Only 36 per cent of B2B software buyers say vendors live up to the promises they make about their products and services, according to a research study where the vast majority of firms claimed to be open about any limitations their offerings may have. The 2018 B2B Buying Disconnect report is based on a survey […]
Category: Sales
NetApp EVP offers an inside look at how a sales shift contributed to the storage firm’s turnaround
For Henri Richard, starting his job at NetApp during the enterprise storage technology firm’s annual sales kickoff was something of a double-edged sword. “It was my first exposure to the company, and on the one hand, it gave me a really good feel for the organization at large,” he told B2B News Network in a […]
Fision explores patenting the use of blockchain in its digital asset and sales enablement portfolio
Fision may soon build upon its track record of putting marketing and sales teams on the same page by obtaining a provisional patent for using blockchain to exchange critical business information. Based in Minneapolis, Fision Corp. offers a cloud-based sales enablement tool that manages digital assets like marketing materials as they are distributed to sales […]
InsideView research reveals critical attitudes among Millennial sales and marketing professionals
Millennial-aged sales and marketing professionals have an even lower opinion of each other’s roles in the enterprise than the current generation, according to research conducted by CRM and marketing intelligence software maker InsideView. In its report, “The State of Sales & Marketing Alignment in 2018: How Leading B2B Companies Drive Growth by Aligning Go-to-Market Teams.” San […]
The folly of salespeople guessing email addresses, according to data
Prospecting is tough. There are a handful of components of cold email outreach, and each one is absolutely necessary to be successful. It’s hard enough to write an eye-catching message. And sending that email at a time when the prospect will read it, and respond to it is even harder. Not to mention the significant […]
The C-Suite sale: Keys to determining the relevant executive for a sales opportunity
Competitive salespeople don’t waste people’s time, least of all their own. They identify the relevant executive for each sales opportunity, and they take time to understand the dynamics of their customer’s organization to uncover where influence, power, and control over a particular project reside. “It doesn’t have to be the CEO of a corporation,” said […]
SiriusDecisions: Only 9% of sales and marketing execs say the way they work is aligned with buyer needs
Less than 10 per cent of Canadian sales and marketing organizations say their functions are completely aligned to buyer needs, according to research released by SiriusDecisions as part of its first-ever Canadian Summit on Thursday. While 69 per cent of organizations said their functions are at least partially aligned to buyer needs, 22 per cent […]
The uncommon sense sellers of all kinds should try to keep in mind
I opened my business in 2002—an idiotic time to do this. The dot-com bubble had burst and 9/11 had shaken the planet. The world was in turmoil. But I was on a mission. I had worked with, led, and mentored salespeople for over two decades. And I noticed talented sellers and business owners slam into […]
Outlaw fights back at the incomprehensible legalese that plagues business contracts
It should have been a celebratory time for Evan Schneyer. His travel-oriented startup, Wanderfly, was being sold to Tripadvisor after about five weeks’ worth of discussion. Then, when it came time to sign on the dotted line, the contract challenges emerged that gave birth to his new venture, Outlaw. “It was like a glorified job […]
Exclusive: The missing link between ABM and sales planning challenges
Marketers need to choose the right account-based marketing strategy and sales teams need to improve the accuracy of their sales planning processes, according to an eBook from SiriusDecisions that continues to make the case for closer collaboration across the enterprise functions. The SiriusDecisions 2018 Planning Guide (registration required), which also covers issues for those working […]
Twitter Chat Recap: Thoughts on ABM and SDSummit with SiriusDecisions
Ally Motz, President of Sirius Decisions Canada, joined our very own Jen Evans, CEO of B2B News Network for a Twitter Chat yesterday on all things B2B in Canada. If you missed it, we’ve got you covered. He has been leading Sirius Decisions in Canada since inception, and led Gartner Canada before that. Congratulations to […]
A sales coach offers his best advice on making great first impressions with customers and prospects
Take it from an experienced sales coach: one of the hardest tasks is to quickly establish credibility. This applies to everyone you meet with for the first time. All things being equal, a positive first impression means they will trust you to help them. A negative first impression can only be corrected by time and […]
SiriusDecisions to launch research study and annual summit for Canadian B2B organizations
SiriusDecisions is conducting a research study exploring some of the biggest challenges within B2B organizations, the results of which will kick off its first-ever Canadian conference in March. The firm’s 2018 Canadian B2B Sales, Marketing and Product Management Study will be highlighted at SiriusDecisions 2018 Summit Canada, a day-long gathering with keynotes from Export Development Canada, […]
Groove.co CEO says the long-sought alignment between sales and marketing teams is finally here
It has taken years, but all the same shifts that have happened in marketing — from one-way messaging to personalized, data-driven campaigns and account-based approaches — are finally hitting sales teams, according to the CEO of Groove.co. The San Francisco-based firm, which makes applications to assist with sales enablement within companies, recently launched an integration […]
How to Harness the True Power of the 7 Top Content Types for B2B Lead Generation
Today’s top B2B brands tend to rely on seven types of marketing content to generate the majority of their leads. These content types include, in order of effectiveness, email marketing, content marketing social media marketing, landing page and website optimization, SEO, paid search, and webinars or virtual events. Before your organization starts putting these […]
The ABCs of data normalization for B2B marketers
Data normalization. It’s not a far stretch to suggest that the topic isn’t exactly what gets marketers excited to get out of bed in the morning. But if lead generation, reporting, and measuring ROI is important to your marketing team, then data normalization matters. A lot. Back up, just what is data normalization? At a […]
DemandBase connects Conversion Solution with Salesforce, Slack and LinkedIn Sales Navigator
DemandBase on Thursday will announce a move to further assist marketers and sales teams to keep up with buyers’ plans via an update to its Conversion Solution tool, allowing customers to link it with major third-party applications including Salesforce, Slack and LinkedIn Sales Navigator,. The company said Conversion Solution will directly integrate the Real-Time Intent features — […]
How to identify the right product differentiator to boost marketing and sales success
One of the biggest challenges for today’s seller is helping their buyer understand their product or service’s differentiator — in other words, what makes it better than others that walk, talk, look and act like it. None of us wishes for our solutions to be thought of as an imitator or second-best. We want our business […]
5 Spotify playlists to help sales and marketing teams create the perfect soundtrack for 2018
The day after New Year’s is typically when the music stops and the back-to-work monotony begins. Hopefully you’re coming back to your desk feeling refreshed after at least a few days off from work, but even then, getting back into the groove, so to speak, can be difficult. That’s where Spotify’s playlists come in. If you […]
Best of B2BNN 2017: Why these 10 stories resonated with senior business leaders
Assessing the performance of stories on B2B News Network is probably a little different than most other online publications. First, there’s the nature of the audience, which spans everyone from CMOs and CIOs to heads of sales and even company owners or CEOs. Although some of what we publish would be of interest to all of them, there are […]