Lead Generation Insight

  • Illuminating the Furture

  • 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...

  • Want to Build Trust? Want to be a Market Leader? Be a Thought Leader

    • Want to Build Trust? Want to be a Market Leader? Be a Thought Leader
    21 Dec, 2009
    Why is thought leadership increasingly critical to the success of professional services firms? Why do market leaders also tend to be thought leaders? As a growing number of firms across the professional services spectrum have discovered, thought leadership can strengthen...

  • Why Unify B2B Marketing? Poe Knows

    • Why Unify B2B Marketing? Poe Knows
    27 Oct, 2009
    One interesting thing about marketing is its capacity for wide pendulum swings. Sometimes, it's the right-brain creatives, those who help us re-imagine the world, who hold the power. Other times, it's the left-brain analytical types, those who claim they can...

  • Naked Emperors -- and their PR Firms

    • Naked Emperors -- and their PR Firms
    16 Oct, 2009
    PR professionals, too often, are letting their executive clients down. They are encouraging them to stroll out in the public square unclothed, unprepared and uninteresting. The result? Their clients are exposed to criticism -- or, worse, exposed as leaders without...

  • Mastering the Customer Success Cycle

    • Mastering the Customer Success Cycle
    17 Sep, 2009
    "The image of the world around us, which we carry in our head, is just a model.� -- Jay Wright Forrester We are all enabled and constrained by our mental models. They shape our thinking and influence our actions. While...

  • Confronting the Guidance Imperative

    • Confronting the Guidance Imperative
    31 Jul, 2009
    You remember the term "economic boom," don't you? Well, will the boom ever resume? We experienced extraordinary demand for new products in the post-war period of the 1950s and 1960s. We bought new cars, televisions and household appliances. Our manufacturing...

  • Who Will Fill the Vision Vacuum?

    • Who Will Fill the Vision Vacuum?
    15 Jul, 2009
    In the past, buyers might have relied on third-party sources such as the press, analysts and independent consultants for insights that would facilitate their decision-making efforts. They still do. However, there’s a growing gap between the types of research and...

  • Thought Leadership w/o Thought Leaders?

    • Thought Leadership w/o Thought Leaders?
    14 Jul, 2009
    How can we have thought leadership without thought leaders? That's the question embedded in recent research published by BlissPR that looks at thought leadership trends in the professional services industry. It seems to me they have uncovered some challenging dilemmas...

  • Creating the Content Factory

    • Creating the Content Factory
    08 Jul, 2009
    We've reached a consensus in many spheres of the B2B marketing world that relevant and compelling content is critical to success. But where's the execution? Few firms are actually pulling it off at this point. One reason firms are struggling...

  • Leading Lights: Donovan Neale-May, Founder of the CMO Council

    • Leading Lights: Donovan Neale-May, Founder of the CMO Council
    30 Jun, 2009
    Donovan Neale-May is leading the charge for something he calls “authority leadership.� He is the president and managing partner of GlobalFluency, Inc., a global organization of independent marketing and communication firms with 70 offices in over 40 countries. But he...
  • Idea Sellers

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    08 Feb, 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
    07 Feb, 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...

  • Good Salespeople Are Hard to Find

    • Good Salespeople Are Hard to Find
    07 Feb, 2010
    In his latest article for Salesopedia, Mark Hunter writes about the widespread and growing need for effective salespeople and the simultaneous yet inverse policies of many employers that inhibit salesperson's growth and compensation. "I recently read a survey conducted by...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    06 Feb, 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
    05 Feb, 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
    04 Feb, 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
    04 Feb, 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
    03 Feb, 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!
    03 Feb, 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...

  • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession

    • Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession
    02 Feb, 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...
  • B2B Rainmaker / Jim Logan

  • The opportunity and caution of guarantees

    • The opportunity and caution of guarantees
    03 Feb, 2010
    It's a common secret.  And equally common missed opportunity.  It's also something widely misunderstood.  I'm talking about guarantees. Guarantees are a great way to close business.  They give the buyer a level of comfort in making a decision -- a form of insurance if something goes wrong.  They're a deal closer. The missed opportunity with guarantees is they're most effective when tailored to the opportunity.  When you can guarantee something the prospect values in the deal, it moves the d more »

  • So-called interruption marketing

    • So-called interruption marketing
    01 Feb, 2010
    An early morning conversation led to me think of this post.  The point of that post is worth reminding us all -- the problem with the problem with old calling is there is no problem. For all the talk against so-called interruption marketing, there's a part missing in the complaint -- if the interruption is something you value, it's not an interruption.  Extreme example:  If you're woke in the middle of the night by someone at your door and it turns out to be Publisher's Clearinghouse awarding more »

  • Marketing calendars and 14 other things you might have forgotten about

    • Marketing calendars and 14 other things you might have forgotten about
    28 Jan, 2010
    {xtypo_quote}Successful marketing doesn’t happen by accident. It takes insightful analysis, dedication to building a business and, most of all, patience. ~Michael McLaughlin{/xtypo_quote} The quote above by Michael McLaughlin says a lot.  In fact, it says about all there is say that's truly important about how we should approach marketing. There's a story I could put around this post, but it's not necessary.  Just read Michael's post titled 15 Principles for Marketing Any Professional Se more »

  • Two openings in my coaching program -- Here's why you should care

    • Two openings in my coaching program -- Here's why you should care
    26 Jan, 2010
    I currently have two openings in my coaching program.  Here are examples of things others have used my coaching program to achieve: 300% increase in effectiveness of direct mail campaign create a market entry strategy develop a series of emails as part of a lead generation campaign establish a multi-year business plan define operating priorities profile target accounts create a unique selling proposition develop an account entry strategy create and establish a competitive position refine c more »

  • The reason calls to action work

    • The reason calls to action work
    21 Jan, 2010
    For a call to action to work, they have to be proceeded by a benefit that promises something worthy of acting upon.  A reasonable expectation of gain has to exist or there's no reason to act. What this means is we should review our calls to action and carefully look at what comes before them.  Ask yourself these simple questions:  If I were reading this call to action for the first time, why would I want to act? What's in it for me to take the survey, request the download, make the call, mail, more »

  • One more

    • One more
    20 Jan, 2010
    It's a straightforward question for all of us -- What's the value of one more inquiry, prospect, and customer?  The answer varies, but the impact is fairly great for each of us. One more customer can lead to a lifetime of buying and referrals.  That one additional customer can be significant. And if you place a time-frame to the question, it can make a greater difference in our business life -- the value of one more inquiry, prospect, and customer each week or month has a great impact over the more »

  • Common sales challenges

    • Common sales challenges
    01 Jan, 2010
    Working with clients this past year, here are the most common challenges I've seen and heard expressed: our sales cycle is too long we can't get access to decision makers I can get an audience, but few prospects become customers our sales team should be more effective, we're under performing we're not recognized as someone our target audience wants to speak to we have too many onetime customers and not enough repeat buyers I wish I could compete less on price we need more sales volume this year, more »

  • The last thought of 2009

    • The last thought of 2009
    01 Jan, 2010
    As 2009 comes to an end, here's the thought I'd like to leave each of us:  If beginning tomorrow you continue to do things as you did this past year, will you be happy with the way 2010 ends?  If so, congratulations!  Keep going as fast as you can.  If not, then what's keeping you from making the changes in your business you know you need to make to create a different outcome?  Take charge of your business and have the courage to do things differently to create the outcome you desire. To you more »

  • The season of change

    • The season of change
    31 Dec, 2009
    I've been silent about a significant change to my online presence.  If you're a subscriber and haven't been to my site lately, you may want to take a moment and visit it -- just click on the link to my site from your RSS reader or email client. The change you'll notice is I killed B2BRainmaker.com ealier this month -- consolidating my online presence at JSLogan.com.  I know....I did the near opposite about 14 months ago.  Here's what I'm up to This past year has been pretty good for me.  I tr more »

  • No

    • No
    19 Dec, 2009
    Who told you "No" is more important than being told.  If the person who told you "No" doesn't have the authority to tell you "Yes", the fact of the matter is it doesn't matter much. It's like one kid telling another they can or can't do something.  Unless the kid telling you is in-charge at the time, it's better to ask mom or dad. Food for thought.
  • Marketing Interactions

  • Is Your Marketing Content Wardrobe Complete?

    • Is Your Marketing Content Wardrobe Complete?
    05 Feb, 2010
    A short time ago I wrote a post, The Focus of Content Marketing is Not Format. I've been thinking about that and trying to come up with a way to help B2B marketers understand why the way they design their content is more important than format (white paper, case study, article, etc.). I came up with a correlation to fashion....

  • Find Out What Buyers Want

    • Find Out What Buyers Want
    04 Feb, 2010
    You've heard me say many times that in order to have your marketing programs pay off, you've got to really KNOW your buyers. I get asked a lot of questions about just how to find out. Well, here's one way: Genius.com and DemandGen Report are jumping into the fray to help us out. They're conducting a survey that asks a...

  • What's the Cost When Sales Tries to Do it All?

    • What's the Cost When Sales Tries to Do it All?
    03 Feb, 2010
    I just saw some of the results that @Gerhard20 posted after reading an advance copy of CSO Insights' new 2010 Sales Effectiveness Study. I had a really strong urge to bang my head on my desk. Let's talk about three of the research findings: Research fact: Forty-seven percent of the companies surveyed (1,600 companies participated) reported that their salespeople generate...

  • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010

    • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010
    02 Feb, 2010
    Click Predictions whipped out their crystal ball and passed it to 39 experts in content marketing, B2B marketing, email marketing, social media and asked them to answer one question: What is your key marketing trend and prediction for 2010? Take a look at who's included: You're going to love the story that unfolds as you flip through each trend and...

  • Prospect Intelligence is a Terrible Thing to Waste

    • Prospect Intelligence is a Terrible Thing to Waste
    01 Feb, 2010
    It always amazes me when I click to download a white paper or register for a webinar and am confronted by a 20-field lead generation form. Unless it's something I want very badly, I tend to click the back button and move on to something more appealing. Then again, I'm a marketer, so sometimes I fill out the form to...

  • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010

    • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010
    01 Feb, 2010
    Click Predictions whipped out their crystal ball and passed it to 39 experts in content marketing, B2B marketing, email marketing, social media and asked them to answer one question: What is your key marketing trend and prediction for 2010? Take a look at who's included: You're going to love the story that unfolds as you flip through each trend and...

  • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010

    • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010
    31 Jan, 2010
    Click Predictions whipped out their crystal ball and passed it to 39 experts in content marketing, B2B marketing, email marketing, social media and asked them to answer one question: What is your key marketing trend and prediction for 2010? Take a look at who's included: You're going to love the story that unfolds as you flip through each trend and...

  • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010

    • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010
    30 Jan, 2010
    Click Predictions whipped out their crystal ball and passed it to 39 experts in content marketing, B2B marketing, email marketing, social media and asked them to answer one question: What is your key marketing trend and prediction for 2010? Take a look at who's included: You're going to love the story that unfolds as you flip through each trend and...

  • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010

    • Key Content Marketing Trends & Predictions 2010
    29 Jan, 2010
    Click Predictions whipped out their crystal ball and passed it to 39 experts in content marketing, B2B marketing, email marketing, social media and asked them to answer one question: What is your key marketing trend and prediction for 2010? Take a look at who's included: You're going to love the story that unfolds as you flip through each trend and...

  • When Should B2B Lead Nurturing Stop?

    • When Should B2B Lead Nurturing Stop?
    28 Jan, 2010
    I was on a call this morning when a discussion came up about when B2B lead nurturing should stop. Many companies believe this should happen once the lead is qualified and handed over to sales for pursuit. I take issue with this approach because it maintains the division between marketing and sales, instead of promoting a fluid, more holistic approach...
  • Marketing Operations Partn ...

  • I Swear I Haven't Been on Vacation This Month!

    • I Swear I Haven't Been on Vacation This Month!
    31 Jul, 2009
    Judging from the drop in my posts since the end of June, I wouldn't hold it against you if you assumed I was vacationing all month. Truth is, I do need a vacation, but I swear I haven't had one... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Tough Economy Be Damned, Marketing Needs to Act with Courage

    • Tough Economy Be Damned, Marketing Needs to Act with Courage
    01 Jul, 2009
    When faced with economic insecurity, many of us fall into survival mode. The same is true with our companies. It's one thing to pull to the side of the road, to find a rest stop and refresh. It's yet another...

  • New Podcast - Why Marketing Operations Matters

    • New Podcast - Why Marketing Operations Matters
    01 Jul, 2009
    Earlier this week, I recorded a podcast with Linda Popky of L2M Associates (also an associate partner with Marketing Operations Partners), and the recording is now available. The podcast, Why Marketing Operations Matters, is part of Linda's Marketing Thought Leadership...

  • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management

    • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management
    01 Jul, 2009
    Customer reference management is definitely a great area to apply Marketing Operations discipline and tools. If you didn’t get to attend our live webinar this week, here is a link to a recorded archive: A Marketing Operations Approach to Customer...

  • Invitation to Participate in Marketing Operations Best Practices Survey

    • Invitation to Participate in Marketing Operations Best Practices Survey
    30 Jun, 2009
    Marketing Operations Partners is updating its Best Practices Benchmarking Study. The goal of the study, Marketing Operations 2.0: Taking MO to the Next Level of Effectiveness, is to identify: Key... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Winning in a Web 2.0 World:Metrics-Driven Success

    • Winning in a Web 2.0 World:Metrics-Driven Success
    30 Jun, 2009
    The world of Web 2.0 and the age of accountability are on a collision course. Social media offers a variety of new channels in which to engage with our customers and other stakeholders. The tempation... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management

    • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management
    30 Jun, 2009
    Customer reference management is definitely a great area to apply Marketing Operations discipline and tools. If you didn’t get to attend our live webinar this week, here is a link to a recorded... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Marketing Operations? In IT??

    • Marketing Operations? In IT??
    29 Jun, 2009
    Today the newest member of the Marketing Operations Partners team is penning a post for us. Many of you may know Michael Dortch from his work as an industry analyst for Aberdeen Group and Robert... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management

    • Q & A - A Marketing Ops Approach to Customer Reference Management
    29 Jun, 2009
    Customer reference management is definitely a great area to apply Marketing Operations discipline and tools. If you didn’t get to attend our live webinar this week, here is a link to a recorded... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Give Marketing Operations a Little Love, BusinessWeek Gurus!

    • Give Marketing Operations a Little Love, BusinessWeek Gurus!
    28 Jun, 2009
    BusinessWeek columnist, Marshall Goldsmith, is author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller "Succession: Are You Ready?" and the New York Times and WSJ bestseller, "What You Got Here Won't Get You... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
  • My Educated Guess / TechTa ...

  • 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 [...]

  • Tips and tricks when launching international lead generation campaigns

    • Tips and tricks when launching international lead generation campaigns
    04 Jan, 2010
    For any business, globalization and international growth is more feasible than ever before. But with this great revenue opportunity comes challenges in generating sales leads. Subsequently, TechTarget, with the assistance of our partners and clients, has developed a set of best practices to create and launch international b2b marketing campaigns. Here’s a sneak peak… Evaluate a market’s “maturity” before [...]

  • To Ask or Not to Ask? That is the Marketing Question.

    • To Ask or Not to Ask? That is the Marketing Question.
    04 Jan, 2010
    Marketers spend a lot of time on content creation, really thinking through what they want to offer the audience to educate them on products or services. More time goes into a catchy or succinct title and promotional copy that will act as the hook to reel the leads in. Everything in place, great content, strong [...]

  • Marketers’ Request: Focus on lead gen for our next Online ROI Summit

    • Marketers’ Request: Focus on lead gen for our next Online ROI Summit
    01 Sep, 2009
    It’s that time of year again. In about 7 weeks we will be hosting about 300 marketers in Burlingame, California who want new insights on what’s working and what isn’t online. Before I plan the agenda for these conferences I make sure to check in with the marketers themselves about what they want us to [...]

  • Quality vs. Quantity of Leads: You don’t have to choose

    • Quality vs. Quantity of Leads: You don’t have to choose
    14 Aug, 2009
    A recent MarketingProfs survey, Marketing ROI & Performance Evaluation Study determined that 60% of marketers have lead quality objectives and 40% of marketers objectives are defined around lead quantity. Why do we have to think of quality and quantity as mutually exclusive?  When discussing potential media buys, some clients say “I need the lowest cost per lead and [...]

  • Quality vs. Quantity of Leads: You shouldn’t have to choose

    • Quality vs. Quantity of Leads: You shouldn’t have to choose
    03 Aug, 2009
    A recent MarketingProfs survey, Marketing ROI & Performance Evaluation Study determined that 60% of marketers have lead quality objectives and 40% of marketers objectives are defined around lead quantity. Why do we have to think of quality and quantity as mutually exclusive?  When discussing potential media buys, some clients say “I need the lowest cost per lead and [...]

  • Lead-Gen is Only Half the Battle

    • Lead-Gen is Only Half the Battle
    17 Jul, 2009
    In light of the economy, more and more marketers are concerned with late-stage leads. These are the leads that are almost ready-to-buy and are far more likely to provide an immediate ROI. While marketers know that leads in other stages may become useful down the line, they often don’t know what to do with those [...]
  • Revenue Journal

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

    • Do You Secretly Believe You Are Smarter Than Your Customer?
    08 Feb, 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 read more »

  • Marketing advice for the technical entrepreneur

    • Marketing advice for the technical entrepreneur
    26 Jan, 2010
    Most of my clients are - and always have been - technical entrepreneurs. Yes, I've done a lot of work for Fortune 500 companies, and companies in the healthcare, travel and retail industries. But my passion is helping the technologist who has started a company, created a decent product, and now needs to get to the next stage in his growth - whatever that might be. He's gotten as far as he can using the methods he's been using.

  • Want to sell more? Shut up!

    • Want to sell more? Shut up!
    25 Jan, 2010
    This article was halfway finished, with the title you see above, when I got an email with this subject line: "If you want to sell better, just shut up!" Whoa, I thought. Readers often send me emails with the article title as the subject line. But this article hadn't yet left my computer! What was going on?

  • Top 10 Characteristics of An Effective Leader

    • Top 10 Characteristics of An Effective Leader
    24 Jan, 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?
    18 Jan, 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
    17 Jan, 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.

  • The Art of Liftoff

    • The Art of Liftoff
    16 Jan, 2010
    There's a point in a successful business where you shift into liftoff mode. Looking back, you can tell where it started, but it's tough to identify when you're in the middle of it. If you're just starting out, or if you know you haven't lifted off yet, take heart. No matter how hard you're struggling now, you can get to the liftoff stage, and continue to climb. To stay within our flight analogy, the first thing you have to figure out where your customers want to go. You already have some idea more »

  • 10 Tips On How To Use Social Media to Increase Revenue

    • 10 Tips On How To Use Social Media to Increase Revenue
    15 Jan, 2010
    Just because you can - doesn't mean you should. Keep this advice in mind as you consider using social media to grow your revenue. There is a lot of hype in this space now, and it will continue for a while. You will lose revenue, not gain it, if you focus too much of your time and resources on vehicles and methods that won't move the revenue needle in the right direction.

  • Is Your Shopping Cart Killing Your Sales?

    • Is Your Shopping Cart Killing Your Sales?
    15 Jan, 2010
    Imagine you are in a physical store. You've just put an item into your cart. As you do so, a store clerk comes along and grips your head with his hands and turns your head so that you are forced to stare at your cart. "Look in your cart. See what you've bought? So far, you've bought one container of sour cream." You murmur in agreement, amazed that this is happening. He releases his hands from your face, takes your cart from you, wheels it to the front entrance of the store, and walks away. more »

  • Social Media gurus reveal secrets

    • Social Media gurus reveal secrets
    14 Jan, 2010
    I spent two days last week at the Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston, put on by Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust. There were some great speakers, and a number of vendors specializing in the Social Media/Web2.0/Marketing2.0/Video Marketing/InboundMarketing space. I thought it might be helpful to list these resources, in case it helps you with your own current revenue-growth efforts. I'll start with a couple of "big pictur more »
  • Sales Lead Insights

  • B2B Marketing University 2010 Kicks Off March 3rd in Washington DC

    • B2B Marketing University 2010 Kicks Off March 3rd in Washington DC
    08 Feb, 2010
    If you are a B2B marketer, or are responsible for B2B lead generation, do not miss this half-day seminar on March 3, 2010 at the Westin Grand hotel in Washington, DC. 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.

  • The Top 10 Silly Marketing Mistakes B2B Marketers Make: Your Input Wanted (and Rewarded)!

    • The Top 10 Silly Marketing Mistakes B2B Marketers Make: Your Input Wanted (and Rewarded)!
    29 Jan, 2010
    We can't promise to make you famous, but if you share your top 10 list of silly mistakes that B2B marketers make, we'll include you in our upcoming e-book. 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.

