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It's hard enough to keep up with new technology, so when it comes to selling IT, you might find yourself stuck using familiar tactics, even when business challenges signal otherwise. "Seriously ask yourself if you have faced the economic changes by selling the same things in the same way, but ... more
"A lot of marketers say they are 'nurturing' their prospects when in reality all they are doing is sending out nice brochures or marketing copy focused on product releases or company announcements," writes Brian Carroll at the B2B Lead Generation Blog. With that in mind, he discusses activities that do—and ... more
The Brooks Group, where Tony Smith serves as national accounts manager, recently analyzed more than 12,000 sales interactions and concluded: "Selling is like being blindfolded, everything is pitch-black, and you have a dart in your hand. Your job: Just hit the target," says Smith. Well, that's just great. But lucky for ... more
It's no secret that link-building can help boost your bottom line and make your SEO efforts a whole lot easier. So, here's a thought: To help improve your site's organic visibility, why not leverage the power of your entire company and have everyone contribute to active link-building? That's what Mark Thomson ... more
In a recent post at the Online Marketing Blog, Lee Odden explains how a better understanding of search-engine optimization can help PR and communications professionals boost their results in a digital world by making it easier for various search engines to find, index and rank their content. "If content can ... more
You probably protect your "real" email addresses—those where you receive emails from significant others, friends and colleagues—with the ferocity of a mother bear. You might give them to trusted sources when downloading a whitepaper or subscribing to a newsletter, but there's a good chance you have temporary "fake" accounts for ... more
Now that you have your marketing-automation system in place, is it really necessary to use those sorry Web registration forms when collecting leads? After all, you already know who these people are, since you can track their click-throughs when they download your whitepapers or data sheets, right? Not so, says ... more
In the rush to grow leads, B2B marketers are often tempted to use "quick-fix" lead-generation tactics, says Jep Castelein in a post at the Connected Marketer blog. Bad idea, he writes. Instead, B2B pros should take a step back, breathe deeply and "look at the big picture" to determine the ... more
"Ask any salesperson if all inbound inquires are leads," writes Mac McIntosh at Sales Leads Insights, "and when he or she stops laughing, you will probably get an earful about how inquiries, unless they have been prequalified, are a waste of salespeople's time." So why is there confusion over the ... more
Thought leaders in the email marketing industry are just about unanimous on the subject of randomly purchased lists. Their advice to marketers? Avoid them like the plague. You may, however, still encounter those who push the buying of email lists as a perfectly legal alternative to building lists through opt-in subscription. ... more
You have an HR handbook, departmental training materials and documented procedures. But do you have standards and rules for your marketing and sales database? That's the question Lauren Kincke asks in a post at The B2B Lead Blog. "Without some law and order, your database will start looking like the ... more
"Your website can be your most powerful marketing tool, delivering a steady stream of new business leads and filling your sales pipeline," writes Bob DeStefano in a Pro article at MarketingProfs. To make the most of this potential, though, you need to know whether your site is a lead-generation machine ... more
With most large corporate purchases, the only way to get new customers to sign on is to let them hear directly from current customers who can speak about their experience with your products. So why do salespeople often resist participating in your company's customer-reference program? For several reasons... more
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