The Secret to SCALE: Share/Care/Add Value/Listen/Earn

Never before have marketing and sales been in such a radical state of change. The playing field is moving rapidly to the social sites. We know that 72% of buyers use social media to conduct research (Demand Gen Report), but how do you connect with them, influence them, and yes, sell them something?

Here is why you should read this. The experts weighed in this week in a Google Hangout and the reality is that effective social selling requires a completely different mindset, skill set and cadence than what sales success has previously required.

Three social selling leaders connected this week to discuss the keys to social selling success. Koka Sexton, Brian Franz and Jim Keenan (if you don't follow these guys, you need to) delivered a blueprint for ringing the cash register with social media. In addition, I checked in on social media guru, Dave Kerpen. Here are the keys to making it work for you:

1) Give way more than you take-Koka Sexton of LinkedIn may be the father of social selling and his words were clear. Social selling success is built on a foundation of social capital. The more you give, the more you share, the more you help, the more you care--results in more deposits in your social account. You will expand your reach, become a known thought leader and subject matter expert. People will seek you out. Conversely, the more you ask, take, push, interrupt, and bother leads to withdrawals from that social account. The givers will be flush with social capital and the takers will be heading toward bankruptcy. Give free advice, answer questions, share content. Brian Fanzo (@isocialfanzo) tirelessly shares great content along with tips and tricks for navigating the social selling arena. As I am writing this post, Fanzo is Meerkat-ing the live stream of Jay Baer's keynote from the Social Media Marketing World Summit in San Diego. He is a classic giver!

2) Listen more than you talk- Dave Kerpen of Likeable Local (and Meerkat-er extraordinaire) this week said the biggest mistake marketers and sellers make on social media is that they do too much talking and not enough listening. Social media is a '24/7/365 focus group.' Pay attention to what your prospects are asking about, the issues they are wrestling with, the help they need. The more knowledge you have, the more credible you will be in solving your clients' challenges and the better chance you have of landing a new client. It's not about broadcasting, but asking questions and starting conversations.

4) What is Your Personal Brand? - Buyers are on social sites looking for solutions, and people who can help them achieve their goals. Just as organizations are busy changing their marketing language to focus on the issues they solve and away from themselves, and their products, so too must social sellers do with their personal brands. Too many social profiles are created with recruiters in mind as the audience, but the reality is that your social profiles need to focus on your buyers and prospects. How can you help them? What skills can you bring to the table? How have you helped similar clients? Are you a subject matter expert? What business challenges do you solve? What were the results? What have you written on these subjects? "You are the CEO of Me, Inc.," says Sexton. Personal brand matters more than ever. What does a prospect see when they come to your social profiles? How authentic are you?

5) Always Add Value- Whenever you are about to act on social media, you must first ask yourself if you are adding value. Sharing relevant articles, case studies, writing a blog, podcasting, meerkat-ing, liking, congratulating, cheerleading, connecting, recommending, and helping. As Kerpen says, its not about asking people to 'like us on Facebook’, its about answering questions, giving free advice, delivering an environment for learning. Give them a reason to 'like' you.

6) Be Creative/Lead the Way- The social selling space is evolving and changing at such a rapid clip that Sexton is hesitant to write a book on the subject for fear that by the time the book hits the shelves it will be out of date. Thus there is a huge opportunity here to be creative and to lead the way in social selling. Learn from the experts or become an expert. Innovate, experiment, get noticed. Create a new category.

Social selling is not a technology, it's not a tool, but an ecosystem, a methodology, a new way of doing business--which helps you identify the right targets, build insights, develop relationships, create a personal brand, solve problems, and of course, ultimately create revenue for you and your organization. Happy selling!

[Shout out to Jim Keenan (@keenan) for hosting and leading this provocative social selling rap session.]

Thanks to @Dave Kerpen for the SCALE acronym!

Dan Sixsmith is a VP at Alinean, Inc./Founder and CMO at Trammel Marketing Group /Chief Content Officer at "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith." Twitter:@DigitalAdvantg/ Meerkat: http://meerkatapp.co/digitaladvantg

Meerkat: The Hottest New Social Engagement Vehicle

Meerkat is here! The latest disruptive and addictive technology has arrived, delivering the ability to stream live video across Twitter. It started gaining steam @ SXSW last week and is now spreading like wildfire across the connected world. If you haven't downloaded it from your app store, go do that now. I will wait for you for you to get back. Ok, let's discuss the implications for marketers.

