The Pipeline

JANUARY 2, 2014

As the first post of the years, I thought I would set the tone for the blog and hopefully sales in 2014. Let’s start by setting straight some unadulterated s**t that has made its way into main stream sales over the last few years. A cute marketing term that elevated the noise created by Sales 2.0, Big difference.

Demand Generation Targets 295

Demand Generation Targets Demand Generation Sales Cycle Comparison 295

Crunchbase

DECEMBER 6, 2021

There’s no shortage of paid and free sales prospecting tools on the market these days, all touting time-saving features. But who of today’s busy sales professionals has the time to vet hundreds of lead generation and sales prospecting tools, let alone road test them to find the best fit? What is sales prospecting?

Ideal Customer Profile 111

Ideal Customer Profile Tools Prospecting Lead Rank 111

SBI

AUGUST 28, 2014

Perhaps you want tools that deliver rich content that lets you convert more prospects into leads and leads into opportunities. You’ll find them and more in our new Top Marketing Tools of 2014 guide. We’ve scoured the marketing landscape to identify what we believe are top tools for B2B marketers.

Tools 137

Tools Sales Tools Media B2B 137

Zoominfo

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

93% of B2B marketers use social media, and with good reason—it works ( source ). A 2014 study revealed that the ten most socially connected brands saw 31% greater revenue growth than the least connected brands. We haven’t been shy about touting the benefits of social media in B2B sales and marketing. Not listening.

Social Media 147

Social Media Media B2B Marketing 147

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 3, 2013

Planning for 2014 requires a fresh look at the metrics that will determine success. Similarly, sales reps and managers require a new set of capabilities. Sales Operations must transform its reporting to track these key capabilities. They are all leading indicators that can help you forecast success in 2014. Social Reach.

Top of Funnel 326

Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Lead Ideal Customer Profile Referrals 326

Pointclear

MARCH 27, 2014

I was delighted to be invited as guest #5 on Paul Gillin and Allan Schoenberg’s FIR B2B podcast. The format of FIR B2B is brilliant. Half of all B2B emails are now opened on a mobile device, up from 46% last quarter (according to Yesmail in an article published in FierceCMO). More information and links in the blog.

Social Media 223

Social Media Media B2B Decision Maker 223

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 29, 2013

There is nothing more stressful than Q4 for a VP of Sales. Couple that with preparing for 2014 and you are maxed out. Schedule a review of your 2014 plan at your office here. We will use Sales Leader’s Q4 Critical Path Guide. Your Talent — How to improve your sales manager’s performance. The Love and Hate of Q4.

Territories 308

Territories Compensation Buyer Google 308

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Let’s recap the time you have sucked out of the sales rep’s day. The goal is improved efficiency and sales rep effectiveness. You’re trying to help but you’re killing the sales teams’ selling time in the process. And you wonder why the sales team is a reluctant participant in the new initiatives. So What’s the Solution?

Decision Maker 320

Decision Maker Buyer Persona Trends Buyer 320

Sales and Marketing Management

DECEMBER 1, 2014

Issue Date: 2014-12-01. Teaser: With a little care and some creativity, you can communicate the value that B2B prospects are looking for through your LinkedIn profile. With a little care and some creativity, you can communicate the value that B2B prospects are looking for through your LinkedIn profile. read more'

LinkedIn 246

LinkedIn B2B Prospecting 246

Zoominfo

OCTOBER 31, 2018

B2B influencer marketing. Yet, its popularity has been slow to catch on in the B2B community. In fact, according to one recent report, only 15% of B2B brands are running ongoing influencer programs ( source ). In fact, according to one recent report, only 15% of B2B brands are running ongoing influencer programs ( source ).

Influencer 153

Influencer Marketing Hubspot B2B 153

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 12, 2013

Most companies are in the heart of their planning process for 2014. Has your Sales Ops planning kept up with the new realities? Today’s post provides recommendations for revising your approach for 2014. By doing so, you''ll also get the Sales Ops Planning Evolution Guide. As a Sales Ops leader, this is up to you.

Buyer Persona 310

Buyer Persona Territories Compensation Buyer 310

Tenfold

AUGUST 30, 2017

Information in today’s digital milieu has always been a double edged sword for sales and marketing. Information comes from your sales team, your website and your press releases. What we often have to deal with is a highly-evolved B2B buyer, someone who’ve searched across several online platforms. B2B Buyer Behavior.

Outsourcing Services 79

Outsourcing Services Buyer B2B Lead Rank 79

Pointclear

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Those of us who use the phone to successfully generate sales leads have picked up an essential trade secret. The tone of the prospect is generally clear almost immediately. Because I heard them, and responded to them as a person, I greatly increase my chance at getting time with this prospect. Think of those annoying robo calls.

