through Bloom’s Taxonomy

    • Best sales training practices: an inside sales tour through Bloom’s Taxonomy
    29 Jul, 2010
    Second in a 3 part series on sales training theory A question I'm commonly asked is "what's your training methodology?" All training companies have their own, and they're copyrighted, mine included. I was having a discussion with a potential client about adult learning issues, and it got deep into the basics of what makes training work. I'm a big believer in something called "Bloom's Taxonomy," and it's driven the way I train ever since I got my Master's in Education, where I was first introduced more »

  • 5 questions to ask before considering sales training as a solution to substandard performance

    • 5 questions to ask before considering sales training as a solution to substandard performance
    29 Jul, 2010
    First in a 3 part series on sales training theoryIn the 20 or so years we've been in the telesales training business, we've turned down a significant number of potential training situations. The main reason? We didn't think training was the solution for the client's problem, and we knew it just wouldn't work, because other things needed to be fixed first. Today's post is about saving you money if you're thinking of hiring any company to train your team, or doing it yourself with internal resource more »

  • Critical Steps in training your in-house Inside Sales team

    • Critical Steps in training your in-house Inside Sales team
    28 Jul, 2010
    This week I’m delivering a presentation to the American Teleservices Association under the topic of Call Center Training: Trends, Techniques, and Tools. All of what I’ll be discussing comes directly from what I teach in my inside sales training courses' target='_self'>inside sales training courses, and it’s important enough that I’m including the ideas I’ll be discussing here in this week’s blog post.  It’s in outline form, but all of you Inside Sales Directors and Managers will fi more »

  • There are no be-backs: make it happen on the first call

    • There are no be-backs: make it happen on the first call
    28 Jul, 2010
    I got a call this past week from a prospect that wants us to deliver an inside sales training course' target='_self'>inside sales training course, and one of his main challenges is that his reps aren’t always asking a closing questions when they have the opportunity, and he’s convinced that sales are being lost because of it. And they probably are, because if his reps aren’t asking closing questions, his competitors’ reps probably will.  I’ve always believed that you have to fully qual more »
  • Build A Sales Machine

  • The 7 Fatal Mistakes CEOs and VP Sales Make

    • The 7 Fatal Mistakes CEOs and VP Sales Make
    02 Mar, 2010
    While I'm on the "Fatal Mistakes" topic, here is a presentation about seven of the main ones that executive teams make time and time again.Some of the text is small to read in this small blog-sized format. To make it easier:There is "Full Screen" button in the top right of the viewer, orYou can download the presentation.Please comment below on which one is your favorite - or if you think I'm wrong!7 Fatal Sales Mistakes CEOs and VP Sales Make -

  • The Fatal Mistake Boards & VP Sales Will Make In 2010 Planning

    • The Fatal Mistake Boards & VP Sales Will Make In 2010 Planning
    02 Mar, 2010
    Note: I first published this post exactly one year ago. Unfortunately it bears reposting again and again!. I have a feeling this same post will be relevant for another few years until the conventional wisdom evolves.If you're looking for help with growing sales, and especially in creating an amazing inside sales lead generation function, I have an overview of my sales consulting practice at www.PebbleStorm.com/cpr.-----------For companies selling products worth less than $100,000-$250,000, the more »

  • Marketo's Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing

    • Marketo's Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing
    02 Mar, 2010
    (Want expert help - based off of salesforce.com's $1 billion best practices - in building your B2B Sales Machine? See Build Your Sales Machine)I'm a big fan of Marketo, mostly because of the people there like Jon Miller, Kelly Abner and now Maria Pergolino. Marketo's application and the team's knowledge and practical experience around demand generation and lead nurturing is A+!So when they shared their new "Definitive Guide to Lead Nurturing" with me, I knew it'd be something worth sharing with more »

  • [PebbleStorm] The Art Of PebbleStorm & CEOFlow (July 2009)

    • [PebbleStorm] The Art Of PebbleStorm & CEOFlow (July 2009)
    02 Mar, 2010
    Last night I spoke at a Meeting Of The Minds event in Westlake Village (SoCal). MOTMS was started by Kurt Daradics of FreedomSpeaks and Baron Miller, and is a great group of entrepreneurial people that meets monthly. I really had fun sharing with them last night. The format was casual (more of an interview) and not a presentation, and so rather than a slide deck, I put together a collection of sketches I've done over the past year, and at different times during the talk I'd call one up to share more »

  • [CEOFlow] New sketch: "Revenue, Space & Enjoyment"

    • [CEOFlow] New sketch: "Revenue, Space & Enjoyment"
    02 Mar, 2010
    As I wrote about in My original notes on frustrations with the way work, uh, works, PebbleStorm: CEOFlow is like "advanced PebbleStorm". I've been playing with my CEOFlow circles for awhile, and finally this morning they really clicked: My sales advisory/consulting service: www.CEOFlow.com/servicesSubscribe to CEOFlow by Email

  • Bessemer's Top 10 Laws for Being "SaaS-y"

    • Bessemer's Top 10 Laws for Being "SaaS-y"
    02 Mar, 2010
    Bessemer Ventures collected a great set of learnings around what it takes to build a successful SaaS ("Software-as-a-Service") company: Bessemer's Top 10 Laws for Being "SaaS-y". It's excellent! Your key monthly business metrics are: CMRR (Committed Monthly Recurring Revenue), Churn, and Cash flow - “Bookingsâ€� is for suckers Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer LifeTime Value (CLTV) are the best more »

  • DataSalad: "Fresh B2B Marketing Data"

    • DataSalad: "Fresh B2B Marketing Data"
    02 Mar, 2010
    Last year, Brian Mackley of Tech Advocacy and I started a business called DataSalad, to offer marketing lists based around the user and customer lists of vendors (such as lists of salesforce.com or NetSuite customers).We created DataSalad because we were sick of all the "junky" lists and data sources out there. DataSalad creates databases of contacts and companies through primary data-gathering and research, and guarantees them. Like organic food, which costs a little more but is worth it more »

  • CNN Money & Fortune articles..."Why to be wary of commission-only sales staff"

    • CNN Money & Fortune articles..."Why to be wary of commission-only sales staff"
    02 Mar, 2010
    CNN Money/Fortune interviewed me a few months ago, and some quotes turned up in a couple of their articles worth sharing:1) Fortune Small Business article: "Why to be wary of commission-only sales staff""Hiring a salesperson on commission sounds like a cost-saver, but investing in your staff usually pays off in the long run. "2) CNN Money article on "Hire picture-perfect employees""We answer three questions about how to find and keep your company's most important asset: its workers. Plus: Advice more »

  • [CEOFlow] CEO meeting in westside Los Angeles (Santa Monica), March 13th

    • [CEOFlow] CEO meeting in westside Los Angeles (Santa Monica), March 13th
    02 Mar, 2010
    Eric Golden (CEO of Equipois) & I (Aaron Ross bio) are organizing a formal, facilitated CEO group here on the westside that will meet monthly. The group will help CEOs support each other in navigating through and prospering from the economic turmoil, focusing on topics such as creating predictable revenue, and working with investors and customers in the new climate. The CEO group is afilliated with Nitro.la and CEOFlow: Nitro.la, in partnership with USC, UCLA and Caltech, is a non-profit mentorin more »

  • Phone Works 2008 Inside Sales Compensation Report

    • Phone Works 2008 Inside Sales Compensation Report
    02 Mar, 2010
    Ah, fun with compensation :) PhoneWorks just published another sales comp report worth checking out. Here's their introduction and a link to the full online report:A question on everyone’s mind these days is, “How is the slow economy affecting sales compensation and quotas?â€�. We set out to answer this question. As we do every year in the fourth quarter, Phone Works conducted an online compensation survey of inside sales professiona more »
  • Buyer Persona

  • Two surveys nearly miss key buyer insight

    • Two surveys nearly miss key buyer insight
    20 May, 2010
    I just saw the results of yet another market survey that almost failed to ask what turned out to be the single most important question. Several people within the vendor's company, each with decades of experience in the target market,...

  • Read this before starting a persona project

    • Read this before starting a persona project
    19 May, 2010
    I'm seeing a lot of blog and email traffic that is motivating this post -- two earnest requests directed to people who are just beginning to develop buyer personas or put them to work. Request #1 - Outsource buyer persona...

  • Trigger Your Own World Wide Rave

    • Trigger Your Own World Wide Rave
    18 May, 2010
    My friend David Meerman Scott has done it again -- he's written another book that is perfectly aligned with the needs of his buyer persona. The new book is "World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to...

  • How Kristine developed a great buyer persona

    • How Kristine developed a great buyer persona
    17 May, 2010
    I recently reviewed twenty-four buyer personas produced by four product marketing teams. While most needed a lot more work, Kristine’s was exceptional. I didn’t know the story I’m about to share with you when I reviewed Kristine's work. As none...

  • As the chapter closes on my role as a Pragmatic Marketing instructor, a new plan for buyer-focused marketing

    • As the chapter closes on my role as a Pragmatic Marketing instructor, a new plan for buyer-focused marketing
    09 Apr, 2010
    My largest client for the last decade has been Pragmatic Marketing, the company that inspired and marketed the Effective Product Marketing seminar that I developed in 2001. When I sold the seminar to Pragmatic Marketing in 2007 and trained another...

  • How many buyer personas can you afford to engage with unique messaging and campaigns?

    • How many buyer personas can you afford to engage with unique messaging and campaigns?
    10 Feb, 2010
    That’s my answer when people ask me how many buyer personas they need. It probably isn’t satisfying when I answer a question with another question, especially when the expected answer is a number -- three, five, ten or whatever. But...

  • A new year, a new decade, a new chance to help buyers find answers to their problems

    • A new year, a new decade, a new chance to help buyers find answers to their problems
    04 Jan, 2010
    Judging by the current interest in buyer personas, 2010 could be the decade when companies realize the competitive advantage that belongs to those companies that have the deepest insight into their target buyers. Armed with a well-researched buyer persona, the...

  • A quick, easy way to gather info for buyer personas

    • A quick, easy way to gather info for buyer personas
    16 Nov, 2009
    For the last few weeks I've been helping a client conduct their win/loss calls, listening to recent buyers talk about how they made the decision both for and against my client's solution. Once again, I was amazed at the useful,...

  • A persona for people who create personas

    • A persona for people who create personas
    02 Sep, 2009
    Here is a frequently asked question -- who should develop our buyer personas? For years I answered the question within the questioner's expected context -- I'd say that the people in marketing or, more specifically, product marketing, should own this...