  • B2B Ads From the Past

    • B2B Ads From the Past
    15 Jan, 2010
    I always find it interesting to take a look at the work done by our predecessors in B2B marketing. In post in Jackie West’s UK Industrial Marketing Blog, she mentions Richard Stone’s Insights into PR and Online Marketing blog post where he links to The Vintage Ad Browser. Simply click on one of the categories in the [...] 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 trai more »

  • B-to-B Lead generation: What Enterprise-size Companies Should be Doing Differently in 2010

    • B-to-B Lead generation: What Enterprise-size Companies Should be Doing Differently in 2010
    05 Jan, 2010
    If you are responsible for business-to-business lead generation at a large company, don't miss B-to-B Lead Gen in 2010: Learn What is Working Best Right Now on January 27, 2010 at 11:00 am PST (2:00 pm EST) 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.

  • B2B Marketing Strategies for Small Companies: An Interview with Dianna Huff

    • B2B Marketing Strategies for Small Companies: An Interview with Dianna Huff
    29 Dec, 2009
    B2B Marketing Strategies for Small Companies: My guest today is Dianna Huff of DH Communications. Dianna helps businesses with their B2B marketing communications content strategy and implementation. 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.

  • B2B Lead Generation by Phone: An Interview with Michael Brown

    • B2B Lead Generation by Phone: An Interview with Michael Brown
    23 Dec, 2009
    This is one of a series of occasional interviews with top practitioners on topics of interest to business-to-business lead generation, marketing and new business development professionals. My guest today is Michael A. Brown. He is the B2B telemarketing and telesales consultant and telemarketing trainer whom I frequently recommend to our clients. Michael, first off, I know you hate [...] If you'd like to learn more, please use my Contact Form, call me directly at 1-800-944-5553 or +1-401-294- more »

  • Planning B2B Lead Generation for 2010? Attend this Webcast on January 27th

    • Planning B2B Lead Generation for 2010? Attend this Webcast on January 27th
    21 Dec, 2009
    Planning B2B Lead Generation for 2010? Attend this Webcast at 2:00 pm EST on January 27, 2009. 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.

  • The Top People in Sales Lead Management in 2009: Friday, November 13th is Your Last Chance to Vote!

    • The Top People in Sales Lead Management in 2009: Friday, November 13th is Your Last Chance to Vote!
    20 Nov, 2009
    This really is your last chance to vote for your top five candidates to be among the fifty most influential people in sales lead management in 2009. Why? Because the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) is closing the polls at Midnight Pacific Time (UTC-8) on Friday, November 13th. 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.

  • Industrial Marketers: Is this News Good or Bad?

    • Industrial Marketers: Is this News Good or Bad?
    19 Nov, 2009
    Although the majority of engineering, technical, manufacturing and industrial professionals expect their companies' spending to remain flat or down, more than a third (36%) said they expect spending during the second half of 2009 will increase compared to the first half of year. 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.

  • An Interview With Mike Damphousse About B-to-B Appointment Setting

    • An Interview With Mike Damphousse About B-to-B Appointment Setting
    18 Nov, 2009
    This is the first in a series of occasional interviews with top practitioners in the field of B-to-B demand generation. Today’s guest is Michael Damphousse, CEO/CMO of Green Leads, LLC, a firm that specializes in using the phone to get qualified appointments for its clients’ salespeople on a pay-per-performance basis. 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 more »
  • 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

  • When you become too old to work in Inside Sales… or is it just ageism?

    • When you become too old to work in Inside Sales… or is it just ageism?
    08 Feb, 2010
    One of the inherent beauties of selling or qualifying over the phone is that since no one can see us, hiring practices have been egalitarian, for the most part. In my telesales training courses diverse workforces have been the norm, and the resulting cross-pollination of ideas and experiences has resulted in smarter workforces. But in the past six months, I've been made aware of several outstanding inside sales candidates that were told they weren't hired because they "didn't fit in." And that wa more »

  • 7 Ways to make an Underperforming Territory profitable, fast

    • 7 Ways to make an Underperforming Territory profitable, fast
    08 Feb, 2010
    It's fairly common for superior sales performers to be rewarded by being transferred to an underperforming territory. Rarely is the sales rep happy about it, and it's probably happened to a large percentage of you reading this. If it hasn't happened to you yet, get ready, for it may. In my telesales training courses, I always tell people that our world is a lot about constant change, and how well we handle it. Today's post is about how a really great rep got a lemon and made lemonade out of it. I more »

  • Don’t miss low-hanging fruit… Prioritize calling the best leads that money can’t buy NOW, before your competition does

    • Don’t miss low-hanging fruit… Prioritize calling the best leads that money can’t buy NOW, before your competition does
    08 Feb, 2010
    At this time of year, salespeople are typically focused on two things: closing prospects that are already in the pipeline, and managing new leads that are coming in through trade shows, downloads, you-name-it. But you've already got a better lead source than those new leads, and they're sitting in your CRM sales database. Let me explain, because if you ignore what's in your CRM, you're missing some hidden but active sales opportunities, and working hard, not smart. Two weeks ago, I made a printou more »

  • Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2009

    • Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2009
    08 Feb, 2010
    Last week I provided 5 great tips for closing year-end business, from a list of my own favorite blog posts. But you voted on yours, too, and that's what today's post is about. When I launched this blog in 2008, I did it with two objectives in mind. For one, I wanted to convey valuable elements of my telesales training curriculum to my subscribers, a good number of whom work for companies that would love to hire us to train their inside sales teams, but can't find the budget to do it in these toug more »

  • Want to kill a great sales candidate? Give him or her a personality test!

    • Want to kill a great sales candidate? Give him or her a personality test!
    08 Feb, 2010
    Today's post may alarm you, but hang in there, as what I'm discussing today could one day --- if it goes far enough --- affect everyone reading this post, individual sale reps as well as sales managers. The story I'm going to tell is right out of Monty Python, but it happened just last week to a great candidate that wants to be in inside sales, and has all the tools to be making six figures within a very short time. Here's a little background. Read along and see if you're as concerned for hiring more »

  • Want to get hired? Then drop the fishy handshake!

    • Want to get hired? Then drop the fishy handshake!
    08 Feb, 2010
    Success can be measured in a number of different ways. This year we can another great year in the telesales training business, but I measured our success in another way this year, too. We helped a whole bunch of people get hired.Inside Sales Execs and Reps that have taken my courses know I'll always help them when they're looking. We even helped place several people that weren't involved in my classes, because they had stellar referrals from people that did. The secret is we're not a recruitment more »

  • What makes a great Inside Sales Manager? Ask Pete Tarbox!

    • What makes a great Inside Sales Manager? Ask Pete Tarbox!
    08 Feb, 2010
    This week, I've had a significant amount of commentary on a number of posts I've written on what makes a superior sales manager. There's been a bunch of traffic on my posts entitled 5 Great Sales Demotivators: Decrease sales by following these practices, and Increase sales by conducting an effective Telesales Employee Performance Appraisal, among others. Earlier this week, Pete Tarbox weighed in on what he feels are traits that are critical in being a successful inside sales manager. Pete's been more »

  • How do I get my PO in faster?

    • How do I get my PO in faster?
    08 Feb, 2010
    In addition to writing my weekly blog posts on telesales training topics, I monitor a few other blogs in which sales questions arise. A few weeks ago, the following question popped up about getting POs in faster. We're closing in on year-end now, so I think it's topical to repeat the question in today's post, as well as my answer. Have a look: Question: What methods do you use to put a time limit on a quote without exposing yourself to pressure? Let's say it is two weeks before the end of the qu more »

  • One-call close on the first call: if you don’t, the prospect may not return your second call

    • One-call close on the first call: if you don’t, the prospect may not return your second call
    08 Feb, 2010
    Later this week, I'm giving a presentation in front of some very savvy high tech inside sales executives and managers. They've heard just about everything about telesales courses you can imagine, and I've been asked to tell them --- among other things --- why my sales training is different. Those of you who subscribe to my blog know I stay away from actively promoting my training classes on it. Instead, I provide inside sales tips that you can use right now, today, to make more money. But in tha more »

  • 5 Personality Traits of a Superior Inside Sales Person

    • 5 Personality Traits of a Superior Inside Sales Person
    07 Feb, 2010
    The most popular blog article I've ever written is 20 Characteristics of a Superior Inside Salesperson. In that post, I primarily covered activities and behaviors that most successful inside sales people have, relating to prospect/customer interaction, and interaction with the people with whom they work.  What I didn't address were the personality traits of a superior salesperson. When I'm asked what personality characteristics make a good telesales person, I'm always a little leery of spilling more »
  • Build A Sales Machine

  • The 7 Fatal Mistakes CEOs and VP Sales Make

    • The 7 Fatal Mistakes CEOs and VP Sales Make
    08 Feb, 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
    08 Feb, 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
    08 Feb, 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)
    08 Feb, 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"
    08 Feb, 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

  • DataSalad: "Fresh B2B Marketing Data"

    • DataSalad: "Fresh B2B Marketing Data"
    08 Feb, 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"
    08 Feb, 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
    08 Feb, 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
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • ConnectAndSell: 100x ROI in generating pipeline!?

    • ConnectAndSell: 100x ROI in generating pipeline!?
    08 Feb, 2010
    Very rarely am I blown away by a new sales or marketing product - and ConnectAndSell blew me away, both with the product itself and the fact that customers have been able to generate $100 in pipeline per $1 invested in ConnectAndSell. I was excited enough to personally invest in the company and join their advisory board. Their pitch:"Call a prospect, and what do you get? Voicemail, most of the time. Email a customer to schedule an appointment, and you end up playing tag before agreeing on a more »
  • Buyer Persona

  • 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...

  • Two surveys nearly miss key buyer insight

    • Two surveys nearly miss key buyer insight
    10 Jun, 2009
    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
    10 Jun, 2009
    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
    10 Jun, 2009
    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...

  • Survey reveals reasons buyers say no

    • Survey reveals reasons buyers say no
    10 Jun, 2009
    I'm currently analyzing the results of an unusually effective web survey. The survey provides surprising insights into the reasons why people don't want to buy my client's solution online, or why they don't see any value in it whatsoever, irrespective...

  • CIO buyer persona needs new messaging

    • CIO buyer persona needs new messaging
    10 Jun, 2009
    Just about everyone I know is working feverishly to update their messaging strategies. The abrupt downturn in the economy has caused most prospects to rethink their priorities and "buying criteria"-- the capabilities that a buyer ranks highest during the purchase...

  • Let's not waste a good crisis

    • Let's not waste a good crisis
    10 Jun, 2009
    There is nothing like a big recession to get management focused on the role of marketing and its relationship to sales. Remember when the Internet bubble burst? With budgets tight and sales shrinking, executive attention quickly turned to sales and...
  • The Customer Collective

  • Swimming with the Terrabystalbits... A Good Metaphor Can Be Worth A Million Bucks

    • Swimming with the Terrabystalbits... A Good Metaphor Can Be Worth A Million Bucks
    08 Feb, 2010
    The webinar presenter knew his stuff. He didn’t know his audience. He was a technical expert talking with business owners who have more pressing concerns than deciphering his message. Someone sho...

