Webbiquity

MAY 10, 2010

Your company website can serve as far more than a marketing and PR vehicle—it should be a genuine sales tool as well. Guest post by Ken Thoreson, recognized sales management thought leader and managing director of the Acumen Management Group Ltd., This exercise is best done in a face-to-face sales call.

Work Management 100

Work Management Case Studies Case Study Marketing Management 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 15, 2010

Once they developed a short list of vendors for consideration, they contacted the companies (using phones, which were connected via wires) and the companies sent them (printed) sales collateral by mail (postal, that is). Then sales people would contact the prospects and use a “consultative&# sales process.

Sales Cycle 100

Sales Cycle Buying Cycle Social Media Marketing Management 100

Writing on the Web

MARCH 17, 2011

When people invest hundreds of dollars with you, they usually have questions , and even though these same questions may have been answered on your sales page, people need reassurance that answers apply to them. Related posts: 5 Phrases to Close the Sale on the Phone or by Email. Email can’t do that. What do you think? Tweet This!

Consulting 100

Consulting Digg Buzz Blogger 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 7, 2011

This will demonstrate itself as social moves into product development, operations, customer service and even sales,&# according to Michael Brenner. . “Social is much bigger than marketing and PR. It’s a customer phenomenon. Stronger focus on global audiences. link on Twitter. Download the report and join the discussion on Focus.

Social Media 100

Social Media Trends Social Marketing Media 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

As many others have noted, the rise of social media and the explosion of online content has fundamentally altered the b2b sales process. Prospects no longer rely on sales people and marketing collateral for information; most of their research is now done before they ever make contact with a sales rep. Post this on Diigo.

Manticore 100

Manticore Marketing Automation Services Lead Generation Marketing Automation 100

Buzz Marketing for Technology

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Trust is not a new thing in the world of sales either – its a fact that people enjoy buying from people that they trust and in B2B Marketing part of our job is to shorten the time spent building trust so sales can have an easier time and focus on selling. Social Media changes that and elevates Trust to the individual level.

Trust Marketing 100

Trust Marketing Communities ROI B2B Marketing 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

It starts with a clear rationale for making investments in lead nurturing processes: “Up to 95 percent of qualified prospects on your Web site are there to research and are not yet ready to talk with a sales rep, but as many as 70 percent of them will eventually buy a product.&# ( Brian Carroll ). Share this on del.icio.us.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Lead Ranking Lead Scoring Sales Qualified Leads 100

Webbiquity

JULY 21, 2010

Whether it’s a sale or trade show, hone in on the social elements – create a visual picture of the food, drink, service and good times with others they can expect. Ajay Goel is CEO of JangoMail, an email marketing company that helps businesses reach customers and prospects in a highly reliable and personalized way. Share this on Bebo.

Email Marketing 100

Email Marketing Tips Digg Trade Show 100

Webbiquity

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

As she notes in her introduction, Li’s book is organized around four main themes: Research: start by using search and social media monitoring tools to discover where your customers and prospects are congregating. Don’t automatically assume they use the most popular social networks. Social Events (e.g., Amen!). .&# Rich Meyer.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Media Planning 100

Webbiquity

DECEMBER 21, 2010

Producing and sharing content with your market both attracts prospective buyers and educates them, potentially shortening sales cycles. Content marketing doesn’t always produce immediate or direct results, but it does increase brand recognition, credibility, online visibility and yes—sales—over time. Share this on Bebo.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Business Paid Search Agency 100

Buzz Marketing for Technology

APRIL 6, 2010

It involves seeing from the front end of the sale all the way to the consummation of the sale and I believe Facebook has or is planning to have some of the most critical elements all on their platform (and all for free!). Even conduct the sale with payment options like PayPal in the future. Tweet This! Share this on Facebook.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Facebook Market2Lead Leads 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 13, 2010

Marketing automation systems—from vendors like Eloqua , Marketo , Genoo , Manticore and others—are great tools for moving prospective buyers along the path from interest to desire to action. Without a solid content strategy to support that movement through the marketing and sales cycle, all you’ve got is a nice email system.

Emarketing 100

Emarketing Marketing Automation Services Manticore Marketing Management 100

Webbiquity

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

Lead nurturing can help you improve your lead conversions over time. ” “ Lead nurturing will generate an increase in sale opportunities up to 20%. ” “ Lead nurturing can help you build a trusted relationship with your economic buyer.” Involving sales at this time is a good idea. Will it be by tracking number of closed sales?