  • Bloggers miss the point of buyer personas

    • Bloggers miss the point of buyer personas
    06 Jul, 2009
    The most important component of buyer personas is missing from much of the discussion I'm seeing in whitepapers and blogs. Personas can't make a credible impact on sales and marketing strategies if their description is limited to information about demographics...
  • The Customer Collective

  • Please add our current RSS feed

    • Please add our current RSS feed
    29 Jul, 2010
    Sorry for the inconvenience. We recently moved to a new platform and thought all of our RSS subscribers canme over but, lo-and-behold, we were wrong! Here are the current RSS feeds for our sites: http://feeds.feedburner.com/socialmediatoday_allposts http://feeds.feedburner.com/theenergycollective_allposts http://feeds.feedburner.com/myventurepad_allposts http://feeds.feedburner.com/smartdatacollective_allposts more »

  • Social Media in B2B - it’s not just about the blogs

    • Social Media in B2B - it’s not just about the blogs
    18 Jun, 2010
    At a conference recently I was asked by someone what I did, as soon as I mentioned the term social media she scoffed and mentioned something along the lines of “Social Media in B2B? So you help write ...

  • Sales Coaching Tips: 5 Reasons Why Sales Professionals Need A Vacation

    • Sales Coaching Tips: 5 Reasons Why Sales Professionals Need A Vacation
    18 Jun, 2010
    In a 2009 International Vacation Deprivation Survey from expedia.com: One in three employees do not use their allotted vacation days each year, even though they said they are more productive after r...

  • 5 Lessons a BtoB Marketer can Learn from “Breaking Badâ€�

    • 5 Lessons a BtoB Marketer can Learn from “Breaking Badâ€�
    18 Jun, 2010
    Have you heard of AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad?� If you’re a business to business marketer, you ought to check it out. I consider it an Owners Manual for B2B marketing today. P...

  • Three social media marketing trends from the crowd at #smmuk10

    • Three social media marketing trends from the crowd at #smmuk10
    18 Jun, 2010
    Today’s Social Media Marketing 2010 conference (search for #smmuk10 on Twitter) was a great mix of theory and case studies, presentations and debates, clients and the odd social media agency. We pre...

  • Three Things Every Sales Force Needs to Know

    • Three Things Every Sales Force Needs to Know
    18 Jun, 2010
    Recently I had a conversation with a very good friend of mine who is a director level sales executive for a global Fortune 100 organization.  We have been known to mix it up, dig into big issues, an...

  • 3 Sure Fire Ways to Turn Sales Reps into Social Fanatics

    • 3 Sure Fire Ways to Turn Sales Reps into Social Fanatics
    17 Jun, 2010
    The dysfunctional relationship that can exist between corporate sales and marketing departments has the potential of souring social media initiatives by adversely impacting the resources, time and att...

  • Trust and Reputation: the Virtuous Link

    • Trust and Reputation: the Virtuous Link
    17 Jun, 2010
    I awoke at home on a sunny (!) morning in London last week to the dulcet tones of Bill Clinton’s erstwhile Labor Secretary, Robert Reich, talking about BP on the BBC: “To start with, it actually ...

  • In Search Of The Perfect Leader

    • In Search Of The Perfect Leader
    17 Jun, 2010
    Most writing on good management and what it takes to get to the top focus on leadership. It is regarded as one of the most important areas of personal development. This also explains the growing i...

  • More Predictions About Online Advertising’s Future

    • More Predictions About Online Advertising’s Future
    16 Jun, 2010
    It looks like the mid-year re-evaluations and updates to the “start of year� predictions for the future of advertising are rolling in at a rapid pace. Today’s entry comes from one of the largest adv...
  • Sales X Marketing

  • Top Three Obstacles to Marketing Automation Adoption and Usage

    • Top Three Obstacles to Marketing Automation Adoption and Usage
    14 Jun, 2010
    I recently received some great questions about what's blocking organizations from purchasing marketing automation, and what are the biggest obstacles to using marketing automation technology as well as it could be used. Understanding that these are questions that could be...

  • Lead Scoring Made Easy

    • Lead Scoring Made Easy
    24 Feb, 2010
    I am at the Online Marketing Summit in San Diego, and I spoke on the Demand Generation & Sales 2.0 Panel yesterday. It was a great conversation, with great questions from the room -- people are definitely engaged in how...

  • Emails, Offers, and What Makes Buyers Click

    • Emails, Offers, and What Makes Buyers Click
    18 Feb, 2010
    I'm reading new research from Marketing Sherpa about how buyers rank the most valuable content and offer types, and it's very interesting. As marketers, we're all so used to hearing it's about educating your buyers, providing relevant content -- so...

  • Create Leverage and Engage Your Leads

    • Create Leverage and Engage Your Leads
    19 Jan, 2010
    Getting valuable content to your target market is important. It helps you build relationship and regard. But putting together compelling content takes more than just providing information to your leads. It’s also taking into account and triggering four Key Engagers....

  • Agitation Can Make The Difference In Your Messaging

    • Agitation Can Make The Difference In Your Messaging
    05 Jan, 2010
    I recently listened to an interview between Perry Marshall, a marketing expert that I follow and Joshua Russell a Professor of Screenwriting and Film Aesthetics at DePaul University. It was a fun and interesting conversation where they explored the power...

  • The 6 Influencers of Human Behavior

    • The 6 Influencers of Human Behavior
    29 Dec, 2009
    I was listening to an audio that came with a subscription to a series of panel discussions called "The League of Extraordinary Minds". it was a conversation that the organizers of The League had with Tony Robbins. In this conversation,...

  • LinkedIn Doesn't Get The Social Media World

    • LinkedIn Doesn't Get The Social Media World
    25 Dec, 2009
    LinkedIn has experienced HUGE growth -- particularly in the business/professional sector of the social media space. But recent experiences with LinkedIn have led me to believe that they are accidental recipients of that growth, and don't really get (nor are...

  • Use Social Media to Gain PR Traction

    • Use Social Media to Gain PR Traction
    24 Dec, 2009
    I was at a coffee gathering for the local Business Marketing Association as a follow-up to a social media panel presentation that I was unable to attend the previous week. It was a great conversation -- but there was this...

  • Does Your Messaging Distinguish You From Your Competitors?

    • Does Your Messaging Distinguish You From Your Competitors?
    23 Dec, 2009
    What is your Unique Selling Proposition? Is it unique? Does it distinguish you from your competitors? Next question: Does your messaging do the same? In your industry where your competitors offer essentially the same thing that you do, how do...

  • Are We Really Marketing and Selling Happiness?

    • Are We Really Marketing and Selling Happiness?
    22 Dec, 2009
    As we work to figure out and put together content that is not only engaging, but also compelling, we've got to get very clear about what our Unique Selling Proposition is. Without that, what will guide the messaging that we...
  • Buzz Marketing for Technol ...

  • B2B Marketing needs to Curate a Vibrant Community

    • B2B Marketing needs to Curate a Vibrant Community
    28 Jul, 2010
    If you ask the members of my leadership team – they will tell you I keep talking about how I think we have B2B Marketing backward. Let me explain … We focus a lot of energy on the acquisition part of marketing looking for new customers and getting them up the awareness to consideration to purchase cycle. [...] Related posts:B2B Marketing: Trust + Community = ROI Trust is not a new thing when it comes to... Getting a customer is not the end goal it’s the middle In a recent sp more »

  • Closed Loop Marketing – still a long way to go

    • Closed Loop Marketing – still a long way to go
    21 Jul, 2010
    Ok I know we all talk a good game about Closed Loop Marketing and I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble here but frankly we aren’t there yet. Yes we forced the loop to close with some great technologies over the last few years. CRM systems, MRM systems, Lead Nurturing systems and the list goes on. [...] No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

  • Shadow Pipeline – accounting for the missing dollars

    • Shadow Pipeline – accounting for the missing dollars
    14 Jul, 2010
    Well its summertime, a time when we turn down the volume of campaigns and look at the business impact we were able to drive. It’s my favorite time of year to reassess based on our stated strategy and tweak our tactics to match. But can you really get a good handle on the business impact [...] No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

  • An Interview with Sean Geehan, CEO and Founder Geehan Group

    • An Interview with Sean Geehan, CEO and Founder Geehan Group
    07 Jul, 2010
    I met Sean at a recent ITSMA Marketing Leadership forum. Many of his ideas really hit home for me so I wanted to share these with you. He has a forthcoming book that I am also really looking forward to reading called the B2B Executive Playbook where he will be talking about how to [...] Related posts:B2B Marketers Fate Rests in the Hands of a Few At the recent ITSMA Marketing Leadership forum I was stunned... Interview with Leading Sales Expert: Jim Keenan I had a chance to interview Jim Keena more »

  • Getting a customer is not the end goal it’s the middle

    • Getting a customer is not the end goal it’s the middle
    30 Jun, 2010
    In a recent speech by Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research at the ITSMA Marketing Leadership forum it occurred to me that customer acquisition is no longer an “end stateâ€� for marketers its somewhere in the middle. Let me explain … Many marketers focus their efforts on the customer acquisition angle which has the benefit of measurability [...] Related posts:Customer Service is the New Marketing Zappos was founded in 1999 and sold to Amazon for... Social Customer Support delivers more »

  • OFF TOPIC: Follow Team Terrapin on our race from Newport to Bermuda

    • OFF TOPIC: Follow Team Terrapin on our race from Newport to Bermuda
    17 Jun, 2010
    By now I am sure you have heard of the movie Bucket List. In real life we all have one and some bucket lists may be longer than others. On my list (for those of you who know me well) are many opportunities and ideas enabled by my love for sailing. So naturally sailing in [...] Related posts:Off Topic … Tribute to Disabled Sailors 2 weeks ago my sons and I had the opportunity... What’s your Social Media diet? I often get asked the question – how do you... Related posts brought to yo more »

  • Do you need to be an Extrovert to be in Social Media Marketing?