  • How 2500 Sales Leaders Intend to Improve Sales Performance of Their Troops

    • How 2500 Sales Leaders Intend to Improve Sales Performance of Their Troops
    08 Feb, 2010
    CSO Insights just published their The Sales Performance Optimization 2010 Survey Results and Analysis Report which this year captures and consolidates the opinion of more that 2500 respondents to the ...

  • Why Key Account Programs Don’t Work

    • Why Key Account Programs Don’t Work
    08 Feb, 2010
    By Ford Harding & Mimi Spangler Over the years we have seen the leadership of many professional service firms frustrated by key account programs that don’t work.  There are, of course, many reaso...

  • Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet?

    • Declining Sales Performance: Have You Had Enough Yet?
    08 Feb, 2010
    I’m on the road all this week.  (In fact, I’m writing this on a plane from Minneapolis to Kansas City.)  There’s not enough time to for me to write a long, thoughtful blog post.  But I don’t have to...

  • My Thoughts on Forrester, Analysts, and Blogging

    • My Thoughts on Forrester, Analysts, and Blogging
    07 Feb, 2010
    [This blog post was cross posted with my blog on Forrester.com:  http://blogs.forrester.com/marketing/2010/02/my-thoughts-on-forrester-analysts-and-blogging.html]Image via CrunchBaseA minor tempest in...

  • Crowdsourcing (with a small crowd)

    • Crowdsourcing (with a small crowd)
    07 Feb, 2010
    Recent posts by BBH-Labs and Edward Boches have inspired a few thoughts in me regarding crowdsourcing. The below items were posted originally in comments but I wanted to share them here as well.1) C...

  • Simple Social Media

    • Simple Social Media
    07 Feb, 2010
    When I speak at conferences or try to explain “social media� to people, I fall back on what I call “simple social media�. But it wasn’t until recently that I realised that I have never written anyth...

  • Why Selling to the Emotions Work

    • Why Selling to the Emotions Work
    07 Feb, 2010
    As a child, whenever our family had to make a major purchasing decision, my mom always insisted that “We need to sleep on it.� She knew that she had to be removed from making an emotional decision t...

  • What Dancing Taught Me About Customer Service

    • What Dancing Taught Me About Customer Service
    06 Feb, 2010
    I just attended my daughter's state dance competition and I found a number of similarities between a dance team and customer service team. First, her team practice all year for one shot. There ...

  • Vodafone, Twitter and the challenges of managing your brand in social media

    • Vodafone, Twitter and the challenges of managing your brand in social media
    06 Feb, 2010
    Image via Wikipedia It’s been an interesting afternoon for Vodafone. Their VodafoneUK Twitter account has attracted a lot of attention after one Tweet in particular stood out from their usual custome...
  • Sales X Marketing

  • 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...

  • Jumpstart Your Lead Nurturing Campaigns

    • Jumpstart Your Lead Nurturing Campaigns
    02 Nov, 2009
    The tools are available, and the companies who are using them are reaping the benefits of more qualified leads in their pipeline. But many of the folks I talk with every day, are not sure how to get started or...

  • Is Your website a business-building machine?

    • Is Your website a business-building machine?
    30 Sep, 2009
    I am constantly amazed that businesses will pay a LOT of money for a website design and then not think through how that site gets implemented such that it's a business-building machine. I am also amazed at the number of...

  • The Real Return on Marketing Automation Investment

    • The Real Return on Marketing Automation Investment
    15 Sep, 2009
    When people examine ROI and possible metrics from their implementations and/or use of Marketing automation technology, there's an interesting conversation brewing. In a recent post, Leadsloth talks about whether there are more metrics than revenue metrics that can be measured,...
  • Buzz Marketing for Technol ...

  • B2B Marketing Content: Lure or Lasso?

    • B2B Marketing Content: Lure or Lasso?
    04 Feb, 2010
    I picked this saying up from Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book called Crush It. I really liked the idea of content having dual purposes and not just the purpose of posting to your website or blog. The lure part is really about a steady stream of content that is consistent in its frequency which is why as people [...] Related posts:Spray and Pray Marketing 2.0 No matter how you look at things these days... Sharing is how you build a Brand In a recent BusinessWeek article featuring Tony Hsieh from Za more »

  • Fire your Director of Social Media!

    • Fire your Director of Social Media!
    03 Feb, 2010
    At a recent ANA conference I was interviewing Brian Wallace VP of Digital Marketing and Media for RIM when I heard him say “2 years from now- if I still have a Director of Social Media – I should be fired!” and after thinking about that I can’t help but agree with him. The theory here [...] Related posts:Social Media makes for Better Interviews After reading Chip and Dan heath’s article in Fast Company... Use Social Media to spot issues before they hit the Contact Center more »

  • Social Media is not a campaign it’s a commitment!

    • Social Media is not a campaign it’s a commitment!
    02 Feb, 2010
    A while back I created a post called – There is no “campaign” in Social Media because when marketers use the word “campaign,â€� it tends to suggest an initiative to get a message out to a targeted group of constituents. It also implies there will be a beginning and, somewhere down the road, an ending. And [...] Related posts:Social Media speeds Onboarding I am officially up and running now in my... Just 4 People doing Social Media? Imagine it is New Years Eve 2011, just 2 shor more »

  • Influencers vs Advocates in B2B Marketing

    • Influencers vs Advocates in B2B Marketing
    28 Jan, 2010
    According to Wikipedia – Influencer Marketing is a form of marketing that has emerged from a variety of recent practices and studies, in which focus is placed on specific key individuals (or types of individual) rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential buyers, and orients [...] Related posts:Social Media speeds Onboarding I am officially up and running now in my... The 4 P’s to Social Media Marketing Ok ok – based on the g more »

  • Why is Google Scared and What it means for B2B Marketing!

    • Why is Google Scared and What it means for B2B Marketing!
    26 Jan, 2010
    At a recent dinner with a buddy of mine from Microsoft (who helped launch Bing) – I learned a lot more about the search market and a very important trend that can effect the future of B2B Marketing. When you think about the search behavior of the average person online – we are mostly conditioned to [...] Related posts:Social Search could it be a Google Killer? This morning I typed into Google the search term: VoIP... The 4 P’s to Social Media Marketing Ok ok – based on the great respons more »

  • The 4 P’s to Social Media Marketing

    • The 4 P’s to Social Media Marketing
    21 Jan, 2010
    Ok ok – based on the great response I got from my readers on my last blog post The 4 C’s of B2B Marketing I thought I would try to apply the same principle to Social Media Marketing. Frankly, I have been brewing this post for a while now and its time to let it [...] Related posts:The 4 C’s of B2B Marketing We’ve all heard about the four P’s of marketing.... What to look for in a Social Media Marketer? Now that we are beginning to feel the relief of... 5 Tricks to B2B Marketing Social more »

  • The 4 C’s of B2B Marketing

    • The 4 C’s of B2B Marketing
    19 Jan, 2010
    We’ve all heard about the four P’s of marketing. Product Price Placement Promotion The four P’s were created mainly to describe the ideal “marketing mix”. The term “marketing mix” became popularized after Neil H. Borden published his 1964 article, Concept of the Marketing Mix. I would argue this killer combo of marketing is mainly for B2C marketing and thus it is [...] Related posts:5 Tricks to B2B Marketing Socially Whenever I ask members of sales team from around the... Sharing more »

  • Making Sense Out of All this Data!

    • Making Sense Out of All this Data!
    15 Jan, 2010
    Ok I admit it I am a bit of a data geek but I cant help myself when I see stats like this in a recent study titled How Much Information? 2009 Report on American Consumers 3.6 zettabytes of total information used by Americans in their homes far exceeds storage or transmission capacity. (One zettabyte [...] Related posts:CMO Challenges in Driving Data into Insights A good friend and former colleague of mine Dan Neely,... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

  • Social CMO – Will CMO’s miss this opportunity?

    • Social CMO – Will CMO’s miss this opportunity?
    15 Jan, 2010
    CMO’s have one of the most unique opportunities in front of them that they have ever had and I wonder if they will be able to capitalize on it. Naturally some will and some won’t but those that do have a shot a re-writing the charter for ALL CMO’s going forward. Let me explain … 2009 was [...] Related posts:Social Media will Disrupt every Function in your Company We are at an interesting inflection point with Social Media... Personal Brands RULE on Social Networks On more »

  • Sharing is how you build a Brand

    • Sharing is how you build a Brand
    14 Jan, 2010
    In a recent BusinessWeek article featuring Tony Hsieh from Zappos – they closed with a quote from Tony “Sharing is how we build our brand.” And I couldn’t help but agree. Whether you are a CMO’s of a B2C or B2B Marketing team the key in this next decade is sharing and the key to sharing [...] Related posts:Personal Brands RULE on Social Networks On Facebook you can’t be a Friend of a... Personal Brand Organization Tips Ok so you are comfortable with getting your personal... W more »
  • B2Blog

  • Random thoughts while waiting for my crate

    • Random thoughts while waiting for my crate
    05 Feb, 2010
    Written last Monday at 3:30pm while waiting for my show-crate to arrive at our booth at Moscone Center: Trade show setup is unnatural combination of union guys and marketers. Marketing managers who want large flat-panels in the booth, probably also want flat panels for their house. Coincidence? What’s worse: missing your flight, losing your luggage, or you show crate [...]

  • Terrorist customers: How should we react?

    • Terrorist customers: How should we react?
    02 Jan, 2010
    It happened again. Some nutty passenger attempts blowing up a plane, and suddenly other fliers have to endure stricter screening and flying rules. And as news of the revised policy spread, the jokes about Homeland Security followed. It happened again. Some nutty customer attempts to rip the company off, and suddenly other customers have endure stricter [...]

  • Keep tweaking your website

    • Keep tweaking your website
    18 Dec, 2009
    Its way to easy to ’set it and forget it’ when it comes to your website. But constantly tweaking it can make for sizable gains in effectiveness. Here are two tools to help you: 1. Browser size visualization tool Google just released a screen overlay tool that shows you what percentage of average users can see what [...]

  • Snail-mail blows away email for lead-gen

    • Snail-mail blows away email for lead-gen
    08 Dec, 2009
    Would you email to a mailing list for lead-gen, or snail-mail it? We marketers of limited means (time and staff, as much as money) love the email tools out there. Fire up SurveyMonkey and/or MailChimp, and bam!–leads and responses. But we should reconsider our actions based on split-testing reported at B2BMarketingSmarts: Email lead generation — perception vs. [...]

