tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21380867557950256732024-03-13T10:57:11.207-07:00B2B Sales & Marketing Knowledge SharingThe world of B2B Sales and Marketing is constantly changing; the purpose of this site is to allow sales and marketing professionals to exchange ideas, share best practices, and get answers to important questions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-23055181816959755982010-02-04T09:47:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:07:04.499-08:00New Year, New Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Verdana; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Mid-December</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, I joined a new team—which you could probably figure out by the lack of activity on the blog. Even though I have enjoyed, and learned an incredible amount about sales and marketing during my twelve 12 years with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.market-bridge.com/">MarketBridge</a>,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> I came across an opportunity that was too good to miss. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For years, the Big 4 (WPP, IPG, Omnicom and Publicis Groupe) had rolled up agencies to create vast global networks with a broad spectrum of services to meet the needs of their global client base. The strategy of following the money and clients had served them well, and it grew the business substantially over the years. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">However, it left a gap in the market. The “big” focused on big and primarily consumer ad budgets, leaving the complex needs of business-to-business companies unmet. For business-to-business companies, having a big ad budget isn’t necessarily as important and/or effective as targeted, highly customized one-to-one communication,…but it does matter to big agencies. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few smart folks, including </span><a href="http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090720/FREE/907179953/1193/whoswho-agencies"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rick Segal</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, CEO of the former HSR Business to Business headquartered in Cincinnati, and </span><a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7985114"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Richard Glasson</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, CEO of Gyro International, out of London, recognized this opportunity and the need for a new agency model. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The group has been busily assembling a collection of best-in-class B-to-2B agencies with services ranging from traditional direct marketing to leading-edge digital shops. The agency, now called </span><a href="http://www.gyrohsr.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">GyroHSR</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, combines the names of two leading, <a href="http://www.gyrohsr.com/news/gyrohsr-receives-grand-ceba-creative-award">awarding-winning</a> agencies. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Customer feedback on the new agency model pointed to the need to add greater expertise and experience in understanding channels. With the noise and confusion surrounding Web 2.0, and the necessity to increase precision with marketing investments, adding a new team member was essential. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfipUceknY11GTzv3U_hRu53uZUXDBs6qfp3R5angf-FQM8lfFHyMQmuPPbwHRJ3JyzUJfo9NMSmGmmQ4LV_loynG2epG23jyk3c1K6dMfcccyZHWVq3JumIMeXB_VtixN52IeI1B1NdM/s1600-h/Slide1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfipUceknY11GTzv3U_hRu53uZUXDBs6qfp3R5angf-FQM8lfFHyMQmuPPbwHRJ3JyzUJfo9NMSmGmmQ4LV_loynG2epG23jyk3c1K6dMfcccyZHWVq3JumIMeXB_VtixN52IeI1B1NdM/s320/Slide1.gif" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlagO-CWDQfHDm1WVIUBW5p28ME0wg-uqzGEFFjuchrcT_G9xguyrCQwNbirhyWzBEPCo2804yM_qOQ5X2b5OCJTlWqMwbWZustyvdKfrVtUUeoCBYMz-RehqptSFCjbTaqko6JDULQYE/s1600-h/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That’s where I come in. My role on the team is to add a bit of some little left-brain thinking to the right- brain creativity, blending the best of the art and science worlds. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m starting a <a href="http://www.gyrohsr.com/news/gyrohsr-launches-channel-marketing-capability">new practice</a> that will focus on helping clients better understand how customers buy and what channels they prefer to use during that process. The Channel Marketing practice is going to be based in a new Washington, D.C. office, opening this month.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span> </div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Over the next few months, I’ll be tweeting and posting about my assimilation into the new world of art. My “online diary” should provide an interesting view into the agency world through the lens of a left-brain consultant. I can tell you this already: We definitely do see the world differently, not better or worse. Just differently. Stayed tuned. It should be an interesting journey. </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px Verdana; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-14575135064329995672009-12-07T13:42:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:07:04.504-08:00Growth in 2010...It's Back to the Future<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR92IVMo4nfp01PF0xFUecJRUn3uZasuWWnsNIefI_woe-YY0r_Utyi7U-ZkQzhcvwM1OPM5EpdtGl-UbF2YAD846bZN8VEe0ynPtYw6P-bUjMY9765mlLvM2clSI_ekpliGo1xnfy1q8/s1600-h/growth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR92IVMo4nfp01PF0xFUecJRUn3uZasuWWnsNIefI_woe-YY0r_Utyi7U-ZkQzhcvwM1OPM5EpdtGl-UbF2YAD846bZN8VEe0ynPtYw6P-bUjMY9765mlLvM2clSI_ekpliGo1xnfy1q8/s320/growth.jpg" /></a>After speaking with a number of companies and I'm starting to notice an interesting trend. Customers are making their way back to companies and they’re coming after “core” offerings (even those offerings may have been passed over by newer and “sexier” services). <br /><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In the boom, companies found themselves venturing into new markets, creating new services , etc. that came with the rising tide, especially in the Financial Services industry. In many industries, these services were build on flawed assumptions on market demand, a companies ability to deliver, etc.,…it happens in every bubble. <br /><br /></div>What’s interesting now is as the recovery is beginning, companies are starting to see customers return but they’re buying services/products that may not have purchased in years. With budgets smaller and harder to spend, customers are returning for services and products with which they are familiar without the “bells and whistles”…the solid, dependable, low risk “core” products. <br /><br /><br /><br />For example, a friend of mine, who runs an agency that was built on serving the needs of Fortune 500 Corporate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investor_relations">Investor Relations</a> groups, had recently repositioned the firm as a “brand consultancy.” She said that they have recently seen an upturn in their business, and it’s been customers coming back to them looking for the same IR services they offered years ago. <br /><br /><br /><br />Some companies have already picked up on this trend and have incorporated it into their sales and marketing efforts. Take a look at any Bank website and you’ll see that they’ve jumped in the <a href="http://www.delorean.com/">DeLorean</a> and its 1985 all over again. <br /><br /><br /><br />So why bring this up now? Well, I’ve also heard folks talking about the path of growth and recovery for them is about “new innovation.” Ah, Ok as long as you’re looking for new innovative ways to sell and market your core products. This is not the time to experiment with “<a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-sales-channels-and-marketing.html">new</a>.” <br /><br /><br /><br />If you’re looking for growth next year…start by going back to selling what put the “equity” in your brand.