Focus Reports
The shift to less face-to-face interaction with customers and prospects isn’t a 2020 development. Buyers have increasingly embraced completing their own research for years. A Sales Benchmark Index survey from 2017 reported that in nearly 75% of sales situations, customers prefer not to meet in person.
Though many field sales reps are already accustomed to using web meetings or phone calls to navigate some of the sales process, what is new for a large percentage of sellers is 100% reliability on virtual interaction to sell. And there are some industries that still rely on printed catalogs and handshakes to close deals — "knuckle and hand kinds of businesses" as one source we spoke with calls them.
What does it mean for B2B sales managers as they strategize for 2021? Is it necessary to train sales reps on new skills? What components of an existing sales process transfer well to virtual interactions? What should sales kickoffs look like?
Download this Focus Report to learn more.
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The world is emerging from COVID lockdowns, but employees continue to operate differently than they ever used to. Managers are challenged with improving their team’s performance and maintaining a positive workplace culture while most continue to work remotely.
Our new report on managing for improved workplace performance addresses issues that are critical to managers of sales and non-sales teams alike. We look at:
The future of incentive travel, a key component of many sales managers’ motivation efforts
How the pandemic year changed employee recognition
Why 2021 requires a new type of sales management
Our cover story features insights on motivation and making work matter from Michael Patrick F. Smith, a playwright and musician who worked for a year in the oil fields of North Dakota to test himself and exorcise some demons from his past.
Smith has written a book about his experience, and it’s surprising how many of the
lessons that he took away from his year toiling as an oil field "swamper" are applicable to managers who work in a completely different environment.
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The pandemic year has businesses focusing on reaching the right prospects with the right message through the right medium.
This Focus Report takes a closer look at companies’ digital marketing transformation. Learn why experts we spoke with say it’s more than just buying digital tools, it’s rethinking the way you’re working. The report includes:
Forrester’s survey on what marketing technology companies are investing in
Marketing’s expanding role in the sales process
Why TikTok is a viable channel for B2B marketing
Selling directly without ruining channel partner relationships
Breathing new life into virtual events
Download this Focus Report to learn more.
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As companies implement long-term or even permanent WFH policies, managers need to consider how to keep remote workers on track, recognize accomplishments and maintain a strong corporate culture.
Our new special report takes a closer look at managing for peak performance in a remote world. We look at what changes managers have made during 2020 and why companies may want to think twice before shifting to permanent remote teams.
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Our collection of stories looks at how managers can help employees cope with the anxiety, stress and other challenges that come with the extended WFH world.
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COVID-19 has upended B2B commerce. Customers are asking for price cuts, flexible payments and freebies. Those businesses facing a significant downturn are pressured to be as accommodating as possible.
Is a price cut the right move? What is the long tail of this immediate challenge?
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Is the officeless world inevitable or overblown? That may yet be determined, but managers should be adjusting to the work-from-home trend whether it’s temporary or permanent, and no matter if it’s for part of their team or companywide.
Valuable lessons have already emerged from the few months that nearly everyone who is still working has been doing so remotely. Our special report covers these important topics:
How companies are building corporate culture when teams are not together
Tackling low morale among remote workers (It’s more prevalent than many realize)
Fostering creativity from afar
What jobs are best suited to remote offices
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COVID-19 has caused managers to rethink everything from recruiting and onboarding to client interaction and go-to-market strategies. We look at what being "digital ready" requires and why some pandemic-induced changes are likely permanent. Other topics:
How the best sellers can help their customers thrive
6 steps to adapt to the new economic reality
Preparing to fire up the revenue engine post-COVID
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As businesses settle into a completely remote work world, managers are wrestling with how to keep their teams engaged, motivated and productive. Leading with honesty, openness and empathy are more important than ever. "Everyone will remember how their boss responded during this time. Did they focus on you at a human level?" said one workplace consultant. Other topics:
Futures, not foosball, get workers excited
How top-performing companies use incentives
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In March 2020, business as usual ceased to exist. Our first report on managing during a pandemic includes insights on how to lead in uncertain times and whether selling during a global crisis is even a good idea. Other topics:
Tips for better virtual meetings
Marketing agility during a crisis
How subscription models can help companies weather tough times
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An MIT Sloan School of Management study shows that companies with technologically savvy leadership perform better in terms of revenue growth and profitability than those whose leaders lag in technological know-how. Yet only 17% of C-suite leadership at nearly 2,000 companies surveyed are digitally savvy.
