27 Sep |
Is Your Marketing Ready to Adapt to the Changing Business Landscape? |
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The crevasse between Sales and Marketing is commonly visible across all types of companies. Some choose to ignore it at their own peril and those that take cognizance of it are still struggling to find ways to bridge the gap. Despite earnest efforts by some B2B organizations to integrate sales and marketing, the gap still remains. In previous posts I have talked about ways to bring lead generation, sales and CRM together. In my opinion, even though sales and marketing teams may have started communicating more closely, the reason their combined effectiveness still falls short is because of a
Read more...05 Apr |
Can a small company think ‘big’ when it comes to B2B lead generation? |
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- Yes! Provided the right factors are at play In a difficult economy smaller companies are the first to feel the pinch. Lack of a demand generation strategy and process are the main reasons for lagging behind. Internet marketing has expanded product/service options, widened reach and shortened the buying process. Small enterprises need to re-invent their marketing strategies, get out there and pick up the pace to prevent being obliterated. How can they do this? Focused B2B lead generation – large companies know its value and smaller enterprises need to test its benefits first-hand.
Read more...22 Feb |
Twitter and B2B Lead Generation |
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When it comes to social media marketing no business wants to be left behind. It’s mostly free, elicits immediate response and has tremendous reach. Employees and executives are encouraged to ‘tweet’ new products/services and events, keep in constant touch with the target market and manage customer relations when the waters get choppy. And Hollywood thrives on it. However, while Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, etc. were earlier being used for B2C communications, today social media is being touted as a cost-effective B2B lead generation machine. Let’s look at some recent examples of
Read more...15 Feb |
Love Your Brand, Love Your Customer |
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…And love your watch! I do. I really love every watch I own. Each one is unique and has a special place in my life. So when I had issues with my brand new Moon Dust DNA from Romain Jerome, I was shocked and upset. Here’s what happened. I had just bought this RJ masterpiece from an authorized dealer before I went on a family vacation in December. Shortly thereafter I started having issues with the Power reserve. When you spend good money on a watch, you expect flawless performance! This snazzy little piece of art has authentic moon dust on the dial, the titanium and steel for the
Read more...05 Oct |
An Accelerated Leads Pipeline: Ask Not Just “How Much”, But “How” |
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Have you ever looked at lead management and pipeline acceleration as CRM? Marketing statistics point out that 60% of leads have to be nurtured. This further reinforces what I’ve stated before that successful demand generation involves: Patiently pursuing a relationship with your prospects Developing their confidence in you Rolling out a smart and effective marketing plan to turn them into customers In this struggling economy many businesses have learned the true meaning and value of pipeline acceleration the hard way. You can’t send your reps out into the ocean if they don’t know
Read more...10 Aug |
Teleprospecting: An Effective Lead Generation and Qualification Vehicle |
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Teleprospecting qualifies hot leads to help you take action before your competitors do Phone hang-ups and door slams are the most dreaded situations for sales people anywhere. Ever considered teleprospecting to help your team? While many haven’t heard of teleprospecting and some confuse it with telemarketing, there are a few forward-thinking businesses that taken advantage of its ability to qualify hot leads and jump ahead of their competitors. Is it for you? B2B teleprospecting is an effective lead generation and qualification vehicle that helps companies cut to the chase and get down
Read more...19 Jul |
Connecting the Dots Between Lead Generation, Sales and CRM |
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Integrate lead generation, sales and CRM to gain higher returns For certain, I’m not a crystal gazer; but looking into the past? Sure, I’ve done that. Don’t we all from time to time? Actually, in business, everyone stands to gain from a periodic retrospective – review, analyze and soldier on! From a collective business world standpoint, a review of B2B sales and marketing in the past decade reveals a shift in business strategy. An interesting observation is the conscious effort to align sales and marketing objectives and functions for better results. Even if you have a Strategic
Read more...12 Jul |
Uniting Sales and Marketing Under One Umbrella |
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Sales and marketing must work together to convert lead generation activities into a loyal customer base Almost everyone’s complaining that business is tough. But a closer analysis of the low sales volume experienced by many businesses today shows a strong disconnect between their sales and marketing initiatives. The gap between B2B lead generation, conversion and CRM occurs because sales and marketing departments function as independent units (often at odds with each other). Instead, they should be working together to close the deal and cement the relationship. Companies that have aligned
Read more...08 Jul |
Strategic Planning for Inbound Marketing |
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Inbound marketing must be integrated into the overall strategic plan In some of my recent blog posts I wrote about how planting a seed, turning it into a lead, nurturing it and helping the lead progress towards purchase are all important steps in the B2B lead generation process. When organizations take on inbound marketing, it requires an integrated marketing approach to ensure that every initiative is part of a strategic plan. In order to deliver the overall marketing and CRM goals, inbound marketing can be broken down into distinct programs, each with a specific objective. Not only does
Read more...05 Jul |
Following inbound marketing trends enables adoption of best practices for lead generation |
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Inbound marketing is the strategic use of tools and techniques that draw the attention of a qualified target audience through relevant content and interactive engagement. That’s a simple definition of Inbound Marketing. The keyword here is “qualified audience” which means potential buyers who are closer to the buying decision. Well, at least in expressing their need for the type of product or service you offer. A prospect starts to look for you when they are getting ready to buy, and begin the process of searching for the best solution. Inbound marketing helps your business be found
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