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Best in the Industry goes right to your famous line "No one cares about your products and services except you."
It's Gobbledygook words, David. Conveys nothing.
Jeff Ogden
The best in the industry
Many marketers use the phrase “The best in the industry” to talk about their company, products, and services. Besides being overused and cliché, there are a number of problems with "the best in the industry". The phrase forces people to consider what exactly is “the industry”? "Oh, it looks like...
Holy Crap, David. Way to pull it out of the fire however. Maybe Seth can comment at www.fearlesscompetitor.com too.
Plan, document and double-check.
Jeff Ogden
When things go wrong
I frequently speak at conferences and obsess over the details to get things right. I wrote about some of the obsessions in my blog post Top ten tips for incredibly successful public speaking. But I also plan for things to go wrong. Yesterday I had a mini disaster when I spoke at the Microsoft Wo...
twitter.com/fearlesscomp added a favorite at Selling Power Blog
Mar 13, 2013
A good example of the death of email, Chris, is the story of how I booked the Chief Marketing Officer of General Electric on Marketing Made Simple TV. No emails were involved. It was done 100% using Twitter. It just shows how much can be accomplished with social media today.
Jeff Ogden, Creator and Host
Marketing Made Simple TV
http://www.marketingmadesimple.tv
Killing Email in the Name of Sales Performance? It’s Possible.
Today's blog post is by Christopher Cabrera, CEO of Xactly Corporation, the industry leader in sales compensation automation. The French information-technology company Atos recently announced that it will give up email over the next 18 months. Instead, all 74,000 employees will use instant me...
Great video interview, Lisa. Good stuff on creating tension. "No pain, No Gain" is right.
Jeff Ogden, Cretor and Host
Marketing Made Simple TV
The First Step to Becoming a Modern Marketing Leader
I just returned from an action-packed week at Eloqua Experience 2012 in Orlando, Florida. Eloqua's much-anticipated keynote speaker was Jeffrey Hayzlett, author of the new bestseller, Running the Gauntlet. Eloqua's theme of becoming a modern marketer permeated the high-energy sessions, and Jeff...
Great post, Scott and a very comprehensive and well-documented post on key marketing insights. Terrifically laid out with well placed imagest too. Outstanding!
Jeff Ogden, Host
Marketing Made Simple TV
http://www.marketingmadesimple.tv
10 key principles of agile marketing management
You've probably been hearing more about agile marketing lately. Over the past 6 months, there has been a blossoming Renaissance of discussions, writings, and events on the subject — a number of which I summed up in a recent Search England Land column, Have You Adopted Agile Marketing Yet? In a ...
Good story, David. I agree with you that getting fired is re-invention.
Over ten year ago, I was handling GE for a big software company. I was hugely successful as revenue jumped over 242% in one year. But my comp plan was not a match.
I talked to a new VP "Work for me and I'll give you a new comp plan" But the old VP took offense and got me fired - for being disloyal.
That was a great learning experience. Keep your nose clean and keep doing the right things.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Creator and Host of Marketing Made Simple TV
http://www.marketingmadesimple.tv
Getting fired: Ten years later and much happier
Almost exactly ten years ago I was fired. Sacked. Let go. Terminated. Made redundant. Booted out. Canned. Getting fired was an incredible gift. I just didn't know it at the time. After NewsEdge was acquired by The Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters), my position as vice president of marketi...
David,
Your advice is timeless. Buyers could not care less about you or your products. They care only about themselves and their problems. They don't need the seller. So sellers must EARN TRUST today.
Jeff Ogden
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
Why the 4 Ps of marketing do not work on the Web
The four Ps of marketing -- product, place, price, and promotion – used to describe the marketing mix, was coined way back in the 1960s. Business school curricula still frequently include a discussion of the 4 Ps of marketing and I see the 4 Ps pop up frequently in marketing books to this day. ...
I've read Jill's open letter and I know Bob well too. Jill is right in that sales without marketing is a liferaft without paddles. Companies need to embrace the principles of B2B demand generation and grow into revenue marketers today.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
From Sales to Marketing – Let’s Talk
There are tons of articles, white papers, expert opinions, books, and what else, dating back to probably three plus decades, on the constant rift between sales and marketing. This has been a never-ending conflict, with few valuable solutions. No side wants to stop fighting this war, though ...
Great summary of the event and key issues for B2B marketers today. Thanks for sharing it.
