Quick Reads: Sales

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Cut the Mystery Man ActCustomer Insight
Is it more effective to tell customers your brand name right away in advertising? Or is it better to create a little mystery, and reveal the brand name only at ...
Create a Customer Walk-a-ThonMarketing Inspiration
When we say "viral marketing" you know exactly what we mean. The question isn't whether to integrate viral elements into your marketing mix, but rather how—and to what degree. But ...
Text Your Vote to ...Email Marketing
In late August, 2.9 million subscribers learned the identity of Barack Obama's running mate with a 26-word text message delivered via SMS (Short Message Service). The announcement joined a trend ...
Cool Open-Rate StatsEmail Marketing
Even if your email campaigns meet goals and deliver great ROI, you probably wonder how you compare to industry standards. If so, you’re going to love the spreadsheet in a ...
How to Blow It in Five Words or LessB2B Marketing
Nothing irks Steve Roesler more than when a speaker diminishes himself in five words or less. What may seem like courtesy when you're making that B2B sales pitch could actually ...
Ditch the PitchB2B Marketing
According to Justin Hitt, B2B sales teams routinely get it wrong when seeking new customers. "The problem is, not every sales person knows who makes a good client," he explains. ...
Help Me, Guide Me, Grow My LeadsB2B Marketing
According to a recent white paper from Pontiflex, online lead generation grew 71% in the 2006-2007 timeframe, more than twice as fast as the online ad market. But conducting a ...
Does It Come in a, You Know, Box?Marketing Inspiration
In post at the Neuromarketing blog, Roger Dooley says, "U.S. consumers have been conditioned to believe that proper wine comes in a 750ml glass bottle with a natural cork. Artificial ...
I'm Rubber, You're GlueSmall Business
Imagine you're Alissa Bayer—owner of the upscale milk + honey day spa in Austin, Texas—and a client has directed you to the Church of the Customer Blog, where a post ...
What You Can Learn From Starbucks' MistakesMarketing Inspiration
Comedians used to make jokes about cities with a Starbucks on every corner. It seemed ridiculous at first, but we've gotten so used to their ubiquity that the closure of ...
Stick to the Script!B2B Marketing
To ease the pain of cold calling, "A good sales script is essential," says Christine Comaford-Lynch. The perfect script should contain four elements, she says: Start with who you are and ...
Plug Those LeaksB2B Marketing
Marketing is making big strides in lead generation these days, "but how kinetic is their nurturing?" asks Ardath Albee. Passive lead generation tools just don't cut it anymore. Instead, marketers need ...
Give Me a Digital SignSocial Media
The days of static billboards, posters and traditional advertising signage are numbered. Marketers can now reach their audience in new places. Digital signage will be a $2.6B business by 2010. ...
This Message Isn't DirectEmail Marketing
Loren McDonald begins a post at the Email Insider blog by declaring, "Email is not direct mail." Though an obvious statement, it's something worth emphasizing. "I sense an assumption that ...
Just Say No!Email Marketing
You've probably been in those meetings where top executives pick out a few aggressive email campaigns that generated the most revenue and say, "Let's do more of these!" You, meanwhile, ...
On TargetMarketing Inspiration
Not long ago, a MarketingProfs colleague went to Target for some laundry detergent and toothpaste. Because he only wanted two things—both easily carried to the register—he sailed right past the ...
Glad You Could Make It!Social Media
Social networks and viral media have become the new lifestyle habit of choice. And with an estimated 400 million social network users on the Web, Internet communities have broken the ...
We Were Meant to B2B TogetherB2B Marketing
Should you hire that smart prospect who only has B2C experience? Or does the B2B sales process require a different kind of person (like, say, one with endless patience and tenacity)? John ...
Certified Organic Grows 'Em BestEmail Marketing
The urge to grow your email marketing list in a hurry is understandable. But Kimberly Snyder argues against taking shortcuts. Instead, she makes the case for building a healthy and ...
Since When is Great ROI Boring??Email Marketing
Email marketing might seem boring in a whiz-bang era of newer technology like social networks. But in a post at the Return Path blog, Stephanie Miller argues that nothing could ...
Give 'Em the Simple LifeEmail Marketing
According to Gary Levitt and Rob Lubow, "In an attempt to break from the herd, many email marketers ironically adopt a herd mentality of more clutter, more content, more MORE." ...
Jive Talkin'Small Business
We've all seen late-night infomercials selling gadgets with breathless testimonials, outlandish claims and lots of razzle-dazzle. And while their jivey approach can be effective—particularly for gimmicky products—Simon Glickman and Julia ...
Target With a Laser FocusEmail Marketing
To celebrate the 100th "Marketing and Sales Tip" at the B2B Lead Blog, Amy Hawthorne described the email marketing program used by ReachForce to drive lead generation. The key to ...
Those Jerks Are Talking About You. So Talk Back!Marketing Inspiration
"[I]t seems like the perfect time to write about something I've been thinking about since being on an ill-fated panel at SXSW earlier this year," writes Rohit Bhargava in a ...
Do You Have a Wienie?Marketing Inspiration
In a post at the Hear 2.0 blog, Mark Ramsey tells a story about the "Carousel of Progress" built by Walt Disney and his imagineers for the 1964 World's Fair. ...