Latest Columns

  1. Is Your B2B Social Media Program Like A Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone?

    For years when a B2B company expressed an interest in starting a social media program, I often cautioned them that it was like a self-licking ice cream cone. Were they prepared to continuously put fresh scoops of content on their page? However, my advice was wrong!

  2. Are Your Customers Everywhere In Your Marketing Content?

    Chevy introduced their 2023 electric vehicle (EV) fleet in September, a traditional time when automakers unveil their new models. The timing of the campaign, done by ad agency Commonwealth//McCann, isn’t unusual, but it is a great ad that offers a lesson in customer-centric messaging. 

  3. Are Your Marketing Tactics Supporting Your Business Strategy? If You're Not Sure, Try Task And Purpose

    I speak with a lot of B2B marketing professionals who describe their work as trying to manage chaos. Unrealistic deadlines, constantly changing priorities, emergency press releases that never get approved for distribution, and tradeshow collateral that must be created and overnighted are all in a typical day’s work. I’ve been in newsrooms less frenzied.

    Marketing is intended to be the process organizations use to engage target audiences, nurture customer relationships, develop business, and, ultimately, generate revenue. But too many organizations are drowning in tactics that are not linked to their business strategy. To gain clarity, think task and purpose.

  4. Reframing The Relationship Between B2B Sales And Marketing

    Exploring ways to improve the relationship between sales and marketing in B2B businesses is like venturing into the Sahara on foot without water. Rarely do business leaders intentionally set out to change marketing and sales operations, to include organizational structure and processes. We too easily retreat to the risk-free zone of “but that’s the way we’ve always done it.” However, the harsh truth is that this modus operandi is fraught with risk.  

  5. Follow, Understand, And Help Your Buyer: The Modern Paradigm For B2B Marketing And Sales

    Paradigm is one of those big words that is packed with meaning. It is often used to introduce ideas intended to be epic and have a foundational impact on us. B2B marketing and sales is overserved with tactics and failproof processes to deliver better results. What we need is a modern paradigm, a different way to think about B2B marketing, sales, and our buyers. The paradigm is called follow, understand, and help.

  6. Are Your Marketing And Sales Adrift Because Of Your Technology?

    The Hudson River flows from the Adirondacks southward to New York Harbor. In some places it is peaceful and picturesque, in others, busy with large commercial ships, high winds, and changing tides. If you’re navigating the river in a small boat, it’s important to pay attention to your surroundings and keep an eye on your destination. A boat that is adrift poses a great danger to itself and its occupants. 

  7. Making B2B Human Again!

    At some point we sucked the life out of our B2B marketing communications. Maybe it’s the way we over automate our outgoing messages or that we’ve turned our marketing departments into impersonal content production centers.

  8. Measuring The Results Of B2B Marketing: Looking Beyond Sales Lead Attribution

    While there is an overwhelming amount of data that tells us the buyer’s journey begins long before direct contact with a salesperson, most B2B solution providers attribute leads to something that occurred right before the direct contact. For example, they saw our booth at a tradeshow, or they contacted us right after visiting our website. However, a single piece of marketing collateral rarely, if ever, converts someone from knowing nothing about you to a sales qualified lead. 

  9. There Must Be A Better Way!

    Hayato Nakamura recalls the excitement he experienced when he reported for his first job out of college with a Fortune 500 company. His onboarding consisted of being walked to an office cubicle containing only a desk and a phone. He was handed a printed lead list and instructed to begin smiling and dialing. It wasn't long before his bliss melted away and the grind set it in. There must be a better way, he thought. Good news, there is!

  10. What Does A Helping B2B Relationship Look Like?

    If there was a Mount Rushmore for the world of sales, Zig Ziglar would hold an anchor position. Zig was a prolific author, captivating motivational speaker, salesman, and personal development trainer. He helped millions of people achieve goals that they believed were beyond their reach. He also redefined the relationship between seller and buyer, one characterized by helping!