sales – Page 5

Multichannel Strategies for Managing the Profitability of Business-to-Business Customers (Lawrence et al. 2019)

Companies selling to B2B customers face two key issues: managing the salesperson channel and managing the customer-specific discounts often utilized to drive sales. Companies must determine if customers using online channels would benefit from also being served using salesperson channels, or if utilizing salespeople in such a way would be a waste of valuable resources. Lawrence et al. (2019) provide compelling evidence that sellers gain approximately twice as much net profit from customers that have greater contact with salespeople. The interpersonal relationships that salespeople forge with buyers in the B2B context may bring forth positive financial outcomes.

November 14, 2020

Business-to-Business E-Negotiations and Influence Tactics (Singh et al. 2020)

Sales negotiation over email exchanges between sellers and buyers (e-negotiation) is increasingly common in B2B sales. The use of influential tactics as textual cues in emails to manage buyers’ attention significantly affects sales outcomes. To test the effectiveness of influential tactics in e-negotiations, the authors of this study analyze seller-buyer emails over a two-year period part of 40 e-negotiations, along with other data sources and a controlled experiment. In an era where remote working is more prevalent than ever, e-negotiations are more important than ever. It underscores the relevance of this research.

September 28, 2020

Strategies to Connect with Barricaded Buyers (Chase and Murtha)

When responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) in both the public and the private sector, suppliers’ access to buyers is often restricted due to law and informal rules of engagement. The authors term these buyers ‘barricaded buyers’. Despite having limited access to these individuals, suppliers can still increase their competitiveness and selection likelihood when selling to barricaded buyers.

August 6, 2020

Leading Sales Teams Through Uncertainty

What works for selling in times of economic expansion is not what works for selling in times of crisis. In addition, between 25% and 50% of the sales professionals in US companies never had to sell during an economic downturn… and thus, ready experience on dealing with selling in crisis is not abundant. This Harvard Business Review article on leading sales teams through uncertain times describes three principles that were useful during the 2001 crisis.

April 14, 2020

Chief Marketer’s B2B Outlook for 2020 – Insights on Lead Generation

Chief Marketer published their B2B Outlook for 2020, focusing especially on lead generation by B2B marketers. It includes data from a survey conducted in 2019 among 167 senior marketers (CMO, VP of marketing, director of marketing, etc.) who work for B2B companies.

January 15, 2020

Impact of Digital on the Sales Force (Mike Ahearne, Thomas Steenburgh)

Experienced marketers know that their sales force can have a greater impact on results than any other element of the marketing mix. The challenge has always been to deploy limited resources efficiently and effectively. Fortunately, today’s digital technologies make it possible to scale diverse resources, enabling the sales force to manage profitability across a wide range of account types and sizes. Few question technology’s pervasive impact on selling and the sales profession. Yet many firms are not adequately positioning their sales organizations for optimal performance in the digital age. This webinar examines the relationship of digital technology and the sales function, while offering specific strategies for leadership to fully leverage technology’s impact. Professors Mike Ahearne and Thomas Steenburgh provide examples of how world class organizations leverage digital capabilities to increase profits and gain competitive advantage, and will describe the shifts sales organizations will be required to make in sales process and training investments.

May 30, 2018

B2B Salespeople Need To Act More Like Travel Agents

Do B2B buyers really want to be left alone? Research in this Harvard Business Review article suggests that there are a lot of frustrated and unhappy B2B buyers out there who could use a little help. By acting like a travel agent, B2B sellers can smooth out the sales process and guide customers to a more satisfying end.

February 8, 2018

How B2B Sales Can Benefit from Social Selling

Social Selling may be the new platform for your B2B sales force. This Harvard Business Review article provides ways your salespeople can use social media to engage with buyers who don’t want to face a sales pitch. Social Selling is the solution to achieving a more customer-centric experience that adds an element of fun.

January 30, 2018

Transform Marketing From Enabler To Value Creator in 10 Steps

How can marketers break out of the one-track focus on sales? Be a Value Creator. This article suggests ways marketers can adapt their marketing approach to produce creative and valuable results.

January 28, 2018

ISBM Academic Newsletter, Volume 11, Issue 1

In this Issue (January 2018)
– From the Membership: The Thriving Marketer (Lynn Yanyo)
– From the Membership: Next Members Meeting (Lynn Yanyo)
– ISBM Fellow Feature: How to Become a Platform Business (Erich Joachimsthaler)
– ISBM Fellow Feature: B2B Firm’s Shift from Outside to Inside Sales Structures (Rob Palmatier)
– Invitation to EMAC 2018 and B2B SIG
– ISBM Phd Camp and Academic Conference 2018
– Call for Nominations: 2018 ISBM-David T. Wilson-Sheth Foundation Award for Long Term Impact in B2B Marketing

January 1, 2018

ISBM Pulse: sales

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