1. Interactive Real Time Communications! Video has fast become the preferred method of driving engagement. With buyers enduring serious email fatigue, video is a welcome tool to connect with buyers. But in a fast paced and rapidly evolving connected world, how do you stay up to date? What's happening out there right now? In addition to being able to stream a live event, Meerkat enables viewers to make comments, ask questions, retweet the event and like the event. Last night, I watched a live presentation by Kati Kleber (@nurseeyeroll) which was taking place in Charlotte (I was in CT). Kati is a social media expert and author of Becoming Nursey. The event was 'meerkat-ed' by Social Fresh (@socialfresh). Now I am not interested in nursing, but I enjoyed learning some innovative social media and community building tips from Katie. I connected with others who attended via Meerkat, picked up 3 great book suggestions, added new followers and followed a bunch of new people on Twitter.

2. Advanced Personalization-Meerkat enables a new layer of personalization that straddles the virtual and real worlds. See your Twitter followers in action; let them see you in action. I tuned in to social selling guru, Koka Sexton of LinkedIn, answering questions on his way home in San Francisco and was able to send him a question regarding companies that are leading the way in social selling. During the Meerkat, he was able to project his personality. He appeared casual approachable, yet knowledgeable. The two of us connected on LinkedIn shortly afterward. Likeable Media's Dave Kerpen has a daily lunch program from his New York Office or wherever his is in the world. 

 3. Greater Reach- You are doing a keynote at that marketing conference which has 1500 attendees at the event. Now there can be thousands more watching you from Meerkat in real time. Answer their questions. Find out what they think. Mashable's recent Meerkat about Meerkat attracted people from all over the world including China, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Interact with the audience. It's more powerful than watching the video 2 weeks later. There is a greater sense of community with others that are watching. 

4. Build Authenticity and Increase Trust- By Meerkat-ing on your way to the gym, with your son or daughter, you are able to reveal more of your real self, and that authenticity translates into a human and relatable you. It's a golden opportunity to build trust with your audience.  

5. Social Selling 2.0-Meerkat delivers an additional tool for the social seller. Get to know your buyers better--what they are talking about right now. What they are thinking about right now. Find a way to help them now or create another touchpoint on the way to building a relationship with your buyers.

6. First Mover Advantage-before the floodgates open, take your message to Meerkat and stream a live event, conversation, story, or presentation. Guy Kawasaki today delivered an awesome lunchtime presentation regarding The Perfect Pitch. Meerkat is a hot new content delivery vehicle. Capitalize on the newness and novelty and establish a presence early and get noticed before it becomes another overcrowded medium.

Have a great week or weekend, depending on when you read this. Or I will catch you live on Meerkat!

3 Steps To Social Selling Stardom

Forrester put 1 million B2B salespeople on notice last week at their Sales Enablement Forum in Arizona. The pendulum has swung so far in favor of buyers over sellers, they claim, that by 2020, there will be 1 million less B2B salespeople-1 million! --That’s roughly a 25% reduction. Buyers want to buy and not be 'sold to'. Order takers are definitely goners. The landscape is changing fast and salespeople need to evolve or become extinct. But all is not lost for Sales. Social selling is here to stay and is going to provide the doorway to new levels of success in sales. If leveraged properly, a large portion of those 1 million sales execs will be spared. 

So what do you need to do to become a social selling superstar? First let's understand why it's important. Your prospects and clients are all over the social media playing field. They are researching solutions, delivering information about their company, providing detailed information about themselves, their careers, goals, challenges, interests, background, and education. This modern social media-craving buyer is more knowledgeable than ever before and in a high stakes game to grow their organizations--it’s winning now or go home. The long term is not in the vocabulary of most companies today. Buyers want to learn and exchange ideas with thought leaders. The socially advanced companies understand this fact and their leadership and associates are positioning themselves to be discovered. L

So how should sales execs use social media to effectively find and connect with these buyers? Here are 3 keys to social selling success.

1. Content is Critical To Success: Social media sites are tools to be used, but its up to you as to how you will be viewed-the digital personality you put forth. Establishing a credible social media presence is the first step. Be active, both to learn and research your clients, prospects and to share relevant facts about you and your company. There are countless articles about what an effective LinkedIn profile should look like. Your profile should not look like resume. Rather it should act as a personal website that tells prospective customers what you can do for them. It's not about selling but helping according to one of my favorite thought leaders, Jay Baer (@jaybaer). Educate and inform, don't interrupt and sell. You help through content--white papers, guides, how to videos, podcasts, webinars and slide shares.