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-7930343902703810852009-11-12T16:08:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:07:04.509-08:00Why Product Companies Can’t Build Solutions - Reason #1<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddnv6XCLPg6a8zIYqylocdFYWyedH9kWlbF1JnG2q2qfPSlrsy9bNXUm1g3ZcEnBLJEzFgeelMvxBzmk_c0bVGuJWOnE249SF4R8p3t7XXolqhny4mJLD44L_2iCQH_NCYahCNSEZwSE/s1600/business_solutions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddnv6XCLPg6a8zIYqylocdFYWyedH9kWlbF1JnG2q2qfPSlrsy9bNXUm1g3ZcEnBLJEzFgeelMvxBzmk_c0bVGuJWOnE249SF4R8p3t7XXolqhny4mJLD44L_2iCQH_NCYahCNSEZwSE/s200/business_solutions.jpg" yr="true" /></a>I’m working on my umpteenth “transition the organization from being product led to solution focused…” project. In today’s market environment, I imagine other organizations are pursuing this strategy as a way to improve margins, increase sales, etc.<br /><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The challenges facing companies that venture down this path are fairly consistent and complex…and certainly not easily described or solved in a post. With that said, I thought it might be helpful to describe how organizations get themselves into this situation and share some ideas on how to get moving in the right direction. <br /><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /><br /></div>“Solutions” typically evolve in two ways at product oriented organizations, none of which are strategic. <br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Internally</strong> - Someone in the product group or sales organization notices a trend - if a customer buys one product they most likely will buy another related one (if this, then that). </li><br /><li><strong>Externally</strong> - Customers force the organization to integrate products and/or services (something <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2002/11/11/cx_ld_1112gerstner.html">Lou Gerstner</a> took note of when he was at Amex that eventually led to the greater focus on services when he came to IBM). </li><br /></ul>The company then realizes (usually late) that this can lead to premium pricing and higher margins, increased share of wallet and customer loyalty, etc., and thus the journey begins. The problem is that they over estimate the ease of scaling solutions because:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong>The last mile</strong> - no one trains the sales force, or the sales force doesn’t have the skill set, and/or no one has figured out how to comp on selling a “solution”…I’ve seen the last one a dozen times. </li><br /><li><strong>The solution is TOO customized</strong> – really good solutions are typically highly customized, you build the “solution” with the customer. The challenge then becomes finding another customer and/or group of customers that looks like that one. As a result, you can’t scale the solution. Put your hand up if you’re heard that one before. </li><br /></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMWO3E0Y2Jai-YxH6gfazL2w3Ol4Z1ExR3czVwBaFUGTBhLHmWDpSgT43wCrdT5DcokvfxMbqISrZdHInl8vsBRSN0sIx0GqrcGzFq0mMpWCMqlLdWamckg6xrKNPvQNm4_oMrqiz1lQ/s1600-h/Slide1.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMWO3E0Y2Jai-YxH6gfazL2w3Ol4Z1ExR3czVwBaFUGTBhLHmWDpSgT43wCrdT5DcokvfxMbqISrZdHInl8vsBRSN0sIx0GqrcGzFq0mMpWCMqlLdWamckg6xrKNPvQNm4_oMrqiz1lQ/s400/Slide1.GIF" /></a><br /><br /></div>So what do you do about it? The scenarios I described are symtematic of the “dipping the toe” approach to solution development. To successfully transition the first thing has to happen is that the company <strong>must make the COMMITTMENT. </strong><br /><br /><br /><br />It sounds easy but this is where most organization fall down. You will not be successful if you only “half ass” it. Building real solutions that scale requires time, investment, a new group/organization and probably new people. Understand why companies fail now? <br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="background-color: #073763; color: orange;">How are some thoughts on how to do it right</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />I've commonly seen two successful approaches to starting the transition. The first is internally focused and involves evolving the product group. Best-in-class organizations that have made this journey start by adding or creating an <strong>“application” </strong>group. This is commonly seen in the Hi-Tech industry. <br /><br /><br /><br />This group begins collecting market data on customer trends looking for broad based technology, competitive or usage trends. The goal is anticipate and understand how the company’s portfolio of products and services can and/or will be used when applied to certain situations (use cases). This then begins the solution development process. <br /><br /><br /><br />The upside to this approach is that the products typically “snap together” seamlessly and are easy to install. The downside is that they sometimes miss the mark with customers because products get over engineered and lose sight of customer needs. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53jmYM9131OZwHFAoqQrLuSNlVKiuB4_D1ZzqcWlmHPRN4VN7EPckEvlxH_GHwXgAn4f_HIwB2AanAEKQA3UaDy-PvqS3ngeIIkhIEGu6VB-EEQ-qXkFBxrA_6HIdMEsEXEN35KyX5yg/s1600-h/Slide2.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53jmYM9131OZwHFAoqQrLuSNlVKiuB4_D1ZzqcWlmHPRN4VN7EPckEvlxH_GHwXgAn4f_HIwB2AanAEKQA3UaDy-PvqS3ngeIIkhIEGu6VB-EEQ-qXkFBxrA_6HIdMEsEXEN35KyX5yg/s400/Slide2.GIF" /></a><br /><br /></div>The other approach is to evolve from external side and develop a <strong>segment marketing</strong> group. In organizations that can’t, or won’t, evolve their product organizations, I have helped companies build a segment marketing group that integrates products into market aligned solution sets. <br /><br /><br /><br />The group is aligned to unique customer segments and uses customer research, feedback from the sales channels, etc. to develop solutions based on the specific needs of that segment. This approach is commonly seen in the financial services and communication industries. <br /><br /><br /><br />The upside of this approach is that solutions developed at the segment level have very compelling value propositions because of the tight alignment with customer needs. The downside is the solutions don’t always live up to the hype. <br /><br /><br /><br />Whatever path your organization takes is a step in the right direction. It shows that the organization is <b>committed</b>...but it is also only a starting point. <br /><br /><br /><br />More detail on how to complete the journey in future posts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-70877532630967925122009-10-23T12:18:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:07:04.514-08:00Is Web 2.0 Over for Internal Use?There’s been some tweeting lately about a recent <a href="http://www.watsonwyatt.com/">Watson Wyatt</a> <a href="http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=21238">Web 2.0 survey</a> published in May. The odd thing about the report is that the headline "<em><strong>Web 2.0 Initiatives Continue to Gain Acceptance at Companies, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds</strong></em>" and the PR spin don’t accurately represent the research findings. <br /><br /><br /><br />The piece begins, “<strong><em>Despite their relative newness, companies are embracing Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking tools, blogs and webcasts for internal communications and as part of their overall technology mix, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm</em>.” </strong><br /><br /><br /><br />However, looking closely at the research, you’ll see that this is not necessarily the case. <a href="http://www.watsonwyatt.com/research/resrender.asp?id=NA-2009-1242&page=1">The survey</a> actually