There is quite a bit of uncertainty on how companies should approach lead management and what it takes to achieve best practices.  The best lead management initiatives include a collaborative effort among all groups that have any stake in the demand generation continuum.  Building out this framework in its entirety will provide a solid foundation and yield the best results. Lead management continues to be a hot topic in the world of B2B marketing as we turn the corner and head into the second half of 2010.  So what are these myths? Nothing could be further from the truth. Technology MORE >>

The best vendor event I ever attended was a Salesforce.com road show.  While I do not doubt that many companies have achieved great transformation over time through the use of technology, it’s in the best interest of our buyers that we portray an accurate picture of what is possible, and what resources beyond technology they will need to achieve results.  Approximately 12 years ago, a new technology emerged and a new software category called “marketing automation” was born.  According to SiriusDecisions ,  40% of organizations will own automation by the year 2016. Really?!  MORE >>

Assuming a single buyer’s journey  is not marketing best-practice, and often may cost you a sale. A few weeks ago I was leading a workshop on Lead Nurturing, which included the concept of buyer personas and defining the buying path for each individual persona. One attendee asked, “Why would you need separate buying journeys? Don’t you need to define one buyer’s journey for the persona and just align the content to that?”  Before I could respond, another attendee chimed in and said, “That’s a great question and it’s something that we have been discussing internally.”. Moral of the story?  MORE >>

As a vendor or provider, focus on what you do best and how you can help them. In our last post , we introduced a list of 9 things marketers need from marketing automation vendors and consultants.  We came up with this list to help make sense of “the noise” being generated by software vendors and service providers in the space (yes, we are one of those providers).  Even though the information for the buyer is plentiful, we at The Annuitas Group are still constantly being asked to provide insight on what’s actually going on in the market.  Hence, the list. More transparency. Drywall. MORE >>

One of the closing lines in the commercial that drives home this whole point is, “The best way to make a car is to know you, the people who use it.”  She cares about excellence, she wants to enable her team, she is motivated on a daily basis to do the best possible with the resources and budget she has. The Honda Corporation recently aired a new commercial touting their new 2013 Honda Accord.  The theme of the commercial is “We Know You”.  The commercial speaks to us. No matter what our frame of mind, Honda knows us and can relate to us.  Genius! What are their career objectives? MORE >>