    • Do you need to be an Extrovert to be in Social Media Marketing?
    15 Jun, 2010
    Great question which I found myself asking last night after I reviewed my recent Myers Briggs score. I found it interesting that my score came in as ENTJ. For those of you who aren’t aware of the Myers Briggs test it asks you a bunch of questions from multiple angles to rate you on 4 basic [...] Related posts:Social Media Listening for B2B Marketing One of the biggest challenges for organizations today is managing... Social Media and the Contact Center for Dummies (Wiley) One of the bigg more »

  • B2B Marketers Fate Rests in the Hands of a Few

    • B2B Marketers Fate Rests in the Hands of a Few
    09 Jun, 2010
    At the recent ITSMA Marketing Leadership forum I was stunned by a presentation given by Sean Geehan CEO of the Geehan Group author of the upcoming book the B2B Executive Playbook. The big eye opener for me was – B2B marketers are always tasked with getting net new customers when in reality their existing customer [...] Related posts:10 BtoB Marketers Predictions for 2010 Around this time last year I wrote about some Predictions... Inbound Interaction Management (IIM) It’s no surprise t more »

  • Is The White Paper Dead for B2B Marketing?

    • Is The White Paper Dead for B2B Marketing?
    26 May, 2010
    In a recent conversation I was having with the Bloom Group they believe “the practice of publishing white papers must come to a close because of the utter proliferation of white papers, and the poor content contained within so many of them.â€� “Kill the white paper!â€� they are increasingly telling their clients. “We [...] Related posts:Using Content to Build Trust in B2B Marketing In the recent Edelman Trust Barometer report they detail out... Sharing is how you b more »

  • Social Customer Support delivers Strong ROI

    • Social Customer Support delivers Strong ROI
    19 May, 2010
    In a recent poll by the TSIA of firms using social media – 68% of companies don’t know or can’t measure the ROI of social media. Which is a real shame and if that’s the case for you I would argue that you are focusing your social media efforts in the wrong place! Certainly there are [...] Related posts:It pays to provide Support with Social Media In a recent Forrester Report on “Customer Experience Pays Off... Customer Service is the New Marketing Zappos was fo more »
  • B2Blog

  • OMG, Yahoo Search PPC is a rip-off

    • OMG, Yahoo Search PPC is a rip-off
    22 Jul, 2010
    I don’t say this lightly: Yahoo Marketing Solutions’ search advertising is junk … a rip-off. It was an expensive and surprising lesson in online marketing. (I don’t mean their content network, I knew that was worthless years ago, as is … Continue reading →

  • A virtual waste?

    • A virtual waste?
    21 Jul, 2010
    I read a lot of marketing blogs every day (and I really need to contribute to the blogosphere more myself). One post I saw recently attempted to justify ‘virtual’ trade shows as an acceptable alternative to the real thing, given … Continue reading →

  • The rise of the marketplace … again?

    • The rise of the marketplace … again?
    30 Jun, 2010
    No one will argue as of 2010 ThomasNet has survived the cross-over to a web-based directory service. No simple feat! However, even though ThomasNet has thousands of advertisers and users, but it was never leveraged into a marketplace. (Of course … Continue reading →

  • Engaged? Don’t tell my wife!

    • Engaged? Don’t tell my wife!
    01 Jun, 2010
    I’ll be spending the rest of this week in Chicago at the Annual BMA (Business Marketing Association) Conference. The theme this year is ‘Engage!” And while I don’t expect anyone to drop on one knee, I do expect we’ll be talking about how to woo … the customer. I was there last year (link to 4 posts) [...]

  • Adding a local sales-rep map to your website

    • Adding a local sales-rep map to your website
    06 May, 2010
    Back in the early days of the web, I had a map that visitors could click on to find their local salesperson. It was just simple hot spots on a map jpeg that I had borrowed from another website. (Funny thing was how many hits that page got by people searching for ‘USA map’… via [...]

  • Directory listing scammers charged in Canada

    • Directory listing scammers charged in Canada
    28 Apr, 2010
    In 2007 I posted: The same old directory scam, will it never end? It’s the basic “we’re calling to update your listing” rip-off call I’ve been getting since I started doing marketing here over 15 years ago. Well, the company and owners have finally been criminally charged by the Canadian Authorities: OTTAWA, April 12, 2010 — The [...]

  • The real beginning of the end for trade pubs?

    • The real beginning of the end for trade pubs?
    19 Apr, 2010
    Whammo: Reed Business Information’s Shocking News (Russ Green @ godfrey.com) “Friday’s news that Reed Business Information is closing many of its US trade publications and web sites – without warning – is truly shocking to B2B marketing professionals who have relied on these vehicles to reach technical audiences.” Wholy crap! (Read the news & list from the RBI site.) [...]

  • Two neat tools for the ‘one man show’ marketer

    • Two neat tools for the ‘one man show’ marketer
    16 Apr, 2010
    It’s no surprise that bloggers ignore email pitches that sound more like press releases, and get down-right annoyed when it’s not even relative to their blog. I’m no exception. But I do give extra consideration for those who give me a pitch that is relevant, and proves that they at least read something on my blog [...]

  • Have you got that ‘vision thing’?

    • Have you got that ‘vision thing’?
    30 Mar, 2010
    I had read a post from the Marketing Headhunter not too long ago, about Assessing “the Vision Thing.” A great list of ‘interview questions’, I thought. But I’m not going to be doing interviews. I know what I’m doing. I’m a tactical guy, not a vision guy anyway. And I pressed on. Later [...]

  • Who’s the publisher now?

    • Who’s the publisher now?
    12 Mar, 2010
    I can’t say I can see the trends, but I can find the other people finding the trends… This great post (from Jan. 29) at Content Marketing Today, talks about the slow death of advertising/publishing trade-pub model, and the growth of grass-roots content-marketing by B2B manufacturers themselves. “As Content Marketing Goes from Optional to Obligatory for [...]
  • B2B Marketing Confidential ...

  • What the iPad Teaches us About New Product Marketing

    • What the iPad Teaches us About New Product Marketing
    29 Jul, 2010
    When launching a new product, we have to overcome two barriers.  First, we have to make people know that the problem or the solution exists and why it's relevant to them.  We’ll call this “category awarenessâ€�. In pharmaceutical marketing, for example, this is critical. Recently, a drug was created to address “restless leg syndrome.â€� The problem the drug companies had was that no one knew that restless leg syndrome even existed. Before selling the drug, the firm more »

  • Boiling the Leno Thing Down

    • Boiling the Leno Thing Down
    29 Jul, 2010
    Every once in a while, you see a picture that takes a news story and basically explains it better than any interview or analysis can.  As my friend John Shomaker said as a preface to his email, "Money chart. Ridiculous discounts to other shows. Did you ever see it - horrible. Not funny at all, and yet Leno thought it was a different format. Same show, just earlier, but with horrible writers." I guess that about covers it for Jay Leno.  Sorry man.  You're just not that funny.

  • Are Marketing Data Expanding Faster than the Universe?

    • Are Marketing Data Expanding Faster than the Universe?
    29 Jul, 2010
    I'll start by making a statement that I think I can back up: the amount of data available to marketers is growing geometrically, not linearly. Linear growth of marketing data would mean something like the following: An individual starts a new company on January 1, 2010. He buys a list of 1000 names to market to. A year later, he has added 100 names to this list, for 10% growth. A year later, he buys 110 names to market to, for a further 10% growth, and so on, and so on. Exponential growth is d more »

  • Verticalizing Internet Marketing

    • Verticalizing Internet Marketing
    29 Jul, 2010
    The hottest thing in direct marketing today is targeting individuals online vs. targeting via publishers or content. The idea that we can "know" a user and target them frees up the 90% of online inventory currently referred to as "remnant" space-- e.g. the space left over after GM, Microsoft and Coke buy the top page banners at Washington Post and NY Times. The remnant space can be just as valuable as the prime space if we only knew who the users were. A user interested in gourmet cooking is stil more »

  • Build vs. Buy to Land Marketing Analytics

    • Build vs. Buy to Land Marketing Analytics
    29 Jul, 2010
    I break analytical marketing into two families: performance optimization and performance improvement. Both families are equally popular these days. However, I'm still seeing significant frustration landing "analytical marketing", particularly in large companies. Smaller "born on the web companies" have no problem at all with this. Generally, the founders of these companies built the core strategy around analytics, hired people comfortable with these concepts, and have woven analytics into the more »

  • "Barrier Removal" Marketing Strategy

    • "Barrier Removal" Marketing Strategy
    29 Jul, 2010
    "Barrier Removal" is a tactic I've used to great effect many times in strategic situations where customers don't seem to be behaving the way companies want them to. In many cases, to a customer, there are hurdles galore when getting information or making a purchase. To companies, these barriers may not be at all apparent. Barriers can be physical, rational or emotional. Physical barriers might include:Long load times on a web pageCredit disapprovals at a car dealershipSmall type size in an adL more »

  • Creating a Dynamic View of Customer Status

    • Creating a Dynamic View of Customer Status
    29 Jul, 2010
    When trying to manage a population of customers in a high frequency-of-purchase business where unique customer data are obtainable, it can be helpful to look at a grid comparing:Frequency of purchase in the last "active" 30 day period, and;Last purchase date.This grid will look like this, when the report is run against the current state of customers:Another way to look at these dimensions is as continuous dimensions where:Freq of Purchase {0-->∞}Last Purchase {0-->∞}And each customer is more »

  • Customer Insight Three Ways

    • Customer Insight Three Ways
    29 Jul, 2010
    Customer insight is important to marketers for many reasons. Understanding your customers helps you in formulating market strategy. It helps in campaign design. It helps the sales force understand how to approach acquisition targets or retain existing customers. It is the raw material out of which great marketing happens. In the B2C space, customer insight is well understood, and whole industries and many great companies have made it their business. Segmentation schemes that provide predictive li more »

  • Are we in a Depression or a Recession... and what are the Implications for Marketing Strategy?

    • Are we in a Depression or a Recession... and what are the Implications for Marketing Strategy?
    29 Jul, 2010
    There are a lot of articles on the value of marketing in a recession. Most of these were written around three recessions: 1982; 1991; and 2001. These recessions ranged from severe (1982) to mild (1991 and 2001). The current "downturn" is definitely a "severe recession"--the question is, is it a depression? I'll set the following rules, somewhat arbitrarily, about separating a recession from a depression. A depression must satisfy 4 of the following 5 conditions:Negative GDP growth for at least ei more »

  • Affordable Transaction Economics

    • Affordable Transaction Economics
    28 Jul, 2010
    I'm always looking for more scientific ways to spend money on marketing, as people who consistently read this blog  know.  I spend a lot of time looking at Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI), for example.  Lately, I've been dealing a lot with pipeline marketing strategy, and I stumbled upon something that is probably fairly obvious, but I thought I'd outline it formally.  My friend and mentor Tim Furey wrote a book in 1999 called The Channel Advantage.  It was a great book, and its simp more »
  • ReadyContacts

  • Are you investing enough in Sales Research?