finds that top technologies mentioned in terms of increase usage in the downturn are all Web 1.0 tools; Intranet, email, and webcasts. Why? Because people revert back to things they know (safety and security) and move away from trying something new and unknown, especially if it requires time to learn. <br /><br /><br /><br />As for Web 2.0, 13 % are planning to increase the use of social networking tools in the next 24 months, and 12% will increase the use of blogs for communications. We’ve all seen the low numbers before, in fact it’s very similar to the <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2008/10/digital-dissonance.html">research we did last year</a> and we’ve all said “give it time, it’s new, it will take time to take hold, etc.” We also found that only 12% of marketing budgets were allocated towards Web 2.0 tools. <br /><br /><br /><br />The problem now is that those numbers aren’t moving up, and <a href="https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Economic_Studies/Productivity_Performance/The_crisis_one_year_on_McKinsey_Global_Economic_Conditions_Survey_results_2009_2437">reducing costs</a> (click for a good free McKinsey Economic report, see slide on pg. 4) is the number one issue on CEO’s minds. <br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Companies adopting Web 2.0 technologies in overall technology mix</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2h_cj3yi6E99Juu8rue4EJHKwS7viEF9UQoI6YPXmKytjxvRB2eZO16RT6K4eGubFcMSpyKlmNjFUNukeSV1TIdTaM4_SUaFidWZuTgYe7hqTnL9v0saQjo3bzfdzdjv510n0TBdUEE/s1600-h/Slide1.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2h_cj3yi6E99Juu8rue4EJHKwS7viEF9UQoI6YPXmKytjxvRB2eZO16RT6K4eGubFcMSpyKlmNjFUNukeSV1TIdTaM4_SUaFidWZuTgYe7hqTnL9v0saQjo3bzfdzdjv510n0TBdUEE/s400/Slide1.GIF" vr="true" /></a><br /><br /></div>The most eye opening slap of reality is <strong>that 60%+ of firms say they are not planning to use/implement the</strong> following over the next 2 years; Social Networks, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, RSS feeds…all Web 2.0 tools. Again, the research was focused on the use of these technologies internally. <br /><br /><br /><br />The important learning to take away from this is that it’s now time to start looking at the data for what it is really saying. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m big fan and want to believe in the potential of Web 2.0, but it’s time for reality check. If we are going to be successful as marketers we have to start proving the business case for these tools…and back it up with data.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-28008414655547807512009-10-16T16:23:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:07:04.519-08:00Is B2B Web 2.0 Over Before It Ever Started?Not yet, but it’s getting close. The potential suspects in its death…the recession, the CFO and the Legal Department. <br /><br /><br /><br />Suddenly, every legal department around the country has become the de facto Web 2.0 governance committee. What doesn’t get killed, modified, or mangled is left to the CFO to cut. Senior executives, who for the most part lack an understanding of the tools, are <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-sales-channels-and-marketing.html">growing tired</a> of all the noise around Digital, Web 2.0, Social Media, etc. <br /><br /><br /><br />They are now directing their organizations back to what they believe to be proven strategies (as they say in the FS industry "past performance is not indicatve of future results) and tactics (core products, best customers and traditional sales & marketing tactics, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_marketing">DM</a>). It’s back to the future. <br /><br /><br /><br />You’re mission, if you choose to accept it, is to find proven “sweetspots” for Web 2.0 in your organization now…and put it in your 2010 plan. Here are a few “no brainers” and/or proven areas that have shown to be impactful and/or demonstrate measurable value:<br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Twitter</strong> - customer services applications, awareness building for events, new content, etc….no brainers </span></li><br /><li><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Blogs</strong> – thought leadership, using them to help explain applications of products, credibility and audience builders…all winners and measurable. </span></li><br /><li><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>VODcast</strong> – similar to blogs, keep them short and on point, and work on getting the cost down. </span></li><br /><li><span style="color: #134f5c;"><strong>Wiki’s</strong> – defining internal nomenclature, taxonomy, and knowledge management all winners and well worth the effort. </span></li><br /></ul>As for social networks, I have a few thoughts that I’ll share in my next post. Here’s a preview. <br /><br /><br /><br />Recently I met with <a href="http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/marketing/faculty/godes.aspx">David Godes</a>, a professor at the <a href="http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/">Smith School of Business</a> at the <a href="http://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>. David and I got together to discuss our shared interest in sales processes, sales & marketing integration and social networks (we first meet when he was an associate professor at <a href="http://www.hbs.edu/">Harvard Business School</a>, after he wrote a <a href="http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/search/avaya?Ntk=HEMainSearch&N=0">case study</a> on the work we did with <a href="http://www.avaya.com/usa/">Avaya</a> on managing integrated sales and marketing pipelines). <br /><br /><br /><br />David and a colleague wrote an article published in the <a href="http://harvardbusiness.org/">Harvard Business Review</a> in 2006 on <a href="http://harvardbusiness.org/product/better-sales-networks/an/R0607H-PDF-ENG">Sales Networks.</a> After reading the article several times, I think it’s a useful guide for leveraging Social Networking tools to enable the sales forces. Although <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Results-Through-Social-Networks/dp/0470392495/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255723776&sr=1-3">the study</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network">social networks</a> has been around for years, and it served for the development of social networking tools, the application for sales hasn’t really been developed. I believe this holds tremendous opportunity to discover “killer applications” for social media tools. <br /><br /><br /><br />For now, think about this, the first wave of Web innovation (Web 1.0) was followed by a recession (Dot.com bust) that separated the “winners” from the “losers”. Successful technology innovations need a “killer app” to take hold. Often times it is very different from what the technology was originally designed to do (Myspace, as an example). We are now making our way (hopefully…and slowly) out of a recession that was preceded by the second wave of web innovation…what “killer applications” have you discovered - are they sustainable, and can you defend your investment in them going forward? <br /><br /><br /><br />Do it quickly…<strong>time is running out.</strong> As Tim Washer said at the <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2009/09/insights-and-epiphanies-from-recent-b2b.html">B2B Social Communication</a> when asked about IBM's very funny video series "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSqXKp-00hM">The Art of the Sale</a>"; “things have changed in our social media governance and policies. I don’t think I could do this again given the current environment.”Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-50607579180444608702009-09-21T16:43:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:07:04.524-08:00Insights and Epiphanies from a recent B2B Social Communication Event<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DlBTnEnczLGqpOA-rpL67bXfhVGrtktew7yqSsxu48FaOsi_OWih8e7y2Y8Q0GODH4Sw2qKK94_AWpmziW3d_VTjvNkylI-ijUp4zMPQ-sOyNEmehD1dHSozQtysgzVJ-sSZieR_Pk8/s1600-h/social+media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" iq="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DlBTnEnczLGqpOA-rpL67bXfhVGrtktew7yqSsxu48FaOsi_OWih8e7y2Y8Q0GODH4Sw2qKK94_AWpmziW3d_VTjvNkylI-ijUp4zMPQ-sOyNEmehD1dHSozQtysgzVJ-sSZieR_Pk8/s320/social+media.jpg" /></a>I attended the <a href="http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=9c6b69da-14dc-464c-b677-5cd98a887d2f">B2B Social Communications Case Studies</a> and Roundtable event in New York last week, my first live event since the downturn. Got to admit, I was impressed by the attendance (probably close to 250 folks) and list of companies presenting included; Microsoft, Amex, Intuit, Dupont, IBM, Deliotte, Pitney Bowes, and others. I came away with some great new insights, not only of social media in a B2B world, but also regarding the structure of the event itself. <br /><br /></div><br /><br /><ol><li><strong>Get In, Then Get Out</strong> - In my <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2009/08/future-look-of-articles-blogs-and-im.html">last post</a> I failed to mention the impact of online trends on offline events which I witnessed at this event. Speakers at this conference presented for 20 minutes, a long way away from the old days of hour-long presentations…and there were no breaks. The conference was over by 1 pm…love it. Rapid fire information that allowed the audience to assess the value in hearing, or not…that’s when you take a bathroom break. </li><br /><li><strong>What Happens In The Event…Doesn’t Stay In The Event</strong> -This was the first event where I watched the impact of Twitter on those presenting. Many speakers were noticeably conscience of the impact of Twitter, not only because the large screen monitor on the stage featured <a href="http://twitter.com/home#search?q=%23bdi">Twitter</a> for the entirety of the event, but also because they knew their comments could immediately be broadcasted around the world. You could see how the realtime capability to broadcast ideas and comments impacted how each speaker responded to questions from the audience. </li><br /><li><strong>Who’s Googling You?</strong> - I watched several folks checking out speakers on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, etc., as the speakers presented their information. In the future you could eliminate the speaker bio’s from the event material altogether. This growing trend should make you think about what you’re putting out in the public domain and what it might do to your credibility, reputation, etc. Then again…you should always be thinking about that. </li><br /><li><strong>All The Cool Kids Are Doing It</strong>… - The audience demographic was interesting. The crowd seemed to be the same folks that used to say; “I don’t get it”, to whatever new Web 2.0 technology came out. Saw lots of bald and grey heads (including yours truly) in the audience taking copious amount of notes. </li><br /></ol>Aside from my initial observations on the atmosphere of the event and those attending, there were, of course, some great points from the presenters themselves. <br /><br /><br /><br /><ol><li><strong>Play Hard to Get</strong> - The best Social Media campaigns I saw were very subtle (as they should be) in their messaging (almost hidden). Why is this important? Instead of overly broadcasting a message, they presented in a way that the viewer/reader “discovered it.” This subtle, but difficult approach I think can make all the difference in the acceptance, retention and comprehension of your message. It also sets itself up nicely for word of mouth marketing. </li><br /><li><strong>Ethics (Have Them) </strong>- Speaking of word of mouth, I learned that Dupont uses <a href="http://womma.org/main/">WOMMA</a> ethic guidelines to guide their social media activities, particularly blogging. Good source. </li><br /><li><strong>Share With Others - </strong>I can’t remember which speaker presented this, but their research found that if customers viewed video on the corporate site they also expected to find it in the public video domain…a la YouTube, etc. Same presentation also showed that corporate websites are the preferred location for video. </li><br /><li><strong>Go Viral</strong> - All the videos I saw were initially launched through existing blogs with the goal of driving blog traffic. </li><br /><li><strong>Start a (Useful) Conversation</strong> -The most interesting insight came from a case study on fencing. Companies have been struggling for years to do effective application/solution marketing. In this example the fencing company, Loius E Page Inc., developed their blog (link below) to help fence builders understand what type to buy based on what they want to build…brilliant. Want to build a horse paddock? Visit their blog and they can tell you to use a Farm & Field fence if you want X, Y, Z, and if you want to do A, B, C, to use a Horse fence. The lesson? Instead of the product marketing department wrestling with how to message an application or solution, the company put the product out there and let the engineers blog about how best to use it. </li><br /><li><strong>In With The Old, Out With The New?</strong> - Many of the presentations were dated. There were very good presentations by IBM and Dupont (see links below), but they presented campaigns, video, etc. from 2006 & 2007. And here is where the concern comes from:Tim Washer from IBM said it; “things have changed in our social media governance and policies. I don’t think I could do this again given the current environment.” When I attended a roundtable later that include marketers from other companies, they express the same concern…”don’t know how he got that video approved…that would never happen in my firm/company…”</li><br /></ol>This topic will be a future blog post entitled: “<em>Is Social Media in <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2009/10/b2b-web-20-is-overbefore-it-ever.html">B2B Over Before it Ever Started</a>?</em> “ Look for that soon. <br /><br /><br /><br />Best practices from the presenters:<br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><strong>Best Leverage of Existing Assets Award goes to Dupont</strong>. They went back into their video files and found product testing videos showing bullets hitting Kelvar, things blowing up and/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGHkX_wOnwQ&feature=related">or on fire</a>…simply brilliant. New information added <a href="http://adage.com/brightcove/lineup.php?lineup=1266084202">10/28/09</a></li><br /><li><strong>Best Use of Social Media for a Campaign Award goes to Intuit.</strong> They ran a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2EF36196A3508771&search_query=intuit+small+business+winner">great campaign</a> aimed at SMB - helping them use Social Media to promote their businesses.</li><br /><li><strong>Best Use of Comedy in a Video Award goes to IBM</strong> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSqXKp-00hM">The Art of the Sale</a></li><br /><li><strong>Best Use of Blogs to Increase Customer Spending</strong> – <a href="http://www.louispage.com/blog/">Louis E Page</a></li><br /></ul>I didn’t get a chance to catch all of the presentation… had some problems getting into the city so I missed other “best of’s.” To see all the presentations, check out the <a href="http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=9c6b69da-14dc-464c-b677-5cd98a887d2f">event site for the presentation</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-34645191065917721922009-08-13T09:48:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:07:04.530-08:00How Online Innovation is Changing How We CommunicateI was on a flight last week and picked up the new August edition of <a href="http://www.usairwaysmag.com/">USAir’s in-flight magazine</a>. What struck me about this edition was that it listed four bloggers as contributors. Visiting their <a href="http://www.usairwaysmag.com/contributors/">website</a> I later learned that over a dozen bloggers were listed as regular contributors with various interests, from food to education and medicine…not just travel, as you would expect.