Marketing Articles: Sales

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The Biggest Challenges to Aligning B2B Marketing and Sales Teams

by Ayaz Nanji

Sales
Marketers and salespeople say the biggest challenge to aligning their teams is a lack of good data, according to recent research from InsideView. more
The 10 Traits B2B Buyers and Managers Value Most in Salespeople

by Ayaz Nanji

Sales
B2B buyers say the trait they value most in salespeople is active listening, and B2B sales managers say the trait they most value in salespeople is problem-solving, according to recent research from LinkedIn. more
How to Upgrade Your Sales Teams for Remote Success

by Louis Jonckheere

Sales
The pandemic has forced sales professionals to adopt digital approaches in lieu of face-to-face meetings. And without in-office support, marketing and sales leaders are struggling to support their sales teams. Here's how to set up your salespeople for success. more
Three Effective Ways to Address a Soft Marketing Pipeline in Challenging Times

by Bhaskar Roy

Sales
Let's face our tough new reality: It's not easy to drive demand during this work-from-home era. Now, it's all about building operational agility into your marketing and customer experience. Here are three effective, data-reliant ways you can address your soft pipeline. more
How to Attract Buyers in the Modern Business-to-Business Market

by Brady Behrman

Sales
B2B sales and marketing have evolved rapidly. Digitization has transformed the way buyers research and procure products and services. Sellers no longer have control over the flow of information, and buyers' expectations have changed. Here's what B2B suppliers need to do to attract today's buyers. more
Fewer Deals, More Video: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Sales Professionals

by Ayaz Nanji

Sales
Most salespeople say they're facing fewer deals and more missed quotas because of COVID-19, and a majority also say the pandemic has driven them to shift to virtual selling, according to recent research from LinkedIn. more
Sales Presentation Skills: How to Measure and Evaluate Your Salespeople

by Jamie Davidson

Sales
If your salespeople aren't effective presenters, they'll never achieve their full potential—even if they're good at selling. Which is why it's critical to understand and monitor this vital skill. Here's how to measure and evaluate sales presentation skills. more
B2B Decision-Maker Survey: COVID-19's Impact on Marketing, Buying, and Sales

by Ayaz Nanji

Sales
Most B2B companies around the world have already reduced their marketing spend because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent research from McKinsey. more
The Seven Worst ABM Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

by Brandon Redlinger

Sales
These are some of the most common and costly mistakes that marketers make when adopting, implementing, and executing ABM. But you can avoid making these 7 mistakes. Here's how. more
Account-Based Marketing Ad Match Rates Explained [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
There are two ways to run ABM ads: by matching contacts, and by matching accounts. Both ways are valid, but each has its pitfalls—as well as its own match-rate metrics. This infographic explains it all. more
A Direct Effect: Direct Mail + Digital = Better Marketing Results [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
How are marketers supposed to cut through the clutter when email response rates hover around 1%? All it might take is an offline nudge with the help of direct mail. Direct still works. It works better when combined with digital. more
How to Generate Leads in a Competitive Digital Landscape

by Stefan Debois

Sales
How do you generate more leads in what is the digital marketing jungle of today? It helps to understand current trends that on-the-ground practitioners are seeing in digital marketing. Here are some do's and dont's based on their advice. more
Three Tips to Turn Initial Conversations Into Marketing and Sales Relationships

by Eileen Smith

Sales
To turn your first encounter with potential clients into an effective account-based marketing (ABM) relationship, you must engage your audience, establish credibility, and ask them for an easy "yes." Here's what you need to know. more
The Future of Business Gatherings: Virtual Summits and Conferences? [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
Virtual meetings are now commonplace, and working from home is looking like it's here to stay for a long while, but will large scale events like conferences ever come back? This infographic outlines how virtual events, too, may be here to stay—a major change for businesses. more
B2B Direct Mail for Marketing and Sales [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
Particularly in ABM, offline engagement tactics—such as B2B direct mail—can make an impression and differentiate you from your competition. When, post-pandemic, businesses reopen their offices, B2B organizations should give direct mail a serious look. more
ABM Is… These Three Things (And Why B2B Marketing Should Look a Lot Like Dating)

by Sangram Vajre

Sales
The idea of account-based marketing (ABM) isn't new. But recently we've moved beyond basics, shifting into full-on strategies and mindsets around how B2B marketing needs to get done. And when you think about that, it's a lot like dating. more
Five Ways to Improve Product Marketing and Sales Enablement Collaboration to Drive Revenue

by Rita Patel Jackson

Sales
Product marketing and sales enablement teams share an ultimate goal: to help sales teams sell. In many organizations, however, they plan and execute in silos, with misaligned efforts and priorities. And that simply undermines Sales. Here are ways to instead build collaboration and drive revenue. more
Five Tips for Strategic and Compassionate Upselling in Times of Uncertainty

by Brian Shilling

Sales
Upselling makes sense when business is booming, but how about in times of economic uncertainty—like now? Companies that can strategically and compassionately navigate business development conversations in these times will be the ones that emerge intact and in good standing. more
What Top-Performing Sales Negotiators Do Differently

by Ayaz Nanji

Sales
What do top-performing sales negotiators do differently? Do they tend to rely more on certain approaches and tactics than other sellers do? RAIN Group surveyed 262 salespeople who work in 26 industries. Here's what it found. more
How to Create and Optimize Content Marketing for the B2B Funnel [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
Done well, content marketing can be a powerful weapon in the B2B marketer's arsenal, helping to generate leads, nurture them, and convert them into customers. Done badly, it's ineffective and a waste of time and other precious resources. Here are some ways to do it well. more
Nine Key Sales Pipeline Metrics for Healthy Sales [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
Every salesperson wants a healthy pipeline, but many don't have a reliable way to take its temperature. Beyond just "healthy" or "dry," what do you need to look at to truly gauge the health of a sales pipeline? These nine important pipeline metrics. more
How to Craft 'Compelling Reason to Buy' Messaging

by Trisha Winter

Sales
Marketers create content to capture buyers' attention and move them to buy. But without "compelling reason to buy" messaging, potential buyers are left guessing about what your product does and how it can help them. Here's how to craft compelling, convincing messages. more
How Bad Data Hurts B2B Companies [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
In B2B marketing and sales, accurate data is crucial. High-quality B2B data allows Sales to improve targeting, reach the right person, take a personalized approach, and successfully drive revenue. Bad data can destroy that entire process. more
What Is Marketing Orchestration? [Infographic]

by Vahe Habeshian

Sales
Marketing orchestration is a powerful approach in marketing automation and ABM. It focuses not on delivering standalone campaigns but on optimizing a set of related cross-channel interactions that together make up an individualized customer experience. In the process, you realize more pipeline and revenue. more
Reaching and Persuading Buyers at a Time of Crisis: What B2B CMOs Can Do

by Tom Cunniff, Mike Cucka

Sales
As the world faces the global coronavirus pandemic, B2B CMOs face a critical problem: Reaching and persuading buyers will be extremely difficult for the foreseeable future. So, what's to be done? more