    • Are you investing enough in Sales Research?
    02 Jun, 2010
    B2B demand generation is getting tougher than ever before. Mass marketing is dead. Direct marketing is ignored. Email marketing has turned into a spray and pray tactic. But sales quotes have remained the same and are growing. In this situation, its imperative for every marketer to think outside the box – I know everyone says [...]

  • ReadyContacts – Business Marketing And Sales Bestsellers Quiz

    • ReadyContacts – Business Marketing And Sales Bestsellers Quiz
    28 Aug, 2009
    If you’re an avid reader of marketing and sales bestsellers, you’re bound to enjoy this one. Have fun! Don’t forget to tweet this to your followers if you enoyed it: RT @neil_s Check out our new quick “Business Marketing And Sales Bestsellers Quiz” warning: this one is not a piece of cake – http://bit.ly/kQD9r

  • Inside Sales Tips – How To Improve Your Connect Rate Through Good Data

    • Inside Sales Tips – How To Improve Your Connect Rate Through Good Data
    28 Aug, 2009
    “My connect rates are great! I connect with someone 80% of the time when I dial any number off my list!” … Aren’t we missing the point here? How many of those dials end up connecting with the real decision maker at that account? Not as many in several cases. Typical scenarios of an inside [...]

  • Our Top 5 Most Challenging B2B Business Contacts To Locate – Can You Beat This?

    • Our Top 5 Most Challenging B2B Business Contacts To Locate – Can You Beat This?
    28 Aug, 2009
    We’ve been building very specific role based business contact lists for our customers very specific campaign requirements for what seems to be a very long time now. Over this time we have worked with such a range of B2B companies it’s difficult to recall every project undertaken especially for those who had a smaller, one [...]

  • The Lean Mean Sales And Marketing Machine – Page1

    • The Lean Mean Sales And Marketing Machine – Page1
    28 Aug, 2009
    Every company works towards improving their sales and marketing effectiveness. It’s a never-ending process in quest for how to generate better results and in today’s perspective, how to do this more efficiently without exponentially increasing resources to get those better results. The “Lean Mean Marketing And Sales Machine” is going to be a series of [...]

  • Garbage In Garbage Out: Why Focus Is Critical In Marketing Campaigns

    • Garbage In Garbage Out: Why Focus Is Critical In Marketing Campaigns
    09 Jul, 2009
    Marketing’s objective is to reach out to prospects and nurture them to build a pipeline of warm contacts who can be further developed into opportunities. Outbound marketing including email marketing, direct mail and telemarketing form the foundation of marketing’s reach out program and the urge, rightly so, is to reach out to as many contacts [...]

  • 2000+ Virtual Iron Customers Are Waiting For Help. Do You Know Them?

    • 2000+ Virtual Iron Customers Are Waiting For Help. Do You Know Them?
    09 Jul, 2009
    A common outcome of mergers and acquisitions is that the customers and partners of the acquired company face a lot of uncertainties about product evolution, product support and their own technology roadmap considering this uncertainty. Its also a golden opportunity for competitors of the acquired company to launch an aggressive sales effort of win over [...]

  • Conversations Start The Process Of Sales

    • Conversations Start The Process Of Sales
    10 Jun, 2009
      I have been tracking Sales 2.0 conference updates from @greenleads and @damphoux this morning and came across this tweet that that RT’d on @readycontacts just now. For the first time in a long time I heard someone say something “real” about the challenge of generating sales. While all the discussions on social media, marketing automation and [...]

  • How Good Data Turbo Charges Lead Generation: An Interview With Ardath Albee CEO of Marketing Interactions

    • How Good Data Turbo Charges Lead Generation: An Interview With Ardath Albee CEO of Marketing Interactions
    10 Jun, 2009
    Our interview series on “How Good Data Turbo Charges Lead Generation” is turning out more exciting with each passing weak and uncovering some really good insights from experts in the B2B marketing and lead generation space. This week we speak to Ardath Albee, CEO of Marketing Interactions and author of the upcoming book E-Marketing Strategies for [...]

  • Inside Sales Tips - How To Improve Your Connect Rate Through Good Data

    • Inside Sales Tips - How To Improve Your Connect Rate Through Good Data
    10 Jun, 2009
    “My connect rates are great! I connect with someone 80% of the time when I dial any number off my list!” … Aren’t we missing the point here? How many of those dials end up connecting with the real decision maker at that account? Not as many in several cases. Typical scenarios of an inside [...]
  • Hubspot

  • 10 Steps to Effective Online Marketing For Small Businesses

    • 10 Steps to Effective Online Marketing For Small Businesses
    29 Jul, 2010
    The following is a guest post by Peter Rastello, the founder of Inbound Market Link, an Inbound Marketing agency specializing in helping small and medium, B2B and B2C businesses to succeed on the internet. If you are a marketing professional in charge of your small/medium sized business’ (SMB) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Inbound marketing, you are not alone. According to Marketing Sherpa, SMBs spend roughly 20% more on staff salaries to handle SEO & internet marketing  than do large s more »

  • Facebook Questions Launches: Marketers Cheer

    • Facebook Questions Launches: Marketers Cheer
    29 Jul, 2010
    Facebook recently passed 500 million users and now is adding an important new feature to its platform. Today, the social networking platform released Facebook Questions. This new feature allows users to ask questions to the “entire” Facebook community. As companies like Yahoo and LinkedIn have used a Questions feature for years, this is not an unprecedented addition, but it highlights the possibility for individuals to communicate in a new way with people outside of their direct Facebook netw more »

  • Guest Blogging: How to Approach It

    • Guest Blogging: How to Approach It
    29 Jul, 2010
    When businesses give away something for free, they often get a lot in return from their fans or customers. One of the benefits of business blogging is that it establishes trust and thought-leadership. For example, even though HubSpot is an Internet Marketing software company, we share lots of free advice on our Internet Marketing Blog. Contributing a post to a blog other than yours is another way of giving away something small for free, but getting more in return. In this post, I'll share some pr more »

  • Facebook Explains How To Get More "Likes" and Clicks

    • Facebook Explains How To Get More "Likes" and Clicks
    28 Jul, 2010
    Are you taking advantage of best practices when it comes to promoting news about your business on Facebook?  Now you can check with Facebook's new Facebook + Media page, which launched Monday.  The new page -- geared toward journalists but with implications for all businesses on Facebook -- includes best practices, tools to drive traffic and other insights for promoting news on Facebook. To determine the best practices compiled on the page, Facebook analyzed 100 top media sites that use Facebo more »

  • Defeat the Sultan of Spam! New "Captain Inbound" Animation [video]

    • Defeat the Sultan of Spam! New "Captain Inbound" Animation [video]
    28 Jul, 2010
    The next time you are bombarded with popup ads and spam, Team Inbound will come to your rescue! With the help of Greta Get Found, Chris Convert, Annie Analyze and of course, Captain Inbound, the marketing world will be a better place! Watch marketing hero Captain Inbound defeat the Sultan of Spam to save the day in HubSpot's new animated cartoon web series. The Adventures of Captain Inbound: Episode One Character Voices: Captain Inbound:@jlopinGreta Get Found: @repcorChris Convert: @' targe more »

  • Survey: 0% of Internet Users Would Pay for Twitter

    • Survey: 0% of Internet Users Would Pay for Twitter
    28 Jul, 2010
    A recent study shows that Americans are not willing to pay for online services such as Twitter. The study was conducted by the University of Southern California at the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. From the research: "Although nearly half of those polled in a new USC survey said they have used free micro-blogging sites like Twitter, 0% said that they would be willing to pay for such a service. "Such an extreme finding that produced a zero response underscores the difficulty more »

  • Act Fast! 3 Reasons to Nurture Leads Immediately

    • Act Fast! 3 Reasons to Nurture Leads Immediately
    28 Jul, 2010
    The early bird gets the worm.  He who hesitates is lost.  Strike while the iron is hot.  These clichés may be just that, clichés, but it turns out that they also apply in the world of sales and marketing.  In fact, a recent review of HubSpot customers’ lead nurturing statistics shows that open rates for nurturing emails drops off drastically over the course of three weeks. A quick analysis of all customers using HubSpot’s lead nurturing shows a few outliers who have amazing late stage more »

  • 4 Business Blogging Lessons From Google's Chief Blogger

    • 4 Business Blogging Lessons From Google's Chief Blogger
    27 Jul, 2010
    Karen Wickre is a long-time business communicator, wordsmith & media specialist. Karen grew up in Washington D.C. She has worked for a variety of media and/or branding companies, including Siegel & Gale, Upside Media; the gaming company, 3DO, and of course, Google. Karen has worked at Google since 2002, specializing in business writing and media relations. Karen first launched Google’s corporate blog back in 2004. Today the company has digital embassies for virtually every product. This armada more »

  • 3 Strategies to Run an Effective Google AdWords Campaign

    • 3 Strategies to Run an Effective Google AdWords Campaign
    27 Jul, 2010
    Paid search is a complement to organic search, not a replacement. At HubSpot, we always stress the importance of creating valuable content to strengthen presence on search engines and generate high-quality website traffic. The importance of organic search, however, does not imply that paid search is entirely valueless. Paid search may target audiences different from those drawn from organic search and thus maximize your reach to potential customers. In addition, paid search can serve as testing s more »

  • Why Mad Men Would Fail at Marketing Today

    • Why Mad Men Would Fail at Marketing Today
    26 Jul, 2010
    With yesterday’s premiere of Mad Men, Madison Avenue's ad world of the 1960s appeared before our eyes again, dressed in cigar smoke and the clink of martini glasses. Despite its popular appeal, this powerful ad milieu is doomed to failure in today’s iPad-fanatic society. If the ad men of the 1960s lived today and carried the same approach to advertising, the public would immediately reject them. They would probably be the people buying flashy pop-up ads and banner ads that people close or per more »
  • Demandbase

  • Marketing is a Mix Tape

    • Marketing is a Mix Tape
    24 Jul, 2010
    ...marketing automation systems have done a great job at helping people market poorly, faster.

  • 5 Tips to Improve Conversion Rates

    • 5 Tips to Improve Conversion Rates
    12 May, 2010
    It's not hard to find a list of tips aimed at helping to improve your conversion rates, but it is much harder to synch these suggestions with the tools designed to make them realistic and effective. Here are 5 tips to improve conversion rates, along with links to some tools to help get the job done.

