Danny Wong says, “All salespeople have heard the term “build rapport” more times than they can count, and for good reason: Rapport is a critical element of any sale. But if your competitors are already doing it, and well, you have to do it better to outsmart those competitors and win over those clients. How do you build rapport? Consider your closest friends. When you first met, what drew you to them? Were they outgoing, sincere? Quick to help? Honest? Did they show respect for your time and values? Alternately, consider people you’ve met who seemed off-putting. Which aspects... [...]

Casandra Campbell says, “As usual, we wrote a lot of articles in 2016. Whether you’re a new reader or you’ve been with us for a while, chances are, you’ve probably missed a few articles along the way. To make sure you get a chance to read all the best stuff, we created this list of 2016’s most popular articles. Top 10 Articles in 2016 Below, you’ll find a list of handy time management apps, tips for driving more sales with Facebook and Pinterest, step-by-step advice on importing or dropshipping products from China, and much much more. Everything you need to start... [...]

Jodi Harris says, “Love the fresh start you get after the holidays, but dread coming back to the office knowing just how much pressure you’ll be under to make up for all that lost time? The CMI editorial team feels your pain, so we put together a little seasonal present to help you hit the ground running – without undoing the stress-busting benefits of taking some well-deserved time off. We’ve collected some of our most popular strategy, planning, and measurement templates to help make your content marketing efforts easier to manage throughout the year. You can also access additional... [...]

Erik Matlick says, “The lull between Christmas and New Year’s is traditionally a time for looking back at the best practices (and missteps) of the year gone by, in the hopes of getting a jump on the trends that will dominate the coming year. For B2B marketers, 2017 will be about three Cs: Consolidation, Convergence and the Collective. Consolidation of vendors and dashboards 2016 might best be described as the year Account-Based Marketing (ABM) took over B2B marketing. While the basic principles of ABM are not new, ad tech and martech providers worked hard in 2016 to make the process of... [...]

Caroline Robertson says, “As the number of days in 2016 winds down, my own days at Forrester are adding up. I recently joined Forrester as a new B2B marketing research director, working alongside Peter O’Neill. I appreciate how your appreciation of the insights and guidance from our team led to the need for more leadership, and I am thrilled to be here. So as I’ve been immersing myself in the team’s work, I thought that it would be as interesting to you as it was to me to see what our top 10 B2B marketing blogs of the year were. There were more than a quarter of a million reads of... [...]

Scott Salkin says, “In 2015, more than 70% of revenue generated in the US came through indirect sales and marketing channels. 70%! And that spans all vertical markets—from technology to finance and retail to real estate—and businesses of all sizes. Companies are no longer waiting until they’re multinational corporations; even early-stage companies that have their sights fixed on growing fast and far are developing indirect sales ecosystems, working with partners to expand their reach. Could a network of partners be your ticket to accelerated growth and market expansion? If so,... [...]

Dan Bieler says, “Business-to-business (B2B) ecosystems facilitate the continuous exchange of information and collaboration. B2B ecosystems will play a central role for all businesses because they form the basis for redefining approaches toward innovation, knowledge management, supply-chain optimization, product development, sales, and marketing. While the ultimate focus of these ecosystems is to create customer value, their more immediate effect is to drive operational agility in service of customers. Mobility will be a central enabler for these B2B digital ecosystems. Why? Mobility is... [...]

Dipanjan Chatterjee says, “Before I threw caution to the wind and launched myself with wild abandon into the world of branding, I had a normal life.  For a few years, I ran a retail business for a Berkshire Hathaway company (and since everyone asks, yes, I did meet and have dinner with Warren, although I suspect his recollection may not be as crisp as mine.) We manufactured and sold uniforms to government agencies: Police, fire, EMS, postal service, and others. As you’d expect, our customers were quite insistent that the fabric for the uniforms be made in the U.S. That is until... [...]

Samantha Anderson says, “When backed by a strong strategy, B2B online marketing can offer tremendous value to a company. To be effective, it’s important to choose the best approach based on your specific goals. Without a well-informed decision, you risk wasting valuable resources, money and brand equity. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of the impact each approach can have on your bottom line compared to its expense. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective B2B online marketing strategies and how they can affect your business. Inbound marketing Most... [...]

Danny Wong says, “Understanding the trends in sales is half the battle when it comes to designing a plan of action. Keeping up with the news also encourages everyone to stay flexible in a quickly changing world. You’re fighting to schedule yourself in customers’ already filled calendars, and the people that you need to reach are always the ones who have the least time to give. To truly understand where the opportunities and challenges are, it helps to identify the patterns the B2B industry is seeing across the board. Independence in business Hopefully, you’ve already noticed... [...]