  • Salespeople don’t listen to your emails?

    • Salespeople don’t listen to your emails?
    30 Nov, 2009
    As B2B marketers, our primary audience really is our salespeople, right? You’d think every email we sent to them would be treated as a precious treasure to aid them in their success. Of course we are humbled–or more likely irate–when we find out that they aren’t even reading the emails. I thought making friendly sales-info videos was [...]

  • Five nails in the Trade Pub coffin

    • Five nails in the Trade Pub coffin
    23 Nov, 2009
    Here is another voice putting to words the paradigm shifts we have been witnessing in the last few years. But the important point is noting that things HAVE changed, and that we need to act accordingly. Tom Pick at WebMarketCentral Blog asks rhetorically Will Content Marketing Kill Trade Publications?: “The challenges faced by trade publications go far [...]

  • Some new words, and one surprisingly 'old' word

    • Some new words, and one surprisingly 'old' word
    23 Nov, 2009
    The InfoCommerce Group just wrapped up their annual “Data Content” conference. In their weekly email, a list of new key words for the online database industry was offered up: Embedment Aggregation Good Enough Curation Platforms Humans At the end of that list was this zinger: “There are other keywords that came out of DC09, but, surprisingly, one keyword was barely heard at all: Google. While [...]

  • Good shows make lively marketplaces, even in suffering industries

    • Good shows make lively marketplaces, even in suffering industries
    23 Nov, 2009
    Last week we were at an trade show for automotive test market. Sounds like a scary place to be in 2009. Or more likely, a scary place to be spending your marketing money. The show floor was probably 20-25% smaller, and our booth became the last booth in the far corner. And who wants [...]

  • Guest post: A marketer's advice for job hunting

    • Guest post: A marketer's advice for job hunting
    23 Nov, 2009
    Wow, seven years of B2Blog.com, and my first guest post! One of my regular readers, Adam Oakley, was recently downsized out of his B2B marketing position. As much as I was concerned for him, I was also curious as to his experience looking for a new job. Now he has a new job marketing software, a [...]

  • Seth, fill THIS out!

    • Seth, fill THIS out!
    23 Nov, 2009
    Seth was swinging his guru-hammer awfully close to me today: Seth’s Blog: Promiscuous dispersal of your email address: “I just went through the hassle of trying to get some B2B firms the details needed to give me an informed quote on a project. I visited eight sites. Six of them hide their email address. They use forms [...]
  • B2B Marketing Confidential ...

  • What the iPad Teaches us About New Product Marketing

    • What the iPad Teaches us About New Product Marketing
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Are Marketing Data Expanding Faster than the Universe?

    • Are Marketing Data Expanding Faster than the Universe?
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Using Audience Targeting to Own the Latent Pipeline

    • Using Audience Targeting to Own the Latent Pipeline
    08 Feb, 2010
    B2B marketers are intimately familiar with the concept of a funnel or a pipeline. Whichever term you use--you might use both--the ideas are the same from company to company. A lead is entered into a system at some point in time. It might be someone inquiring on the web site, or it might even be a name from a list. From this point onwards, that lead can either move forward, do nothing, or drop out of the system. The resulting graphic looks like a funnel.Having covered that ground, let me state up more »

  • Big Pharma Ad Budgets

    • Big Pharma Ad Budgets
    08 Feb, 2010
    Great article and infographic from NG Pharma.http://www.ngpharma.eu.com/news/pharma-ad-budget/

  • Segmenting Segmentation

    • Segmenting Segmentation
    08 Feb, 2010
    The problem with the word "segmentation" is that it has lost its meaning. Like "analytics", a marketer saying "segmentation" can mean virtually anything. This isn't necessarily a problem, if we are simply using "segmentation" to mean "the parsing of customers in some way", but often people mean something very specific when they say the word, while the people listening interpret something very specific as well, but something specifically totally different.I've often tried to come up with ways to s more »

  • "Barrier Removal" Marketing Strategy

    • "Barrier Removal" Marketing Strategy
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Sterling Cooper What Happened to You?

    • Sterling Cooper What Happened to You?
    08 Feb, 2010
    As a shameless tag along to last night's Mad Men premiere, I want to develop a hypothesis that I've been kicking around about how agencies, companies, and other elements of the marketing value chain have evolved since 1963.Back in the 1960s, I've heard from some reputable sources, agencies were much more "do it all marketing companies." The distinctions we make today between a digital agency, an old line agency, an experiential marketing agency, and a marketing strategy firm would be foreign and more »

  • Three Ways to Track ROMI

    • Three Ways to Track ROMI
    08 Feb, 2010
    In keeping with this week's "three ways" theme, here's a framework to track ROMI (return on marketing investment) that can pretty much solve any problem. It's high-level, but it's been very helpful for me over the past couple of months in thinking about a very complex, multi-channel marketing measurement problem.First, Test vs. Control. This means for every direct tactic that you launch, hold out a control group. The control group can be small, but should be selected from the exact same list tha more »

  • Best Practices in Pipeline Velocity?

    • Best Practices in Pipeline Velocity?
    08 Feb, 2010
    A client of mine is having challenges forecasting and managing the pipeline. They sell servers and storage (typically smaller deals 25K - 100K).Was curious what others have traditionally seen in terms of deal cycle times (defined as length of time from qualified lead to deal close) and how they are varying in today’s environment. Would also be interested in understanding typical cycle times…From when customers respond with an interest until they are connected with the appropriate cha more »

  • Affordable Transaction Economics

    • Affordable Transaction Economics
    07 Feb, 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

  • 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 [...]

  • ReadyContacts - Business Marketing And Sales Bestsellers Quiz

    • ReadyContacts - Business Marketing And Sales Bestsellers Quiz
    10 Jun, 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

  • 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 [...]
  • Marketo

  • Marketing Automation Maintenance Checklist

    • Marketing Automation Maintenance Checklist
    05 Feb, 2010
    By following this quick checklist, you will make sure your marketing automation campaigns continue to help leads move through your pipeline and that you keep your sales team happy.

  • You Don’t Know Jack About Online Marketing – More than Just the Coolest Marketing Game Ever

    • You Don’t Know Jack About Online Marketing – More than Just the Coolest Marketing Game Ever
    05 Feb, 2010
    You Don’t Know Jack About Online Marketing – This post explains why this is more than just the Coolest Marketing Game Ever!

  • Marketing PSA: Beware of the “Evergreen Renewal"

    • Marketing PSA: Beware of the “Evergreen Renewal"
    29 Jan, 2010
    Marketers beware: An Evergreen Renewal (AKA auto-renewal) is a clause often hidden deep in the back of contracts to automatically renew, usually 30 days before the expiration of the original agreement.

  • Introducing Seed Nurturing

    • Introducing Seed Nurturing
    28 Jan, 2010
    What happens when qualified prospects visit your site or social media sites anonymously where you don't necessarily have their names or e-mails? Seed nurturing is the process of building relationships with qualified prospects before you have their contact information.

  • Making Sense of the Chaos: Social CRM with Bill Odell

    • Making Sense of the Chaos: Social CRM with Bill Odell
    26 Jan, 2010
    Another great post in our B2B marketing thought leadership interview series, Bill Odell sets things straight on Social CRM and how it can impact your business.

  • Turn Inbound Leads into Customers

    • Turn Inbound Leads into Customers
    21 Jan, 2010
    Marketers have changed the way they handle online demand generation by using thought leadership like white papers, surveys and videos to drive interest in their industry or solution. But for many companies, leads from these inbound methods don’t necessarily mean an increase in potential sales opportunities. Here are some tips to help you convert these inbound leads into customers.

  • Sales and Marketing Alignment to Drive Success with Carlos Vidal

    • Sales and Marketing Alignment to Drive Success with Carlos Vidal
    19 Jan, 2010
    Sales and Marketing alignment is key to driving success in an organization. This post shares insight from Carlos Vidal about how to achieve this alignment to sell successfully to the C-Suite.

  • Don’t Forward This To A Friend! – Email Marketing Best Practice

    • Don’t Forward This To A Friend! – Email Marketing Best Practice
    14 Jan, 2010
    We often see forward-to-a-friend buttons in email, but does this mean using such a link is best practice? This article explains four reasons why forward-to-a-friend in email may not be a marketer's friend at all.

  • Sales and Marketing Alignment: Thought Leadership with Christine Crandell

    • Sales and Marketing Alignment: Thought Leadership with Christine Crandell
    12 Jan, 2010
    The next interview in the B2B Marketing thought leader interview series is with Christine Crandell, one of the most innovative thinkers I've met on the topics of sales and marketing alignment and marketing accountability. Christine sits on several advisory boards...

  • 7 Can’t Miss B2B Marketing Webinars

    • 7 Can’t Miss B2B Marketing Webinars
    11 Jan, 2010
    Gain insight on lead nurturing, demand generation and other techniques in these 7 can’t miss B2B marketing webinars on Modern B2B Marketing Blog from Marketo.
  • Hubspot

  • Social Media Save: How Facebook Can Work for SMBs

    • Social Media Save: How Facebook Can Work for SMBs
    08 Feb, 2010
    I'd like to share a personal story of how social media recently came to my rescue, highlighting an important opportunity for all you small businesses out there.  This Friday was really stressful.  I was up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for the movers to come, followed by my cleaning service, all to turn my condo into a state fit for my new tenant in 24 hours!  That stress only increased when the cleaning service, slated to arrive between 3 and 5 p.m., still wasn't there at 4:50 p.m.  Their office c more »

  • HubSpot TV - Swimming with the Fishes

    • HubSpot TV - Swimming with the Fishes
    06 Feb, 2010
    HubSpot TV is LIVE every Friday at 4:00pm EST. Watch the show in real-time at www.hubspot.tv and chat with us via Twitter.  Episode #77 - January 29, 2010(Episode Length: 25 minutes, 11 seconds) Intro How to interact on Twitter: @karenrubin and @mvolpe with www.HubSpot.tv in your tweet. Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.hubspot.tv Brian Halligan is speaking at the Franklin Club in Boston on Feb 1st at 6pm -- Cost $65 (Use coupon code hubspottv and save $10) Headlines Google Search Goes more »

  • What Did Jane Austen Know About Social Media?

