As companies embrace the idea of aligning their decentralized sales and marketing teams, they sometimes make counter-productive decisions. To successfully align Sales and Marketing—and, ultimately close more deals—dodge these five common mistakes. more

Sales and marketing best-practices are universally desirable—but, too often, elusive. Here are seven solid best-practices that address the misalignment between Sales and Marketing and help increase sales. more

Whether you're just beginning to present to audiences, or are a veteran speaker—becoming a speaking champ requires attention to detail. Begin with these nine, nuanced tips to master your speaking skills. more

In anticipation of stronger business conditions, more than one-half (52%) of digital and direct marketing executives plan to increase hiring in the first quarter of 2011, up from the 41% who said so in the previous quarter, according to a survey from Bernhart Associates. more

When it comes to tradeshow participation and building brand awareness, having a well-defined communications strategy before, during, and after the event is crucial to maximizing your return on investment (ROI). more

"In today's economic climate, content syndication is one of the lowest risk lead generation vehicles there is," writes Howard J. Sewell at The Point. "At our agency, the programs we negotiate for our clients are almost all performance-based," he says; that is, "they guarantee a minimum number of leads at ... more

Studies show that online video improves email click-through rates, sales conversions, and search engine rankings; it's no wonder marketers are funneling more budget dollars into this tantalizing medium. Learn eight ways to make your video content last 18 months. more

Though B2B marketers report most of their new sales coming from current customers, only one-half (55.4%) say their companies have departments that focus primarily on customer retention, according to a survey by Loyalty 360 and SAS. Among those with formal loyalty programs, most are using traditional channels such as surveys ... more

Although content marketing spans across industries and company sizes, B2B marketers recognize the need to improve the effectiveness of their efforts, according to new MarketingProfs research of B2B marketers. Our analysis of the survey data reveals a dozen recommendations for creating relevant content that will have a direct impact on ... more

"As a seller, when you approach a big company, you are most likely more concerned about your fears than theirs," writes Barbara Weaver Smith in an article at Selling to Big Companies. But big-company buyers are often fearful of their own decisions, she argues—especially the decision to do business with ... more

In an Internet business environment that expects immediate results, online marketers have overlooked the power of SEO, or organic search, as a top revenue-generating channel. It can also teach you how to run your business in a smarter way. more

"Let's face it, buying today is different than it used to be," says Ardath Albee in a recent post at the Marketing Interactions blog. Products and solutions are growing in complexity, she notes, but buyers have far less time to consider their options. How can B2B marketers better meet the needs ... more

Retailers, marketers, and service providers are at an ideal point to capitalize on a massive opportunity to elevate the classic brick-and-mortar shopper experience by embracing emerging mobile technologies. Don't miss the opportunity to use these budding technologies to evolve the customer experience and boost profitability for your company. more

"Most corporate blogs are ghost towns, in terms of both content and reader engagement," writes Ian Greenleigh at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog. "Abandoned blogs litter the web, making the businesses that own them look lazy, uncommitted and anything but current." A well-executed blog sets your content marketing apart from ... more

Nearly one-half of sales professionals worldwide (49%) say social media is important to their success, and among top-performing salespeople, more than two-thirds (65%) say social media is integral to their success, according to a survey from OgilvyOne. more

Warning: Social media may be heading for a big crash in 2011, and it could happen because businesses don't know how to measure the ROI of their social media campaigns. Find out how the Fortune 500 use social media, learn the three categories of social media measurement, and discover the ... more

A company's communications strategy plays a key role in reinforcing brand identity. For many, that includes logos, brochures, online presence, public relations, advertising or packaging. But what about tradeshows? How often have you attended tradeshows on behalf of your client, noticed an exhibitor, and wondered: What exactly does this company ... more

Many marketers aren't using triggered-email campaigns efficiently and are missing the chance to maximize customer lifetime value. Learn how up-sell/cross-sell and reactivation campaigns can boost conversion. more

Most organizations try to predict retention rates based on customer-satisfaction scores. The reality is that in B2B, user satisfaction does not equal customer retention. Remember, most customers who leave a company leave satisfied. Here's why... and what you can do about it. more

The latest recession has profoundly altered consumer behavior. As home values plummet, stock portfolios shrink, and company profits erode, prospects are less likely to make purchases, and thrift is back in vogue. Time to stop selling; instead, become a trusted adviser and start helping your customers. more

With most companies focusing their social media marketing efforts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, over one-third (36.1%) say they've been able to make a conversion from initial connection to sale via such social channels, according to a new survey from R2integrated. more

Different customers shop for products and services in different ways—even when they're looking for the same thing. And that's why your lead-generation efforts should address various buyer personas. "A buyer persona [represents a] distinct group potential customers, an archetypal person whom you want your marketing to reach," writes David Meerman ... more

Small-business owners often feel the cash-flow pinch, especially when they're starting out. Because their resources are limited, they may feel that their marketing efforts have to be limited as well. Yet what they may not realize is that they already have some powerful marketing tools at their disposal. more

As marketers focus on creative development and campaign execution, they often overlook the operational aspects of their go-to-market processes, resulting in the inefficient delivery of marketing materials to intended audiences and, ultimately, weaker frontline performance, according to a study by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. more

Most prospects are not experts in purchasing the types of products and services you offer. So what do they do? They turn to testimonials because testimonials are readily available and because they hope to learn from others' experiences. more