The new Focus Report from Sales & Marketing Management looks closely at what this means for overall performance and how B2B companies can improve their digital savviness at the top.
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Many companies profess to make coaching and skills training a priority, but how many actually do? A recent State of Sales Coaching report indicates there is more preaching than teaching occurring in B2B sales environments. That’s a dangerous trend in a time when The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are struggling to fill sales roles.
This focus report explores what a coachable culture is and how to get there if you’re not already.
Other articles include:
How to Scale Your Coaching Capabilities With AI
3 Steps to More Effective Virtual Coaching
Coaching for Stronger Teams In a Hybrid Environment
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Workers are quitting their jobs at some of the highest rates in years. Those employees who do stay mostly still work from home, presenting little face time with managers and colleagues.
Cash bonuses go toward daily bills and are soon forgotten.
Recognizing and rewarding employees, channel partners and other business associates has never been more important. Our Ultimate Guide to Non-Cash Incentives features:
Dozens of non-cash recognition ideas from name brand merchandise, gift card and experience providers
Valuable insights on recognition trends, including a look at travel rewards in this uncertain time
Industry research to help set realistic expectations for incentive and brand loyalty campaigns
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Some aspect of meeting virtually is here to stay, but B2B sales and marketing professionals are eager to return to trade show environments and live marketing events.
In-person events produce stronger leads, present opportunities for unplanned encounters and provide a means to build trust in a way that cannot be duplicated virtually.
This Focus Report explores why businesses are ready to return to exhibit halls and what these events in a post-pandemic world will look like. With an understanding that hybrid is here to stay, we learn from experts how to make it work with trade show and marketing efforts.
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Shifts that occurred during the pandemic and that continue to change the work world have made managing and motivating teams more challenging than ever. Here’s how to keep employees positive, productive and performing at high levels.
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Can Channel Partnerships Rescue You From a Recession?
B2B sales and marketing teams continue to play things close to the vest as uncertainty about the strength of the economy persists. Whether or not a serious economic downturn is inevitible, there are numerous reasons why now is a good time to form new channel partnerships. A win-win strategy that can put more qualified leads in your pipeline and help you expand to new markets, channel partnerships are an increasingly key component of many companies’ go-to-market strategy.
Our new Focus Report, "The Channel Partnership Playbook," takes a closer look at how companies are boosting their bottom line by forming strong relationships with other companies. Learn about the different types of strategic partnerships, tips for developing channel partnerships and how to keep channel partners engaged and motivated to reach well-defined goals.
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What worked for so many years when compensating sales professionals is no longer sufficient. Given today’s tight labor pool and a rush by entrepreneurial types to start their own businesses, putting a comprehensive package of pay, benefits and extra perks together has never been more important.
SMM's Focus Report on sales compensation looks at how to get compensation right and hold on to your best salespeople. Articles address:
Why a competitive salary is merely table stakes
4 shifts in sales compensation
How to combat the Great Resignation
Why gaining insight on what drives reps nuts will help you keep your team intact
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In a world that has shifted to more virtual B2B sales and marketing, the question "What’s in your tech stack?" has never been more important. A new Focus Report from Sales & Marketing Management looks at some technological trends that are fueling success.
The report includes these stories:
7 Technological Advances Shaping the Future of Sales and Marketing
Sales Teams Embrace AI-Powered Conversation Analysis
Experiential Sales: The Strategy of the Future That’s Here Today
The Past, Present and Future of Enablement Technology
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The latest Focus Report from Sales & Marketing Management has tactics to increase productivity.
Learn how leaders are empowering their sales teams for maximum impact, how the rating system for self-driving vehicles can be applied to sales automation and more.
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The role of managing others in today’s environment is chaotic. Many workers are in the office half the time or less. Research shows that more than half of all employees are disengaged and more than 60% report they are currently looking for a new job.
Showing that you care for your workers has never been more vital to increasing engagement and retaining top performers. It starts by taking a genuine interest in employees as human beings and allowing them to bring their whole selves to work.
