The role of the Chief Marketing Officer, a title almost unheard of 10 years ago, will continue to expand in the next decade. Marketing is evolving from an art into a science—and it's about time. As CMOs begin to embrace their new-found stature, are they tuned into what really makes them ... more

Many organizations have had customer reference programs in place for years, but not until recently have those programs begun to capture the executive attention they deserve. more

Vendors are in ferocious competition to engage customer C-level executives who can assure prospective peers that "this" purchase decision is the right one. One such way of engaging executives is the Executive Sponsor Program, a standard "sales tool" since companies like IBM and Xerox pioneered relationship-based sales models many moons ... more

We've all read about Web 2.0 and the impact it will have on businesses. Some find the principles life-altering, others say it's pure hype. Whichever camp you are in, you can't ignore the fact that business is changing—especially online. Here are five categories that managers need to consider now to keep ... more

Mixing business and fiction invariably involves a trade-off. Most business fables by business authors make up in insights what they lack in literary style. And most works of popular fiction sacrifice business verisimilitude for the sake of "art." But finally, business readers, you can read popular fiction propelled by a ... more

In today's sophisticated marketplace, overcoming communication obstacles is critical—especially early on in the sales process. It is increasingly obvious that the competitive battle for customers is being won or lost at the top of the sales funnel. So, how does a firm make itself stand out from the rest? more

With click-to-call, it's now possible to bridge the gap between the online and phone channels, and track the effectiveness of both. more

Database marketing is about creating customers. Once you have a customer, you have a first sale and an opportunity to make the second, third, and more sales over time. But if you settle for a single sale but lose the customer, you must start over and resell each and every ... more

Relationships. Trust. Delivery of superb value. These are core ingredients of a successful service firm. Talk to 100 service firm marketers and leaders, and they'll all tell you (and most of them believe it) that their firm is at the top of their industry in each of these categories. Why, then, ... more

In tradeshow marketing, it is tempting to boast about the busy buzz at your booth and how many leads you generated. But don't succumb to temptation. You would be so much better off if you paid attention to lead quality instead of quantity. One secret to tradeshow success is your ability ... more

Reverse engineering is the process of working back to a solution from an end result. In the era of result-oriented marketing (how did we ever afford to do it differently?), reverse engineering can help marketers refocus their efforts and resources to ensure marketing delivers results that are in line with ... more

How often has a sale been lost after we believed the customer clearly understood their problem and would make a logical, quality decision? more

Problems cost money. More often than not, however, the only cost that customers and sales people focus on is that of the proposed solution. The most critical cost, the cost of the problem, remains the best-kept secret in the selling world—and certainly the most overlooked. more

Salespeople are notoriously poor in following up on qualified leads. In fact, experts say, sales does not follow up on more than 70% of leads. Why? Field salespeople in most organizations are compensated, motivated, and managed to focus on short-term opportunities, not on the pipeline. Contrast that scenario with the ... more

Writing for business-to-business lead generation is a balancing act: On the one hand, you want as great a response rate as possible; on the other, you don't want to clog the sales pipeline with useless leads—people who don't have the authority, interest, or money to buy what you're selling. Here are ... more

Here's why tapping your top-volume clients for further growth doesn't always work. The truth is: you need to cast a wider net. more

It may be awkward to openly acknowledge it, but every sale is a kind of seduction. As marketers, we make introductions, pursue courtships and hope for consummation—the sale. Here are a few thoughts on how to use words—which may be applied to everything from direct mail to Web site ... more

Many companies equate Customer Experience Management with Customer Relationship Management. But they are not the same. So what's the difference between them? And why is it important to understand the difference? more

Do your salespeople still ask, "How did you hear about us?" when a prospect calls? Do you list your contact information on your homepage? Do you display the same 800 number for all of your Web site visitors? If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes," then buckle up. ... more

Business events are at their most powerful when they are part of an integrated go-to-market strategy. Integration sounds logical, but how do you actually pull it off? First, you have to have control—or at least influence—over all the elements of the marketing mix. Then, you must develop a sound strategic approach ... more

At a networking event, you exchange business cards with another person. The business card includes an email address. No doubt, it's okay to contact the person by email. But what about including that name in bulk emails? Is that okay... or not? This week's reader collected emails but doesn't have permission ... more

In most of the US, the winter weather outside is frightful, but that's no reason for cold calls to feel the same way. Small business personnel typically do multiple jobs, and sometimes they get stuck doing something that's not comfortable, like cold calling. To address that marketing challenge, readers offer strategies ... more

Business marketers spend more than $20 billion annually on tradeshow marketing, and another $15 billion on proprietary corporate events, such as client conferences and road shows. But most business marketers are unclear about what value they are getting from their investment. The best value results from a combination of careful planning, ... more

When your company is well synchronized with market needs, prospects buy and money flows. Unfortunately, few companies can maintain a constant flow. Salespeople churn out demonstrations, samples and proposals. Marketing departments churn out newsletters, ad copy and brochures. But not enough prospects close. What makes the sales funnel flow faster? more

While a marketing webinar is the most common use of one-to-many Web collaboration services, it is by no means the only way of leveraging Web events. Webinars, which offer a lower cost-structure than live seminars, can be used in diverse ways to cut marketing, sales, and product development costs and ... more