Sales Engine

JULY 13, 2016

Given the imperative to add gravitational pull to your sales funnel under a changed marketing paradigm, you need a strategy and appropriate marketing technology stack that can help you discover, qualify, and nurture leads to the point of sales-readiness. One of those necessary tools is marketing automation software. Define your sales funnel.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Conversion Marketing Automation Services Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

JUNE 7, 2016

Yes, but how does that help me get leads for sales? What is their buying process? What business problem does your product or service help them solve? You should have resources at the ready to help them at each stage of this process. You should have resources at the ready to help them at each stage of this process.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Content Demand Generation Agencies Barriers 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 14, 2016

I actually apply the same process to B2B as in B2C, which is that sometimes creativity is about finding a true solution to a problem and thinking outside the box. Think differently about what you’re selling Persuading clients to think differently about what they’re really selling is the cornerstone to Quinn’s creative process.

B2B 168

B2B Blogger Content Public Relations 168

Sales Engine

APRIL 21, 2016

If I have a particularly tough subject matter, instead of taking it to the Internet, I’d rather have a conversation with them and have them explain it so I can write a more thoughtful and helpful article.”

Content 159

Content Internet Marketing Training Education 159

Sales Engine

JUNE 2, 2016

Mistake #1 Treating content marketing like an event, and not a process As an example, let’s assume that you’re a human resource software vendor. This is where content marketing becomes a process and not an event. Here are two common mistakes that companies make when they get into the new world of content marketing.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Marketing & Strategy Paper Content 120

Sales Engine

MAY 22, 2016

Purchasing is simply not able to add as much value to the decision making process. It is imperative to objectively exit sales cycles that you can’t win (or don’t really want), get ahead of the RFP process, and allocate pre-sale resources wisely. In Neil’s words “How you sell it is more important than what you sell”. Well…not so fast.

Allocation 136

Allocation RFP Consulting Paid Search Agency 136

Sales Engine

AUGUST 2, 2017

The Fallacy of the Linear Buying Process Most marketing and sales leaders in the business-to-business world know that customers now direct the buying process. Previously, sales representatives controlled what prospects could learn, when, and from whom.

Lead Ranking 168

Lead Ranking Case Studies Case Study Marketing Qualified Leads 168

Sales Engine

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

They won’t help your sales people meet quota. They won’t help you track where your prospects entered into the sales cycle and became customers. Sales can’t control this whole process anymore. Content marketing done correctly will fundamentally affect the revenue process of the entire company.

Content Marketing 120

Content Marketing Cold Calling Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

JUNE 20, 2016

The Fallacy of the Linear Buying Process Until the mid 2000’s, sales representatives controlled what prospects could learn, when, and from whom. But as most marketing and sales leaders in modern B2B companies know (or have figured out really fast), customers have taken a lot more ownership over their own buying process.

Lead Ranking 174

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Lead Nurturing Lead Scoring 174

Sales Engine

AUGUST 24, 2015

Yes, it helps you build credibility. Yes, it helps establish you as a thought leader. Content is how you take back control of the sales process. It’s important however to provide content that people will thank you for—it has educated them on a certain topic, It’s helped them get promoted, it’s helped them form their thinking.

Demand Generation Agencies 120

Demand Generation Agencies RFP Thought Leadership Paid Search Agency 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 28, 2016

From your viewpoint, where are companies getting stuck with this process? The most important strategy of any content marketing program is a really smart search engine optimization process. Our data analysis has really helped us understand what our categories should be. Ideally that’s what we’re all trying to get to.

Marketing & Strategy 120

Marketing & Strategy A/B testing Broadcasting Content 120

Sales Engine

MAY 11, 2016

All of your web traffic increases are great, but if we can’t lead the qualified prospects to some sort of conversion asset to help lead them through their own buyer’s journey, it’s just branding and awareness—and that’s not enough for feeding today’s outside sales person with qualified leads.