Content marketing is the backbone of social selling. Positive word of mouth on social media is a powerful tool-a virtual PR machine. The strength of the content you curate, create, comment on, enrich, harmonize is key. Many of the great content experts have mastered what Jay Baer refers to  "..and therefore" content. It's taking the news and providing commentary on the implications, or how your clients and prospects for success can leverage it.

2. Thoughtfully Grow Your Social Networks: Its no coincidence that 98% of sales execs with 5000 or more LinkedIn connections achieve their quota numbers (Sales Benchmark Index). It may be a steep climb to 5000 connections but it needs to be done thoughtfully and strategically. It doesn't mean engaging in a promiscuous speed dating-like invitation spree. The end result of this will be a very low percentage of acceptances and in all likelihood a warning from LinkedIn to cease and desist and a threat of going into the penalty box. Connect with those prospects that can make a difference to your business, but send a personalized invite. So many of us receive random invites from strangers that leave it up to us to figure out what the motivation is. And 9 times out of 10 it’s a sales call waiting to happen. To personalize your message click on the drop down next to the send a message radio button and it will prompt you to personalize the invite. Send a brief note with why you are interested in connecting. Our team usually mentions a common interest around business development, technology, marketing or sales enablement, and express interest in sharing ideas and staying in touch. We usually have a few connections in common which will also help. We are not selling them anything or talking too much about my company or myself. HootSuite recently likened doing business on social media to dating. It takes time to build trust--and it’s a process before you get to that first date which might be a coffee and eventually (hopefully) more. You will be successful in winning the trust of your targeted contact with this approach and as a new 1st level connection, there is a greater chance they will be exposed to your blogs, tweets, groups, comments, favorites and the like. Again, put yourself in a position to be noticed. Build out your Twitter profile, and then Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, SnapChat and anywhere else your target clients frequent. If you have something interesting to say, people will notice and come to value your advice.

3. Make It "Real Time": David Meermam Scott, author of a number of books including The New Rules of Marketing and PR spoke last year at the Richardson Client Forum in Philadelphia, Pa and spent a good portion of his energetic presentation renaming social selling, ''real-time selling." The most successful companies are agile and can leverage their social presence to pounce on the needs that are occurring now more so than at a future point in time. It's about instant engagement, and monitoring the digital buying signals. Some personal tools I like to use to mine for digital buying signals are Google Alerts, which sends real time news via email from my target prospects and current clients in addition to Twitter feeds which I have sent directly to my phone as texts as news unfolds.

As in the early days of digital marketing, the companies and individuals that help blaze the trail in the area of social selling by engaging in real time, mining for digital buying signals and creating thought provoking content will be in a strong position to supercharge their sales.

Dan Sixsmith is a VP at Alinean, Inc. He is Founder and CMO at Trammel Marketing Group and Chief Content Officer at "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith." Twitter: @DigitalAdvantg

Mastering The Consensus Sale

CEB, the creators of the 'Challenger Sale', is back with a new wrinkle. Not only should Sales challenge its prospects, armed with new intelligence and personalized insights to win more business, but now the research shows it also needs to proactively identify and build consensus among all of the decision makers. CEB's research around the increasing role of buying committees tells us that on average there are 5.4 individuals involved in signing off on B2B purchase decisions. Those sales execs who successfully uncover the identities of and build consensus with 'the 5.4' in their deals are winning more business today.

In a new HBR article and in a recent webinar, the authors of the ground-breaking book, "The Challenger Sale" describe some background on the rapidly changing B2B purchase decision process. First, despite an improving business climate, there is still an overall slant toward risk aversion. Not many individuals want to stick their necks out alone. Further, CEB says that the selling organizations themselves have some culpability for the rise of the decision-by-committee process.Many companies have unknowingly elongated the buying process through the creation of more complex solutions and packages which require the expertise of several stakeholders at the client organization. In short, CEB says that the B2B buying process today is broken. The successful companies of the future will need to deploy integrated marketing and sales teams who will research, inquire, investigate, mediate, counsel, problem solve, and repair the buying process on the way to building consensus for a greater share of wins.

