The Powerful Sales Element of Social Proof in Thought Leadership Done Well
When a company illustrates in thought leadership that it understands an industry – its strengths, weaknesses, problems and opportunities – buyers stand to reason their products are probably pretty good too. A car dealership published an advertisement promoting several open...Read More
B2B Sales Cycles are Getting Longer, Study Says
68% of B2B professionals surveyed say it takes longer to complete B2B sales cycles compared to a year ago They say recessions don’t start trends – they accelerate those that are already in motion. The trend has been more of...Read More
The 3 Characteristics of Effective Thought Leadership in B2B Marketing
A study by Edelman and LinkedIn connects B2B thought leadership to trust and sales; and what it takes to be effective Effective thought leadership content is a staple of B2B marketing. And it should be – because thought leadership builds...Read More
Borrowed Time for the AOR and the Impact of the Big 4 on Marketing and PR Agencies; Off Script No. 43: Chris Forhan of Bytelion
Not every one that winds up in the marketing and PR space started there. Take Chris Forhan for example. After college, he spent seven years in capital markets, “trading corporate and high yield bonds for a large regional money manager.”...Read More
26+ Thoughtful Marketing Predictions that Could Actually Happen in 2019 Across PR, Content, Digital, Social Media and Customer Success
Prediction posts have their critics that often rightly cite hyperbole and nonsense – but this post isn’t one of those by any stretch. Instead, what you’ll find here are well-considered ideas that equal parts analysis and aspiration. As I’m wont...Read More
Over-reliance on Marketing Automation Depreciates Leads; Off Script #16: Ted Seward
What’s old is new again in sales and marketing, according to Ted Seward. The hype over trends like account based marketing is in many ways just a return to good marketing fundamentals: research, data, sales alignment and ROI. A few...Read More
Alpharetta is a High Tech Secret; Off Script #13: GSU EiR Bill Bradford
While Bill Bradford studied electrical engineering in college, he went into sales, rather than engineering for a career. He says he “interviewed for a technical sales position on a lark” (at Texas Instruments) and knew he had found the right...Read More
Earning Attention: Cold Calls, Content and Ads; Unscripted Marketing
There’s an old maxim about that says, “Never chase love, affection or attention. If it isn’t given freely by another person, it isn’t worth having.” It seems true for personal relationships, but it may be at odds with some aspects of...Read More
Sales Beware the Buyer’s System; Josh Pitchford in Off Script #10
People hate to be sold to, but they love to buy. So said Josh Pitchford, vice president of Sales at Sandler Training. The key for any sales person is uncovering enough business pain to be actionable. Rather than chasing a...Read More
In Content Marketing, Marketers Might be Losing Their Way
Content marketing is blending the functions of marketing and sales to the extent, marketing has lost its focus on creating demand. That’s my take after listening to Tom Webster evolve a concept over couple of podcasts on The Marketing Companion...Read More