Jeff Ogden
Find New Customers Lead Generation Made Simple
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
5 Critical Skill Sets of Today’s Marketer -- Insights from the SiriusDecisions Summit 2011
It’s an understatement to say that the role of marketing has changed considerably over the past 3 years. One organization that has helped marketers and marketing departments evolve to meet these changes is SiriusDecisions. We attended their annual summit last week in Scottsdale where we learned...
I'm sure, based on the writers, that this cookbook is excellent, but really do not like Manticore's complex form. Too many fields. I never fill out a form like that.
Maybe they need a cookbook on Progressive Profiling.
Jeff Ogden
Find New Customers
www.findnewcustomers.com
7 Recipes for Lead Nurturing - The B2B Cookbook
I have to tell you that this is one of the freshest projects I've worked on in a while. The Lead Nurturing Cookbook, published and produced by Manticore Technology combined entertainment with expertise and recipes for creating lead nurturing programs which will be useful to marketers with or wit...
I agree with Kendra - another great article. And it points out the need again for great content, superb websites, and networking with industry experts.
As you so ably point out, miss any one of those three and you pay a high price.
Do You Know What Tech Buyers Want?
As marketers, we like to think we know what our buyers need and want and that we give it to them across the course of their buying process. But, do we really? If we're only listening to what they say and not watching their behavior, we may miss a few critical nuances. ITSMA recently conducted 48...
Great post, Steve. As I like to say, the purpose of lead scoring is to answer the question What is a good lead? But so many factors go into answering that question. Not just BANT but behaviors. Sales must give input. So you make a good point about combining all factors, adapting and getting sales on board.
Jeff Ogden, President
Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple"
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
Check out our new cheat sheet 7 Keys to Successful Lead Nurturing at
http://www.findnewcustomers.com/leadnurturing
Three Lead Scoring Mistakes Most Companies Make
A lot of attention is being paid to lead scoring these days. Lead scoring is simply prioritizing and ranking incoming or existing leads according to some criteria. After helping a few dozen companies set up their own lead scoring systems, I've found there are a few key areas where people ca...
Great post and I think you clearly sum up the fast changing world of sales and marketing. Self-education means a minimized but still important role of sales. Online trust is needed. The world grows more and more noisy. And funds are tight.
Well said.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple"
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
Forecasting B2B Sales and Marketing Strategies for 2011
Sales and marketing strategies and ideas, in both the B2B and B2C world, are constantly transforming and the pace is rapid. Everyone involved in the B2B world understands that extended sales cycles, along with extensive products and services, unquestionably distinguishes their marketing strate...
Great post and important factors to consider.
One of the things I'm proud of is that visitors to Find New Customers tend to stay for an extended time and access a lot of content. That said, we could do a better job of engaging them in a story.
Jeff Ogden
Find New Customers
www.findnewcustomers.com
@fearlesscomp
Measure the Value Prospects Assign to Your Marketing Content
Pageviews and clicks are good metrics to know about but with the overwhelming amount of information available online, it's more important to focus on how much value your prospects ascribe to your marketing content. There's a lot of talk about measures and metrics. I thought I'd share a few ways ...
Great article and I could not agree more. Buyer personas are one of the most important things B2B sellers have to develop to be successful. The more they are able to understand their prospective buyers, the more successful they will become.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple"
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
The Importance of Buyer Personas to Lead-to-Revenue Management
Image by nicolasnova via Flickr A tough assignment for B2B marketers today is getting a handle on how buyers progress through the buying and selling cycles. As Sirius Decision and CSO Insights have reported on often, buyers are progressing through 70-80% of the buying and sales cycle before en...
Great post and so very true, Ardath. The crux of the problem is the inability to see email through the eyes of the customer.
From the customer point of view, they see multiple email from the company, behave differently and have a change in status. But most companies only see email from their own point of view.
One thing companies should do is sign themselves up for nurturing, so they can experience what a prospective customer experiences. They will see multiple emails on the same day, react and watch behavior and change their status.
Happy New Year, Ardath!
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple"
www.findnewcustomers.com
Don't Put Your B2B Email In a Box
Email is used by most B2B marketers for a variety of purposes—many of which are executed distinctly, sometimes without visibility across the organization. There's brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and loyalty, driving web traffic, promoting sharing with colleagues and on socia...
Great post Ardath. If I could I'd like to amend what you wrote. "Lead nurturing is about providing the right content at the right time that addresses a problem that a prospect is focused on (or at least considering) solving." You say, but indirectly. Right info at the right time to the right person. By right person, we mean the person experiencing the problem and able to address it.