  • One Key Takeaway from Chris Brogan's New Marketing Experience Summit

    • One Key Takeaway from Chris Brogan's New Marketing Experience Summit
    24 Apr, 2010
    Social Media is still trending hot, with monitoring and reporting tools starting up faster than marketing automation vendors in 2005. Ad:Tech seems to be improving year over year (from a B2B perspective, though, it still needs work) -- but for the second year in a row New Marketing Labs put on a great show. Here are some tidbits from various speakers at the event (I will try to credit the quotes when possible but won't always have the name of the speaker):

  • Can't Get It Out of My Head

    • Can't Get It Out of My Head
    23 Apr, 2010
    Seriously, how much sense does that make? If you strive to make sure all of your marketing efforts observe "best practices" how are you ever going to achieve anything other than very average results? Your conversion rate may be 2% -- but would that crazy idea you had but were too chicken to try have yielded an 8% conversion rate?

  • The Long Tail ... Of Email?

    • The Long Tail ... Of Email?
    25 Mar, 2010
    I still send a lot of email. I wish I had more time to be strategic instead of tactical (and many of you probably feel the same way) but I still feel compelled to send email. I'm not the smartest guy in the room, but I feel like I would stop doing something if it wasn't effective. So I got to wondering just how effective it was, and more specifically what my most successful campaign was during the past few months. Who was the audience, how many people did it go to, and what was the goal?

  • 8 Questions You Need To Ask When Buying a Marketing List

    • 8 Questions You Need To Ask When Buying a Marketing List
    09 Mar, 2010
    Buying a marketing list can be a stressful process. With so many vendors out there, it is important to ask the right questions when you are making a decision. Here are 8 questions you should always ask when you are in the market for business contact data...

  • Needy Sales People

    • Needy Sales People
    05 Mar, 2010
    I was talking to an experienced marketing executive yesterday about the relationship between sales and marketing, and I noticed that most of the best salespeople I have worked with in the past have shared a common characteristic. They were all a little bit needy.

  • Competitive Marketing Intelligence

    • Competitive Marketing Intelligence
    02 Feb, 2010
    Have you ever wanted to be alerted when there are changes to a web page, but there is no RSS feed on the page?

  • B2B Marketing Content From Dreamforce

    • B2B Marketing Content From Dreamforce
    12 Dec, 2009
    A friend alerted me to the fact that all of the breakout sessions from Salesforce.com's Dreamforce event are now up for viewing on Youtube. Haven't heard much about through "official" SFDC channels, so thought I would share.

  • The Irony of Using Social Media to Monitor Social Media

    • The Irony of Using Social Media to Monitor Social Media
    11 Dec, 2009
    Is social network marketing really the hottest topic in BtoB marketing right now? Is it really what people want to learn more about? Or does it just seem that way because that's what the people who are on Twitter want us to believe?
  • B2B Lead Generation Blog / ...

  • Call for speakers: MarketingSherpa’s B2B Marketing Summit

    • Call for speakers: MarketingSherpa’s B2B Marketing Summit
    29 Jul, 2010
    It’s that time of the year again – MarketingSherpa is sending out a call for speakers for their 7th annual B2B Marketing Summit, which will take place in October in both Boston and San Francisco. This year’s Summit is focused...

  • Lead scoring thoughts to share

    • Lead scoring thoughts to share
    29 Jul, 2010
    Recently, I've been having more conversations with marketers about lead scoring and how they can use it as a part of the overall lead qualification and nurturing process. The question "what is lead scoring?" also came up during the "Broad...

  • 8 Lead Nurturing Thoughts to Share

    • 8 Lead Nurturing Thoughts to Share
    29 Jul, 2010
    Here's few thoughts that I've had on lead nurturing that I'd like to share and get your input on: Lead nurturing supports the conversation of the customer before, during and after their buying process. Sowing + Nurturing = Reaping. As...

  • The Best 20 CRM Blogs of 2009

    • The Best 20 CRM Blogs of 2009
    29 Jul, 2010
    Forecasting Clouds ranked the top 20 CRM blogs based on their content, readability and frequency of posting. As I read over the list of blogs, I discovered some new ones worth reading along with a number of others I already...

  • Targeting for better Lead Generation results and ROI

    • Targeting for better Lead Generation results and ROI
    29 Jul, 2010
    Effective lead generation really depends on how much you know about your target audience and how well you use that information to tailor a relevant messages and conversations.I thought this post by Carolyn Goodman for Target Marketing Magazine was a...

  • Lead Generation tips for Tradeshows Conferences

    • Lead Generation tips for Tradeshows Conferences
    29 Jul, 2010
    Tradeshows and events are still being used consistently by B2B marketers for lead generation. With that in mind, Roger Lewis has some useful tips on how to improve your lead management strategy with from tradeshows. Lewis emphasizes how vital lead...

  • Lead re-engagement is lead nurturing to rejuvenate old leads

    • Lead re-engagement is lead nurturing to rejuvenate old leads
    29 Jul, 2010
    The January sales push well on it's way and most B2B marketers I know are looking more ways to generate leads faster. But here's a question to ponder... Do you have a process have a process for handing leads (from...

  • Best Books of the Decade for Marketing and Selling Services

    • Best Books of the Decade for Marketing and Selling Services
    29 Jul, 2010
    Rain Today, a great resource for those who market and sell services, selected their Best Book s of the Decade for marketing and selling professional services. I was humbled to see that they picked my book, Lead Generation for the...

  • MarketingSherpa's Email Summit

    • MarketingSherpa's Email Summit
    29 Jul, 2010
    Here's the summary from MarketingSherpa Email Summit event: Following MarketingSherpa’s 2010 Email Marketing Summit last week, we sat down with copious notes to pick out the most important themes from three days of workshops, panel discussions and presentations. Read on...

  • Lead Generation Check list – Part 7: Effective lead management

    • Lead Generation Check list – Part 7: Effective lead management
    29 Jul, 2010
    My checklist for optimizing the lead generation process so far has included six steps: the mindset of not pushing; repairing the rift between sales and marketing; creating the ideal customer profile (and the un-ideal customer profile as well); agreeing upon...
  • Pacifica Group

  • Handling Conflicts...the Abe Lincoln Way

    • Handling Conflicts...the Abe Lincoln Way
    19 Feb, 2010
    We hung up the phone thinking “whewâ€� that call sure got hot. An irate customer? A demanding boss? A frustrated sales rep? Nope. It was an internal planning meeting between sales and marketing for fiscal year 2010. Not all such meetings, of course, are this animated but this one sure was. And that’s not always a bad thing but in this case people left with some hurt feelings and damaged relationships. I’m sure you’ve seen your share of heated conflict in more »

  • Aventi Group and Huthwaite Form Partnership to Offer SPINops

    • Aventi Group and Huthwaite Form Partnership to Offer SPINops
    18 Feb, 2010
    We are very pleased to announce Aventi Group's new partnership with Huthwaite, a leading sales performance improvement organization. The best way to explain this to you is to share with you a client quote: "We're excited about the results that Aventi Group is delivering with SPINops," said Raju Chekuri, CEO of NetEnrich, a leader in remote infrastructure management (RIM) solutions. "We can now forecast revenue with much higher accuracy, track lead values and marketing ROI based on closed opport more »

  • What's the most effective demand gen approach?

    • What's the most effective demand gen approach?
    17 Feb, 2010
    I recently posted some discussions on LinkedIn that asked the question: what’s the most effective telemarketing and lead generation approach for technology companies? This triggered some excellent responses and lively discussions, as well as a few questions. To follow is a brief overview of the discussions, and a few answers to the questions posed.

  • Announcing Aventi’s Vector for Channels

    • Announcing Aventi’s Vector for Channels
    06 Feb, 2010
    I’m very pleased to announce a new Aventi Group’s offering masterminded by our very own Bill Reed. Aventi’s Vector for Channels is a deliverable made up of methods, tools, templates and even a bit of software aimed at helping technology clients optimize channel sales. Specifically, Vector for Channels is intended to help the VP of Sales/Marketing drive higher response rates from demand generation programs for the channel, increase channel sales rep effectiveness with sharp more »

  • It's that Target Market again...

    • It's that Target Market again...
    05 Feb, 2010
    Lately I've been advising a couple of different companies who are either introducing a new product or contemplating a new market. Invariably the question comes up how should we think about which markets to enter. Simple answer: wherever you can maximize your opportunity! Well not so simple really, when you start thinking about it.

  • CIO Tells Us How to Sell to CIOs

    • CIO Tells Us How to Sell to CIOs
    04 Feb, 2010
    I had a great conversation with my dear friend and neighbor, Walt Thinfen. He’s the Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Visioneer, a high tech company here in Pleasanton, California. I took the opportunity to get his thoughts on how our clients and other technology vendors could do a better job of selling to the CIO. Listen in on this conversation for some great gold nuggets some of which might really surprise you.

  • Time for that Annual Partner Satisfaction Survey?

    • Time for that Annual Partner Satisfaction Survey?
    03 Feb, 2010
    Thinking about surveying your partners to assess your channel program and prioritize objectives for the coming year? We recently conducted such a survey for a global software organization, and despite current challenges in the economy, we heard channel partners asking for some fairly common resources.

  • Partners Revisited – Seven watch-outs

    • Partners Revisited – Seven watch-outs
    29 Jan, 2010
    Jeff Thompson, my partner here at Aventi Group, and I recently worked on a project where we helped an important client revisit and optimize their channel strategy. The problem was that our client who sells directly and indirectly to the SMB segment, had partnerships agreements in place with over 9000 partners. But what they did not have is a clear picture of which partners were performing or even active. Note that this is a client for whom the SMB segment (yes I know it is not one monolithic se more »

  • The Aventi Group Network -- Check It Out!

    • The Aventi Group Network -- Check It Out!
    28 Jan, 2010
    Here's an invitation to all of you independent consultants who might consider joining the tight network of executive consultants in the Aventi Group extended team. Please join me and fellow founders, Bill Reed and Jeff Thompson, on a webinar for a discussion on how we leverage our flexible network of experts/executives to add unique value to our clients...and see how you can benefit from this for your own practice. Click here to register for the webinar on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 8:00 AM more »

  • Leading Globally Distributed Teams

    • Leading Globally Distributed Teams
    27 Jan, 2010
    If you’re like most executives you manage a global team. But what’s the secret of running a team that cuts across time zones, cultures, and languages? How do you create a strong culture that balances centralized control with distributed authority? What metrics drive the right behaviors and business outcomes when you can’t see your team on a daily basis? I had a great lunch with my friend, Suresh Balasubramanian, who is a director in charge of a sales/field marketing te more »
  • Selling to Big Companies / ...

