Strategic Account Management Association

OCTOBER 26, 2021

By Dominique Côté, Founder and CEO, Cosawi Consulting. In our organization’s work, we see much confusion and lack of clarity on executive sponsorship, even when it is in place. Clarifying the executive sponsor role, behaviors (internally and externally) and expectations is critical if we wish to leverage the role as an accelerator and create executive accountability within the account team.

Account Management 520

Account Management Co-Creation Leadership Decision-making 520

Holden Advisors

OCTOBER 7, 2021

You can’t have confidence in your price unless you have confidence in the value you deliver to your customer’s business. Your products and services provide financial value to your customers by increasing their revenue, reducing their costs, or helping them to mitigate risks. It’s really that simple. How do you build that value understanding? By going out and talking to your customers.

Procurement 369

Procurement Manufacturing Negotiation Stakeholders 369

Account Manager Tips

OCTOBER 11, 2021

15 Reasons Why You Might be a Bad Account Manager Bad key account managers fail to build business relationships and achieve results. But you can quickly improve with a little work and reflection. Discover fifteen things you should stop doing and what to start doing instead. Tweet. 0. Share. 0. Pin. 0. Share. 0. Here are fifteen signs you might be a bad key account manager and how to turn yourself into a good one. 1.

Account Management 246

Account Management Key Account Management Management Suppliers 246

Upland

OCTOBER 8, 2021

“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford. The reality of closing B2B enterprise deals is that prospects want—and expect—to talk with customer references. For even the best and most well-known brands, no reference means no sale. Few organizations are willing to believe you have done it before just because you say so. Putting customers who can validate that you’ve been there and done that on the phone with prospects is critical validation that you will live up to yo

B2B 195

B2B Sales Leadership Organization Customer Success 195

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What if you could help your sellers stop wasting 72% of their day on non-selling activities and focus on bringing in revenue? Incorporating AI in your enablement workflows can help you cut down on busy work, get projects done faster, and let your team (and you!) focus on making a bigger impact. We put together this guide to show you how to use AI to cut time and costs for projects, including collateral creation, development of training videos, and automating tedious processes.

Sales Management

Software Sales Guru

OCTOBER 25, 2021

The Cost of Sales Discussing costs is a part of every sales cycle, and many sellers bring in the cost of the status quo to help justify the price. Yet we rarely look at our own costs to pursue leads that may never close. Think about all zombie accounts that hang out on your forecast for months or years that will never close. Pursuing them. Read more.

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Sales Software Software Management 147

Customer Think

OCTOBER 31, 2021

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – the capability of a machine or piece of software to display human-like intelligence – permeates our daily lives, often in ways we do not notice. It touches us in myriad ways. Advanced technology operates behind the scenes, powering and optimizing smartphone apps, transportation, healthcare, retail, and more. In the words of […].

Artificial Intelligence 145

Artificial Intelligence Transportation Healthcare Retail 145

Holden Advisors

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Big or small, almost all B2B companies have to sell to large, powerful companies because they believe that the "big win" keeps the plant running or resources at capacity. Those negotiations are often tough and focus on price. “Tough” isn't quite the right word – how about brutal? Those big companies, or gorillas, control a lot of revenue, and like it or not, we have to sell to them.

Negotiation 195

Negotiation Suppliers Profitability Government 195

Account Manager Tips

OCTOBER 21, 2021

7 Reasons Why Clients Ghost You (and What to Do About It) When clients don't return your calls or messages, it can feel like they're ghosting you. It's frustrating and stress-inducing. The good news is their silence usually isn't about you. So if you're struggling to connect with your clients, let's take a closer look at what's going on, why you get ghosted and what to do about it.

Key Account Management 246

Key Account Management Client Relationships Negotiation Suppliers 246

Nimble Business Success

OCTOBER 8, 2021

CRM stands for “Customer Relationship Management” We like to emphasize the word Relationship as the abbreviation seems to make people run for their life. Think of CRM as a tool that stores information about your leads, clients, and other valuable real estate contacts. CRM can also be used to help you keep track of all […]. The post 5 Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Need a CRM appeared first on Nimble Blog.