Webinar Metrics 149

Webinar Metrics Sales Qualified Leads Demand Generation Agencies Marketing Automation Services 149

Sales Engine

JANUARY 18, 2016

And when taking a deep look at marketing results, we were a bit surprised that the data actually helped to diagnose asales problem. We focused next on evaluating the sales pursuit process deeply—and identified the sales metrics that would be needed in order for them to turn this situation around.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Cost per Lead 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 21, 2015

It’s a continuous process of finding, engaging, and building an audience that you can then monetize with calls to action that convert that audience into leads for your sales team. all playing discrete functions in the process. So How Much Does All This Cost? Start with a content strategist. The reality is, nearly all of it.

Budget Programs 120

Budget Programs Work Management Marketing Management Allocation 120

Sales Engine

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

So we made a few big changes that have helped us achieve the growth trajectory that we want: We gave our marketing executive a quota We committed to content marketing The problem that a lot of companies still have is that marketing thinks its purpose is branding and awareness, measured through increased traffic to the website.

Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Qualified Leads High Quality Lead Conversion Paid Search Agency 120

Sales Engine

JANUARY 7, 2016

We must do that by giving the prospect something of value: something that helps them with their job, something that’s entertaining, something that demonstrates you know what you're talking about. This takes time. Sorry, but it does. You have to build an engaged audience over time, person-by-person.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel Features B2B Thought Leadership Digital Marketing Funnels 120

Sales Engine

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

You may make a sale cold calling, but your BEST most profitable sales will come from relationships - and whether that’s done in person or digitally through social selling is irrelevant - it’s the same process with the same effect. More help on sales prospecting in a digital era: Want More Qualified Sales Conversations?

Cold Calling 120

Cold Calling Allocation Youtube Internet Marketing 120

Sales Engine

JANUARY 25, 2016

AMEX has developed the media property called OpenForum which is a CEO Boot Camp designed to help women business owners. This site is a collection of articles, videos, and guides to help women entrepreneurs succeed in their business. It’s a continuous process of finding, engaging, and building an audience that you can later monetize.

Enterprise Management 120

Enterprise Management Marketing Management Marketing Automation Services Sales Qualified Leads 120

Sales Engine

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Not to say that keywords and backlinks aren’t important because they still play a big role in helping Google figure out what that page is about. They work hand in hand—but it’s not about trying to “trick” Google into telling them what that page is about. You actually have to develop content that your prospects want to consume.

Top of Funnel 120

Top of Funnel SEO Content Marketing Long Tail Marketing 120

Sales Engine

MARCH 10, 2016

The blog that started out as a rant between three or four people caught on to where he was later approached by the Orange County Register for help with their Angels blog. “I It was during that process that I realized somewhere along the way that I had unlocked the door to organic traffic in that space,” said Lemas.

SEO 120

SEO Organization Content Marketing Agencies 1 120

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 16, 2015

What additional information can you send to them that’s going to be helpful? More incredibly useful content that you’d kick yourself for not reading: Feeding Sales is a Process, Not a Project ( editor’s note—this could be the most important post you read for the next year!

Content Marketing 120

Content Marketing Lead Ranking Content Marketing & Strategy 120

Sales Engine

APRIL 20, 2016

The B2B sales process has changed. They need help getting in the door. The clicks help to identify those with need. The important thing to remember is that this is the buyer’s process, not your sales process. We may not have wanted to talk to sales reps, but that’s how we got the information we needed.

Lead Ranking 218

Lead Ranking Lead Gen Lead Scoring Leads 218

Sales Engine

MARCH 24, 2016

That’s where an integrated marketing process comes into play—it takes more than inbound tactics to move a prospect all the way to a sale. Use whatever works for you and helps you make money. That process consists of both inbound and outbound content marketing. He writes, “The point is to keep doing complete marketing.

B2B Sales 149

B2B Sales B2B Inbound Marketing Cold Calling 149

Sales Engine

OCTOBER 4, 2017

economy and an ever-expanding arsenal of technologies to help both salespeople and marketers reach more prospects, many companies continue to struggle to grow sales. Control Over the Sales Process Has Shifted The sales game has changed, and many companies have failed to adapt. Despite a vibrant U.S. And what can you do about it?

