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Content Marketing Demand Generation digital marketing marketing Marketing Management social content marketing social media selling

Why Content Marketing Is Still a Crucial Growth Method in Sales

Content marketing has become a staple for most companies – whether Fortune 500s or new startups.  Much like the gargantuan oak tree began from a tiny acorn, content marketing is the same – so important and valuable that even the latest businesses can use it to their advantage.

Everyone is familiar with content marketing. Why? Why is content marketing powerful? What benefits can you expect? How do you do it?

How Content Impacts Your Marketing and Sales Strategies

How Content Impacts Your Marketing and Sales Strategies

All content is not created equal. Some of it is just plain bad.

We know this because we’ve seen it firsthand: in our content and the content we see from other businesses. And when there’s terrible content on the internet, people stop trusting your brand. They don’t want to give you their money or their time anymore.

Think about the last few articles you read. Were they short? Were they long? How did you feel about them?

Like most people, you felt the longer articles were more thorough. However, you also felt shorter articles were more concise and direct. Do you think about how much better it feels to know the author has been consistent over time? Or taking time to make sure every word was important and well-crafted?

No doubt writing quality content takes time—but it’s worth it. Because when your audience can see how much effort goes into each piece of content, they will feel much more invested in what you have to say. When they see your consistency, they’ll know they can trust this information and expect more from you in future pieces of content!

Capturing Attention

Great content can be used in many ways to grow your business. It can help build customer relationships, generate leads, and increase sales. But how do you know if your content is effective?

To keep your audience engaged, you need to understand their needs, wants, and desires. This means you need to know what they’re looking for in a product or service like yours. When you understand this, developing content that will resonate with them and help them feel connected with your brand is easy.

When creating great content, you must ensure that everything is focused on one goal: attracting new customers while retaining existing ones. The best way to do this is by creating quality content that educates them about your brand or product line without being too salesy or promotional-sounding; this will help build trust between you and your readers, so they’ll want to continue reading more from you in the future!

Quality content is the key to success on social media

Social Media Traction

As a business owner, you know how difficult it can be to get noticed on Facebook and Twitter. You’ve probably tried posting funny photos, links to articles that will interest your followers and clients, or even updates about what’s going on in your personal life. But did any of those things work?

It’s time to change your approach. Instead of posting random updates that no one cares about, focus on creating quality content that will attract the people who matter most to your business: your customers!

Quality content is the key to success on social media because it allows you to connect with potential customers in a way that feels genuine and authentic—and they’ll trust you because of it. Even better? 

Quality content stands out from the noise online, which means more people are likely to see it than if you were just trying to get clicks by posting clickbait titles or sharing outdated memes. 

Online presence is essential because it allows people to learn more about what makes your company different from others in its industry—and why they should do business with YOU instead of someone else.

Lead Generation

When you write blog posts, infographics, and other content that is helpful to your audience and solves their problems, they will want to read it. This helps them feel they know what they’re doing regarding your products or services. They’ll be more likely to make purchases from you because they trust you and what you have to offer.

In addition to generating leads, content marketing is also an excellent way to get more views on your website. For example, when people see what kind of information you share on social media or through email newsletters, they might click over and check out more details about what you have available for sale. 

This can help increase traffic on your site, which may lead them down a path towards becoming paying customers for whatever it is that you sell!

SEO

If you want people to find your site when they search for specific information or products, then it makes sense that you would like to create content that is as relevant as possible.

This doesn’t mean that every page on your website needs to provide information about every product or service you offer—but it does mean that if someone searches for something specific on Google and finds your site near the top of the results page, they’re likely going to stick around long enough to see what else you have available.

The first step in SEO is to write great content, not just old content. Next, you must focus on creating helpful stuff that interests readers and makes them want to share it with their friends.

The second step is ensuring that when people search for things related to what you write about, they find your site first. That’s where keyword research comes in: you need to learn what words or phrases people use when they search for things related to your business to optimize your site for those terms (and avoid using them yourself).

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Sales Technology sales training

The How and Why of Building Your Sales Stack

64% of Sales Reps’ Time Goes to Non-Selling Tasks: Here’s How to Fix This

Did you know the average sales professional uses 64% of their day on tasks other than selling? That’s 64%! That’s a lot of productivity lost. Most of the time, that’s because reps aren’t equipped with the right technology for today’s buyers, or they don’t have the skills or knowledge to access or deliver data from their CRM.