What will be key is to understand each member's individual perspectives and challenges and then connect the dots around a common language among all of the potentially diverse constituencies. CEB also calls out the need to find the 'mobilizer' in the buying committee and work to reduce the risks for her to successfully lead the charge against the status quo within her organization. The mobilizer seems like another name for 'champion' which has been used now for years. When we think of a champion, it is usually around someone going to bat for you and your solution within the organization. What is new and backed up by CEB's research is that consensus building is required much earlier in the decision journey. We know that buyers are 57% through the decision journey before reaching out to sales. In the new research, CEB tells us that group conflict peaks at 37% of the way through the journey. 

That means organizations need an integrated effort between marketing and sales to connect earlier, be more consultative and to make the case for change--not necessarily for your solution, but helping prospects acknowledge and agree that there is an issue and it needs to be addressed. Alinean CEO Tom Pisello and I outlined a strategy to more effectively connect with your client's buying committees in a recent blog post:http://ow.ly/3xqzlX

The research proves out the importance of making the connections within your client organizations. The top performers evaluated their recent wins and losses and found that for the deals that were successfully closed, they typically had identified and connected with 6 or more stakeholders. For the deals lost, the number was 5 or less, which brings us to the question: "Do you know your 5.4?"

Comment below on how you or your team have successfully built consensus among members of the buying committee.

Dan Sixsmith is a VP at Alinean, Inc. He is Founder and CMO at Trammel Marketing Group and Chief Content Officer at "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith"

Why Should I Care?

According to a newly published report, there is a serious disconnect between the content that B2B buyers are seeking from marketers and what is actually being delivered. In the new study from The Economist Group titled, Missing the Mark: Global Content Survey of Brand Marketers and their B2B Audiences,”http://ow.ly/3x7Uha , Jeff Pundyk discusses the most often used and unfortunately flawed approach taken today by B2B content marketers.

The study says that 93% of B2B marketers are incorrectly connecting their content to a product or service. Translation: a sales pitch. To be clear, these marketers have not yet crossed the divide from traditional marketing to value focused and personalized content. Instead they are relying on comfortable one-size-fits-all messaging which is inwardly focused-on their company, team, history, awards, products, features, functions. B2B execs are looking for help in solving their complex issues and often turn to online content for critical challenge-focused information. Thus far, they are having trouble finding the content they need. So how do marketers better align their efforts around what prospective buyers want? A few thoughts to chew on:

It's Not One and Done: A piece of content should not be viewed as a one and done proposition by marketers. The reality is that it typically takes 9 touches and consumption of 12 pieces of content before a prospect is ready to speak to sales. Content should focus on building a relationship. You have amassed a treasure trove of valuable content. Delivering the right content at the right point in the customer journey is key. View your content as a step on the way to deeper connections with your audience.

It's Not Me, It's You: Content which focuses on the addressable business challenges, the business benefits that can be achieved and the realized KPI improvements are the most effective. Similarly, prospects favor content that establishes a two-way dialogue and tells a compelling story to which they can relate. Finally, content should deliver an experience consistent with your organization's brand identity. It must be centered on the prospect or there is a good chance you won't get past the first date. People care about themselves, not products. Guy Kawasaki, the former Mac evangelist and current thought leader, declared,”show people how you will make history together. Sell the dream (of a better future), not a product."

The 5S's of Content Marketing - Marketing used to be about the 4P's, now its about the 5S's: storytelling, substance, speed, simplicity and science. Powerful content needs all of these components.

1. Storytelling-is a foundational element of compelling content creation. The story should reflect the essence of the brand and be leveraged to create personalized customer experiences that last beyond the sale and deliver long-term relationships. Everyone loves a story where a hero tangles with and finally defeats a villain. Introduce the antagonist. What is the current problem out there that needs solving? Describe the pain the prospect is feeling, the magnitude and cause of this problem and then prescribe a cure. How did you save the day? Make it exciting. The brain doesn't pay attention to boring things, according to scientist John Medina.
2. Substance- The messaging needs to aligned with a challenge, an issue in the marketplace that needs to be solved. Explain the 'why' before the 'how.' Original content backed by research scores best with audiences. Establish authority and subject matter expertise. Customer testimonials work well here. A solution in search of a problem carries far less appeal. Customers don't buy products or services, they buy into your approach, your thought-process.
3. Speed-it is 'short attention span theatre' out there (snapchat anyone?) and content needs to get to the point with demonstrable and personalized benefits. Content should be fast paced and loaded with excitement. Think Elevator Pitch. "..Your entire music library fits in your pocket"- Steve Jobs announcing the iPod.
4. Simplicity-The task of leaders is to simplify. Tell the prospect how you will make her life better, the expected value--not about your feeds and seeds. And do it concisely. Think Twitter. It's more intriguing. With our new platform release, ValueStory, we create content which uses a napkin as the background--reinforcing that messaging should be simple enough to fit on the back of a napkin.
5. Science-leverage data(you have collected about your prospects) to create relevant content across all customer touch points. Where is the prospect on his decision journey? What flavor of content should you offer? Similarly, use data to back up your statements. Empirical evidence from client engagements. Research studies to validate the issues.