    • What Did Jane Austen Know About Social Media?
    05 Feb, 2010
    With the final episode of Jane Austen's Emma airing on PBS this Sunday night, we've noticed that people are behaving a little bit more ... courtly to each other. Here's a handy guide to extending that exquisitely good behavior to the social media world. It is a truth universally acknowledged... that social media is being used by more and more businesses to engage meaningfully with their customers and to drive more qualified traffic to their sites. And while Jane Austen never blogged (she totall more »

  • Top 5 Inbound Marketing Articles of the Week: Location-Based Marketing

    • Top 5 Inbound Marketing Articles of the Week: Location-Based Marketing
    05 Feb, 2010
    Location, location, location!  No, we're not talking real estate here, but rather one of the newest marketing hot topics known as location-based services.Our top inbound marketing article this week focuses specifically on the location-based social network called foursquare, which has achieved notable traffic growth within the last couple months. 1. Location is Hot: Foursquare Traffic up 3X in 2 Months Author: Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWebMarshall's article reports on the significant incre more »

  • How to Monitor Your Brand on the Web for Free

    • How to Monitor Your Brand on the Web for Free
    05 Feb, 2010
    Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the enormous volume of information on the Web and the daunting task of organizing it all? If you answered "yes," don't worry! There are a slew of free tools to help monitor your brand on the Web, and learning how to use them will save you time and alleviate stress. Check out this video for a comprehensive introduction to some of the most widely used and effective brand-monitoring tools, and start monitoring your brand today!     So when did online brand mon more »

  • The Perils of Assimilating to Digital Land [cartoon]

    • The Perils of Assimilating to Digital Land [cartoon]
    04 Feb, 2010
     Take me to Digital Land  Webinar: Rethinking MarketingWant to learn more about how you can go digital and use inbound marketing to grow your business?Download the free webinar to learn how to turn your website into an internet marketing machine. Become a Fan on FacebookGet inside info and advance notice of HubSpot's free marketing webinars, ebooks and more. Click here -->  

  • The Birth of Inbound Marketing: From Google to HubSpot

    • The Birth of Inbound Marketing: From Google to HubSpot
    04 Feb, 2010
    How did inbound marketing begin? Taking a look at the vast timeline from the first Web search engine to the adoption of social media as a marketing tool helps put the inbound marketing revolution in perspective.By identifying key milestones in the development of online marketing such as the creation of RSS and the launch of Facebook, one can trace the demise of traditional outbound marketing and recognize the importance of HubSpot and the integral role it plays in today's society. Inbound Mar more »

  • Coming to a Theater Near You: "The Inbound Marketing Movie" [video]

    • Coming to a Theater Near You: "The Inbound Marketing Movie" [video]
    03 Feb, 2010
    tweetmeme_url = 'http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5560/Coming-to-a-Theater-Near-You-The-Inbound-Marketing-Movie-video.aspx'; tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly'; tweetmeme_source = 'hubspot'; Anna Darling, a struggling marketer on a mission to bring inbound marketing to Outbound Enterprises, refuses to adhere to her company's dated and ineffective marketing methods. As she suffers the wrath of her boss and colleagues, her best friend offers encouragement and an office romance fuels her f more »

  • Chart of the Week: Social Media Budget Time Questions

    • Chart of the Week: Social Media Budget Time Questions
    03 Feb, 2010
    Which statement best describes how social media marketing is perceived within your organization at budget time?Considering that social media is at a very early stage in its lifecycle, a 7% confidence rating that it is producing measureable ROI and should be funded liberally is outstanding. Conservative budget increases by almost half of all marketers surveyed -- based on the promise that social media will eventually produce ROI -- is another vote of confidence for this marketing channel in the lo more »

  • How TurboTax is Using Twitter to Help Customers Through Tax Season

    • How TurboTax is Using Twitter to Help Customers Through Tax Season
    03 Feb, 2010
    Twitter is a great tool to help achieve a number of business and marketing goals, whether they be promoting content, connecting with prospects or building relationships with other thought leaders and industry experts.  However, there is one Twitter use I think many may overlook -- the opportunity to facilitate customer support. In an effort to streamline customer support throughout the upcoming tax season, popular online tax software TurboTax is launching a new initiative to help its customers more »
  • Demandbase

  • 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?

  • 10 B2B Demand Generation Strategies for 2010

    • 10 B2B Demand Generation Strategies for 2010
    02 Dec, 2009
    I did a dry run of our Wednesday (12/2/2009) webinar with Howard Sewell from Connect Direct this morning, and I have to tell you that he has put together some outstanding recommendations and tips for BtoB companies in 2010. A recording will be made available if you can't join us live, but as the Q&A at the end of the webinar could be the best part of the discussion you should join us if you can..

  • Dreamforce 2009: Thoughts From the Keynote

    • Dreamforce 2009: Thoughts From the Keynote
    20 Nov, 2009
    Just a very quick report, from the "trenches" as it were, about the announcements revealed yesterday morning at the Dreamforce 2009 keynote speech, delivered to 10,000 people in Moscone center. Seriously, there were a lot of people there. Biggest Dreamforce ever, highlighted with some very well received improvements that will have significant impact on how the power users are doing their jobs every day.

  • Top 5 Takeaways From the Marketing Sherpa B2B Lead Generation Summit

    • Top 5 Takeaways From the Marketing Sherpa B2B Lead Generation Summit
    18 Nov, 2009
    Social Media: While the topic still fills a room, it's a lot easier to find seats at the back than it was at this time last year. There does seem to be a growing backlash as there has been a shortage of fresh content out there for a while. As a matter of fact, we got a bump in traffic in the exhibit hall during the social media sessions with visitors citing "burnout" on the topic. And the top questions about of social network marketing still focus on ROI. Social media does tie in very nicely with more »

  • A Busy Week in the B2B Marketing Cloud

    • A Busy Week in the B2B Marketing Cloud
    17 Nov, 2009
    Dreamforce, Salesforce.com's annual "global gathering" starts tomorrow - and Demandbase is going to be there. Complete details about how to find us, including some great B2B Marketing breakout sessions, can be found here: http://www.demandbase.com/enewsletter/demandbasedreamforce2009.html

  • The Top Lead Scoring Tip from the Marketo User Summit

    • The Top Lead Scoring Tip from the Marketo User Summit
    16 Nov, 2009
    I gave a presentation on lead scoring last week at the Marketo User Summit in San Mateo. Aside from some general background on the differences between demographic scoring (based on things that can be gleaned from a web form like title, department, company size, etc.) and behavioral scoring (based on actions a prospect takes that could raise or lower their score such as clicking on a link in an email or visiting a series of web pages) I gave a few examples of one-off or periodic lead scoring activ more »

  • Q&A Follow Up From All-Star Email: Best Practices in B2B Email Marketing

    • Q&A Follow Up From All-Star Email: Best Practices in B2B Email Marketing
    16 Nov, 2009
    Is there a "best" day/time to email? What is considered a "good" open rate for monthly B2B email via house list? Conventional wisdom says Mondays and Fridays are not good for email campaigns. On Mondays people are more likely to delete without reading as they get up to speed from the weekend, and Friday people have "checked out" and are focused on wrapping up what they need to finish before the weekend. That being said, it might be a good idea to try out a mailing on a Monday or a Friday, since y more »

  • Peripheral Vision and Windows 7

    • Peripheral Vision and Windows 7
    15 Nov, 2009
    You need to emphasize the benefits of your products and services to your customer, and focus on why you are the best move for their company at the highest level. Don't forget to talk big picture. Sell why they need this type pf project more than any other first, and then (and only then) talk about why you are better than the other guy.
  • B2B Lead Generation Blog / ...

  • Best Books of the Decade for Marketing and Selling Services

    • Best Books of the Decade for Marketing and Selling Services
    08 Feb, 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...

  • How to improve lead generation with prospecting 2.0

    • How to improve lead generation with prospecting 2.0
    08 Feb, 2010
    Cold calling. Feel a shiver move up your spine? Too bad. It’s a shame that you, like many others, choose to dismiss cold calling as a lead generation tool (there’s that shiver again). I’m not saying that its reputation hasn’t...

  • Steps for creating a true lead nurturing program

    • Steps for creating a true lead nurturing program
    08 Feb, 2010
    Sometimes in an attempt to vamp up lead nurturing efforts, misguided and well-meaning organizations simply start sending out more emails. When email is misused in this manner, companies are really just training prospects to ignore or delete their messages. See...

  • A multi-modal approach to lead nurturing

    • A multi-modal approach to lead nurturing
    08 Feb, 2010
    To be successful at lead nurturing marketers can't rely on one specific channel but rather they need to leverage a multi-modal portfolio of channels especially when you have a complex sale. Why? The goal of lead nurturing is to maintain...

  • Seven prospecting rules that produce leads

    • Seven prospecting rules that produce leads
    08 Feb, 2010
    The phone is still a powerful and effective lead generation tool. It is inarguably the human touch of a lead nurturing program. That’s why every opportunity - including cold calling - should be treated with great respect. Each time you...

  • Effective Lead Management: converting more leads into sales

    • Effective Lead Management: converting more leads into sales
    08 Feb, 2010
    We had a great turn out for our recent B2B Lead Generation Rountable Webinar “Effective Lead Management: Learn How to Convert Marketing Leads into Sales Pipeline.� In case you missed the live presentation, there are still two ways you can...

  • Lead generation metrics should emphasize opportunities not just leads

    • Lead generation metrics should emphasize opportunities not just leads
    08 Feb, 2010
    I was asked to write a response to this question, "In what ways have metrics evolved with the increase in digital B2B marketing? Suggest one ROI metric that you have found to be very effective." Read ClickInsights: What ROI metric...

  • Podcast: Why sellers don’t have the right tools to help buyers buy

    • Podcast: Why sellers don’t have the right tools to help buyers buy
    08 Feb, 2010
    A recent lead generation poll showed that converting leads to pipeline revenue (accelerating sales) was the biggest challenge for marketers. What are we doing as sellers that keeps us from closing sales? It’s a tough question, and it’s one that...

  • Webinar on Effective Lead Management: How to Convert Marketing Leads into Sales Pipeline

    • Webinar on Effective Lead Management: How to Convert Marketing Leads into Sales Pipeline
    08 Feb, 2010
    Research shows that about 80% of leads marketers generate end up getting lost, ignored or discarded. So, instead of continually struggling to find new leads for Sales, marketers should begin focusing on developing effective lead management processes for converting more...

