Long-run product market fit means you have to shape your market [video]

I've argued for years the need to find an unsolved problem and then to become uncommonly good at solving it. But what comes first: the product, the market, or the marketing of that product to that market? Mark Andreessen is the co-founder of Mosaic and Netscape and other businesses, very successful venture capitalist, now on the board of Facebook and HP and eBay. Super smart guy. Andreeseen said that product/market fit, a term that is attributed to him, he said that that's being in a really good market and meeting the needs of that market. Not exactly READ MORE ›

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Product Marketing Strategy and why 50% of a solution is 100% of a mistake

You sell what you are good at. The market has taught you what is attractive, and what is not. So you should gear up production and sell like crazy, right? Well, no. The product marketing strategy you have now will not be the right strategy for the next phase of the market. It is rare that a product marketing strategy deliberately only solves a half of the client's problem. But accidentally solving only half of their problem, or meeting only 50% of their need, is 100% wrong 20% of the time. There are five phases in any READ MORE ›

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Why the Cost of Inaction is so important in B2B Sales

Return on Investment (ROI) projections are often regarded as a critical element of B2B sales proposals, particular for high-value considered purchases. There’s no arguing that they have a role to play - but your sales people would be very unwise to rely on them. In fact, I’ve become convinced that over-reliance on ROI calculations is one of a number of key factors that are driving the high level of “decisions to do nothing after all” that so bedevil many long and complex sales cycles. Are you keen to find out why? 1. Most prospects distrust vendor-supplied ROI projections Most prospects have READ MORE ›

By |Strategy, Tactics|
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Why B2B sales people need to lead towards – not with – their solution

One of the key principles that should underpin your B2B marketer’s mindset is that your marketing messages – and your sales conversations – need to lead towards your solution rather than with your solution. The obvious conclusion is that both your marketing messages and your sales conversations need to “sell the problem before you sell your solution” - it’s a matter of leading the prospect through the critical sequence: Why change? - Why now? - Why us? Suppressing the itch to pitch Sales people (and marketers) often get this intellectually, but then stumble when putting it into READ MORE ›

By |Sales, Strategy|
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How to choose the right market for your business

If your growth is not what you need it to be, don't blame your product. It might be that you're selling to the wrong market. In B2B marketing, it's easy to blame your solution - it's too expensive, out of date, lack features, isn't competitive. In this video blog sales funnel guru, Hugh Macfarlane explains how to choose the absolute best market for your product or service, and how to get the team to buy into that strategy.

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How to build the case for an inbound (digital) marketing budget

Even though inbound marketing is now an essential part of most company’s marketing strategy, one question still persists in the minds of many business owners and executives: How much does it cost? It’s a valid question because inbound marketing is as much a change in process as it is an investment in digital marketing. What's the right level of spending? A recent Gartner survey showed that, on average, US companies spend 2.5 percent of their revenue purely on digital marketing activities and its expected to grow by 9% in 2013. So if your company generates, say, $5 million READ MORE ›

By |Strategy, Tactics|
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How can B2B marketers get a seat at the table?

First and foremost, we have to understand that this is not a game of musical chairs. Those with seats do not want to give up theirs, and they are unwilling to let just anyone pull up a new chair next to them. They sit comfortably, entrenched by the common language they share and the accepted value they bring to the business as vital operational elements. Marketing loiters – hopeful for an invitation to sit but, believing its functionality to be discretionary, the table is unmoved. Desperate to have its value acknowledged, Marketing performs for the table like READ MORE ›

By |Strategy|
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Top 5 locations for “Call To Action” Buttons for lead generation

  Converting site visitors to leads is a fundamental early step in making your site a lead generation machine. Call to action buttons are a key tool. This blog shares some ideas and experiences of what works. You can add your calls to action anywhere you like, however, there are five places that you cannot afford to ignore. Pretty much every page on your site is an opportunity to convert a visitor to a lead. 1. Bottom of a blog post The bottom of your blog posts is the ideal location to add a relevant call to READ MORE ›

By |Strategy, Tactics|
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B2B buyer behaviour is shifting – How B2B Marketers must adapt

Even experienced B2B marketers are finding the rapid shift to online/digital/website/inbound marketing challenging. Buyer behaviour is rapidly shifting and B2B marketing campaigns need to adapt to catch up. There's no time to waste. Delay and your competitors will eat you alive! Even experienced B2B marketers are finding the rapid shift to online/digital/website/inbound marketing (pick your favourite acronym - we prefer Inbound!) challenging. Buyer behaviour is rapidly shifting and B2B marketing campaigns need to adapt to catch up. There is no time to waste. Delay and your competitors will eat you alive.Even experienced B2B marketers are finding the READ MORE ›

By |Strategy|
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8 Ways to Make Your B2B Blog a Lead Generation Machine

Many organisations are still dubious about the effectiveness of blogging - mainly because many businesses don’t know how to do it effectively! Without a goal and a clear focus, the majority of your efforts are wasted. B2B marketers have one main goal: to generate leads. Blogging is one of the most powerful marketing tools available and can be used to fill the top of your sales funnel as well as to convert leads. Here are 8 top tips to help you achieve this: Filling Your Sales Funnel One of the primary goals of your blog should be READ MORE ›

By |Strategy|
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