<br /><br /><br /><br />On the return flight, I found a copy of the latest edition of <a href="http://men.style.com/gq">GQ</a> in the back of the seat. Flipping through it I noticed a section that featured an IM string among 5 individuals, riffing on subjects ranging from the latest movie release to music on their iPods. It read like a stream of consciousness written by someone with ADD, but I will say it did convey a tremendous amont of information in a pretty interesting format...in less than 500 words.<br /><br /><br /><br />That same week, I posted a badge on my site that links to a new blog aggregator focused on the B2B Marketing space. I’ve been invited to be a feature contributor to <a href="http://www.b2bmarketingzone.com/">B</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCXsKbrh1TrobjYOCvVkGUPrMtJclO5PArRHZLwgsPxC8wN5tNZDYnhm9k1Q_UxMCc3LQpUNyDDnAF1wgPRzn7VRbUu6yKyMPjJH4nWcRnimTgM8OWKmKzM82ni6hWZ6PtkrwLEgsl2s/s1600-h/badge-b2b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369448816488822210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCXsKbrh1TrobjYOCvVkGUPrMtJclO5PArRHZLwgsPxC8wN5tNZDYnhm9k1Q_UxMCc3LQpUNyDDnAF1wgPRzn7VRbUu6yKyMPjJH4nWcRnimTgM8OWKmKzM82ni6hWZ6PtkrwLEgsl2s/s200/badge-b2b.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 80px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="http://www.b2bmarketingzone.com/">2B Marketing Zone</a>. Although I’m not crazy about the moniker of being an official “Rock Star Blogger” I really like the layout of the site and its goal of aggregating the “<em>best information on the web about B2B Marketing.”</em><br /><br /><br /><br />How do all these things hang together? In an article in the in-flight magazine (written by a contributing blogger) entitled <a href="http://www.usairwaysmag.com/articles/the_internet_has_made_us_lazy/"><em>The Internet Has Made Us Lazy</em> </a>the author/blogger makes the comment that <em>"There is a ton of content flowing online, but most of it is not worth consuming (and certainly not worth paying for)."</em> It got me thinking about the future of how content is created, aggregated, distributed and communicated.<br /><br /><br /><br />If we are influenced and/or shaped by the latest technologies (which I strongly believe), we will all soon be writing in very short, informative statements of less than 140 words. The popularity of <a href="http://twitter.com/about">Twitter</a> and similar applications is accelerating an already shrinking attention span and producing a tremendous amount of noise in the system. The challenge we’re now facing is how to create more (that is also better) with less…more relevant/timing/insightful information using less words (for example, an average reader of a blog post <a href="http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/03/17/how-long-do-your-readers-stay-at-your-blog-length-of-stay-statistics/">stays roughly 96 seconds</a>).<br /><br /><br /><br />Magazine articles that used to be 2-3 or more pages are now being written like blog posts. As I mentioned, GQ is experimenting with using an IM string as a more rapid fire dump of information. As this trend continues, I believe you will soon see (or see more of) the following:<br /><br /><ul><li>Shorter magazine articles and newspaper columns (think <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/">USA Today</a>, and not <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">NY Times</a>) with more features/columns on the front page. </li><br /><li>Shorter, more informative (more fact, less opinion) blog posts that feed more offline publications.</li><br /><li>Increased use of blogs aggregators and more “smart” search capabilities…lots of information connecting in multiple ways that can be searched quickly. <a href="http://www.bing.com/">Bing</a> is only the beginning.</li><br /><li>Integration of platforms that augment a communication stream….email, IM, photo sharing, etc. e.g. <a href="http://wave.google.com/">Google Wave</a>. </li><br /><li>And if a picture is worth a thousand words...then look for more video and images (and new tools like <a href="http://www.cooliris.com/product/">Cooliris</a>)...and less words on websites. </li><br /></ul>Now, if I could only find a way to say more with less...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-40787378332628879492007-04-23T10:28:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:08:20.542-08:00Sneak Peak - CMO Report Highlights<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tjhWHb8jnLHW3H9TAIBRZWKWCmCHgA1b78pnUONFQdpmlwfnL9m6Ups1kw4PXflNEWftL9PI2x1QZnO2xs1EDKIo6OzuWp5rJkDYXFe9jdG_oH-TK2DzQf_Tlqx4WNFx_LaHjFbv6yc/s1600-h/def_align_report_thumb.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056632391348974690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tjhWHb8jnLHW3H9TAIBRZWKWCmCHgA1b78pnUONFQdpmlwfnL9m6Ups1kw4PXflNEWftL9PI2x1QZnO2xs1EDKIo6OzuWp5rJkDYXFe9jdG_oH-TK2DzQf_Tlqx4WNFx_LaHjFbv6yc/s200/def_align_report_thumb.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.cmocouncil.org/resources/define_and_align_form.asp"><strong>Define & Align</strong> the CMO </a>report is avaliable to today after 2 years in the making. The report actually turned out to be more interesting than we orignal thought based on our working hypothesis.<br /><br />The year-long research by the CMO Council and MarketBridge encompassed qualitative and quantitative interviews with CMOs, CEOs, board members, senior marketers and executive recruiters throughout North America. The 80-page report, priced at $295, along with a complimentary executive abstract, is available for download at <a href="http://www.cmocouncil.org/">http://www.cmocouncil.org/</a>.<br /><br />Here's a teaser of some the insights coming out of the research:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=6864&KeyWords=cmo"><strong><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Confusion over the role</span></strong> </a>- the casualty rate of Chief Marketing Officers can be reduced if CEOs and boards better understood the role, requirements and value of a CMO and empowered the right individuals to architect all aspects of a company’s operations around the customer experience.</li><li><span style="color:#ffcc33;"><strong>"A Fixer Upper"</strong></span> - the report points out that title inflation, unrealistic expectations, flawed hiring practices, talent deficiencies, and lack of requisite business and strategic leadership skills are big contributors to the limited shelf life of CMOs. The research also points to the fact that 50 percent of executive searches are to replace incumbent CMOs who are primarily hired to fix broken marketing organizations, not drive business value. </li><li><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><strong>R-E-S-P-E-C-T</strong></span> - the study uncovers startling contradictions in upper management: most executives consider the CMO a valued member of the executive team, yet they also believe many <a href="http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=6864&KeyWords=cmo">CMOs lack the background and skills needed to be a top management </a>player - a challenge numerous senior marketers share with their CIO counterparts at many companies. Additionally, in a sharp commentary on the connection between strategic value and performance, most CMOs involved in top-level decision-making get high marks from their CEOs for their overall performance, while those CMOs who remain in tactical mode get significantly lower grades. </li><li><span style="color:#ffcc33;"><strong>Show me the Money!