  • Lead Generation Check list – Part 5: Treat your marketing database as a valued asset

    • Lead Generation Check list – Part 5: Treat your marketing database as a valued asset
    08 Feb, 2010
    This is the fifth installment in an eight-part series, the ‘Lead Generation Checklist.’ The goal of this series is to provide a checklist that will help organizations optimize their lead generation process. In my first post a few weeks back,...
  • Pacifica Group

  • 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 »

  • Making your Channel “Product-Friendlyâ€�

    • Making your Channel “Product-Friendlyâ€�
    26 Jan, 2010
    A few months back Sridhar discussed the importance of tailoring your product or solution to the channel. It’s a vital step to ensuring that you will maximize the revenue opportunity through channels. An integrated program will ensure initial mindshare AND pave the way for initial success. Your channel partners have lots of products, and shifting attention to your solution will take focused effort. At Aventi, we have been assisting a major IT vendor roll out a major worldwide program t more »

  • Managing Upward – Tips on Handling a Demanding Boss

    • Managing Upward – Tips on Handling a Demanding Boss
    28 Nov, 2009
    “My boss is driving me nutsâ€� vented Richard, a director at a large software company and client of ours. “He’s constantly changing his mind on what my team’s priorities should be.â€� I personally heard three such executives in December exasperated that they were being asked to get more done with less while also being asked to handle frequent changes in direction and priority. Here are three recommendations I passed along to them. More are coming in additio more »

  • Why VP of Sales Must Be In Strategy Sessions

    • Why VP of Sales Must Be In Strategy Sessions
    27 Nov, 2009
    Why is it that CEOs rarely invite the VP of Sales to strategic planning sessions? The most common reason is the fear that the session would distract them from their primary job, sales. I think this is very shortsighted. I ran a strategy session this week with a CEO and his whole staff including the VP of Sales. At the end of the day the CEO told me how valuable it was to have the VP of Sales bring his experience to the table. Here are reasons why you might have the sales executive join you more »
  • Selling to Big Companies / ...

  • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services

    • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services
    08 Feb, 2010
    Rain Today, a top online source for people who sell services, just selected their Best Books of the Decade for marketing and selling professional services. I'm excited that Selling to Big Companies was included in their Best of 2000-2009 list. Here's what they say about it: "This book, named one of eight sales must-reads by Fortune, will help you target...

  • In 2010, I Predict Salespeople Will ...

    • In 2010, I Predict Salespeople Will ...
    08 Feb, 2010
    I was just asked to make my #1 prediction for salespeople in the upcoming year by Nancy Bleeke, from Sales Pro Insider. She's compiling a list from top sales experts. Here's my #1 prediction ... (drum roll) ... In 2010, a seller's ability to personally bring value to the relationship will become the primary factor in determining which company wins...

  • 10 Simple Steps to Create "Ready to Buy" Customers ... Especially in a Recession

    • 10 Simple Steps to Create "Ready to Buy" Customers ... Especially in a Recession
    07 Feb, 2010
    B2B Marketer Shares How These Steps Brought Him 80,000 Leads, Millions in Revenue & Much More Finding quality customers during tough times really is achievable. Here are some repression-proven steps any business can take to attract great customers--directly from a leading marketer whose business was nearly crushed by the economy. I can attest to all of this, because he's a...

  • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services

    • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services
    07 Feb, 2010
    Rain Today, a top online source for people who sell services, just selected their Best Books of the Decade for marketing and selling professional services. I'm excited that Selling to Big Companies was included in their Best of 2000-2009 list. Here's what they say about it: "This book, named one of eight sales must-reads by Fortune, will help you target...

  • BOLD Prediction #2: Sellers Need to be Better Marketers

    • BOLD Prediction #2: Sellers Need to be Better Marketers
    06 Feb, 2010
    Hey Sellers! It's time for a wake-up call. You're dealing with crazy-busy buyers who don't act like they're supposed to anymore. That means you need to do things differently. Today I interview Chad Levitt, the New Sales Economy blogger and a practicing salesperson. I think you'll be real interested in what he has to say! Jill: Why do you think...

  • BOLD Prediction: GREEN is the New GR$$N

    • BOLD Prediction: GREEN is the New GR$$N
    06 Feb, 2010
    In my recent In 2010, I Predict Salespeople Will ... post, 24 sales experts shared their #1 prediction for the upcoming year. But only one sent me a "I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet" email and that was Mary Clare Hunt. Her focus? Green value, sustainable attributes and life cycle assessments. She's running a 16-part series on...

  • Inspiration for 2010: 12 Videos That Set the Right Tone for the Year Ahead

    • Inspiration for 2010: 12 Videos That Set the Right Tone for the Year Ahead
    06 Feb, 2010
    If you need a break from football today, I encourage you to take a look at these 12 inspirational, motivational and moving videos that were compiled by Ed Gandia on The Wealthy Freelancer. I know at least ONE of them is just what you need to get yourself off to a great start in the upcoming year. Entrepreneurs Can Change...

  • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services

    • Best Books of the Decade: Marketing & Selling Professional Services
    06 Feb, 2010
    Rain Today, a top online source for people who sell services, just selected their Best Books of the Decade for marketing and selling professional services. I'm excited that Selling to Big Companies was included in their Best of 2000-2009 list. Here's what they say about it: "This book, named one of eight sales must-reads by Fortune, will help you target...

  • Getting Up Close and Personal with Corporate Bigwigs

    • Getting Up Close and Personal with Corporate Bigwigs
    05 Feb, 2010
    I recently spoke with Sharon Gillenwater, Founder of Boardroom Insiders, a company that creates executive profiles, relationship maps and custom research to help you develop an engagement strategy that'll get you in the door. (Click here to see a sample profile.) The key to getting their attention she says, is establishing relevance by referencing their specific "careabouts." While it sounds...

  • Using White Papers to Attract Customers

    • Using White Papers to Attract Customers
    05 Feb, 2010
    Did you know that one of the best ways to generate leads today is by leveraging white papers? If you're not currently using this strategy, check out the upcoming White Paper Success Summit - a virtual online learning event that kicks off in February. (If you register by Thursday, Jan. 7th, you get 50% off.) I'm giving a session called...
  • 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

  • 5 Mistakes B2B Marketers Need to Avoid in 2010

    • 5 Mistakes B2B Marketers Need to Avoid in 2010
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • B2B Marketing Trends From Eloqua Experience 09 Via Twitter

    • B2B Marketing Trends From Eloqua Experience 09 Via Twitter
    08 Feb, 2010
    Earlier this month I left my newborn and poor wife at home for an unforgettable week at Eloqua Experience in San Francisco. This sold out event brought together some of smartest marketers from all over the world. While there were a few keynote speakers, the conference focused on having the Eloqua community share their experiences so we could all learn from each other.The main difference this year from last year was that we not only shared our knowledge and insights with each other but with the po more »

  • Top 10 Triggered B2B Email Marketing Campaigns

    • Top 10 Triggered B2B Email Marketing Campaigns
    08 Feb, 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
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Email Autoresponders 2.0 in B2B Marketing

    • Email Autoresponders 2.0 in B2B Marketing
    08 Feb, 2010
    Reflecting back on a long week I had the pleasure of meeting a number of new clients and seeing what they have accomplished as part of their online marketing initiatives. I am extremely lucky to see some of the most cutting edge marketing tactics being used and wanted to highlight some of them here.I was inspired this morning after my 11 cups of coffee by a former customer and now colleague, Heather Foeh and her blog post "Friday Quick Tip: Re-Visit Your Autoresponders". By autoresponder email, I more »

  • Lead Management and Football

    • Lead Management and Football
    08 Feb, 2010
    In one of my meetings these past few weeks I was thinking of an analogy where I could break down the lead management process into much simpler terms so everyone could understand their roles - this is where football comes in. Why football? Well, if I compared it to hockey no one outside of Canada would care. I'm going to introduce the players and coaches below and then summarize how the different parts fit together to create a Super Bowl caliber lead management process. Are you ready for some foot more »

  • Why I Use Twitter

    • Why I Use Twitter
    08 Feb, 2010
    While I'm not turning this blog into a Twitterfest, I've had a few people ask me recently why I use Twitter and how do I use it effectively without it taking over my life. Instead of answering people one by one I thought I would write a quick post on it (it better be a quick post!). I hope that you find this useful. And hey, this blog is called "Anything Goes Marketing" so I'm just keeping it real on here and keeping you in the loop on the latest marketing trends. I do have some other posts that more »

  • Email Marketing Gone Wrong - It's not the 1990s Anymore

    • Email Marketing Gone Wrong - It's not the 1990s Anymore
    08 Feb, 2010
    I've just got off the treadmill and getting ready to turn in and received an email from a Canada's largest retail drug store - Shoppers Drug Mart or "Shoppers" for short. The email broke most of the essential email best practice rules and I want to ensure that you are aware of these and that Shoppers takes these into consideration for future campaigns. This email may have cut it 1999 but will be deleted or never make the inbox in 2009.1. Subject Line Contains the Word "Free"The email subject was more »

  • 10 Tips for Using Twitter And Email Marketing for B2B

    • 10 Tips for Using Twitter And Email Marketing for B2B
    08 Feb, 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?
    08 Feb, 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 »
  • Ask Justin Hitt

  • Measuring a Prospects Satisfaction with Existing Suppliers, So You Get the Sale

    • Measuring a Prospects Satisfaction with Existing Suppliers, So You Get the Sale
    15 Dec, 2009
    Selling professionals don't want to hear these shocking facts: (1) If your business was gone tomorrow your prospects would just find someone else. (2) More than 90% of customers don't like something about their existing providers. But you'll listen because ...

  • Six Reasons to Double Up on Advertising During a Recession

    • Six Reasons to Double Up on Advertising During a Recession
    07 Jul, 2009
    Instead of looking for ways to save money by cutting back advertising, now is the time to supercharge your results. Recessionary times more than every are great for getting more from business advertising, if you know how. Six reasons to double up on business advertising during a recession:

  • Preventing Digital Asset Theft

    • Preventing Digital Asset Theft
    06 Jul, 2009
    I put together some electronic guides for my clients, sold them, and now someone is distributing them for free. How do I know who has copies of the PDF, how can I keep them from giving it away? -- Pete Daniels I've seen a number of industrial manufacturers, technology trainers, and trade associations digitize large training manuals for distribution. Some of these sell for more than $7,000, now in a single digital document. Piracy costs our industry millions a year.

  • Do I Need a Copywriter Specializing in My Field

    • Do I Need a Copywriter Specializing in My Field
    05 Jul, 2009
    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
    04 Jul, 2009
    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 ...

  • Getting Past Send Information Objections

    • Getting Past Send Information Objections
    02 Jul, 2009
    A prospect says she has a couple of vendors that she's very loyal to, but she said she would look at my information if I chose to send anything. What should I write or send to sway her over to choosing me as her new vendor? Unfortunately your prospects response sounds like a blow off, it sounds like something more importantly weren't done before the contact. Here's why it sounds like you have a bigger marketing problem.

  • Most Sales People are Unprepared

    • Most Sales People are Unprepared
    01 Jul, 2009
    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.

