Sales Engine

DECEMBER 21, 2015

For example, if you market to three distinct buyer personas , and you have identified three buying stages , and you can identify five unique questions those buyers would likely ask or be searching for in each of those stages, you would conclude that you need to develop 45 total marketing assets. So How Much Does All This Cost?

Budget Programs 120

Budget Programs Work Management Marketing Management Allocation 120

Sales Engine

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Over the last 20 years, the company had developed a great reputation and receive a number of referrals on a regular basis. Those tried and true methods will probably continue to work (we do them too), but not to the extent that they once did. Your Definition will Determine Your Direction What's Your Content Development Strategy?

Content Marketing 120

Content Marketing Cold Calling Marketing Qualified Leads Lead Ranking 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 16, 2015

That means you need an editor who’s going to dig into your industry and develop relationships with readers. They need to develop an intimate knowledge about the issues they care about so they can get their attention and add value. That’s why you hire them in the first place, and if you can’t do that, they won’t work for you for long.

Content Marketing 120

Content Marketing Lead Ranking Content Marketing & Strategy 120

Sales Engine

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

But before you go out and invest in these tools, it’s important to really understand your customers’ issues so you can develop a strategy. It Starts With the Content Development Road Map Your content development should mirror the experience of going to the zoo. Stay with me here!

Acquisitions 120

Acquisitions Webinar Metrics Marketing & Strategy Marketing Automation Services 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 20, 2015

It’s a primary driver around why we at Sales Engine Media use video interviews to capture information from experts as a large part of our content development process with clients. Steve Jobs’ keynote at his last Worldwide Developer’s Conference keynote in 2011 is an excellent example of business storytelling and a master storyteller at work.

Storytelling 120

Storytelling Work Management Acquisitions Marketing Management 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 2, 2015

In fact, there’s not even a series of projects that can be assigned to marketing that’s going to work predictably because not every prospect is going to follow a predetermined, automated sales process—it’s a continuous process that requires shifting on the fly by providing more content to the prospect when they need it.

B2B Sales 120

B2B Sales Paper Fulfillment B2B Marketing 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 27, 2015

So whether that’s a Business Development rep making a phone call and leaving a voicemail, or an automated email sent to them containing a link to another piece of content—it must help them along and provide value. It’s just not going to work effectively. The appropriate cliche is: You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Lead Ranking 120

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads Buy 120

Sales Engine

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Many companies make the mistake of developing content like it’s just another marketing campaign. But campaign-driven approaches worked when the goal of marketing was branding and awareness. Not to say that it can’t still work, but for the most part, it turns buyers off. It’s about your audience, and they have all the control.

Content 120

Content Thought Leadership Custom Publishing Segmentation 120

Sales Engine

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Many companies make the mistake of developing content like it’s just another marketing campaign. But campaign-driven approaches worked when the goal of marketing was branding and awareness. Not to say that it can’t still work, but for the most part, it turns buyers off. It’s about your audience, and they have all the control.

Content 120

Content Thought Leadership Custom Publishing Segmentation 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 2, 2017

So why do sales and marketing departments still work together in a linear fashion? Sales Engine also directed a small team of business development reps (BDRs) to follow up on all types of leads to measure and compare the conversion rates of cold leads, newly generated MQLs, and warm MQLs that had been nurtured over time.

Lead Ranking 168

Lead Ranking Case Studies Case Study Marketing Qualified Leads 168

Sales Engine

JUNE 20, 2016

So why are many sales and marketing departments in B2B companies continuing to work together in a linear fashion? They research products and vendors on the internet anonymously before engaging with sales, and the amount of research they conduct, resources they use, and the pace of their research vary significantly from buyer to buyer.

Lead Ranking 174

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Lead Nurturing Lead Scoring 174

Sales Engine

JUNE 2, 2016

I cannot tell you the number of companies that we do business with and that started with that exact same strategy then came to us because it wasn’t working. The good news is that these mistakes are avoidable simply by developing a plan and ensuring that you have the resources in place to execute.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Marketing & Strategy Paper Content 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 28, 2016

B2B Content Enterprise: How does Conversion Sciences work with clients to optimize landing pages? In our strategy, when someone does come through our channels, they are coming back and searching for conversion optimization, website optimization, or AB testing—they’re developing their level of trust with us over time.