There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to improve their content marketing efforts to more effectively connect with and convert prospective clients and ultimately drive more incremental revenue for their organizations. Take a longer term view of content, center it around business challenges, and leverage the 5S's of content marketing to drive more wins.

"You've got to start with the customer experience and work back to the technology. Not the other way around." -Steve Jobs @Worldwide Developers Conference 5/25/97.

[Steve Jobs JPEG from Saulo Cruz]

Dan Sixsmith is a VP at Alinean, Inc. He is Founder and CMO at Trammel Marketing Group and Chief Content Officer at "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith"

Aristotle's Plan For Digital Marketers

Is it possible that a man who lived in 300 BC has provided the foundation for digital marketing success in 2015 and beyond? Let's explore.

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and scientist is know for his ground breaking work in Physics, Ethics, Politics, Economics and Psychology to name only a few. Now it seems we can add Digital Marketing to the list.

As marketers scramble to connect with a rapidly moving and changing buyer, Aristotle's treatise of persuasion can be leveraged thousands of years later to effectively find, connect and convert new clients and deliver billions in incremental revenue to marketers.

Aristotle proffered three key elements of delivering a compelling argument: Logos Pathos, and Ethos. Here what each means for marketers today.

Logos: Logos relies on empirical evidence as the cornerstone of Aristotle's approach, leveraging scientific and irrefutable information to make a case for change. In this way, and for the digital marketer, data gathered from all customer activities in a multi screen world is at the core of modern marketing and just the evidence marketers need to more effectively connect with buyers. In McKinsey's new article, The Golden Age of Marketing, it highlights the importance of "science and substance" in the form of research and analytics which informs marketers as to "who buys what, and why; who influences buyers; and when, in the consumer decision journey." In order to have a meaningful conversation with our buyers, we need to know who they are, what they are doing, what they value, their choices, and their feedback. Marketers' use of data is critical to this phase of the Aristotle plan. Leveraging technology to collect data, analyze it, and turn it back around in the form of targeted, differentiated and personalized content delivered in real time is critical. Data, McKinsey says, provides powerful new "clues" as to why buyers behave as they do.

Pathos: Emotion is Phase 2 in the Aristotle approach to persuasion. He spoke of "arousing the passions" of the audience and that we should tell stories which appeal to the audience's values. In fact he is quoted as saying that the 'soul never thinks without a picture." Modern marketers are leveraging effective storytelling to drive meaningful connections to buyers. Creating compelling and engaging experiences through personalized content creates emotion, which in turn fuels engagement, according to Andrew Frawley in Igniting Customer Connections. (Wiley, 2014)Frawley points to shared beliefs, common experiences, and commitment to a cause as key triggers of an emotional affiliation with a brand. The strength of these emotional connections is an indicator of future loyalty and oftentimes define the highest value customers. Those brands that do it best are realizing greater share of wallet from their customers.

Ethos: At the core of Ethos is trust and credibility which is the final element of Aristotle's approach to effective persuasion. Reputation is a key component in establishing credibility and most important to fostering trust. As reputation is either strengthened or damaged over time, it must be near the top of every marketer's goals. Marketers who consistently deliver the right messages, offers, content and customer experiences to their buyers (and therefore demonstrate that they understand and value these buyers) are the most trusted.

Those marketers who can effectively leverage data(Logos), transform it into meaningful and consistent customer experiences and build emotional connections(Pathos) with their buyers are the most trusted(Ethos). They receive more loyalty and eventually increased share of wallet and incremental revenue. Aristotle, regarded by many as the most intelligent man in history, once again demonstrates that his knowledge is relevant in the modern day and for the modern marketer.