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Lead Rank Lead Scoring PointClear 100

Zoominfo

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

At its core, intent data helps marketing and sales teams identify the companies and individuals most likely to make a purchase, especially in the near future. ZoomInfo knows that even minutes can matter when you’re looking for prospects. We actually helped start this category back in 2014 through a partnership with Bombora.

Intent Data 130

Intent Data Buyer Intent Intent Data 130

SBI

JULY 22, 2014

If you’re a B2B seller you no doubt find it increasingly difficult to make sense of the marketing technology landscape. He skipped 2013, perhaps because the market was moving too fast because, as of the 2014 version, the map has grown to a staggering 950 companies. We’ve kept a dynamic Top 40 Sales Tools guide updated for two years.

Tools 123

Tools B2B Top of Funnel Marketing 123

Sales and Marketing Management

FEBRUARY 8, 2021

As B2B companies continue to expand their digital marketing efforts, they can cull lessons from the B2C clashes like that between Airbnb and Vrbo. In the B2B world, you need to adopt the methods that the B2C people use in a different way, and that’s not going to be natural,” Westerman told SMM in a telephone interview.

Marketing 120

Marketing B2C Account Based Marketing B2B 120

SBI Growth

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Sales ops executives are charged with improving sales effectiveness and efficiency. Your goal is to best enable sales. Look across the spectrum of Sales Operations. Sign up for SBI’s 7th annual research tour: " How to Make Your Number in 2014 : A Sales Strategy You Can Execute.” Review your Sales Process.

Buyer 288

Buyer Telemarketing Cold Calling Buyer Persona 288

SBI Growth

JULY 30, 2013

This is the time of year when Marketing leaders start mapping out 2014 changes. Making the Number in 2014 starts now. How are you supporting the new “A” players in sales? Sign up for SBI’s 7th annual research tour: " How to Make Your Number in 2014: A Sales Strategy You Can Execute." Background.

Lead Rank 325

Lead Rank Penetration Collateral Analytics 325

Zoominfo

APRIL 16, 2018

If you’re one of the few sales professionals who’s never heard of Keenan the Sales Guy, here’s a little introduction. Keenan is the self-described CEO/President and Chief Antagonist of A Sales Guy Inc. With more than 20 years of sales experience, Keenan has influenced, learned, and shaped the world of sales.

Journal 171

Journal Influencer Case Study Sports 171

SBI

OCTOBER 22, 2014

Fortunately, there were many Dreamforce exhibitors with tools well designed to help B2B Marketers achieve significant gains, thus extending the value of their existing technology investment. Infer also produces a “fit score” which uses predictive analytics to determine how closely each lead matches your ideal prospect profile.

Lead Rank 122

Lead Rank Outsourcing Services B2B Lead Scoring 122

Score More Sales

DECEMBER 26, 2013

What if you had a sales dashboard? If you are not one of those sellers, and would like a very simple way to get your week off to a great start, consider downloading our free Weekly Sales Dashboard – Generic version free download here. We like those kinds of tools, don’t you? What videos or blogs? Jot them down.

Scale 231

Scale Hiring Ideal Customer Profile Sales Methodology 231

SBI Growth

AUGUST 14, 2013

It’s getting harder for your sales reps to get at bats these days. As a result, your sales team is missing out on revenue opportunities. Signs this is happening to you are: Customers and prospects are declining meeting requests. Signs this is happening to you are: Customers and prospects are declining meeting requests.

Social Selling 330

Social Selling Decision Maker Cold Calling Hiring 330

The Pipeline

JULY 11, 2014

Yesterday on this blog, I wrote about sellers who drive commerce for their buyers have greater success than those who just drive sales. Date: July 17, 2014 at 1:00 PM Eastern. Sales Execution Selling to Executives Tibor Shanto' The Objective Seller Webinar. ” – Aous Shakra.

Webinar Metrics 292

Webinar Metrics Objections Loyalty Segment 292

DiscoverOrg Sales

DECEMBER 27, 2017

An acquisition, sales and marketing tips, and thought leadership that often bucks the trend. VIDEO] How to Get 30% Response Rates with Prospecting Emails. If you spend a lot of time thinking about how to give that prospecting email a fresh spin, we’re right there with you. We’ve got the prospecting email down to a science.

Buyer Persona 149

Buyer Persona Cold Calling Study Outbound 149

Janek Performance Group

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Need to improve your sales team’s results? That’s the advice from a recent Harvard Business Review article that concluded, women are the future of B2B sales. If you believe diversity on your sales team will improve sales performance, keep reading because there is plenty of science to back that up. Hire more women.

