One of the most misleading but commonly held beliefs is being “busy” means that you’re being productive and accomplishing a lot. The problem is that the busy work for most people isn’t focused on the things that need to be done. It’s just that, busy work. People get into a mindset that these things have to be done and there is no other way. Therefore, they get consumed by the same tasks over and over and because they are endless, the day is over and it’s time to check-out. The next day begins a new cycle of non-productivity. can’t make phone calls? MORE >>

by Jesse Noyes | Tweet this It’s a simple equation. Your competitor rises in Google’s search results, you take the hit. Easy math. But a recent study on sponsored search suggests the opposite might be true; that competing high-ranking organic search results may actually boost the performance of your paid search ads. The results are found in the paper “ Sponsored Search: How Organic Results Impact Sponsored Search Advertising Performance ,” written by business professors at the University of Texas, the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University. What they found was surprising. MORE >>

Some companies are good at generating B2B sales leads , others are good at qualifying and closing those leads, but the top performing companies, are those that leverage B2B lead management techniques and can do both.  Here are six strategies you can implement to create your own unstoppable marketing and sales machine: Follow up every inbound inquiry within 48 hours – preferably 24 hours.  Leads have a short shelf and the person who was enthusiastic about your offer yesterday, may not remember who you are tomorrow.  Set strict criteria for scoring leads.  Sounds like a good plan to me. MORE >>

According to Inc. it costs a business about 5-10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell to an existing one -- and on average those current customers of yours spend 67% more than a new one. So, what are you doing to keep your customers coming back to your business? If you’re like 65% of marketers, your company has implemented a loyalty program. But is it working? Companies lose money on time and effort, and customers get no more value from the businesses to which they are "loyal.". So how do you keep your business out of that one-third segment? 6) Make a Game Out of It. MORE >>

Although much deserved attention is given to Blogs, eBooks, Webinars, Data Sheets, Press Releases, Videos, and other typical channels when talking about content creation, you shouldn’t forget to include the following touchpoints in your content marketing plan. On-Hold Messages: Ditch the on-hold music and the typical sales pitch for something your customers, prospects, and partners will actually enjoy listening to. Customize the message for each department. Bonus points if you can actually get customers to ask to put them back on hold to finish listening to the message. MORE >>