It has been years since I tortured you with a running analogy for sales. So, I think it is fair to apply my passion for running to the sales discipline again.
Several years ago runners and their trainers began to discover a bit of a counterintuitive fact-maximum performance is not all cardio [...]
Mike Damphousse, of Smash Mouth Marketing blog does an interesting survey of several lead generation experts.
The basic question was what do you do with a Web lead? Specifically, Damphousse presented his survey like this:
My question: Within a day or two of sending an initial email to someone, leaving a phonemail or posting an interesting blog [...]
The old adage that the sale is in the follow-up has never been more accurate in today’s marketplace. Businesses are suffering and finding new customers can be an expensive chore. However, by working on your pipeline management techniques and finding new ways to create leads, you can stay on top of this economy and start [...]
No matter what industry you’re in, if you are not measuring your marketing efforts, chances are you will be missing out not only on sales, but the opportunity to expand your business. There are several different ways to determine your marketing ROI, particularly for online marketing. Let’s take a look at how you can start [...]
Online marketing has opened up an entire new world for companies, giving them instant access to targeted consumers that are ready, willing and able to buy. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds and far too many companies fall prey to common pitfalls that frustrate their marketing efforts. If you are interested in utilizing [...]
At a time when sales are so important to companies, having an effective sales team has never been more vital. No one team is perfect, but it will only be as strong as its weakest member. If you would like to see an increase in your sales, there are specific steps that you can take [...]
Social networking has evolved to the point where it’s not just for friends and non commercial uses any more. Now, businesses are finding that it is the perfect solution for online marketing and although many are abusing its potential, there is still plenty of room to take advantage of all that this medium has to [...]
The phrase, cold calling, tends to strike fear into the hearts of most business owners, particularly if you are not already trained in this form of marketing. It is an undeniably successful way of promoting a product or service, but it has many pitfalls. Namely, marketers struggle with contact rates, as well as the overall [...]
Whether you are just starting out, or you are looking for ways to increase your sales, a sales process is a vital path to your success. There are many different ways that you can go about building a sales system that will work for your company, but there are some basic guidelines that will make [...]
When it comes to ROI and overall ease, PPC marketing is the choice of many businesses, both offline and online. However, there are a few pitfalls that can make this type of marketing a headache. By following some basic rules, you’ll be able to ensure that your next online marketing campaign is a success, no [...]
There are many different types of online marketing that you can utilize to promote your business or service, but that does not mean that all will be equally successful. If you are just getting started in online marketing, or you are looking for ways to maximize your marketing ROI, here are some basic tips to [...]
When Twitter first debuted, many thought it was an inane way for people to keep in touch with one another, but it quickly evolved into a powerful marketing and brand management tool. While there are still plenty of inane updates going on, this service cannot be overlooked by any company that is looking to make [...]
Email marketing, when used properly, is a very powerful tool for businesses. Despite the fact that it has been abused by spammers, with the right techniques and the right approach, it can have a dramatic impact on sales.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know to make sure that your next [...]
In today’s economy, it has never been more vital to reduce operating costs, but this doesn’t mean that you can stop finding customers. It is a catch-22 situation that has brought many companies to their knees, but there are ways to circumvent this problem.
In order to stay alive in this harsh environment, companies need to [...]
A company is only as strong as its sales team, and if you have not taken the time to build a strong foundation, your business will definitely suffer. Building a team may take time, but if you go about it the right way, it is an investment that will keep paying off.
There are three main [...]
Right now, social networking is one of the most viable means of sales prospecting, but only if you use it correctly. Sites like twitter and even nings can be useful, but for those serious about marketing, Linkedin is the best place to start.
When you first start utilizing social networking to increase sales, it can be [...]
Your business is only as effective as your marketing team, and without the right mix, your online marketing efforts can suffer. While it can take time and a concerted effort to get the right people on your team, this is an investment that will return many times.
Here are four easy steps that will help you [...]
I have talked about social selling in the past, but Seth Godin just has an elegance in the way he describes things. His post on Strangers and Friends really highlights the shift that is underway in online marketing and sales, because of social media.
Seth tells us the difference in engaging your new thousands [...]
I have long used FriendFeed as my “friend” filtered news. It is less noisy than my RSS reader and I have been used it not to build an audience, but rather a living newspaper.
Twitter on the other hand has always been my social selling tool. I mixed in personal and professional engagement [...]
It is funny how things change, but stay the same. Nothing demonstrates that like sales. I am going to jump on the Sales 2.0 bandwagon here, but I am going to present it retro-style.
Belly-to-Belly Sales Works
No sales techniques is as effective as sitting belly-to-belly, chatting, and liking who you are [...]
Veteran of sales and marketing. These are discussions about optimizing your sales and marketing in a Web 2.0 world. Grab your coffee and join the conversation.