Hiring 118

Hiring Travel Promotion Sales Leadership 118

SBI Growth

AUGUST 3, 2013

She’s a Marketing VP at a B2B logistics company. The CEO just introduced her to the new sales leader. The last VP of Sales got canned at the end of Q2. Kathy had done everything she could to support the sales team. The sales force neglected to utilize marketing developed sales support materials.

Meeting 303

Meeting Top of Funnel Marketing Lead Gen 303

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 28, 2013

Here are a few questions that every CMO must answer just to stay in the job: How am I going to educate my customers and prospects on new products or solutions? How do I enable the sales force to sell the new product or solutions? How am I going to generate enough new leads to support 30% of the sales number? Background.

Outsourcing Services 300

Outsourcing Services Demand Generation Agencies Lead Rank Lead Scoring 300

No More Cold Calling

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

A new research study unlocks the key to using social media for sales. Is it just another term to check off your buzzword bingo card at the next sales meeting you attend? You bet, and it’s critical to increasing B2B sales effectiveness. Not every social outreach is going to result in a sale, nor should it.

Social Selling 296

Social Selling Cold Calling Social Media Ideal Customer Profile 296

The Pipeline

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

There is no hotter topic in B2B sales than cold calling, does it work, and is it necessary in today’s social environment, call screening, voice mail , and “inbound” universe. Well I am here to tell you it does work in 2013, and will continue to work in 2014 and beyond. By Tibor Shanto - tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca.

Cold Calling 267

Cold Calling Handbook Inbound Social Media 267

The Sales Hunter

NOVEMBER 19, 2013

If you can’t raise your level of sales effectiveness by at least 15%, you’ll wind up losing ground to the competition. You must find ways to streamline your sales process. The pool of prospects next year is going to grow. There will be more prospects than ever, and the good news is more of them will actually buy.

Motivation 225

Motivation Loyalty Selling Skills Engineering 225

SBI Growth

AUGUST 29, 2013

This statement covers B2B, B2C and B2G. Get the Checkup when you sign up for SBI’s 7 th annual research tour: How to Make the Number in 2014. As buyers are evolving, we’ve seen a strange breed of sales professionals actually devolving. Further, he has a division of 120+ sales reps in his immediate organization.

Social Media 300

Social Media Media B2G Ideal Customer Profile 300

Score More Sales

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

One way you can be more successful in remote selling – that is, selling when you are not in front of your prospective buyer in person, is to have more impact with your messaging. Yesterday’s sales talkers must now become today’s succinct “sales message givers.” Lori from Score More Sales calling.

Inside Sales 221

Inside Sales Lead Rank Lead Scoring Call-back 221

SBI Growth

JUNE 30, 2013

In B2B sales, activity leads to results. The correct time to add sales people is when business is soft. More sales people means more sales calls. This means your sales force will be in more deals. You reduce the number of sales reps to cut costs. Call to Action: Prospects are taking meetings again.

Hiring 308

Hiring Oracle Lead Rank Lead Scoring 308

SBI Growth

DECEMBER 30, 2013

Requests from sales leadership will alter the plan. Proactively embrace sales kick-off to validate and generate momentum for the plan. For most B2B companies the annual sales kick-off occurs in January. This is the first major interaction between sales and marketing. CMO Impact at Sales Kick-off.

Face-to-face 300

Face-to-face Lead Rank Lead Generation Google 300

Hubspot Sales

JANUARY 17, 2018

Best Sales Podcasts. B2B Growth Show. Sales Gravy. Linking Into Sales Podcast. The Sales Evangelist. Bowery Capital Startup Sales Podcast. Get in the Door: Sales Prospecting Strategies & Tactics. The Sales Babble Podcast. Sales Pipeline Radio. The Sales Podcast.

Scale 145

Scale Sage Lead Rank Lead Scoring 145

Score More Sales

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

When you are working predominantly with inside sales reps and their immediate sales leaders, it is easy to only think about being in the office and not ever going out at all. If you are an individual contributor in an inside sales role, is there one big event each year you could somehow get to? Each was amazing in their own way.

Ideal Customer Profile 203

Ideal Customer Profile Lead Rank Lead Scoring Conference 203

Bernadette McClelland

JANUARY 15, 2017

Very much like the sales profession. On my return home, I was asked to prepare for an interview and one of the questions was whether I had seen any changes over the past few years in the B2B sales space and if so, what were those changes? Prospects and customers either answered the phone (or pager) or their PA did.

Telemarketing 150

Telemarketing Lead Rank Margin Retail 150