Marketing & Strategy 120

Marketing & Strategy A/B testing Broadcasting Content 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 6, 2016

You’re going to need designers, copywriters, video producers, and post production editors, developers, and so on. And truth be told, most content marketing agencies are repurposed PR firms, web developers, and branding consultants. . #4 And it kinda works to drive traffic, but it’s not converting into sales conversations.

Demand Generation Agencies 168

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Paid Search Agency Demand 168

Sales Engine

JULY 5, 2016

The old ways of getting in the door aren’t working anymore. Fortunately, there are effective ways to find and nurture leads in this new paradigm, and they can enable talented sales reps to concentrate their time working with and talking to self-identified prospects—rather than wasting time on those who don’t want to have conversations at all.

Work Management 149

Work Management Marketing Automation Services Marketing Management Budget Programs 149

Sales Engine

AUGUST 16, 2016

But the reality is that some of this process can be automated, and some can't, and one of the biggest reasons for this is that when we do find something that works predictably, others jump on the bandwagon and muddy the waters—much like what we’re seeing now with content marketing. The idea of marketing one-to-many is on the decline.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 28, 2015

You know content marketing will work for your company—your competitors are doing it, and they’re kicking your butt. Whether you’re working on a massive, full-blown digital magazine or a monthly newsletter, the concept of content marketing is the same: develop great content, get it in front of your prospects, and convert the lead traffic.

Budget Programs 120

Budget Programs Top of Funnel Marketing Budget Webinar Metrics 120

Sales Engine

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

The problem is that when we find something that works predictably, others jump on the bandwagon and muddy the waters—much like what we’re seeing now with content marketing. Disruptions are less tolerated—and, while many of these tactics still work to some degree, they’re having diminishing returns. Businesses love repeatable processes.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 17, 2016

I just want them to have heard of us when I call them,” retorted one salesperson I worked with at an enterprise software company in the late 90’s. This is not to say that developing a strong brand is no longer a good idea. Great content does what a traditional hard-working salesperson used to do: it shows up everywhere.

Budget Programs 168

Budget Programs Content Marketing Brand Identity Branding 168

Sales Engine

APRIL 24, 2018

In return for sharing your expertise, you can develop a relationship and maybe make the “short list” when they’re finally in the market. Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising works for a few, but not most. Simply put, you need to do content marketing. Unfortunately, the time and cost to create all this content can be suffocating.

Paper 159

Paper Planning Marketing Plans Marketing Automation Services 159

Sales Engine

APRIL 7, 2016

Alignment means that sales and marketing are truly working together to generate revenue, and that requires a change in behavior and process on both sides. But with open communication and process agreement, it can be a great example of working successfully toward a common goal.

Lead Ranking 136

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads MQL 136

Sales Engine

JANUARY 28, 2016

This used to work more effectively when there was less noise, but because it still works, we’ll keep doing it. Sure, you may be generating some leads for your sales team, but unless you’ve developed an audience who relies on you for information and wants to receive all that information, you are likely fatiguing your market.

Webinar Metrics 120

Webinar Metrics Marketing & Strategy Content Paper 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 13, 2016

Why is it working for some companies and not others? Therefore, content must be developed for each stage of the sales process to plug holes in the sales cycle. a middle reliever in the form of a business development rep or inside sales rep is needed to f ollow up on those leads to turn them into appointments for closers.

Top of Funnel 136

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Lead Ranking Digital Marketing Funnels 136

Sales Engine

APRIL 20, 2016

That was what we used to do before the emergence of a content-heavy internet, and it worked because sales people were the gatekeepers of information about products and services within a company. So from there, you should have a business development discussion to continue the conversation down the path until they're sales ready.