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Buying Cycle Lead Management 100

Buzz Marketing for Technology

MARCH 16, 2010

Time for a new phone system very soon,” Moments after this tweet was posted we responded with this tweet: “@[prospect] – let me know if we can help you – we have some Strategic Consultants that can help you assess your needs.” I am happy to say that the potential customer did, and 13 days later, we closed a $250,000 sale. Tweet This!

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing B2B Marketing Media 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

How can you efficiently nurture those long-term prospects, learning more about their interests in the process, until they are really ready to engage with sales? Most sales people still don’t. Buyers no longer rely on sales people for basic information or exploratory “consultation.&#

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management Marketing Automation 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 18, 2010

The book is written in case study fashion, taking the reader through a realistic scenario of a midsized company struggling to build on its past success and take sales to the next level. In the author’s parlance, the “sales moment&# is that key value proposition that makes a prospect say “yes.&# Brad Shorr.

Advertising Agencies 100

Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency Marketing Management Digg 100

Webbiquity

APRIL 19, 2010

Prospective customers are now using technologies like iPods, TiVo and ad blockers to avoid advertising messages. Just as social media has changed the sales practice , here are five shifts that savvy marketers recognize and capitalizing on to increase sales in an age of consumer empowerment generally and the rise of social media specifically.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Media B2B Thought Leadership 100

Webbiquity

JUNE 23, 2010

Though the ultimate objective of either a website or blog is ultimately to drive increased sales, the two platforms have fundamentally distinct characteristics. Few businesses can thrive without at least a basic website, and web-generated sales or leads are critical for many firms. Website: static content. Website: (almost) mandatory.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management Marketing Websites Marketing Management Tools 100

Buzz Marketing for Technology

JANUARY 21, 2010

I idea is to max out your distribution strategy by maximizing the appearance of your content in the proper social channels since you never know where your prospects might be hanging out on any given day. 5 Tricks to B2B Marketing Socially Whenever I ask members of sales team from around the. (ex dont list a white paper on YouTube).

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Media Digg 100

Webbiquity

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

Want to know what your customers and prospects are thinking? Customers, prospects, thought leaders, people who have some expertise on the product but aren’t part of, or paid by, the company. Blowhards (usually) tend to get called out and ignored. Social media is fantastic for research and learning. Real people.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Peer-to-peer B2B Thought Leadership 100

Webbiquity

JUNE 25, 2010

They are also the first words that come to mind for many consultants (along with images of the overly aggressive, overly slick, walking sales cliché) when they are told they need to sell. While being salesy is ill-advised for almost any sales rep, it is particularly bad for consultants. There is Nothing Wrong with Selling.

Consulting 100

Consulting Allocation Digg Cold Calling 100

Writing on the Web

APRIL 4, 2011

Is Your White Paper a Sales Pitch in Disguise? More often than not, today’s white papers are really just masked sales pitches, too long to keep the attention of today’s buyer. That won’t look good to prospects… White Paper Details & Insider Secrets. Guest Post by Lauren Carlson, SoftwareAdvice.com.

Paper 100

Paper Marketing Automation Services Marketing Management Microsite 100

Webbiquity

AUGUST 18, 2010

Well, SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers by Jill Konrath is that kind of book. People are reluctant to add anything more to their frenetic schedules, least of all spending time listening to a sales pitch. A ligned (it’s crucial to be relevant — always).

Lead Ranking 100

Lead Ranking Marketing Proposals Digg B2B Sales 100

Webbiquity

MARCH 9, 2010

As a very wise b2b sales executive said to me several years ago, “people don’t buy from companies. Many employees within b2b companies have email communication with customers and prospects, but never actually talk to them. Still, this doesn’t mean that Facebook can’t serve any purpose for b2b marketing.

Facebook 100

Facebook B2B Marketing Effectiveness B2B 100

Webbiquity

JULY 25, 2011

Conversely, the more your name dominates for relevant searches, the more likely prospects are to buy from you, because you look like the expert, the “big dog&# in the industry (even if you’re really only a small dog). Because more than 80% of consumer purchases and 90% of b2b buying cycles now begin with search.