</strong></span> - nearly three-quarters of the C-suite executives surveyed consider the marketing organization “highly influential and strategic in the enterprise.” At the same time, nearly two-thirds also say their top marketers don’t provide adequate evidence of ROI with which to gauge marketing’s true performance. </li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Getting a Grade</span></strong> - In a clear sign of the strategic role played by marketing executives, nearly 70% of the CMO respondents to this study report directly to their CEO. However, only 40% of that number get an A grade for their performance from the CEO...most likely the ones who could demonstrate their value! For the most part, CMOs get more respect from the boardroom than from the CEO. Most of the board members surveyed, over 80%, believe that within the next two years, the CMO position will gain greater credibility with the rest of the management team. But in another reality check, less than 20 percent also say that an increasing number of CMOs will rise to the CEO position</li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Longer Tenure</span></strong> - A majority of the recruiters surveyed believe that CMOs have a shorter shelf life than other C-level executives. The <strong><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">average tenure of CMO respondents to this study was 38 months</span>. </span></strong>(In a past report, the search firm Stuart Spencer pegged the number at 23 months). We had a professor from a top business school involved in our research...he's a data/analytics guru. He was also familiar with the Stuart Spencer report, here's a dirty little secret...CMO's your tenure is longer than what SS reports. Don't believe the hype...they are an executive placement firm. </li></ul><p>“If CMOs do face an <a href="http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=6864&KeyWords=cmo">identity crisis</a>, it’s not for lack of marketing competence or creativity – the CMO leadership capabilities and talent levels in the surveyed companies are higher than ever,” said Tim Furey, CEO of MarketBridge. “Rather, the identity crisis stems from a perceived lack of measurable results. The most successful CMOs are aggressively instituting rigorous performance measurement and analytics in every aspect of their organizations, and tying those metrics to revenue and profit growth.” </p><p>I couldn't agree more with Tim's comments...it's all about the numbers now!<br /></p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-73585362640085764112007-04-18T15:13:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:08:20.551-08:00The CMO Club New York Meeting<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6XmrqqPHbPhiS0lHR4blhqsP02enCSafpQYESX913gzjSA6mjQMM6TM88SgFSq3fSvr5KoVO33k_sHjZYfg0IfUoXNGDy6InmuqkhDhjLuMRg0swWT_zjmYmAdAGu1vOl0ofZ95cByg/s1600-h/cmo+club.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054858986608234578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6XmrqqPHbPhiS0lHR4blhqsP02enCSafpQYESX913gzjSA6mjQMM6TM88SgFSq3fSvr5KoVO33k_sHjZYfg0IfUoXNGDy6InmuqkhDhjLuMRg0swWT_zjmYmAdAGu1vOl0ofZ95cByg/s200/cmo+club.png" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you're interested (and in the area) I'll be speaking at an upcoming <a href="http://www.thecmoclub.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">CMO Club</span></strong> </a>meeting in New York on April 24th.<br /><br />I'll be presenting insights from our <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2007/03/2007-sales-effectiveness-study.html"><em><span style="color:#ffff33;">2007 Sales Effectiveness</span></em> </a>survey that will be published in Sales & Marketing Managment magazine next month.<br /><br />Here's a preview of the presentation;<br /><ul><li>If we all believe the <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/2006/11/top-ten-truism.html">80/20 rule</a>...80% of our revenues come from 20% of products and customers... </li><br /><li>and it cost 7X to acquire a customer account rather than keep a customer...</li><br /><li>...then why did an overwhelming majority of survey respondents answer that the keys to future growth were acquiring <strong>new customers and selling new products</strong>? </li></ul><p>Attend the meeting and find out why. If you're interested in attending or joining the club talk to<a href="http://www.thecmoclub.blogspot.com/"> Pete Krainik</a>. </p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-32032112063610523672007-04-17T14:58:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:08:20.557-08:00The Role of the CMO<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC5NIB3uUrLnDvFSuImIVfjy68ai3hRbsBy3yjDoN8-jbIUazDsAM-zIgytKMgO4wrmxQpCw2O9KW7UZgFpHLCzu9Sre1cUyTph2B-rJ3ph2wxKhoYlxxFP8oaMfKzGm4X2BypjM8mjY/s1600-h/adweek.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054474920072854834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC5NIB3uUrLnDvFSuImIVfjy68ai3hRbsBy3yjDoN8-jbIUazDsAM-zIgytKMgO4wrmxQpCw2O9KW7UZgFpHLCzu9Sre1cUyTph2B-rJ3ph2wxKhoYlxxFP8oaMfKzGm4X2BypjM8mjY/s200/adweek.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>MarketBridge and the <a href="http://www.cmocouncil.org/">Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council </a>have partnered for perhaps the most comprehensive look yet at the top rung of the marketing ladder. “Define & Align the CMO” encompasses interviews and surveys of CEOs, CMOs, other high-level marketers, search firm executives and board members—nearly 1,500 study participants in all.<br /><br />The results of the research are in, and are highlighted in this front-page story in the April 16 issue of <a href="http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003571882">Adweek</a>.<br /><br />Given our marketing and sales engagements with a number of Fortune 500 companies, we are well aware of the difficulties faced by CMOs, and believe the importance of the top marketing executive as a driver of company revenue and growth cannot be overstated. The “Define & Align” research sheds new important light on the expectations, challenges, successes and failures of Corporate America in properly assimilating the CMO position into company hierarchy.<br /><br />Please contact us if you would like to receive a copy of the report or if you would like to have one our team members present the findings.<br /><br />In addition, stay tuned for information on an upcoming “Define & Align” Webcast, featuring top executives who will weigh in on the state of the CMO. </div></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-6779302493627887122007-03-16T11:10:00.000-07:002013-02-04T01:08:20.563-08:002007 Sales Effectiveness Study<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLUghqpszOustWVobmjcojXbJYh1OF_LKA3cQfdmgqGJcNHyWQSjpKSM4TxKnneE3hPCf7AakDRnd2Dk6HphdbV8xzgssotIgsPFm6tHfM9ID3gcnaSqfmIPVHrzvZtn9O4gE_rS6sx8/s1600-h/S&MM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042541466641118402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLUghqpszOustWVobmjcojXbJYh1OF_LKA3cQfdmgqGJcNHyWQSjpKSM4TxKnneE3hPCf7AakDRnd2Dk6HphdbV8xzgssotIgsPFm6tHfM9ID3gcnaSqfmIPVHrzvZtn9O4gE_rS6sx8/s200/S&MM.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>After four<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBb2pwfJWq3J9ZLxfrVeYyLJ8egi-tlgGsqJa1CWZ3Dfi7icSLd4HsEzv-jCBSHvNx32p1h8oenCAs0FPLO1HtkHM-bdpM0X2CxiNFHoFyDnpKWmEdAC6JrNJITC-kvT397b6DeZgynMc/s1600-h/S&MM.jpg"></a> straight years of economic expansion, companies are now developing and implementing plans to capitalize on changes in their competitive markets. <span style="color:#ffff99;"><strong>The “Sales Effectiveness” study</strong></span>, fielded in Q4 2006 by <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/www.market-bridge.com">MarketBridge</a> in partnership with <a href="http://www.salesandmarketing.com/msg/publications/smm.jsp">Sales & Marketing Management </a>magazine, identifies the most effective sales strategies for maximum growth, while revealing major sales challenges going forward.