Fortunately, there are dozens of sales tools that can help. In this post, we’ll cover some of the best apps for sales and rate them based on multiple factors.

Working Smarter with a Sales Stack

What is a sales tech stack? It’s a collection of tools that help sales teams do their job better. Put simply, using a sales tech stack helps sales reps boost productivity and access essential data. The right sales technologies can turn your helpless team into an invincible sales machine in no time.

Having a sales technology stack enables sales teams to spend less time on administrative tasks, freeing them up to focus on what they do best — selling! It also simplifies the sales process by automating the collection, organization, and management of data and accounts. For example, salespeople can easily access their prospecting lists and search through past records of conversations and notes.

Building Your Sales Stack

Do you want to know what sales stack is the best fit for your company? Chances are, most, if not all, of your competitors, also run into this dilemma. Your decision is going to come down to what works for your company the best.

There are certain tools companies use and swear by — yet there are other businesses that have the exact opposite stack. Everyone has their favorite tools (sometimes called stacks) that help them do their job — whether they’re a developer, designer, or marketer. This is ultimately what sets you apart from your competitors: the solutions you’re able to create with the right tools. 

CRM

CRM

If you’re like us, you work with a vast number of leads each month. Some are old, and most are cold, so it’s not easy to remember who they are and where they are in the sales process, right? That’s where a CRM comes in. A CRM database is like a giant database that stores all your leads (or contacts) information. A CRM makes it easy to keep track of all the critical information that you need to know about your contacts, so you can easily reach them when the time is right.

Having a CRM that works for you can drastically improve your marketing and sales process. For example, if you’re not catching every lead and customer and staying organized with the lead follow-up process, then you could be losing out on potential customers. And missed opportunities to convert can cost you money – and lots of it if you’re not doing things correctly.

Popular CRMs include:

Lead Generation

Lead Generation

When we think of sales, we might picture a guy in a pink shirt with a cigar smoking on a boat. Times have certainly changed, but lead generation is still an essential part of the sales process.

For some people, prospecting can be an arduous task. You may get lost in the day-to-day tasks, struggling to find the time to research new leads and contact them. If you’ve ever had one of those days when you’re just not feeling it, lead generation and prospecting tools can help.

Popular lead generation tools include:

Automation

Automation

Automation is the key to boosting your sales team’s productivity.

Hiring a new employee takes time, money, and resources. Not only that, but the employee will need training and development before they can perform at the level your business requires.

Automation is fast, reliable, and cost-effective. It can be set up quickly without any additional training required for your staff. There are no supplemental materials or costs involved in using automation software compared to hiring an employee who would need these things!

If you want to grow your business and make sure it stays profitable every year—automate!

Popular automation tools include:

Sales Training Systems

Sales Training Systems

Sales training systems help companies provide employees with the information they need to succeed in their jobs. Using a sales training system is an effective way for companies to train employees in a systematic manner that reduces costs and improves performance.

Sales reps are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, you don’t have a company—you just have a bunch of people who work in an office.

So it’s essential to make sure your sales team is equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful. That way, they can deliver on their end of the deal by selling as much as possible and bringing in revenue for your company.

We’ve got you covered with sales training systems!

The best sales training systems include:

Categories
Customer Experience Sales Technology

Customer Experience Automation: The Next Frontier Of Customer Service

You owe yourself and your customers to automate the customer experience to grow your business. 

Customer experience automation (CXA) is the new standard in customer engagement. For businesses, CXA is an essential tool for helping their sales and account management teams fully adopt a customer-focused strategy by automating one-on-one customer conversations and making them replicable. Like CRM or e-mail marketing, CXA can be your competitive advantage, allowing you to grow and scale by boosting your bottom line.

Like all automation, CXA can be used for both efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency features save time by routing your customers to the right place at the right time. Effectiveness features steer customers to the desired outcome, perhaps recommending a product that best fits them.

The Importance of Customer Experience Automation for the Modern Seller

This is the digital age — an age in which consumers can purchase almost anything online. With a few clicks, these consumers can find prices, research items, compare sellers and make decisions without ever having to interact with another human being physically.

The importance of customer engagement can seem limited to B2C companies, where the sales process is more personal and direct. In B2B, it’s often harder to establish a rapport with a prospect before making a sale. 