  • Join Me: Free Webinar You Won't Want to Miss

    • Join Me: Free Webinar You Won't Want to Miss
    29 Jul, 2010
    Simplicity: The Key to Selling to Crazy-Busy Executives Wednesday, July 28th 2 pm ET, 1 pm CT, 12 noon MT, 11 am PT Register: http://bit.ly/b5NVKw Want to learn fresh strategies to increase your sales effectiveness with today's frazzled execs? In this session, you'll discover: How being super-busy impacts how executives think as well as their expectations. What sellers and marketers...

  • From Ordinary to Extraordinary

    • From Ordinary to Extraordinary
    29 Jul, 2010
    When I first met Razi Imam several years ago, I was impressed with his sales savvy, business acumen and passion. As the founder of Landslide Technologies, he was clearly on a mission to increase salespeople's productivity and speed up the sales cycle. At that time, I had no idea about his extraordinary journey from an immigrant dockworker in Kuwait to...

  • High Velocity Sales to Fill the Funnel & More

    • High Velocity Sales to Fill the Funnel & More
    29 Jul, 2010
    If you have a moment today, check out my recent interviews: Fill the Funnel: In his weekly radio show, Miles Austin interviews me on selling in this new era, the impact of social media on sales, and the key strategies from my new book, SNAP Selling. Click to listen. High Velocity Radio: Hosts Stone Payton and Todd Schnick grill me...

  • Join Me: Free & SNAPPY Opportunities

    • Join Me: Free & SNAPPY Opportunities
    29 Jul, 2010
    With the launch of SNAP Selling a couple weeks ago, things have been crazy around here. (I guess that's my payback for writing about how to sell to crazy-busy prospects.) I'm excited that my book continues to be the #1 sales book on Amazon and that it's getting rave reviews. Plus, I'm also doing these free sessions this week. Please...

  • Free Preview Webinar: Prospecting & Lead Generation Summit

    • Free Preview Webinar: Prospecting & Lead Generation Summit
    29 Jul, 2010
    The key to sales success is a healthy sales pipeline. But most sellers are really struggling in this area right now. The problems with the economy have only compounded things. That's why I thought you might be interested in this FREE preview webinar for the upcoming Prospecting & Lead Gen Summit. Thursday, June 24 at 12 pm ET Click to...

  • Sizzling Hot & FREE Resources: June 2010

    • Sizzling Hot & FREE Resources: June 2010
    29 Jul, 2010
    All the resources in today's post are excellent and have received the official Jill Konrath Seal of Approval. ___________________ FREE Ebook for Consultants: Forget Everything You Know About Selling RainToday has just published a hot new ebook that shows consultants how to "sell without selling." In this 27-page Selling Consulting Services Report, you’ll learn: How the same skills that make...

  • Want some "snappy" advice this week?

    • Want some "snappy" advice this week?
    29 Jul, 2010
    If you'd like a little taste of what SNAP Selling, a #1-ranked Amazon sales book, is all about, below are some opportunities to learn more. If you have a quick minute, visit my SNAP Selling website and sign to get four FREE & invaluable resources. Sales Rep Radio, Selling to Crazy-Busy People; Listen to the interview today Speaking: Get Back...

  • High Velocity Sales to Fill the Funnel & More

    • High Velocity Sales to Fill the Funnel & More
    28 Jul, 2010
    If you have a moment today, check out my recent interviews: Fill the Funnel: In his weekly radio show, Miles Austin interviews me on selling in this new era, the impact of social media on sales, and the key strategies from my new book, SNAP Selling. Click to listen. High Velocity Radio: Hosts Stone Payton and Todd Schnick grill me...

  • Are You Thinking About Being More Helpful to Your Frazzled Prospects?

    • Are You Thinking About Being More Helpful to Your Frazzled Prospects?
    28 Jul, 2010
    I had a great conversation with John Cousineau of Innovative Information the other day. The focus? What works with crazy-busy prospects — the topic of SNAP Selling, my #1-ranked Amazon sales book. Here's his take on a highly valuable strategy that's working for sellers today. Sellers: Spend More Time Thinking About Being Helpful Look closely, today, at the activities and...

  • Join Me: Free & SNAPPY Opportunities

    • Join Me: Free & SNAPPY Opportunities
    28 Jul, 2010
    With the launch of SNAP Selling a couple weeks ago, things have been crazy around here. (I guess that's my payback for writing about how to sell to crazy-busy prospects.) I'm excited that my book continues to be the #1 sales book on Amazon and that it's getting rave reviews. Plus, I'm also doing these free sessions this week. Please...
  • Accelerating IT Sales

  • Explore the Web with Alternative Browsers

    • Explore the Web with Alternative Browsers
    10 Jun, 2009
    Web browsers are integral to everyday life for anyone who spends any time on the Internet. Whether you work for an online company, spend your days blogging and tweeting, buy everything from clothes to airline tickets online or connect to friends, music, and your community on the Internet, you do so within the confines of a browser. Most people use the same few browsers, and probably don't think much about what their particular browser choice offers (or doesn't offer) when compared to other browse more »

  • How B2B Marketers Can Monetize Social Media

    • How B2B Marketers Can Monetize Social Media
    10 Jun, 2009
    If you've been trying to introduce social media and networking tools and create an online community centered around your company, products or services, there's a good chance that you've hit walls when it comes to explaining how exactly these new products can be monetized. While B2C has leveraged the power of social media and social networking with great success, B2B is still struggling to justify the investments required to develop, host, and manage social tools and communities on their websites. more »

  • Using Social Media to Shorten Sales Cycles

    • Using Social Media to Shorten Sales Cycles
    10 Jun, 2009
    Social media and online communities have exploded over the past few years, but most B2B marketers still haven't figured out how social media can be implemented and monetized as part of their overall marketing strategies. With stable revenue sources already in place, insignificant budgets for developing and building new (and untested) marketing tools, and little data on the ROI of social media, B2B marketers are sticking with traditional online models (including lead generation and banner advertis more »

  • The Basics of Content Jacking

    • The Basics of Content Jacking
    10 Jun, 2009
    There's a new criminal in town, and it's out to get your content! As the web expands, and content creators face increasing pressure to develop new, unique, interesting and accessible content for the masses, content theft increases too. Content jacking is the unauthorized, unattributed redistribution of content from its original website to another site, and content thieves will sometimes post articles without permission, or even scrape entire websites and steal all of the content contained therei more »

  • The Role of Social Media in B2B Marketing

    • The Role of Social Media in B2B Marketing
    10 Jun, 2009
    For those of us who keep an eye on trends in social media, it seems as if EVERYONE is jumping on the social media bandwagon. From Barack Obama and John McCain's use of the technologies in their campaigns, to major IT companies like IBM and SAP's social efforts, one might easily get the impression that social media is everywhere. Social media isn't really everywhere - only 35% of B2B marketers participating in a Forrester Research teleconference currently use social media in their marketing effor more »

  • Search and Google Aren't Synonymous

    • Search and Google Aren't Synonymous
    10 Jun, 2009
    There has been quite a bit of disappointment over Google, Yahoo and Microsoft searches, and their agreement in censoring search results as part of China's Golden Shield Project. According to Wikipedia the Golden Shield Policy is the censorship and surveillance project operated by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of the People's Republic of China. Because of this policy, some people have ceased their use of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft searches, and are looking for alternative search engines t more »

  • Scrub Your Leads For Job Security

    • Scrub Your Leads For Job Security
    10 Jun, 2009
    Email list hygiene - and the specific practice of scrubbing out bad email addresses - should be of the utmost concern for any of you out there who actively distribute marketing materials via email messages or enewsletters. When sending your marketing materials to huge lists that have not been scrubbed for junk, you run the risk of destroying your company's reputation and losing business along the way. And while it would be easy to sit here and cite statistics about email bounce rates, blacklistin more »

  • BtoB Online Goes Interactive with the Lead Generation Guide 2008

    • BtoB Online Goes Interactive with the Lead Generation Guide 2008
    10 Jun, 2009
    The recently released the BtoB Online Lead Generation Guide 2008 provides a comprehensive overview of the B2B lead generation industry's recent innovations and upcoming trends, and is published in an interactive format that puts their own suggestions regarding content usage into action. The interactive guide has a range of features that allow users to search, bookmark, customize, and generally manipulate their experience with the content within. To explain all of the features, the guide contain more »

  • Keywords, content and tag clouds

    • Keywords, content and tag clouds
    10 Jun, 2009
    Have you seen or heard of tag clouds, yet never been too sure what they are or why they're on so many sites? Have you ever want to see what your website or blog would look like with a tag cloud? I was curious about tag clouds myself - so I did a little research and created a few tag clouds to share on this site. According to Wikipedia, tag clouds are "...visual depictions of user-generated tags, or simply the word content of a site, used typically to describe the content of web sites." Flikr, t more »

  • Pushing Prospects through the Pipeline

    • Pushing Prospects through the Pipeline
    10 Jun, 2009
    A recent Marketing Sherpa report addresses lead nurturing best practices, and is a helpful update on how to best reach prospects once they've engaged with your content, but not independently returned to your site. By applying the practices outlined in Lead Nurturing Best Practices: New Data, Charts, Tips to Put More Punch in Your Cultivation Tactics, you can align your lead nurturing program with what's shown to be working industry-wide. In compiling this report, Marketing Sherpa partnered with more »
  • Anything Goes Marketing

  • Customer Service at its Best: Wind Mobile

    • Customer Service at its Best: Wind Mobile
    29 Jul, 2010
    For someone who lives and breathes customer service as part of my profession I am very critical with companies I deal with as I have a high expectation on the type of service I should receive. I’ve finally found a company that does a fantastic job at servicing its customers across many channels and you know I have to blog about it. Up here in Canada we’ve had three main mobile providers for as long as I can remember. I won’t go into the history of these guys but I can tell yo more »