Dan Sixsmith is a VP at Alinean, Inc. He is Founder and CMO at Trammel Marketing Group and Chief Content Officer at "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith"

The Buyer's Journey Is No Longer A Journey

Once upon a time a few decades ago, selling was simpler. My colleagues and I would stand outside the buildings in NYC where our clients and prospects worked. When they came out for lunch or a meeting, “Bingo!” It was showtime. The Buyer’s Journey back then was from 37th and 6th to perhaps as far as 40th and 5th (or as many blocks as it took to gain a commitment). Suffice it to say that things have changed a bit since I closed my first deal in the late 80’s.

Technology has made it possible to easily reach across the globe to market and sell your products, but at the same time the process for gaining and maintaining buyer interest and commitment has become increasingly difficult. The term ‘buyer’s journey’ appeared a few years back and referred to a process where buyers moved along a straight line from gathering ideas and exploration to evaluation and selection and if you helped to nudge them along, you were golden.

But today’s Buyer’s Journey is more of a game of hide-and-seek than a linear process. Your prospect is appearing, consuming content, engaging and randomly disappearing. The evidence is there. 58% of B2B deals stall as the buyer goes dark (SBI) leaving sales scratching their heads. It’s tough out there. Sales quota attainment dropped last year for the first time in recent memory (from Accenture-see my post which provides details http://ow.ly/3vLUpE ). But maybe your prospect didn’t go dark after all. Maybe you just missed him on another channel. While he disappeared off of email, he may be very much in play on social or mobile. Consumers and business buyers alike are jumping around from TV to websites, checking email, actively participating in social media, walking into stores, gazing at billboards, texting, and of course, engaging in good old-fashioned conversations with other humans. Marketers need to be everywhere with engaging and personalized content and sales needs to be ready to quickly pick up the conversation based on all the data that these prior engagements yield and of course, seal the deal.

So how do you succeed in this rapidly changing playing field? Here is a start:

Engage early and often-The Holy Grail of engagement today is delivering the right content to the right prospect at the right time in the right channel. Easier said than done. Connect all of the dots, leverage technology and be ready to engage at every touch point. Focus on the challenges your product solves and not on features and functions. Hire a Chief Content Officer, and build out a wealth of meaningful content that your prospects and sales team alike will utilize. Use data to inform your team about prospect behavior and adjust your messaging accordingly. There is a good deal of trial and error here. Rinse and repeat. 

Content needs to be personalized and value focused- Decisions to purchase in B2B have become more complex- six or more stakeholders in every decision, each with a different idea about what’s important. One size fits all is over. Content must be interactive, visual, and personal. At Alinean, we have addressed this issue through the creation of a platform which can intelligently deliver content tailored (either self service by the prospect and/or by sales in a pitch meeting) to the industry, role, size of company, challenges, and prospect business goals and KPI's. The result: higher value leads to sales, greater engagement and conversion, less stalls and more closed deals. Some takeaways from our experience: Serve up content in an entertaining fashion. Tell a story. Paint a picture. Deliver insights. Uncover issues. Quantify benefits. Capture data.

Sales As Marketers-Sales execs can no longer just sell. The huge spike in inbox-cluttering marketing messages and unwanted sales pitches has further strained the trust factor between prospective buyers and salespeople. Therefore, Sales is now being called upon to establish greater credibility with clients. And they need to do so by becoming subject matter experts and thought leaders—a role typically handled by marketing. 

Marketers as Sales- Similarly the role of marketing is evolving. The complexity of the Buyer’s “Decision Space” as adeptly put by Epsilon’s CEO Andy Frawley in his excellent book, Igniting Customer Connections now requires organizations to effectively connect both virtually and directly through impactful and personalized content in an effort to meet a prospect wherever she turns up-and then guide her to the eventual finish line. Therefore, marketers are now responsible for revenue growth and in increasing numbers are carrying quotas. Sounds like selling to me.

Employees as Publishers- Everyone needs a personal brand and a point of view. The more ‘feet on the street’ to find and engage your buyers, the better. Buyers want to know what (Edelman refers to as) ‘regular’ employees (not just the CEO, and not just salespeople) think about your company and its products. Encourage blogging and let the culture and true face of your organization come forward as buyers in their self-created “decision space" evaluate what it will be like to do business with your organization.

With revenue growth at the core of all challenges in 2015 and beyond, the elusive buyer can be found in any number of channels available. The question is, are you ready to engage with and effectively communicate in the new Buyer's Decision Space? 

Tag, you're it!