CRM 145

CRM Management 145

Software Sales Guru

OCTOBER 11, 2021

Why is Consultative Selling Better? In a recent Government Software Sales Bootcamp, I put up a slide comparing the traditional selling system with the more modern consultative selling system: Original Selling System Present Handle stalls and objections Close Consultative Selling System Qualify Present Close It was no secret that I’m in favor of the consultative selling system, but I asked the students to discuss why.

Government 147

Government Software Software Sales 147

2023's struggles fueled a shift: companies are ditching wasteful strategies in favor of data and AI-powered growth. Enter 2024, the year GTC takes center stage. Discover 5 ways a customer-centric approach unlocks new revenue and delivers lasting success.

Customer Think

OCTOBER 29, 2021

Tools for Excavating Sources of Next Generation Loyalty Marketers have an overly optimistic perspective on customer loyalty and their implementations of customer loyalty programs. The reality is that very few customers are loyal and much of what we speak of as customer loyalty is no more than repeat transaction behavior. Customer Loyalty Programs Are Really […].

Marketing 145

Marketing Innovation 145

Strategic Communications

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Social media has become a very cost-effective way to connect with, and influence, various audiences including customers and potential customers. In fact, over the years, we have come to rely less on more traditional forms of marketing communications (e.g., print or broadcast advertising, direct mail, etc.) and more on digital channels of communication, like social media.

Small Business 141

Small Business Media B2C Digitalization 141

Holden Advisors

OCTOBER 19, 2021

Too often, sales teams rely too heavily on discounts or service giveaways to close deals. This leads to a host of issues including leaving money on the table, teaching customers to negotiate hard for discounts and freebies, and eroding the customer's perception of your value. How can sales teams get the negotiating flexibility they need to defend value and price?

Negotiation 195

Negotiation Logistics Profitability Innovation 195

Account Manager Tips

OCTOBER 16, 2021

Top 10 LinkedIn Hashtags Every Key Account Manager Should Follow Now You may not know it, but LinkedIn hashtags are an excellent tool for staying up-to-date in your industry, finding relevant and useful information, and expanding your network. Here are ten hashtags that will help you thrive as a key account manager. Follow them to meet like-minded people, learn industry trends, and find answers to your questions!

Key Account Management 244

Key Account Management Account Management Management Media 244

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

B2B

Help Scout

OCTOBER 19, 2021

To get the most out of your customer service team, they need access to the right support tools and resources. Here are 27 to consider.

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Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 8, 2021

Retail is a pillar of the United States' economy — one that's projected to generate an estimated $5.35 trillion in 2025 — and a staple of our day-to-day lives. It's prevalent to the point that we often take both it and the over 4.6 million workers that sustain it for granted. But that $5.35 trillion in revenue isn't going to generate itself, and the salespeople behind most of it — most commonly known as sales associates — deserve some recognition, understanding, and attention.

Retail 137

Retail Sales Communication Sales Environment 137

Customer Think

OCTOBER 19, 2021

Photo by Pixabay, CC0 1.0 Customer Experience (CX) is becoming a significant concern for most business owners. In recent years we have seen many small and large companies investing a fortune to improve customer experience and stay ahead of the competition. Whether it’s for keeping the customer data safe by opting for IT security risk […].

Customer Experience 144

Customer Experience 144

RAIN Group

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Once upon a time, there was a notion that social media was unnecessary for selling; it was a novelty and not a staple. At the time, some believed that enterprise-level decision makers couldn’t be reached on social platforms. Now, however, social media is a necessity to establish credibility with potential buyers.

Media 135

Media 135

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How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

Meetings

Holden Advisors

OCTOBER 14, 2021

When it comes to negotiation, very few sellers spend enough time planning. I encourage you to carve out time to get centered and think about some of the upcoming negotiations you have. There’s a lot to consider, but let's start by thinking differently about your customers and the ways you engage with them. There are many ways that buyers relate to sellers.

Negotiation 195

Negotiation Organization 195

Engage Selling

OCTOBER 15, 2021

Recently, I talked about customer loyalty and how it’s your job—not theirs—to create ideal conditions for them to stick with you. But what about within your organization? It matters here, too. Especially now: everyone’s scrambling to keep their best people … Read More » The post Loyalty Is an Inside Job, Too first appeared on The Sales Leader.

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Organization Sales Sales Leadership Leadership 134

SBI Growth

OCTOBER 27, 2021

What sets CEOs of high-growth companies apart in 2021? Much of it comes down to focus and conviction.

