There’s something about water that I find relaxing, refreshing, and contemplative. When I need to think, sometimes I just take the boat out and stare at the water. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what comes next, and how our clients move strongly into the marketplace.

Here is what the experts are saying, and some takeaways from the past week:

Bad Moon Rising: The Coming Tidal Wave
Did you read the recent article from The New York Times about bankruptcies? Experts are predicting a tidal wave of bankruptcies. Is this out of lockdown and into the fire?

Listen to the timeless Creedence Clearwater Revival as you read on regarding some ideas and strategies for moving forward.

Enduring Trends That Matter: LinkedIn Report
I revisited The LinkedIn State of Sales Report, and while it contains many predictable findings like the shift to digital, still, I was struck by some of the trends and results:

  1. Long-term sales metrics are stepping to the forefront.
  2. The data-driven sales org is on the rise.
  3. Sales technology is transforming the sales org.
  4. Trust gets deals done.
  5. Building a sales team with the right skills remains challenging.

There is much to digest here, and I urge you to think about your own sales strategy going forward. In our work with clients currently, we find a greater emphasis on things like customer retention, and the pressing need to adjust messaging to more clearly communicate the value that a client’s solution delivers to prospects. Given the tenuous nature of some organizations, they need to quickly understand how a proposed solution can benefit them and what the timeframe is for those benefits to be realized.

We spend an increasing amount of time on data with our clients. Whether it’s a complete ABM program, product launch, or lead generation campaign, its about targeting the right accounts and people.

When Cost-Cutting Harms Sales: Eval Martech
Trying to reduce expenses? As the old saying goes, “don’t cut off your nose to spite your face!” It is natural during a difficult business time to consider how to do more with less. An easy target can be to reduce spending on Martech, which, if not done correctly, can harm sales in the mid and long term.

SiriusDecisions released a process to help operations teams evaluate their current tech:

  1. What is the scope of the marketing stack evaluation?
  2. What systems are getting used, by who, and for what?
  3. How will you evaluate?
  4. How effective is each tool?
  5. Who needs to be part of the decision-making process?

It’s a great idea to eliminate duplication or systems that no one is using any longer. But be careful not to discard those tools that can benefit sales nurturing and development.

So being around water helps me think. Where is your thinking place? I hope with the holiday coming up, you can relax and refresh.

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or ask how I can help.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat | President | Virtual Causeway | 519.866.1600 x622