  • 5 Marketing Automation Email Tips

    • 5 Marketing Automation Email Tips
    29 Jul, 2010
    I have the pleasure of welcoming a new bunch of Eloqua team members who we start off with a boot camp here in Toronto so they get to know each other and the rest of the company. I’m going to outline some of the cool things our customers do but I’ll also provide a short intro on what I do in my day to day. To make it easy for everybody, I like to describe my role as a sherpa for our customers. Not a marketing sherpa (that name is already taken) but a marketing automation sherpa as my more »

  • Tips on Using Twitter to Boost Your Marketing Efforts

    • Tips on Using Twitter to Boost Your Marketing Efforts
    29 Jul, 2010
    Are you already tired of Twitter? Do you think it’s just a fad? Well think again because the popularity of Twitter is growing at an alarming rate. I’m always trying to think about how marketers can better leverage the social media technologies that are out there and then share them with you. As you read these, you need to think about your end goals. Many of these may not be worth it to you and your company but they’re good to keep in mind.I’ve already written a post on more »

  • Top Automated Marketing Personalization Tactics

    • Top Automated Marketing Personalization Tactics
    29 Jul, 2010
    There is a lot of talk these days that personalization is back in marketing but what does that really mean and what are some of the tactics you can use? This is important: Besides all of the technology out there that can make this process easier, it’s important to keep in mind that the goal is to create engaging experiences for your customers and potential customers so that they will respond and ultimately purchase your products and services. A personalized approach facilitates th more »

  • Top 10 Triggered B2B Email Marketing Campaigns

    • Top 10 Triggered B2B Email Marketing Campaigns
    29 Jul, 2010
    One of the themes for marketers in 2009 is “doing more with lessâ€�. While some marketing teams are facing cut backs and spending freezes or reductions, they still need to hit their goals which may include generating X number of leads, Y amount of influenced pipeline and/or Z amount of influenced sales. A key part of “doing more with lessâ€� is automating your email marketing campaigns. While many may label this as “lead nurturingâ€�, it goes well more »

  • Social Media Success Stories

    • Social Media Success Stories
    29 Jul, 2010
    I get a few blank stares at times when I talk about social media technologies with friends and colleagues but I’m starting to win people over day by day. How am I doing this? With real stories! Today, I want to share these stories with you to help you better understand the power of social media and to hopefully inspire you to continue on your social media efforts or to jump in for the first time. LinkedIn: Starting an Alumni Group When Linkedin started a groups feature (like Facebook more »

  • Twitter and Customer Service - Potential PR Nightmare

    • Twitter and Customer Service - Potential PR Nightmare
    29 Jul, 2010
    Your company may have just started down the path of using Twitter as another communication channel. (If you're not there yet, that's cool but keep reading because there are some items to be aware of. Now back to our story). You may use it to highlight upcoming events, press releases and product/service updates. Using it for this purpose is fairly straightforward. It's mostly a marketing function and is controlled typically by the marketing team.The question that you may be grappling with is this: more »

  • 10 Tips for Using Twitter And Email Marketing for B2B

    • 10 Tips for Using Twitter And Email Marketing for B2B
    29 Jul, 2010
    I was told that every blog needs a "top 10 post" and I thought today would be a good day to write one on a topic that is growing in popularity. That topic is Twitter and how best to use this tool for your B2B marketing efforts. I thought I would take a stab at providing tips on blending a tried and true tool like email with Twitter. Let me know what you think and if you have additional tips (let's see if Darren Rowse from Twitip is listening)10 Tips for Using Twitter And Email Marketing for B2B1. more »

  • Is your Company Being Blogged About?

    • Is your Company Being Blogged About?
    29 Jul, 2010
    Last week I mentioned how you can track your company's brand on twitter. Incidentally I did predict Obama winning the election and also the Dolphins beating the Seahawks today so I'm on a roll!This week I found a new site that you can use to compare how you're company is doing on the blogosphere versus your competition. The tools is called www.trendpedia.com. I liked this site because it graphically represented the trends on a timeline and allows you to drill into them to see the actual blog post more »

  • 5 Mistakes B2B Marketers Need to Avoid in 2010

    • 5 Mistakes B2B Marketers Need to Avoid in 2010
    28 Jul, 2010
    2009 has been a long year but as I reflect back on my many conversations, I've created a top 5 list of items to avoid in 2010:1. Not having a defined social media strategy You would be surprised by the number of companies that say “yeah, social media is important but it’s not important to us at the momentâ€�. In 2010 you will not have a choice but to make social media part of your overall marketing strategy. If you’re company is just breaking ground in this area, at t more »
  • Ask Justin Hitt

  • When To Handle Objections

    • When To Handle Objections
    20 Jul, 2010
    "Should I handle the objections during the time of the sales presentation OR ask for another appointment to answer the objections?" -- Harriet Mpora When possible, handle common objections prior to your presentation in pre-sales materials, then again address in your presentation, and right before your close. Always seek to address objections before your prospect asks them -- but almost never in another appointment.

  • Do I Need a Copywriter Specializing in My Field

    • Do I Need a Copywriter Specializing in My Field
    21 Feb, 2010
    I'm wondering if I need to hire a copywriter with advertising experience in the Construction industry. I'm a building contractor that would like to start advertising to the contractor market and am looking for some useful tag lines. If you are an expert in what you do, then you don't need a copywriter who specializes in your specific field. They don't need to have sold in you field, nor have written for your industry before. However, they must ...

  • Increasing Direct Mail Response Rates

    • Increasing Direct Mail Response Rates
    20 Feb, 2010
    I started sending out the following letter (attached.) I have been getting about a 1/2 percent response. Anyone have any suggestions on increasing my response rate? Perhaps the best advice anyone can give you it to tweak and test one thing at a time until you know what works. Only through testing will you know what works. But, don't make this common mistakes ...

  • Most Sales People are Unprepared

    • Most Sales People are Unprepared
    19 Feb, 2010
    John finally get an appointment to sit down with purchasing and a long sought decision maker, yet is already wrong on two issues of the prospects experience, you'd think he'd be more prepared. According to a recent study, executives say 82% of sales representatives are unprepared for meetings.

  • Your logo has no selling power

    • Your logo has no selling power
    18 Feb, 2010
    Before your company changes its logo, read this very important message! On a live chat for Inside Strategic Relations subscribers, a reader asks:If one's company is chaging Logo, doesn't that affect level of sales? And, how can one overcome this handle? -- Unknown (via Chat)

  • Discovering Demographics and Psychographics

    • Discovering Demographics and Psychographics
    18 Feb, 2010
    I am currently having trouble trying to find the demographics and the psychographics of my target market (mid level, top level, and, ceo executives). I wanted to know is there any information that you could possibly give me or point me in the correct direction? -- Chris Momon, The BOSS Group Having a clear and understandable profile of your best customers is a valuable influencer of selling results. Knowing your customers helps you take the right actions, rather than just educated guesses. Ge more »

  • Speaking In Front of a Trade Group

    • Speaking In Front of a Trade Group
    17 Feb, 2010
    What would be a good presentation to do for a dinner meeting for a group of Purchasing professionals? -- Ted Kosiek, Kerneos Inc You're in luck, my wife is a purchasing professional with a Fortune 500, and member of the local chapter of one a large purchasing associations. When speaking in front of any trade group, there are three things to consider:

  • Do Special Reports Still Work

    • Do Special Reports Still Work
    16 Feb, 2010
    Many less informed marketers say special reports are over-done and most of the time lacking value, especially in lead generation. Do special reports as part of lead generation still work?

  • Get Better Results Using Content from Real Experience

    • Get Better Results Using Content from Real Experience
    15 Feb, 2010
    I had some sales letters and articles written on {Freelance Site Here}, they don't bring in the response I was expecting. How are your clients writing articles to connect with prospects and for newsletters? -- Terry G. One thing, I pride myself on is providing visitors real unique value from real life experiences. Visitors of this site expect a unique prospective that advances their interests, and so do your customers. Here's why that statement so important.

  • Bad Advice on B2B Lead Generation

    • Bad Advice on B2B Lead Generation
    14 Feb, 2010
    My newsreader brought to my attention B2B lead generation advice from a popular publication, an expert proclaiming that cold calls followed up by email works. It seemed simple enough until he missed one critical point.
  • Marketing & Strategy Innov ...

  • The Tragi-comedy of Customer Service

    • The Tragi-comedy of Customer Service
    29 Jul, 2010
    Guest Post by: Laszlo Kövari Millions of stories have been written about bad customers service. It would be too easy to write another one, too easy to analyze the details, to pinpoint how they make all the mistakes that are logically possible to make and -with a twisted, reverse-creativity that defies “logic”-  even more.

  • Innovations in Control: Do you Have the Right Cost of Capital for Today’s Environment?

    • Innovations in Control: Do you Have the Right Cost of Capital for Today’s Environment?
    29 Jul, 2010
    This post is co-author Joseph Calandro, Jr., author of Applied Value Investing (NY: McGraw-Hill, 2009). One of the most important and overlooked innovations in business are the innovations in internal controls and measurement. The duPont company famously invented their duPont formula which helped their executives to understand exactly what was driving financial performance in their business; which divisions were making good margins; which consuming too much capital.

  • The Tyranny Of 'The Plan'

    • The Tyranny Of 'The Plan'
    29 Jul, 2010
    "In the highly turbulent, quickly reforming environment of the new economy, the competitive advantage goes to the nimble and malleable, the flexible and quick. Speed and agility trump size and experience. Fast to find the new is only one half the equation; fast to let go is the other important half." Kevin Kelly

  • Developing a European Social Media Strategy

    • Developing a European Social Media Strategy
    29 Jul, 2010
    An issue for many brands who are developing a social media strategy is how they translate what they do in one country into other markets in which they operate. As a European social media agency, we are very used to helping clients take a US or UK strategy and then roll this out across the rest of Europe. And in doing this we have looked at organisations who have done this well. And those who have done it badly. The usual mistake is to assume that what works in one country can be taken and more »

  • Scary Good

    • Scary Good
    29 Jul, 2010
    Allstate Insurance is running a campaign in which the threats of trees falling on cars, teens nicking car bumpers, and pets trashing upholstery are portrayed by a character named "Mayhem." I think it's scary good advertising.