  • Discovering Demographics and Psychographics

    • Discovering Demographics and Psychographics
    30 Jun, 2009
    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
    29 Jun, 2009
    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
    28 Jun, 2009
    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?
  • BeRelevant: Email Marketin ...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    08 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    07 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    06 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    05 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    04 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    03 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    02 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    01 Feb, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010

    • Online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable, February 9, 2010
    31 Jan, 2010
    On February 9, 2010 at 8am PT (11am ET, 5pm CET, 4pm GMT) the Email Marketer's Club is hosting it's second online Email Strategy & Tactics Roundtable. During this highly interactive, 60-minute session, 2-3 email marketers are invited to present one email marketing issue they are facing in a 10-minute...

  • links for 2010-01-29

    • links for 2010-01-29
    30 Jan, 2010
    Protecting customer data Data security is not something that can be glossed over and ignored. Most of the cases I am aware of have actually been inside jobs. Data has been stolen either by employees or by subcontractors that had access to it and then sold to spammers. There are...
  • Marketing & Strategy Innov ...

  • Video of Moscow's Billboard Porn Hack [NSFW]

    • Video of Moscow's Billboard Porn Hack [NSFW]
    08 Feb, 2010
    Pics or it didn't happen. By now, you have probably seen the AP story from Moscow about how a billboard on a highway near Kremlin was hacked to show porn. I also bet you haven't seen any pictures of the hack unless you know your way around the Russian corner of the blogosphere. AdLab to the rescue!  The video (via) is after the jump and is very NSFW.

  • The Somebody Else Economy

    • The Somebody Else Economy
    08 Feb, 2010
    For all of the immediacy and connectedness of online experience, I’d argue consumers feel a gnawing distance from one another and the marketplace.

  • Perceived Value Versus Real Value

    • Perceived Value Versus Real Value
    08 Feb, 2010
    I came across this wonderful video of Rory Sutherland gave at TED Global last fall. It's worth watching. Here's a preview from the TED site.

  • Five Lessons for CEOs from the Massachusetts Senate Race

    • Five Lessons for CEOs from the Massachusetts Senate Race
    08 Feb, 2010
    The Brown-Coakley Senate race in Massachusetts, which ended with the hugely unanticipated victory of unheralded newcomer Scott Brown for the Kennedy Senate seat, seems to be one of those "defining political moments" that you always read about in history textbooks. This, after all, was the U.S. Senate seat occupied by Ted Kennedy for over 40 years. The idea that an unknown Republican could win the Senate seat in the "bluest of blue states" -- especially after Barack Obama carried Massachusetts by more »

  • Why Are Superbowl Ads Cheaper This Year?

    • Why Are Superbowl Ads Cheaper This Year?
    08 Feb, 2010
    It seems like everything I read about the reduction in price of Superbowl Ads blames the economy. But, could it be there is something bigger going on here? As we move from an economy based on scarcity (Superbowl ads are the very definition of a scarce commodity) to one based on abundance there other ways to have a more powerful and long lasting relationship at a reduced cost emerge.

  • Start Me Up: Brilliant Billboard

    • Start Me Up: Brilliant Billboard
    08 Feb, 2010
    Billboards can be an effective medium, but tend to be very low in viewer engagement. Most outdoor advertising is designed to be viewed in a second or less as motorists whiz by. Here’s an example of how one advertiser turned that idea upside-down to create a fully interactive billboard:

  • Green Marketing: Light Up Sales

    • Green Marketing: Light Up Sales
    08 Feb, 2010
    “Green marketing” usually refers to using an environmental pitch to sell a product. A car creates less pollution, a paper product is made from recycled content, and so on. Results of appealing to environmental sentiment have been mixed. On one hand, the Toyota Prius has sold better than would be justified purely by the economics of the premium-priced vehicle.

  • Generic Social Strategies: Become the Platform or Drive the Community

    • Generic Social Strategies: Become the Platform or Drive the Community
    08 Feb, 2010
    Michael Porter popularized the idea and proposed generic strategies for organizations like Cost Leadership and Differentiation. Normally I’m not a fan of generic strategies as I don’t think they really lead to a sustainable advantage. IMHO most strategies should take such good use of your organizations talents, capabilities and resources that it should be virtually impossible to copy your strategy. In other words if you are worried about sharing your strategy with people because you think peo more »

  • Just When You Think You're out, They Pull You Back in

    • Just When You Think You're out, They Pull You Back in
    08 Feb, 2010
    The ‘they’ in this case is the recession. Data from Pew Research shows the impact of the recession on the young people and especially where they live (back home).

  • Morgan Stanley’s Mobile Internet Report 2010

    • Morgan Stanley’s Mobile Internet Report 2010
    08 Feb, 2010
    We wrote a couple of weeks ago about the role of mobile in the Japanese social networking market. It is a market where consumer internet use is driven as much by mobile devices as by PCs. Japan, and other Asian markets, are known for having more established mobile internet usage than in Europe, America or elsewhere. Therefore it is great to see a report that highlights the growth and development of the the global mobile internet marketing.
  • B2B Sales & Marketing Know ...

  • New Year, New Journey

    • New Year, New Journey
    08 Feb, 2010
    In Mid-December, I joined a new team—which you could probably figure out by the lack of activity on the blog.  Even though I have enjoyed, and learned an incredible amount about sales and marketing during my twelve 12 years with MarketBridge, I came across an opportunity that was too good to miss.   For years, the Big 4 (WPP, IPG, Omnicom and Publicis Groupe) had rolled up agencies to create vast global networks with a broad spectrum of services to meet the needs of their global client more »

  • Why Product Companies Can’t Build Solutions - Reason #1

    • Why Product Companies Can’t Build Solutions - Reason #1
    08 Feb, 2010
    I’m working on my umpteenth “transition the organization from being product led to solution focused…â€� project. In today’s market environment, I imagine other organizations are pursuing this strategy as a way to improve margins, increase sales, etc.The challenges facing companies that venture down this path are fairly consistent and complex…and certainly not easily described or solved in a post. With that said, I thought it might be helpful to describe how o more »

  • 7 Steps to Creating a Social Media Strategy

    • 7 Steps to Creating a Social Media Strategy
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Is Web 2.0 Over for Internal Use?

    • Is Web 2.0 Over for Internal Use?
    08 Feb, 2010
    There’s been some tweeting lately about a recent Watson Wyatt Web 2.0 survey published in May. The odd thing about the report is that the headline "Web 2.0 Initiatives Continue to Gain Acceptance at Companies, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds" and the PR spin don’t accurately represent the research findings. The piece begins, “Despite their relative newness, companies are embracing Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking tools, blogs and webcasts for internal communications a more »

  • Is B2B Web 2.0 Over Before It Ever Started?

    • Is B2B Web 2.0 Over Before It Ever Started?
    08 Feb, 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 Online Innovation is Changing How We Communicate

    • How Online Innovation is Changing How We Communicate
    08 Feb, 2010
    I was on a flight last week and picked up the new August edition of USAir’s in-flight magazine. What struck me about this edition was that it listed four bloggers as contributors. Visiting their website I later learned that over a dozen bloggers were listed as regular contributors with various interests, from food to education and medicine…not just travel as you would expect.On the return flight, I found a copy of the latest edition of GQ in the back of the seat. Flipping through it 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
    08 Feb, 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 »

  • Digital Enablement in the Insurance Industry - part I

    • Digital Enablement in the Insurance Industry - part I
    08 Feb, 2010
    On May 7th, we hosted a live webinar entitled the Digital Enablement of the Agent Channel. The webcast shared the results of our recent research on how companies in the insurance industry are utilizing Web 2.0 tools to support agents.In this two part video summary, I shared six key areas where digital may have a business impact. Our research concluded that the industry is experimenting with new tools, in particular Social Media, but those efforts seems to lack an alignment to driving business imp more »

  • TARP Guidelines for Sales & Marketing Spending – much ado about nothing

    • TARP Guidelines for Sales & Marketing Spending – much ado about nothing
    08 Feb, 2010
    This post was linked to a story on CNN (see the bottom section "From the Blogs")Last Tuesday, I was quoted by BtoB magazine in an article entitled “Bank bailout a game changer. â€� The focus of the story is the impact of the economic downturn and potential TARP guidelines on the financial services industry. What I said and what was written didn’t exactly match…so let me clarify.What was quoted; “They can’t do anything flashyâ€� said Scott Gillum, senior V more »

  • CMO to Chief Revenue Officer

    • CMO to Chief Revenue Officer
    08 Feb, 2010
    What will the post downturn CMO look like and how can you position yourself now? My inbox is full of resumes of good marketers that I’ve been fortunate to come to know or work with over the years. Solid people, with great experience who are now having a challenging time finding new opportunities in this incredibly difficult economic environment. Many of these people could have had their pick of jobs as recently as last year. Given the situation, I thought I’d try to help by providin more »
  • The Innovative Marketer

  • A primer on Social Media ROI

    • A primer on Social Media ROI
    08 Feb, 2010
    Olivier Blanchard Basics Of Social Media Roi View more presentations from Olivier Blanchard.

  • Liveblogging at the Eloqua Experience Conference

    • Liveblogging at the Eloqua Experience Conference
    08 Feb, 2010
    In a room filled with 600 marketers from companies large and small. Last night at the welcome reception, I met one-person marketing departments and reps from some of the largest multi-national corporations in the world for both service and products...

  • Not a blogfader, I

    • Not a blogfader, I
    08 Feb, 2010
    Well, it's been a while since I've made an appearance in this space. Been a busy time. As you can see from the right-hand nav, I've changed jobs, moving to TOA Technologies, an on-demand mobile workforce management company. If none...

  • A click is not currency

    • A click is not currency
    08 Feb, 2010
    Oh, the coveted click. It’s traditionally been considered the Holy Grail of the Internet, and marketers have spent millions in search of clicks. Google made billions by providing them. The legendary dot-com bubble was fueled by an ever ballooning belief...

  • 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
    08 Feb, 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 #2: How Much Info to Give the Customer Up Front

    • Question #2: How Much Info to Give the Customer Up Front
    08 Feb, 2010
    Zoe asks: Is it better to market a product without telling the consumer what it is? Or giving them all of the information up front? What I mean is, is it better to make the consumer want the product before...

  • What is lead nurturing?

    • What is lead nurturing?
    07 Feb, 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...

  • What's your big idea?

    • What's your big idea?
    07 Feb, 2010
    I was having dinner with a super smart marketer a few weeks ago, and I asked him what his big idea was for 2010. And this bright guy articulated a strategy of media dominance, of placing his brand everywhere that...

  • 10 Great Marketing Podcasts you Should Not Miss

    • 10 Great Marketing Podcasts you Should Not Miss
    07 Feb, 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
    07 Feb, 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.