Entries by John Stone
Example Closed-loop Marketing Design Principles
Closed-loop marketing represents an evolving challenge for many organizations. While the promise of closed-loop marketing has been with us for over a decade, effective implementation can still be elusive – particularly for larger enterprises that have data and organizational complexities that can impact a smooth implementation. As part of the architecture for a closed-loop system, it can be very […]
Should I ride 50 or 100 miles at the Best Buddies Challenge?
I am pleased to be riding the Best Buddies Challenge bike ride to the Cape Cod over Memorial Day weekend. Help us support this great cause with your donation. Vote the distance with your donation! $0-$99 is a vote for 50 miles $100+ is a vote a vote for 100 miles – 1 vote for […]
Align Sales and Marketing with a Revenue Systems Blueprint
When implementing CRM and Marketing Automation, first align marketing and sales with a Revenue Systems Blueprint. For 20 years, CRM (and now Marketing Automation) has promised to help organizations capture customer value. Businesses that attract, sell, service and retain the best customers see positive effects on growth and profitability. By delivering relevant experiences, customers engage more deeply, become more […]
A 5 Stage Sales Pipeline Management Model
Effective sales pipeline management is vital to your business. Align your teams around a ‘lingua franca’ to better manage deal qualification, forecasting and the sales process. We know the B2B sales pipeline is changing. Inbound marketing and emerging marketplaces (like 99designs, Thumbtack and BlurGroup among others) manage elements of prospecting and the lead generation cycle outside of […]
Marketing Automation Selection Criteria
Choosing a marketing automation vendor can be challenging. Whether you are jumping into marketing automation for the first time, or are re-evaluating your current system, it can be a difficult and daunting task – especially with how many options are out there these days. Marketing Automation Selection Criteria can help. The vendor you choose will have […]
7 Attributes of a Lead Scoring Model
Every company will have different ways of measuring a qualified lead, yet there is a set of factors that you can use to map into a lead-scoring model. Many marketing automation solutions, such as Eloqua, Marketo, Hubspot, Pardot, ShaprSpring, and others, have built-in lead scoring algorithms and pass this information into a CRM system like […]
Sales Imperatives for the Mutual Fund Wholesaler
Across industries, there are a lot of articles that suggest sales is dead. The argument is that web provides a content rich platform for buyers to “self-sell” and there is no longer a need for a salesperson to drive awareness, shape and develop needs and craft tailored solutions. Some studies found that 70-80+% of a decision is made on the web and through trusted networks before a person ever engages a sales person. The sales rep’s role is reduced to order taking at the end of a self-sell cycle.
Attributes of Consultative Solution Sales
As we are onboarding some interns with a sales-focused role in a few weeks, we kicked off discussions about what sales and marketing are all about. For people new to sales, it can be a bit confusing and there remains a range of perceptions about sales and the value of sales – from “used car salesman” analogies, to the […]
Boost Performance with Sales Incentives
When sales and marketing work together harmoniously, all is well. Marketing builds the brand and drums up leads; sales reels them in and brings them home as paying customers. Yet we know. particularly for sales, that sales incentives are the critical driver for performance focus. With today’s more unified revenue value chain and closed-loop across marketing […]