The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Happy Friday! We've come to the end of another week, and it's time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. Native Ads May Help Marketers Combat Ad Blocking — Media Post

Good content is more important than ever. Native ads, or sponsored stories, aren't just ads—they're valuable to the reader. As such, they don't get blocked the way display ads do. This article from Media Post explains the dynamics, and why native ads are the future of effective advertising.

Radio Advertising Calgary was started by three account managers from Corus Radio Calgary. Together, Sherie, Jason, and Michelle bring over 35 years experience in marketing consultation and customized new media to their clients.

About a year ago, Sherie, Jason, and Michelle started realizing that traditional outbound sales methods like cold calling were no longer enough to bring in the advertisers they needed. They knew the buying process had changed, and they knew they could use their expertise and thought leadership to attract leads. After reading Matt Sunshine’s book, LeadG2: Getting Prospects to Raise Their Hands, they realized that they needed to craft an inbound marketing program to match the modern buyer’s journey.

Here we are at the end of the week once again! It's time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. 6 Bold Predictions for Digital Marketing in 2016 — Social Media Today

Chad Pollitt, industry thought leader and publisher of Relevance, puts forth six interesting predictions for where digital marketing is headed in the coming year. Check out what he has to say on Social Media Today.

Our sister publication, the LeadG2 blog, posts regularly about how to align sales and marketing for maximum results. Today, we're featuring the most popular sales strategy posts from LeadG2.

1. The Gap That Prevents Most Salespeople From Selling More

Most salespeople are pretty good at selling their products and services. They are usually proficient on sales calls—engaging prospects, discovering underlying needs they can address, and suggesting ideas and solutions that could improve a customer’s business. Companies invest significant dollars in training and systems to help their salespeople move the sales process ahead in a professional manner (and the should). But, there is one part of the sales sequence that often prevents salespeople from delivering their quotas, and that is the ability to get an appointment with a key decision maker in the first place. You’ve heard it said about many aspects of life thatbeing there is the most important thing. That certainly applies to selling. 

We've once again come to the end of the week! It's time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. How to Drive a Mobile Strategy: The 4 Questions Digital Marketers Should Ask — Adobe

Every exec knows that there’s been a monumental shift in business mobility. Global tablet sales this year will be around 381M with 18% of those for the enterprise. B2B marketers are wise to learn how they can take advantage of the changing times. Adobe has some excellent insights.

Hope you've had a great week! It's Friday, and time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. How to Actually Put Your Marketing Data to Use — HBR

There is little doubt that Big Data and analytics are changing the face of marketing. But that doesn’t make marketing more strategic, just more precise. Strategy is essential, now more than ever. This article takes a look at what you need to consider when crafting your marketing strategy.

All we talk about as marketers in the media industry is integrating digital strategies, the power of mobile, the online buyer’s journey, and everything in between. We tell our advertisers how important an online marketing strategy is in conjunction with their TV or Radio campaigns, and why taking ownership of your online presence is absolutely critical. We even teach our salespeople the power of social selling and personal branding in the increasingly digital world.

It's Friday, and time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. The Case for Humble Executives— The WSJ

Humility doesn't get a lot of attention when it comes to traits that make great leaders. But servant leadership gives executives an edge that leaders with big egos don't have. Their empathy enables them to build strong teams that accomplish more. There's a difference between confidence and ego. This article explains that when you combine humilty with confidence, your leadership skills improve.

Here we are at the end of another week! (They go by so fast, don't they??) It's time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. Is Display Advertising Really in Trouble? — HubSpot

Ad-blocking software has marketers worried, but is display advertising really in trouble? HubSpot has an interesting perspective to share in this blog post. Maybe all marketers need to do to see results is change the way they're using digital ads.

It's Friday! Hope you've had a good week! Now it's time for us to share what we've been reading online this week. Here are our "best" from around the web.

1. How Sales and Marketing Can Avoid Letting Each Other Down — Salesforce

Sales and Marketing teams can work together to ensure leads get qualified and converted, and everyone is happy. This post offers some tips that show you how to make that happen. These tips are most relevant for a multi-step, complex sale environment.