Optimization 100

Optimization Microsite Digg Work Management 100

Webbiquity

JULY 25, 2011

Conversely, the more your name dominates for relevant searches, the more likely prospects are to buy from you, because you look like the expert, the “big dog&# in the industry (even if you’re really only a small dog). Because more than 80% of consumer purchases and 90% of b2b buying cycles now begin with search.

Optimization 100

Optimization Microsite Digg Ideal Customer Profiles 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 12, 2010

And if you Google “sales management thought leader&# in quotes, six of the top ten spots belong to the same sales leadership guru. The end result is that when customers, prospects and influencers (bloggers, journalists, analysts etc.) And everything links back the enterprise’s website and blog. Post this on Diigo.

Enterprise Management 100

Enterprise Management PR Social Networks SEM 100

Webbiquity

MAY 4, 2010

If you haven’t already done so, find and join LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry, groups that key influencers, potential business partners, and most importantly your sales prospects are likely to be members of. Use social bookmarking. Share this on del.icio.us. Post this on Diigo. Share this on Reddit. Share this on Mixx.

RSS 100

RSS Digg Tagging Blogger 100

Webbiquity

APRIL 26, 2010

Can you fire your sales force? Jodi Harris summarizes highlights from Mandalay Entertainment Founder and CEO Peter Guber’s keynote speech at the 2009 Entertainment Marketing Summit advising marketers to overcome resistance to change, create memorable stories and great content in order to motivate prospects. Well worth a read.

Marketing & Strategy 100

Marketing & Strategy Marketing Strategy Allocation Budget Programs 100

Webbiquity

AUGUST 9, 2010

Measuring the ROI of social media is challenging for several reasons, the most significant of which is the problem of “last click attribution;&# just because a sale or lead “came from&# Twitter or Facebook as the last click doesn’t necessarily mean that site deserves all the credit. Share this on Bebo. Post on Google Buzz.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Media Marketing Analytics Tools 100

Webbiquity

MARCH 29, 2010

From the dawn of commerce, business people have always used networking to meet new people and establish new relationships with suppliers, potential partners, industry experts, and most importantly sales prospects. What about answering common customer or prospect questions? Physical networking at such events is still important.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Social Networks Network Marketing 100

Writing on the Web

JULY 15, 2010

I sense that readers/ customers/ prospects are getting more educated and sensitive to Internet copywriting persuasion tactics. You must learn the ways people (your prospects) interact with what they see on the Web, and how their Web habits are changing and evolving. Sales & Landing Pages Using WordPress: Learn How.

Content Marketing 100

Content Marketing Ning Work Management Content 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 24, 2011

A handy way to supplement your email contact list with information about those prospects from the most popular social networks. A realtime social search engine that pulls current and recent results for any term from Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz, Digg and Delicious. A free service for setting up, promoting and hosting Twitter chats.

Social Media 100

Social Media Tools Buzz Media 100

Webbiquity

JANUARY 28, 2011

And here’s a little secret: As a consultant, you already have many of the skills you need to succeed in sales—all you need to do is learn how to apply them to your selling efforts. If you sell professional services or consulting and the thought of having to sell makes you anxious, distressed, and uneasy, you’re not alone. Share this on Bebo.

Adwords 100

Adwords Paid Content Paid Search Agency Tactics 100

Anything Goes Marketing

MARCH 8, 2009

For example, our sales team can see my travel plans and perhaps pull me into a prospect meeting if I'm in that area. The post was then picked up by other social media hubs such as StumbleUpon and Digg which pushed additional traffic along with search engine traffic. StubleUpon , Digg , Facebook , Blogger , web 2.0

Social Media 100

Social Media Web 2.0 Media Blogger 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

Your goals—how many leads or sales are you planning to drive from search marketing? The syntax for this, on both Google and Yahoo, is {KeyWord: your service} where “keyword” is the term your prospect actually searched on, and “your service” is the default term to use in the ad if the search phrase is too long to serve as an ad headline.

Search Engine Marketing 100

Search Engine Marketing SEM Search Marketing Practices 100

Webbiquity

FEBRUARY 16, 2011

What the best practices for professional networking, generating sales leads, connecting with potential business partners, sharing content and getting answers to tough business questions? A better practice: “In group discussions, don’t ask questions or make comments that are obvious sales pitches. Share this on Bebo.

Linkedin 100

Linkedin Tactics Tips Work Management 100