Tina Rice, on June 15, 2012
My husband and I have been doing some home improvement projects in our backyard. We relocated a pencil cactus, planted in a dry, arid location by the previous homeowner, to make room for a deck. But, unlike the other plants in the castaway pile, this one didn’t turn brown and crispy. It laid on its side for more than a week, roots exposed, looking as green and hearty as it ever had. For those of you without a green thumb, this story is about more than gardening, so stick with me...
You already know the answer, don’t you? It’s both. But, I suggest as you try to do both, start by focusing on smarter… and then build in harder. If you do it the other way, you might end up making a lot of noise but not making a lot of progress (like a race car revving its engine while the wheels are not on the ground).
Matt Sunshine, on June 8, 2012
I know sometimes you probably just want to stop the conversation and say something like, "Excuse me, but I don't understand a word you are saying." But you don't because, these days, people don't ask questions. They nod and say "okay," and then change the subject... and talk about things they do know. This seems to be the situation with digital. Most people reading this did not grow up speaking digital, and while some did take digital as a second language, they still speak it with an accent.
Mike Anderson, on June 6, 2012
We live in an age that seems to encourage complexity. You can slice and dice research six ways from Sunday to build a compelling argument as to why your product or service is better than the other guys’. Spreadsheets, pie charts and white papers are only a few keystrokes away… and illustrate why the competition is inferior to the company you represent.
You know that feeling you have on your child’s birthday… that feeling you get when you are in a panic, trying to understand the instructions that will help you assemble The Perfect Gift? That Perfect Gift that came in 100 pieces? The one your child is no longer patiently waiting to play with? You know that feeling you get when you want to throw the box against the wall and crumble up the instructions because nothing makes sense? I think that is sometimes how we approach digital and social capabilities.
Sometimes our real-life experiences as customers provide those of us at The Center for Sales Strategy with great examples of how the sales process should flow. Not long ago, my air conditioner died, so I asked my trusted neighbors who they would recommend. We valued their opinion, so we called that company. The next day, this service provider came to our house. (We also called another company, and they said they would come and never did). The rest of the story is near-perfect execution of customer focused selling.
Matt Sunshine, on May 29, 2012
A couple of weeks ago, we posted “How to Get Started with Business Blogging.” The reaction to this post has certainly exceeded expectations; as we have received an incredible amount of email from business owners, sales managers, marketers and sales people who all want more information. They see the benefit of having a business blog, and they understand—and want to own—a thought leadership position with their customers and prospects. They have a real need to establish a better lead generation system because the one they have right now (or not at all) is simply not cutting it.
LeadG2, on May 28, 2012
It's the official kick off to summer, which means it’s time to kick back and relax with a good book. You wanted to read about sales and marketing in your down time, right? We asked some of the staff at The Center for Sales Strategy for their top selections:
LeadG2, on May 26, 2012
Welcome to the official kick off to summer! After you take some time this weekend to honor those who have served our country, you might want to catch up on some of these blog posts from The Center for Sales Strategy. These are some of our favorites from the past few months. If you are interested in sales, sales management, digital, talent development or inbound marketing... there is something for you here!
Kim Alexandre, on May 25, 2012
Notice how I didn't title this post, "Learning Digital is a Piece of Cake?" Understanding digital and all the facets of this complex media can be intimidating. There are new terms and new definitions to live by, there's new technology to create and deliver messages and best of all, there seems to be something new to learn everyday! You can even find the word, "Facebook," in the children's Scholastic Dictionary! Digital is everywhere.
You can find cakes in a number of places, too. When baking a cake, you have many ingredients… eggs, flour, oil, sugar and more. How much you use of each ingredient is crucial to the success of your cake. Also, what dish you bake it in, and the time and temperature you bake it at, can also make or break your cake. Take it from me, I've messed up my fair share of cakes!
Just like baking a cake, learning digital can take time, but if you commit to learning the 'what,' of digital and 'why' marketers need to know about it, you will be seen as an invaluable resource to those still learning about digital themselves. The difference is, unlike baking where there is only one way to reach success, there are lots of ways you can help use digital to achieve marketing goals.
The Center for Sales Strategy has developed an online course, a series of videos based on our popular Digital What & Why primer used in the Digital Sales Accelerator workshop. Take this quick online course to build on what you already know—or take the time to learn new things! Either way, the Digital What & Why is a tool you can use.
Kim Willoughby is a Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy.