The buying cycle for B2B customers is longer than for B2C customers. Therefore, a B2B buyer is likely to need to see your product in action before making a purchase decision. 

The buying process for B2B products involves multiple stakeholders, including the end-user, managers, accountants, and other stakeholders who may not be directly involved in the purchasing process but still need to be convinced that your product is right for them. This means that you should have a clear understanding of who your target market is so that you can tailor your product to each group’s unique needs.

A company might not be visible as a brand for months. The product might not be demo-worthy or even viable. Moreover, an individual buyer’s purchasing power can be small compared to someone who makes daily purchases from supermarkets, online retailers, or mobile apps. 

For example, when an organization decides to purchase new equipment for their office, they will consider the needs of the entire office rather than just one individual. They also have many stakeholders who may need to be involved in the decision-making process. For example, the IT department may need to test the equipment, while others may want to see how it fits their existing systems before purchasing it.

As such, B2B buyers often want more information about a product before making a purchase decision. This can include information on how it works or where it came from, as well as any other relevant details that help them make an informed choice about whether or not they should invest in this product.

Advantages of Implementing Customer Experience Automation

Advantages of Implementing Customer Experience Automation

Faster Transactions, Better Services

Automation can help you save time and money by reducing the manual processes required to manage your business operations. It can also improve customer support by freeing up resources so employees can spend more time with customers.

Stronger Customer Relationships

By automating the process of gathering customer information and providing the services they need, you can ensure that your brand delivers the best experience possible for your customers.

This will increase satisfaction and brand loyalty, leading to more repeat purchases and customer referrals.

Additionally, by automating the customer experience process, brands can ensure that every customer interaction is as easy, seamless, and efficient as possible. This level of automation allows you to spend less time worrying about how your customer service team is performing and more time focusing on what matters most: building relationships with your customers.

Categories
pipeline development Sales Management sales performance sales pipeline Sales Play Sales Process sales skills sales strategy sales training

Why Knowing Key Decision Makers in Prospective Accounts Matters

Sometimes, we find ourselves with too many prospects sitting in front of us. The problem is that not all of them are good.

How do you know which ones are worth spending time on? And how do you ensure that the people who are ready to buy your product or service do? 

Here’s a quick guide to help you out:

  • Set up meetings with people who have expressed interest or are willing to commit to your product/service. This can be done through inbound marketing or a cold call.
  • Use qualifying questions during the initial phone call to determine whether they’re a good fit for the position. They should be able to answer these questions without hesitation:
  • What problem does this solve for your company?
  • How much money will this save you over time?
  • What impact will this have on your business operations?
Focusing on the Right People

Focusing on the Right People

It’s no secret that making a sale is more than just finding a lead. You need to be able to convert that lead into a customer, but how? The answer is simple: by using social media.

With the right social selling strategy, you can get in front of the people who will most likely buy your product or service. It’s a great way to increase sales and reach a new audience simultaneously.

Most B2B companies are using social media these days to find potential customers. They’re using it to connect with them in real-time and build relationships that lead to sales.

This is because social media has become an essential part of business culture. The average consumer spends about five hours daily on social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter! That’s a lot of time for companies to connect with potential buyers—and win new clients.

Having More Than One Key Contact Per Account

Having More Than One Key Contact Per Account

If you work with just one person in each account and they leave, or something happens to them, you will be left without access to that client. So it’s much better to build a team of people who know you and your product well.

To be sure, establishing multiple relationships with key decision-makers is crucial. But what happens when you’ve identified your entire target list and have built relationships with everyone on it? You still need to keep working and growing those relationships because they are not static—they change and evolve like your company.

When you have one relationship in an account, you have a greater chance that the other people in that account won’t know you or your value proposition. If they don’t know you or your value proposition, they won’t be able to help you make deals. This can lead to wasted efforts because nobody knows who you are or why you’re there.

On the other hand, if you build multiple relationships within an account and with different stakeholders (for example, executives and mid-level managers), then these people will be able to introduce you to others within their organization who might also benefit from knowing about your product or service offerings. In addition, this strategy allows for more opportunities for introductions and referrals without relying solely on one person who may not always be available due to their busy schedule or priorities within the company.

The fact is that your customers are going to change too. That means that if you don’t stay involved in your customers’ lives and how they use your product or service, you risk becoming irrelevant—and potentially losing them altogether.