Sales Engine

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The new sales cycle seems to look more like that: There’s an original spark—a business problem that needs to be fixed. Six months later, the new leadership has the brilliant idea that this business problem needs fixing (and it’s the same one that was identified six months ago). Do you remember the children’s game Chutes and Ladders ?

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Lead Ranking Thought Leadership Demand Generation Agencies 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 28, 2016

Demand generation requires a complete marketing program that not only attracts prospects to your website, but also converts them into leads, nurtures them over time through their own buying journey, and assists the consultative sales person to close. It’s a broadcast medium and especially useful if you are selling to business people.

Marketing & Strategy 120

Marketing & Strategy A/B testing Broadcasting Content 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 16, 2016

Unfortunately, it rarely looks like that, but that's always the goal when we establish demand generation systems--keeping sales people busy doing what they do best--consulting and closing. Develop relationships with people and solve their problem and they’ll want to do business with you.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 27, 2016

What are the business challenges that they face and are trying to solve? Prospects want to talk to someone that can solve business problems. When good sales reps prospect for leads, they’re probing for the same pain points, and when they find it, they’ve found the beginning of the consultative sales conversation. They have pain.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Webinar Metrics Paid Search Agency Companies 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 12, 2016

And the result may be that we need fewer sales reps, meaning we have to focus on hiring the really qualified, well-trained, consultative sales person that truly helps prospects diagnose their real problems. So what do they do? They end up buying a piece of software that they think will solve their problems, but it doesn’t.

Top of Funnel 136

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Cold Calling Sales Qualified Leads 136

Sales Engine

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Businesses love repeatable processes. Develop relationships with people and solve their problem and they’ll want to do business with you. This is where a business development or inside sales rep receives an email that someone has converted on this piece of content. There’s a lot of stuff out there, right? And it’s getting worse.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 6, 2016

And truth be told, most content marketing agencies are repurposed PR firms, web developers, and branding consultants. You need someone to nurture them, provide more information, and be a resource (business development, inside sales, etc.) But when it comes to closing the loop, it falls apart. #4 We don’t know.

Demand Generation Agencies 168

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Paid Search Agency Demand 168

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 7, 2015

And the result may be that we need fewer sales reps, meaning we have to focus on hiring the really qualified, well-trained, consultative sales person that truly helps prospects diagnose their real problems. So what do they do? They end up buying a piece of software that they think will solve their problems, but it doesn’t.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Cold Calling Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 20, 2016

If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because the underlying premise of content marketing is the same as sales prospecting—we do business with those we know, like, and trust. The skills needed for this formed the basis of most consultative sales training, and to a large degree, they still do, but only in the late stages of the buying cycle.

Lead Ranking 218

Lead Ranking Lead Gen Lead Scoring Leads 218

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 9, 2015

You must convert this audience (anonymous and hanging out in social media) into known prospects for sales reps to have meaningful, consultative business conversations. So if someone happens to go there, they can see that your company has activity and assume that you’re in business.

Demand 120

Demand B2B Marketing B2B Trade Show 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 13, 2016

Just because B2B companies are investing heavily in content marketing doesn’t mean that they’re successful at generating the leads they need for business growth. You must c onvert this anonymous audience into known prospects for sales reps to have meaningful, consultative business conversations.

Top of Funnel 136

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Lead Ranking Digital Marketing Funnels 136

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 1, 2015

B2B sales cycles are a much more complex business problem to solve as they are exacerbated by geography, industry, and so on. This is where the consultative sales process we know and love takes over. Generally, SALs meet a low level of qualification, enough to generate a sales conversation.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Leads B2B Marketing Marketing Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 4, 2017

PR firms and branding consultants proliferated, and blogs and social media became all the rage. But one thing hasn't changed: salespeople still play a pivotal role in closing business, and their involvement can help deliver higher average selling prices and better-structured deals.

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

JULY 20, 2016

PR firms and branding consultants proliferated, and blogs and social media became all the rage. But one thing hasn't changed: salespeople still play a pivotal role in closing business, and their involvement can help deliver higher average selling prices and better-structured deals.

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

JULY 20, 2016

PR firms and branding consultants proliferated, and blogs and social media became all the rage. But one thing hasn't changed: salespeople still play a pivotal role in closing business, and their involvement can help deliver higher average selling prices and better-structured deals.

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 23, 2016

In the middle, you staff and execute the show, collect business cards, and set up meetings. The skills needed for this formed the basis of most consultative sales training, and to a large degree, it still does, but only in the late stages of the buying cycle. Remember the children’s game Chutes and Ladders? Your project is tabled.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Process B2B Thought Leadership Work Management 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 8, 2015

In the middle, you staff and execute the show, collect business cards, and set up meetings. The skills needed for this formed the basis of most consultative sales training, and to a large degree, it still does, but only in the late stages of the buying cycle. Remember the children’s game Chutes and Ladders? Your project is tabled.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Process B2B Thought Leadership Work Management 120

Sales Engine

MAY 12, 2016

If this sounds familiar to the process that a consultative sales person uses to get in front of prospects, you’re right— the process is the same. People still do business with those they know, like and trust. It’s only the tools and techniques that have changed to help replicate these conversations digitally.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Brand Identity Branding Budget Programs 120

Sales Engine

JULY 14, 2016

Remember that with most B2B companies with a complex sale, what you’re doing with content marketing is replicating the conversations that used to happen in real life (IRL) with sales reps asking probing questions and having consultative conversations that today, those prospects now avoid. Those conversations were personal. They were tailored.

Lead Scoring 120

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Content Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

JULY 14, 2016

Remember that with most B2B companies with a complex sale, what you’re doing with content marketing is replicating the conversations that used to happen in real life (IRL) with sales reps asking probing questions and having consultative conversations that today, those prospects now avoid. Those conversations were personal. They were tailored.

Lead Scoring 120

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Content Sales Qualified Leads 120