<br /></div><br /><div>The insights of nearly <strong><em>200 sales and marketing executives and managers</em></strong> generated some provocative findings, among them: </div><ul><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">More than half of respondents said their sales forces spend 50 percent or less of its time</span></strong> actually selling. Furthermore nearly three-fourths said their sales forces spent 50 percent or less of its time in direct contact with customers.<br /></li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Top three strategies for growth</span></strong>: Introducing new products or product extensions (45 percent); reorganizing the sales organization (39 percent); changing the focus on customer or market segments (35 percent). That said, exactly one-third said they had “high confidence” in their companies reaching their growth goals in 2007.<br /></li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Greatest customer demands</span></strong>: Companies are strained to offer “new products at reduced prices,” and to follow up on those offerings with “better service.” Further, more than a third (34.7 percent) said they were just “somewhat prepared” to deliver on those customer demands. </li></ul><p>The findings of the study will be highlighted in the May edition of <em>Sales & Marketing Management</em> magazine. For more informatin on the survey results please contact Mark Donnolo at MarketBridge <a href="mailto:mdonnolo@market-bridge.com">mdonnolo@market-bridge.com</a>.<br /></p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-53545862029143979042007-03-07T21:39:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:08:20.570-08:00Telecom Sales Effectiveness Study<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL39Mb7n4yuk5VRaM1cEE4LXFTxPjlZI8QdMpqsSS5zhYYscQn_784Q9p4ZyLsOcYkTjwhlim2WtBJtokfS5nQdDoi2KE3OxOlaUCix2b8JkxhzzNOReXbnHsrb-dyX9jL8GChUqU2WDI/s1600-h/telephony.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039751988907227218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL39Mb7n4yuk5VRaM1cEE4LXFTxPjlZI8QdMpqsSS5zhYYscQn_784Q9p4ZyLsOcYkTjwhlim2WtBJtokfS5nQdDoi2KE3OxOlaUCix2b8JkxhzzNOReXbnHsrb-dyX9jL8GChUqU2WDI/s200/telephony.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Here's an upcoming Webinar you may be interested in joining<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Telecom Marketing & Sales Outlook</span><br /></span></strong><br />Join industry experts for 30-minutes of informative discussion and audience interaction on marketing and sales challenges, strategies, trends and best practices in the telecommunications space.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">What:</span></strong> Complimentary “<span style="color:#cc9933;"><em>Driving Telecom Marketing And Sales Effectiveness</em>,</span>” Webinar, presented by <a href="http://b2bknowledgesharing.blogspot.com/www.market-bridge.com">MarketBridge</a>, <a href="http://telephonyonline.com/">Telephony Magazine </a>and the <a href="http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/">Kellogg School of Management</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>When</strong>:</span> Tuesday, April 19, 2007, 1:00-1:30 p.m. (EST)<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong>Who</strong>:</span> Mark Donnolo, Senior Vice President of MarketBridge head of our Telecommunications Practice, Estelle Conover, VP Alliance Channels, AT&T Southeast, and moderator Dan O’Shea, editor-in-chief of Telephony Magazine<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Why:</span></strong> This event is based on the first annual “<em>Driving Telecom Marketing & Sales Effectiveness Survey,</em>” which gathered insights from 350 marketing and sales executives and managers from 160 leading Telecom Carriers, Wireless Providers, Cable Companies and Equipment Manufacturers.<br /><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Topics to be discussed:</span></strong><br /></p><ul><li>Focus on Enterprise, SMB, Consumer</li><br /><li>Growth Strategies</li><br /><li>Focus on Customers and Prospects </li><br /><li>Key Challenges</li></ul><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">How:</span></strong> To register (complimentary) click <a href="http://www.market-bridge.com/marketbridge/files/ccLibraryFiles/Filename/000000000096/invite.html">here</a></p><p>The <em>“Driving Telecom Marketing & Sales Effectiveness</em>” final report will be available for download on the day of the webinar. For a brief overview and interpretation of the key findings, listen to the podcast with MarketBridge’s Mark Donnolo and Telephony’s Dan O’Shea. We hope you will join us for what promises to be an informative event!</p></div></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-8897035097232449082007-01-04T16:28:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:08:20.577-08:00PR Firms - You're Next<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQQ4BC1dHP1qXXs0HKXMFruHDVlTVXlw2HDBPpr656nuJXml_4whmKMOVECRyhUDMiyclnnNjxSBGuJUDAjV99D8gy6NNw6XjTIcn1tJPYAX_3eoXVX57OpCTcipc6YkQEh_YsetrNMg/s1600-h/bullseye.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016686092586469010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQQ4BC1dHP1qXXs0HKXMFruHDVlTVXlw2HDBPpr656nuJXml_4whmKMOVECRyhUDMiyclnnNjxSBGuJUDAjV99D8gy6NNw6XjTIcn1tJPYAX_3eoXVX57OpCTcipc6YkQEh_YsetrNMg/s200/bullseye.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy New Year and Welcome Back!<br /></span><br />In keeping with the New Year tradition, I'd like to make a prediction for the year...<span style="color:#ffcc33;">PR firms are going to feel the pain</span> that the big agencies have felt over the last few years.<br /><br />Last year, big agencies continued to take a beating...shrinking profitability as spending continues to shift to online and away from TV and other profitable media, massive loss of talent to clients and/or new start-ups, and finally, clients dissatifaction with the traditional agency model, etc.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffff99;">Big Agency Model</span></strong><br /><br />Dissatifaction with the Big Agency business model you say – but why? Here's one man's cynical view of how the "game" works.<br /><br />Big agency wins account using outsourced, incredibly talented "pitch team", really innovative creative, and a promise of a global platform which promise to improve the "message", create synergies, improve spend, etc. The client drinks the "kool aid" but then quickly comes to realize that it was a <em>sham.</em> The account manager is not the person who pitched them and starts to do a very good impression of the "invisible man". The once huge and skilled account team is also disappearing, being replaced by a staff that contains mostly fresh faced kids just out of school.<br /><br />The account relationships sputters along with marginal performance. The client BU’s and Regions get fed up with the "Global Platform" (never getting the attention and team promised) and start going outside using smaller, smarter and more valued agencies (who happened to have the talent who have recently left a big agency…after being purchased). And the innovative "Creative" they showed to win the account turns out to be the only creative thing they've produced in the last few years (oh, and it was created by a smaller specialize agency).<br /><br />Big agency realizes the account is at risk and begins acquiring the small agencies that are serving the client to secure the account. If the client is willing to commit to retaining the agency after all this...they promise to win them an award and get them really good concert tickets.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ffff99;">PR's Turn</span><br /></span>Ok, now it's PR turn in the barrel. But I think the thing that is going to most threaten the PR firms is new PR software vendors/tools like <a href="http://www.vocus.com/content/index.asp">Vocus</a>. They threatened to disintermediate them because in the past PR firms traded on the tact that they knew who to contact, about what and when. Tools like Vocus are taking a little mystery out of the PR magic.