Lead Ranking 218

Lead Ranking Lead Gen Lead Scoring Leads 218

Sales Engine

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

Others read every work of every placard. While I don’t think that's bad in and of itself, we advocate for developing content that aligns to the high probability problems you solve rather than personas you serve. What's Your Strategy for Content Development? Some speed walk the whole thing, never stopping, but taking it all in.

Marketing & Strategy 120

Marketing & Strategy Demand Generation Agencies Content Marketing Agencies 1 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 12, 2016

It turns out that they needed process redefinition, more staff and more data to make that software work. They end up buying a piece of software that they think will solve their problems, but it doesn’t. It does place a higher level of expectation and ethics on salespeople today—to be that consultative professional and diagnose the problem.

Top of Funnel 136

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Cold Calling Sales Qualified Leads 136

Sales Engine

JUNE 9, 2016

That strategy worked in 2006, but there’s simply too much stuff out there for people to consume. You have to get smart about the content strategy you’re developing and lead prospects down a path until they’re sales-ready. Starting with the end in mind The end is the conversion asset that you want to drive prospective buyers to.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Digital Marketing Funnels Lead Ranking 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 15, 2016

In fact, the entire process must work in tandem with sales to turn suspects into qualified opportunities resulting in revenue. And then they must have the experience to make the right recommendations to content developers about what they need moving forward. Enter the lead nurturer. Writing and editing skills.

Lead Nurturing 120

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 23, 2016

They develop white papers, email campaigns, go to trade shows, and —well, you know, execute on lots of projects. For decades, the B2B marketer has been a manager of projects. Project-based marketing always has a beginning, middle, and an end. The conversation gets started through content marketing— but more on that later.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Process B2B Thought Leadership Work Management 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 7, 2015

It turns out that they needed process redefinition, more staff and more data to make that software work. They end up buying a piece of software that they think will solve their problems, but it doesn’t. It does place a higher level of expectation and ethics on salespeople today—to be that consultative professional and diagnose the problem.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Cold Calling Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

JANUARY 22, 2016

In fact, the entire process must work in tandem with sales to turn suspects into qualified opportunities resulting in revenue. And then they must have the experience to make the right recommendations to content developers about what they need moving forward. Enter the lead nurturer. Writing and editing skills.

Lead Nurturing 120

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 3, 2016

But what is interesting is that even though the average deal size was larger when sales went at it alone, it’s not even close to what happens in terms of close rates and deal sizes when sales works in tandem with marketing. What does that look like?

Lead Ranking 120

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads Purchase 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 3, 2016

But what is interesting is that even though the average deal size was larger when sales went at it alone, it’s not even close to what happens in terms of close rates and deal sizes when sales works in tandem with marketing. What does that look like?

Lead Ranking 120

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads Purchase 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 8, 2015

They develop white papers, email campaigns, go to trade shows, and —well, you know, execute on lots of projects. For decades, the B2B marketer has been a manager of projects. Project-based marketing always has a beginning, middle, and an end. The conversation gets started through content marketing— but more on that later.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Process B2B Thought Leadership Work Management 120

Sales Engine

JULY 21, 2016

Combine all that with marketing automation that links your website with your CRM so that your sales team has the lead intelligence to know who’s clicked on what, what content is being consumed, and at what frequency, and suddenly you’ve identified the very best prospects that sales should be doing their business development work with.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Top of Funnel Generation Ad Building 120

Sales Engine

JULY 21, 2016

Combine all that with marketing automation that links your website with your CRM so that your sales team has the lead intelligence to know who’s clicked on what, what content is being consumed, and at what frequency, and suddenly you’ve identified the very best prospects that sales should be doing their business development work with.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Top of Funnel Generation Ad Building 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 22, 2016

At this first stage of content development, it’s usually not too difficult to assemble your company thought-leaders in a conference room and come up with 10 to 20 topics that align with the high probability pains of your prospects and then produce some blogs and articles.

B2B Thought Leadership 120

B2B Thought Leadership Thought Leadership Content Blogger 120