Rewarding employees beyond providing a paycheck needs to be part of your company culture. Our Ultimate Guide to Non-Cash Incentives is a new report that provides the latest research on effective reward and recognition in the workplace. It will help you:
Assess how your company’s recognition and incentive efforts compare to similar-sized companies and those that are larger or smaller
Learn how other companies are motivating workers and driving improved performance
Arm yourself with data that supports allotting substantial budgets for incentive and recognition programs
Provide a catalog-like review of the latest options in merchandise, travel, experiential, gift card and turnkey incentive travel solution providers.
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It’s been a component of sales almost as long as sales itself has existed, but what exactly is sales enablement and what does it look like when it’s done well?
For many, the term sales enablement leads to discussions of tech stacks and software as a service (SaaS) that companies invest in to shape their go-to-market strategies. However, those we spoke with said sales enablement is much more than software.
It has taken on such an important role that many B2B companies have created sales enablement positions that are separate from the marketing and sales functions. In our new Focus Report on sales enablement, you’ll learn:
The evolution of sales enablement and why it matters more than ever
How to create sales enablement centers of excellence
How sales enablement can help companies weather economic downturns
How to be prepared to seize every revenue moment
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Technology plays a vital role in companies’ go-to-market strategies. The tools in each sales team’s tech stack can be the difference between blowing past competitors or falling short of quota - again!
Choosing the right technology is among the most important decisions that sales leaders make. It’s used for everything from onboarding new hires to providing veteran rainmakers with highly qualified leads and the data to create the kind of tightly tailored messages that close deals.
But how to make the right decisions?
In our newest Focus Report on technology for B2B sales, we take a closer look at how businesses are using technology to reinvent their sales process to reap the rewards of more effective onboarding, enhanced targeting, improved forecasting and shorter sales cycles.
The collection of stories on sales technology examines:
Research from Gartner on what new software purchases are making the most impact for B2B sales
Best practices in the trend of automated demos
Seven technology disruptions that will impact sales through 2027
Technology’s role in one sales trainer’s push to teach lawyers how to sell
Why sales leadership will never be replaced by technology
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In a world where nearly half of all B2B buyers would prefer a rep-free buying experience, the timeless mantra of selling - "Always Be Closing" - is, well, not so timeless. The new ABCs of selling are "Always Be Credible," says C. Lee Smith, CEO of SalesFuel, a sales intelligence and enablement firm. To get facetime with B2B purchase decision-makers, salespeople need to be viewed as trusted advisors. They can’t earn trust unless they are first perceived as having a high degree of credibility, Smith says.
A new sponsored Focus Report from SalesFuel and Sales & Marketing Management examines:
How sales professionals can develop the sort of credibility that opens prospects’ doors
Why building credibility starts before you even meet a prospect
Research on what buyers want from sellers (It goes way beyond product knowledge)
6 tips for building a strong online presence
The report also features contributed articles from sales experts Anthony Iannarino on how today’s successful salespeople gain buyers’ confidence, and from Jeffrey Gitomer on the secret to getting all the referrals you could ever hope for.
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The statement "Our people are our greatest asset" is so overused it mostly causes eyes to roll. Aside from those who don’t like people being called assets, the statement is mostly met with disgust because it’s a reliable red flag that a company is all platitudes and no gratitude.
If the global pandemic increased managers’ awareness of the importance of making it clear to employees how much they are valued, the statistics don’t show it.
According to a 2022 Gallup Poll, 54% of Gen Z employees, slightly higher than any other generation, are ambivalent or not engaged at work. Only 32% of workers overall say they are engaged with their work.
A livable wage and meaningful work are two key factors for workplace engagement. After that, recognition is vital, and currently, only 23% of employees strongly agree they get the right amount of recognition for the work they do.
Think about that! Nearly three-quarters of employees are missing the steady reinforcement and appreciation they need to help them be their best. And employers are missing out on benefits of fielding a work force that feels appreciated.
Our annual Ultimate Guide to Non-Cash Incentives explores the benefits of workplace recognition beyond a paycheck and offers ideas about how companies can improve in this area.
It also features key suppliers in four non-cash incentive categories - merchandise, gift cards, travel and experiences, and incentive solution providers.
Even if you’re in the minority of companies that get recognition right, it can’t hurt to have more insight into this key component of staying competitive.
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