  • Economics of Cognitive Work Part II: Exploring the B2B Paradigm

    • Economics of Cognitive Work Part II: Exploring the B2B Paradigm
    29 Jul, 2010
    In a recent blog post I began to explore some ideas concerning the nature and economics of cognitive work in the modern corporation. I made a distinction between Business to Consumer (B2C) work and Business to Business (B2B) work. In B2B work, leaders have to create a way for their organizations to coordinate and collaborate to create solutions for their customers. Think about how complicated it is to get a large commercial insurance policy underwritten, or a new airplane built to specific more »

  • How Steve Jobs Turned Apple around in 1997

    • How Steve Jobs Turned Apple around in 1997
    29 Jul, 2010
    This speech probably took a lot of guts to deliver to the Apple faithful, and not surprisingly much of it was followed with of boos and jeers. However the thing to note is this key statement below. One that I firmly believe really sets the foundation for the Apple we know today:

  • In Praise of Sloth

    • In Praise of Sloth
    29 Jul, 2010
    I've just gone through a very lengthy and painful technology transfer, and I think my takeaway is this: instead of making life easier for customers, maybe a viable brand loyalty strategy is to make it harder for them? I know it sounds counterintuitive but what if marketers chose to deliver brand "engagement" as habit, routine, and as something so extensively embedded in customers' lives that it wouldn't be worth it -- or even consciously imaginable -- to ever change?

  • People or Machines & Transparency: Twin Innovations in Service

    • People or Machines & Transparency: Twin Innovations in Service
    29 Jul, 2010
    Esurance.com’s current advertising campaign emphasizes the fact that their customers can interact with technology when they don’t want to talk with people and they can talk with people when they don’t want to interact with technology. In a world which is becoming increasingly populated by people who have grown up with the internet always being a part of their lives their expectations are shaped by being able to get their products or services in any mode they desire.

  • Shanghai: A City of Two Tales

    • Shanghai: A City of Two Tales
    29 Jul, 2010
    I'm writing this en route home from Shanghai, where I've spent most of the past week touring, visiting, meeting, and experiencing this Asian megacity for the first time. The occasion was Expo 2010, the world's fair situated on both sides of the Huangpu River, which runs through the center of China's largest city.
  • B2B Sales & Marketing Know ...

  • Channel Strategy and the Recession

    • Channel Strategy and the Recession
    29 Jul, 2010
    “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.â€�  Bertolt BrechtI have been surprised with how executives perceive their channel strategy in battling the "Great Recession."  Through recent conversations, it has become clear to me that many executives have not completely thought through the impact of the events of the last 24 months on their go to market models They have downsized, cut budgets, and exited markets but that has been a reaction to declini more »

  • 6 Steps for Getting Control of B2B Social Media

    • 6 Steps for Getting Control of B2B Social Media
    29 Jul, 2010
    A version of this post can also be found as a featured article on the Demand Gen Report website. I had the opportunity last week to speak on social media at a couple of B2B conferences. It gave me a chance to get out of the bubble and speak with folks in the trenches. It turned out to be an eye-opener. Attendees at the conferences were marketers representing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) heavy industry, and the financial services industries. As a group, they market complex, long sales more »

  • Growth in 2010...It's Back to the Future

    • Growth in 2010...It's Back to the Future
    29 Jul, 2010
    After speaking with a number of companies and I'm starting to notice an interesting trend.  Customers are making their way back to companies and they’re coming after “coreâ€� offerings (even those offerings may have been passed over by newer and “sexierâ€� services). In the boom, companies found themselves venturing into new markets, creating new services , etc. that came with the rising tide, especially in the Financial Services industry. In many industries, these s more »

  • The Price/Value Equation and The $1 Razor

    • The Price/Value Equation and The $1 Razor
    29 Jul, 2010
    A few weeks ago, my wife and I got a chance to get away for the weekend. On our way to the hotel I realized that I had forgotten to pack a razor. We were passing a shopping center at the time so we pulled in and spotted a Dollar General store.  I went in and bought a $1 pack of razors. A commodity product, down economy, it was necessity, so I figured it was a good decision until…I used it.The only way I can describe the experience is to say that I couldn’t tell if the razor had a bl more »

  • 7 Steps to Creating a Social Media Strategy

    • 7 Steps to Creating a Social Media Strategy
    29 Jul, 2010
    Lots of clients are now interested (finally) in getting their Social Media house in order. Fortunately, there is a ton of information on Social Media available…unfortunately; I haven’t seen anything that tells a Marketer what to do about it.After spending a year and a half on this topic and working with clients, here's a quick “To Doâ€� list based on the best and worst practices observed. The first 3 deal with the current state, the remaining 4 are future looking. At this more »

  • Insights and Epiphanies from a recent B2B Social Communication Event

    • Insights and Epiphanies from a recent B2B Social Communication Event
    29 Jul, 2010
    I attended the B2B Social Communications Case Studies and Roundtable event in New York last week, my first live event since the downturn. Got to admit, I was impressed by the attendance (probably close to 250 folks) and list of companies presenting included; Microsoft, Amex, Intuit, Dupont, IBM, Deliotte, Pitney Bowes, and others. I came away with some great new insights, not only of social media in a B2B world, but also regarding the structure of the event itself. Get In, Then Get Out - In my l more »

  • Is B2B Web 2.0 Over Before It Ever Started?

    • Is B2B Web 2.0 Over Before It Ever Started?
    29 Jul, 2010
    Not yet, but it’s getting close. The potential suspects in its death…the recession, the CFO and the Legal Department. Suddenly, every legal department around the country has become the de facto Web 2.0 governance committee. What doesn’t get killed, modified, or mangled is left to the CFO to cut. Senior executives, who for the most part lack an understanding of the tools, are growing tired of all the noise around Digital, Web 2.0, Social Media, etc. They are now directing  more »

  • How to get an Organizational TRansformation Right

    • How to get an Organizational TRansformation Right
    29 Jul, 2010
    Now that companies have finished cutting, closing, "right sizing", etc., it’s time to figure out what to do with what’s left. Executives are now trying to figure out how to get their new, leaner organizations focused on driving performance again. In their haste to reduce costs quickly companies now find themselves with “lumpyâ€� or “overtaxedâ€� resources and/or essential areas completely gone.Where to start? Here’s what I’ve learned on where to s more »

  • 5 Key Questions for Creating a Compelling Value Proposition & an Integrated Communication Plan

    • 5 Key Questions for Creating a Compelling Value Proposition & an Integrated Communication Plan
    29 Jul, 2010
    I’m about to share with you the secret formula for; 1) creating a rock solid, compelling value proposition (for products, services, solutions, etc.) and, 2) aligning (enterprise wide) your corporate communications. It will seem like a very simple approach, and it is, but once you try to get consistent answers from the organization to the following questions (in order) you will understand why this is so challenging...and why so many companies fail.Keep this in mind, effective communication more »

  • VODcast: Measuring Marketing Effectiveness

    • VODcast: Measuring Marketing Effectiveness
    29 Jul, 2010
    I recently sat down with Andy Hasselwander, the head of our Marketing Science group, to discuss how companies can improve the effectiveness of their marketing measurement efforts. In the video Andy lays out a simple 5 step plan that I think most companies can implement. Also, check out Andy's Blog for more informaton on Marketing Measurement and Analytics.
  • The Innovative Marketer

  • What is lead nurturing?

    • What is lead nurturing?
    29 Jul, 2010
    Salesforce.com’s big Dreamforce conference is over. The keynotes have been distilled down to talking points for the media. The hangovers from the after parties have been dealt with. The Black Crowes have flown away, the hangovers from the after parties...

  • Q&A from the B2B Magazine Social Media Webinar with David Meerman Scott

    • Q&A from the B2B Magazine Social Media Webinar with David Meerman Scott
    29 Jul, 2010
    David Meerman Scott and I went over time on our B2B Magazine Webinar on social media and agreed that we'd handle Q&A on this blog (and perhaps over on David's as well). I consolidated some of the 50+ questions we...

  • Question #3: Measuring Effectiveness of Social Media

    • Question #3: Measuring Effectiveness of Social Media
    29 Jul, 2010
    Jennifer said: How do you measure effectiveness of social media if you're not gating content? There are a bunch of metrics you can use. Links from other web sites. Mentions on blogs. Print publication pickup. Increases in numbers of speaking...

  • Question #6: Blog Spamming

    • Question #6: Blog Spamming
    29 Jul, 2010
    Roy asked: Could you please explain blog spamming and how to avoid being considered a blog spammer by search engines? Wikipedia has a great definition of blog spam.

  • Question #7: Blog Comment Strategy

    • Question #7: Blog Comment Strategy
    29 Jul, 2010
    Donna asked: How do you comment into existing blogs without sounding self serving sales pitch? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated on strategy around this? Donna, what a great question. Look, buyers aren't stupid. If you post something that is bright,...

  • Question #8: Social Marketing Conferences

    • Question #8: Social Marketing Conferences
    29 Jul, 2010
    Wendy wondered: Are there any conferences for social marketing - especially making videos - you would suggest? What do you guys suggest? I've been to a couple of great conferences this year. The Web 2.0 show is always a valuable...

  • Everybody talks about measuring social media, but nobody is doing anything about it ... are they?

    • Everybody talks about measuring social media, but nobody is doing anything about it ... are they?
    28 Jul, 2010
    I'm at the CMO Club conference in San Francisco this week, and while the audience of 80 texted "Doing more with less" as the number one issue facing marketers in 2010, the real buzz around the show seems to be ROI of social media. Blake Cahill had a post over on VisInsights on the value of social media for B2B companies (he's doing a webcast with Sirius Decisions' Jonathan Block) and one of his lines stopped me:

  • 10 Great Marketing Podcasts you Should Not Miss

    • 10 Great Marketing Podcasts you Should Not Miss
    28 Jul, 2010
    Before doing some spring gardening this weekend, I loaded up the ol' iPod with a bunch of recent marketing-related Podcasts. Podcasts, you recall, were the world-changing, paradigm-shifting phenomena of four years ago, kind of like Twitter is today. My day...

  • Trendsurfing on That Marketing Show

    • Trendsurfing on That Marketing Show
    28 Jul, 2010
    Spoke with Rodger Roeser of That Marketing Show recently about Web 2.0 marketing tactics, measurement and Digital Body Language. The show's online now. Check it out here.

  • Q&A from the B2B Magazine Social Media Webinar with David Meerman Scott

    • Q&A from the B2B Magazine Social Media Webinar with David Meerman Scott
    28 Jul, 2010
    David Meerman Scott and I went over time on our B2B Magazine Webinar on social media and agreed that we'd handle Q&A on this blog (and perhaps over on David's as well). I consolidated some of the 50+ questions we...