Sean Campbell Archives - Cascade Insights

B2B Sales Enablement Strategy: Shorter Proposals Win

Proposal writing is somewhat counter-intuitive. Many sellers seek to impress with doctorate thesis style proposals. But, the truth is, the best proposals are shorter rather than longer. Smart B2B sales enablement strategies and tactics focus on the customer instead of the firm. Proposals also need to answer buyers’ unasked questions.

Unfortunately, the vast bulk of proposals I’ve seen over my life fail to meet any of these criteria. Here are some of the frequent errors I’ve seen with B2B tech sector sales enablement strategies and tactics and how to correct them.

5 Clues It’s Time for B2B Churn Analysis

November 2, 2020/in B2B Churn Analysis, B2B Market Research Blog, Blog Posts, Sales Enablement Research /by Brian Surguine

Let’s face it: you’re probably uncomfortable with the idea of churn analysis.

You’re busy trying to grow revenue. There are a million fires to put out, and you have to keep your team focused on maintaining a healthy pipeline and winning more customers.

Ordinarily, this is the normal thing to do. However, focusing on customer acquisition when your churn rate is high is like trying to drive a car with a flat tire. Your journey isn’t going to be smooth, and you may not even get to your destination.

There’s no hard and fast rule for what constitutes an acceptable B2B churn rate. However, analysts generally agree that anything over 10 percent is cause for concern. If that applies to you, it’s time to hit pause and figure out why you’re losing so many customers.

B2B Sales Strategy: Plan Before the Rain

September 30, 2020/in B2B Market Research Blog, B2B Marketing Blog, Blog Posts, Sales Enablement Marketing /by Sean Campbell

B2B sales strategy is centered on holding a strategic viewpoint- not just a tactical one. Great B2B sellers develop and revise plans for their accounts, rather than simply taking tasks as they come.

We get it, it’s hard to remember to be strategic when a lot of opportunities are knocking at your door. In this scenario, it’s easy to just keep writing proposals, scheduling meetings, and working on statements of work. But if you aren’t regularly checking back in on the big picture, your B2B sales strategy is likely to lag far behind organizational changes and opportunities in your accounts.

Rebranding A Company: Dos & Don’ts

June 26, 2020/in B2B Market Research Blog, B2B Marketing Blog, B2B Messaging, Blog Posts, Brand Research, Marketing Strategy, Message Testing Research /by Sean Campbell

Rebranding a company sounds like an exciting project to most marketers. A rebrand promises a fresh new look, maybe a new logo, perhaps even a new company name. But, rebrands are also expensive, and risk alienating or confusing current customers. In short, when they go wrong, rebrands can be career-enders.

So when to rebrand or not to rebrand? And if you decide to pull the trigger, what do you need to watch out for? Read on…

Freelancers: Avoid the Boomerang

November 12, 2019/in B2B Marketing Blog /by Brian Surguine

Are you thinking of diving into B2B freelance work? Read on, because there’s a very good chance that within 12 months you’ll be right back in your corporate job. This episode is a care package for anyone jumping into the gig economy.

Writing Well

November 12, 2019/in B2B Marketing Blog /by Brian Surguine

You should write better. If you do B2B content writing, especially in the tech industry, you should really write better.

B2B Messaging: It’s Harder than B2C

October 11, 2019/in B2B Market Research Blog, B2B Marketing Blog, Message Testing Research /by Sean Campbell

Business to Business (B2B) messaging is more intellectually stimulating and harder to create than Business to Consumer (B2C) messaging. B2B messaging is harder to test as well, which is why the use of solid research methods is critical.

These challenges exist for one simple reason: B2B sales are more complex. Consequently, this complexity leaves B2B marketers with a heavy burden, one that can only be lightened with solid customer insights.

The Long Game: Selling New Products

September 26, 2019/in B2B Marketing Blog /by Brian Surguine

Does your sales team approach new product sales the same way they approach existing product lines?

According to Darden School of Business Professor Thomas Steenburgh, new product sales look very different from selling existing products. Selling new products can require more face-to-face time with customers than when selling established products. Management also has to be patient with the fact that new sales just take longer to go through. However, getting new product sales right can generate huge returns in the long run.

The Answer is Still No

September 18, 2019/in B2B Market Research Blog, Blog Posts, Sales Enablement Marketing /by Sean Campbell

One of the most important lessons of key account management: having a single account take up more than 20 percent of your profit and loss statement (P/L) is business suicide. Unfortunately, many executives don’t follow this sage advice – which results in broken businesses, laid-off employees, and the loss of entrepreneurial dreams.

Rising to Leadership

August 29, 2019/in B2B Marketing Blog, Blog Posts /by Brian Surguine

According to Ron Carucci, executive leadership coach and co-founder of Navalent, many executives experience “altitude sickness” upon arrival into their roles for the first time. As a result, 50-60 percent of executives fail within the first 18 months of being promoted or hired.

Posts

B2B Sales Enablement Strategy: Shorter Proposals Win

5 Clues It’s Time for B2B Churn Analysis

B2B Sales Strategy: Plan Before the Rain

Rebranding A Company: Dos & Don’ts

Freelancers: Avoid the Boomerang

Writing Well

B2B Messaging: It’s Harder than B2C

The Long Game: Selling New Products

The Answer is Still No

Rising to Leadership

Brian Surguine

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