sales and marketing plan

The liquidity risks of 2008/9, public bailout, market nervousness and contraction, financial market uncertainty, high unemployment and subsequently sluggish US economy have all commanded world attention for the last two or three years. None of this though prepared most of us for the genuine risk of sovereign debt default for a growing group of member states, and the potential collapse of the European Union, or at least that of the Euro Zone.

I recently read another great post on the Marketing Automation Software Guide.  The article entitled, Close the Gaps to Close More Sales with Marketing Automation, was written by Sharon Drew Morgan who has written and spoken passionately about the need for new sales models and processes.

In business, there is endless debate about 'strategy'. Yet the term is often confusing or misunderstood. In many businesses, strategy refers to anything ranging from business goals and target markets to specifics such as website management. A scattergun approach often ensues.

B2B marketing and sales professionals often hear about how they need to align themselves for successful business outcomes. As simple as it is to say, the reality is that it is often quite a difficult thing to achieve, and in some cases a seemingly insurmountable task. So it helps to be able to learn from companies that have succeeded in achieving alignment.

Hugh Macfarlane, Founder & CEO of MathMarketing, writes... We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. B2B marketing is nothing without a strong sales team to work with on the same set of goals. The crucial thing for B2B marketing teams to pre-empt, is that their sales counterparts will likely have more talk-time with prospects, and so that time needs to be spent wisely. So how can B2B marketing teams help sales develop this wisdom?

Hugh Macfarlane, Founder & CEO of MathMarketing, writes... The Mecca for social media in B2B marketing is at DemandCon on May 19th. If you’ve ever thought to yourself – ‘how does social media work in B2B marketing’ – but never quite received all the answers you needed, then I would pay close attention to what happens at the ‘Intra Funnel – Social Media Panel’ presentation on day 2 of DemandCon. So why do I believe this presentation to be so significant for B2B marketing professionals?

Hugh Macfarlane, Founder & CEO of MathMarketing, writes... Both demand generation and closing a sale are often a strong focus in B2B marketing strategies. But there is much to be said for what happens in between. This is where leakage can occur, and if your B2B marketing strategy doesn’t include a plug for leakage in the middle of the funnel, then those leads that you nurtured at the top will have been a waste of time. Does your company have a plan for the middle of the Funnel?

The way people search for products has drastically changed. B2B marketing plans seem to describe potential customers as if they are static up to a certain point, then all-of-a-sudden engaged. But buyers are seeking out information all the time through Google, blogs and social media. So how do you leverage this new buyer-behaviour in a B2B marketing plan that helps them move though your sales funnel?

Hugh Macfarlane, Founder & CEO of MathMarketing, writes... As a Principal Analyst at Forrester, Jeff Ernst seems to live within MathMarketing’s world of business-to-business sales and b2b marketing. He too believes that aligning Sales and Marketing is part and parcel of an effective revenue growth strategy. At DemandCon in May, Jeff will present, ‘Level Setting – The State of Demand Generation.’ So, what can attendees expect to take away from Jeff’s presentation?