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 16, 2015

Feeding the content marketing machine is an endless process, because once you stop publishing, your conversations start drying up. So before you outsource content development to a partner , ask these four self-assessment questions that will help you better determine next steps for finding the right resources.

Advertising Agencies 120

Advertising Agencies Budget Programs High Quality Lead Content 120

Sales Engine

JULY 20, 2016

economy and an ever-expanding arsenal of technologies to help both salespeople and marketers reach more prospects, many companies continue to struggle to grow sales. Control Over the Sales Process Has Shifted The sales game has changed, and many companies have failed to adapt. Despite a vibrant U.S. And what can you do about it?

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

JULY 20, 2016

economy and an ever-expanding arsenal of technologies to help both salespeople and marketers reach more prospects, many companies continue to struggle to grow sales. Control Over the Sales Process Has Shifted The sales game has changed, and many companies have failed to adapt. Despite a vibrant U.S. And what can you do about it?

Paid Search Agency 120

Paid Search Agency Trade Show Content Urgency Marketing 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 15, 2016

Therefore, sales prospecting with content requires a more complex process than it did even five years ago, largely because the buyer has a lot more control and salespeople are no longer the sole gatekeepers to the information they need. An understanding of the sales process. Enter the lead nurturer. A head for analytics.

Lead Nurturing 120

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 120

Sales Engine

JANUARY 22, 2016

Because of the complexities of today’s buyer’s journey, and the ever-changing role of sales in this process, marketing must be involved more than ever before: More than branding and awareness More than demand generation More than just lead conversion Because each sales process has become unique. An understanding of the sales process.

Lead Nurturing 120

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 120

Sales Engine

MAY 31, 2016

Feeding Sales is a Process , Not a Series of Projects Every department within a company has ongoing projects they try to maintain, but the challenges and emergencies that pop up every day require immediate response, and it can be very easy to divert all of your time and resources to addressing them.

Demand Generation Agencies 120

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Resources Demand 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 12, 2016

Now with the rise of content marketing , we’re wondering if salespeople will be replaced—or, in other words, will we be able to automate marketing processes to the point where we can lead people all the way through their buying journey, eliminating the need for sales reps? Cold calls are dead. SEO is dead.

Top of Funnel 136

Top of Funnel Content Marketing Cold Calling Sales Qualified Leads 136

Sales Engine

DECEMBER 28, 2015

Analytical tools are useful in helping to determine what your audience is responding to, but ultimately if you’re converting leads that turn into appointments for sales, your executives will be hungry for more. It’s just not going to help you at the top of the funnel. It’s that whole killing two birds with one stone thing.

Budget Programs 120

Budget Programs Top of Funnel Marketing Budget Webinar Metrics 120

Sales Engine

AUGUST 16, 2016

What does a perfect world B2B sales process look like? 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.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120

Sales Engine

JULY 21, 2016

A demand generation strategy must map directly to the sales funnel to be effective, which is why most B2B content marketing initiatives miss the mark—they don’t understand sales process. If you don’t have a sales process (because you rely solely on referrals), start there. How do I evaluate vendors?

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Top of Funnel Generation Ad Building 120

Sales Engine

JULY 21, 2016

A demand generation strategy must map directly to the sales funnel to be effective, which is why most B2B content marketing initiatives miss the mark—they don’t understand sales process. If you don’t have a sales process (because you rely solely on referrals), start there. How do I evaluate vendors?

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Top of Funnel Generation Ad Building 120

Sales Engine

JUNE 23, 2016

CAC Ratio = Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) / Cost to Acquire a Customer (CAC) It is also helpful to calculate how long it takes you to recover the cost of acquiring a customer once that customer has signed on with you. When you look through the lens of the individual customer, you can make much better budget decisions.

Lead Ranking 120

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads Top of Funnel 120

Sales Engine

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Businesses love repeatable processes. We must continuously evaluate whether or not these processes are worth the time and money spent, and if you agree that the ultimate goal of any sales and marketing program is to generate one-to-one sales conversations with prospects, then we must get smart about where to invest our energy and dollars.

Sales Management 120

Sales Management Top of Funnel Cold Calling Content 120