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Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 1, 2021

In recent years, the CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) has evolved far beyond being just a tool for contact management. As 2022 approaches and we move further into the new decade, some key CRM trends will shake up the industry as we know it. Here are some of our top predictions for CRM in the upcoming year, including rising CRM use from new markets, powerful features and integrations, and the impact of wider tech trends on CRM.

CRM 136

CRM Innovation Computers and Electronics Supply Chain 136

Speaker: Susan Spencer, Principal of Spencer Communications

Intent signal data can go a long way toward shortening sales cycles and closing more deals. The challenge is deciding which is the best type of intent data to help your company meet its sales and marketing goals. In this webinar, Susan Spencer, fractional CMO and principal of Spencer Communications, will unpack the differences between contact-level and company-level intent signals.

Sales

Customer Think

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Photo by Pexels, CC0 1.0 During the pandemic, many people have had to work from home and companies have had to let thousands of people go in their roles. Bringing those employees back into the office after so long at home is not going to be an easy feat for a business. There are going […].

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RAIN Group

OCTOBER 15, 2021

I recently conducted a webinar for a client on sales prospecting. Leading up to the webinar, I asked what questions the client had about prospecting so I could tailor the content to their particular challenges. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I only got one response. And that’s not because they are masters of prospecting—quite the contrary.

Sales 132

Sales 132

Holden Advisors

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Pricing strategies are often the last thing entrepreneurs tackle before launching new businesses. It’s a tricky problem to get right. Price too high and you lose potential customers. Too low, and you lose money. To point you in the right direction, here’s a quick step-by-step product pricing strategy to help entrepreneurs get it right. Step 1: Choose ONE customer segment to target.

e-Learning 195

e-Learning Software Software eCommerce 195

Engage Selling

OCTOBER 22, 2021

I recently had a conversation with a really smart sales VP who said, “I need my team to remember that our job is to provoke our customers. It’s to make people think. It’s to bring them new ideas that they … Read More » The post Keeping the Prospect Engaged | Sales Strategies first appeared on The Sales Leader.

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Sales 130

Speaker: Olivia Montgomery, Associate Principal Supply Chain Analyst

Curious to know how your peers are navigating ongoing disruption? The supply chain management techniques that dominated the last 30 years are no longer supporting consumer behavior or logistics and manufacturing capabilities. So what’s working now? What should your plans for 2023 include? By researching the supply chain challenges and solutions that businesses – especially small and midsize businesses – are currently experiencing, we’ve learned what’s working and what’s not.

Supply Chain

Mike Kunkle

OCTOBER 24, 2021

It’s a cruel twist of fate for senior sales and revenue leaders that as the year barrels toward a close with urgency to maximize the remaining time, that strategic and tactical planning for the next year must happen at the same time. At a minimum, these leaders must tackle quota setting, territory optimization, account assignments, account plans, any compensation plan updates, go-to-market strategy shifts, tactical plans, playbooks, and more.

Sales 130

Sales Prioritization Sales Analytics Sales Training 130

Hubspot Sales

OCTOBER 11, 2021

Networking is when you connect with people with shared professional interests, help each other achieve goals, like getting a job, or sometimes simply build confidence in having conversations with others. As a sales rep, networking can be incredibly helpful when it comes to obtaining new leads. People in your same industry will be pre-qualified as being able to use and benefit from what you have to offer, which makes it easier for you to make a value proposition that sells.

Value Proposition 133

Value Proposition Marketing Management Sales 133

Customer Think

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Every year, Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs release their latest B2B marketing research. This year the report includes a chart of current B2B content marketing challenges. A few of them surprised me as I thought (or hoped) we had beaten.

B2B 143

B2B Marketing Digitalization 143

Help Scout

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Some customer questions are difficult, but that additional effort goes unnoticed outside the team. What if those costs were shared on a menu?

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Every marketer knows how important it is to prove their efforts drive sales opportunities, but that’s easier said than done. When problems like sales and marketing misalignment, lack of data, and wasted efforts persist, marketers can’t measure, prove, or increase their impact on revenue at a time when demonstrating marketing value is critical. Using analyst and expert data, this guide to marketing impact and content attribution explains: How B2B buyers use content The most common types of conten

Sales