<br /><br />They contain a database of key media contacts, contact tracking, links into channels like PR Newswire, etc. Everything you need to "do it yourself". But Scott, what about the relationship that PR firms have at the media outlets that you're targeting? Forget about it. Here's the bottom line...relationships don't matter.<br /><br />The Media "establishment" has no loylaties...they take want they need to meet a deadline. If you make it easy for them, give them something of value (something that meets the 3 "C's" critirea) and/or help them out in a pinch...you have as good a relationship as anyone else. </div><div><br />So what is the threat? I think the smart companies are going to start bringing more and more of the PR activities back in-house. Most likely, it will start in small and mid-tier sized companies and will work its way up the ranks. Combine this with the framentation of media, smaller niche players targeting specific market segments, Web 2.0 technologies and you have a situation where companies will be able to get their message to their target audience better then ever and at a much lower cost.<br /><br />I'm not a betting man, but this one looks like a sure thing.<br /><br />Here's to a successful and profitable 2007</div></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138086755795025673.post-49124822513228307862006-12-21T09:07:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:08:20.584-08:00Web 2.0: Please!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird65F6ku1q5Zk_ultTz-mbKbgNEu-yaLxuQwNfVtcJGpS7Ff9Dxio15DNUsQ0dn_UAOpZZwYsUpOoZuuEAoPej_UTX2AItBFvH3qA471xaIdo7qsHpwKsnJylR41jdXl-Q1LJrn56aHk/s1600-h/For+Complex+Selling+with+Multiple+Decision-Makers+and+Long.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010987605175498114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird65F6ku1q5Zk_ultTz-mbKbgNEu-yaLxuQwNfVtcJGpS7Ff9Dxio15DNUsQ0dn_UAOpZZwYsUpOoZuuEAoPej_UTX2AItBFvH3qA471xaIdo7qsHpwKsnJylR41jdXl-Q1LJrn56aHk/s200/For+Complex+Selling+with+Multiple+Decision-Makers+and+Long.gif" border="0" /></a> I am soooo over the hype on the "second coming" of the Web. So here's my Christmas present to you. Do you want to know what Web 2.0 is about? OK, so many of you may be saying what the hell is it?<br /><br />Good question, the media has been hyping it for what seems like an eternity but I still haven't seen a good simple explanation. Some like BtoB magazine are even calling it a "Revolution".<br /><br />Here's what I think 2.0 is really about ...<span style="color:#ffcc33;"><strong>it </strong><strong>is</strong></span><span style="color:#ffcc33;"> <strong>about creating an engaging and useful web experience that is designed by the user community</strong></span>...and of course, all the web tools/applications to enable this (Blogs, Podcast, social networking, etc.). Yes, that's it. Creating opportunities within your site to let visitors give you feedback on their experience -- and you (Company X) actually paying attention and doing something about it.<br /><br />The best part is that you don't have to wait until the hype and new technologies start rolling out to build your own Web 2.0 site right now. In fact, you probably already have pieces of "Web 2.0" in site right now. A few tips for getting started:<br /><br /><ul><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Track/Determine Interaction Time and/or Engagement Level</span></strong>- go beyond measuring typically web metrics (traffic, clicks, etc.) to measuring Interaction Times. Determine not only if the visitor is returning to your site but also how much time are they spending on it. You also need to understand where they have come from, your sales process by product, where customers spend their time (in what channel to learn, shop and buy) and finally, how long it takes (on average). As you can see from the graphic above, in Hi-Tech customers surf among channels (both online and offline). Complex sales, as you would expect take much longer and consume more Face-to-Face resource time. Oh, by the way, the research done to produce this graphic was conducted for a client in 2003. So much for the "revolution" of Web 2.0. </li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Build Information "Depots"</span></strong> - if you want customers to give you feedback, give them something to respond to and an opportuntity to do so by giving them vehicles/channels to communicate. HP is experimenting with giving IT professionals new media tools such as <a href="http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/underhill/">Blogs</a> to engage with customers. And <a href="http://www.intuit.com/">Intuit</a> has created a feedback button called "We Hear You" that enables Quickbook users to submit product feedback. Keep in mind, if you want something of value (information) you have to give something of value. If you don't have an even exchange you will not get the information you want...so get those offers together (white papers, research, etc.). </li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Go beyond Community Building</span></strong> - You'll hear a lot of hype around "communities" and many of you probably have robust user communities. Get the communities more involved in building, testing and promoting your products, website, campaign,etc. Start measuring "Net Promoters" - a metric of customers who would recommend your products. Word of mouth is still THE most powerful marketing tool, but with <a href="http://www.womma.org/ethics/">recent regulatory changes</a>, be careful on how you motivate customers to sing your praises. </li><li><strong><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Leverage Existing Tools</span></strong> - years ago we started to leverage an Online Training tool called <em><a href="http://presentation.brainshark.com/powerpoint-presentations-index.asp">Brainshark</a>. </em>It allowed us to create On Demand sales and marketing presentations using PowerPoint and a phone...very simple and convenient. But the most valuable part of the tool was the tracking. We were able to see who was viewing the presentation as soon as they opened it, how long they viewed it, how many pages and who they sent it to, etc. We able to measure the interest levels inside a company, decide on who to pursue and predict when we would acquire the account -- all by watching how people interacted with us in a "virtual" world. This functionality now resides in most Webcast tools so make sure you are taking advantage of your investments in Webex, Placeware, etc. </li><li><span style="color:#ffcc33;"><strong>Before, At and After the Web</strong> </span>- think about what information you want to collect at each of those stages. Also, think about what you want the visitor to see and retain in each of those areas. <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em>This is the "customer experience"</em></span>.</strong></span> Organize and integrate your activities by segment (customer, product, etc.) against these three stages to create a seamless experience that reinforces your message. With complex products/solutions, for example, each stage should communicate a portion of the total message, and subsequent stage should reinforce the previous stage. Breaking the message up into pieces and then, hopefully, rebuilding it in the mind of the visitor piece by piece as they go throught the buying process. So a customer may see a TV ad, then visit your website and finally call you contact center to place the order. You must anticipate, plan and, hopefully, direct the customer buying behavior to drive the response, conversion, close and yield rates. </li></ul><p>The bottom line is that Web 2.0 is not "revolutionary". The concept is not new, in fact, if we had to do the first round of the Web all over again we would of done it this way...let your visitors/customers design your website the way they want to use it. But what might be different this time is that I think we are ready to listen to them. </p><p>Have a great holiday! Talk to you in the New Year. </p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16589517314473857736noreply@blogger.com