Thanks for this great article.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers "Lead Generation Made Simple"
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
Sending an Email Is NOT Nurturing
I just saw a Tweet come through the stream from the Marketing Sherpa B2B Summit that reads: So if sending an email isn't nurturing what is? #b2bsummit Lead nurturing is about providing the right content at the right time that addresses a problem that a prospect is focused on (or at least conside...
Good article on a real challenge for most salespeople. They are intimidated on calling senior level executives.
It's not nearly as hard as people think. If you are creative and do your homework, you can get through 80% of the time or more.
Congratulations on being named a top B2B marketing blog. That’s quite an honor. I’m pleased to share the news that Fearless Competitor was also named to that great list. It’s nice to meet you.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.com
Networking Magic for C-Level Relationship Selling
Networking produces leads, contacts, and C-Level relationships better than anything. So use your resources. You know people that know people who can get you to where you want to be. However you have to stop and think about this for a minute because you’re not used to using these contacts. On...
Love this post and it's fun to see how people change over the years. You actually did not change that much. Maybe I can dig out some of mine -- when I was not so folically challenged.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
http://www.fearlesscompetitor.com
Are you hip? A cat? Or just hiding?
I just updated the portrait I use on my blog, Web site, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This image is also used on conference sites and in programs where I give talks. It had been about six years since I last had a portrait shot and besides getting older, I wanted a new l...
Another great post and spot on, Ardath.
Just went through a demonstration of about 8 marketing automation platforms. Found them to be 85% the same. Same features, same capabilities, etc.
As a buyer, I could not differentiate them. And when one of the seller talked to us, he discussed his usual competitors, which we had eliminated.
This is a huge problem for B2B sellers. They think they are unique, but they are not. Buyers cannot tell the difference. This is why the tips you suggest are so valuable. Thanks for sharing them.
Jeff Ogden, President
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.net
No Differentiation in Corporate Messaging
I just read the short and sweet Quarterly Sales Messaging Report produced by Corporate Visions. Let's get right to the focus of today's rant: 62% of sales and marketing executives asked said their company's message DOESN'T stand out in the marketplace. So fix it! I've long been a big fan of Davi...
This is a great post because marketing play such as huge role in sales today. Prospects are not looking to buy -- they are looking to solve business problems. You make an excellent point that you do not have to be a great writer like Jill, but you need to be relentless in looking for and aggregating great information from many sources.
If one is creative and disciplined, one can create a blog, videos, podcasts, etc. and really engage prospective buyers.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.net
BOLD Prediction #2: Sellers Need to be Better Marketers
Hey Sellers! It's time for a wake-up call. You're dealing with crazy-busy buyers who don't act like they're supposed to anymore. That means you need to do things differently. Today I interview Chad Levitt, the New Sales Economy blogger and a practicing salesperson. I think you'll be real int...
You make an excellent point, Ardath. A registration form ought to be very, very simple -- such as first name, last name and email. If the business has decent marketing automation software, they support progressive profiling -- we can build the prospect information gradually over time.
I found a horrific form like you describe on a white paper for a very, very large software firm. Interestingly, I abandoned the painful form, did a google search, and directly linked to the white paper without registration.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
www.fearlesscompetitor.com
www.findnewcustomers.net
www.aplicor.com
www.getbacktoworkfaster.com
Prospect Intelligence is a Terrible Thing to Waste
It always amazes me when I click to download a white paper or register for a webinar and am confronted by a 20-field lead generation form. Unless it's something I want very badly, I tend to click the back button and move on to something more appealing. Then again, I'm a marketer, so sometimes I ...
I confess. I'm a big Seth fan. His ability to take something very complex and distill it down to its very essence is a gift. I've read almost all of his books and look forward to this one.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
http://www.fearlesscompetitor.com
Seth Godin talks about being a Linchpin
Seth Godin's new book releases today. I was lucky to receive an early copy of Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? and read it in two sittings. I loved Linchpin. Now I freely admit I am a Seth fanboy (see my Seth collection for proof) so I guess you can say I am biased. I talk a bit about the boo...
As a huge fan of content marketing and Joe, I really appreciated this article. I also liked the five keys to content marketing. This is precisely what I'm hoping to do at Aplicor. http://www.aplicor.com but I have a long and hard road ahead.
Jeff Ogden, Director of Marketing, Aplicor
Formerly, President, Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.net
Content marketing: an interview with Joe Pulizzi
You might know by now that I am exploring the fascinating world of content syndication, article marketing, content marketing, etc. Now, of course it wouldn’t be fair to compare all these things since strictly, the only thing they have in common is content. You probably also know that content ...
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