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I was at an event recently (that’s right, a live event!), and I got to hang out with some old friends. I didn’t realize how much I missed it. This time of year makes me nostalgic, while also looking to the future. How are you using your past to help your teams hit your year-end goals? Where ya going ’til tomorrow?

Last week marked 29 years since Stone Temple Pilots released their debut album Core. Wow – where did the time go? Give this great acoustic version of Plush a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week (or if you prefer, listen to the original).

Bees and dogs smell fear…

…and so do your prospects! So be prepared!

Are your sales teams prepared and efficiently following up with their leads? I’ve said this a million times in the past – a lead is not a deal!

I recently had the opportunity to interview Marlene Keay – an expert in demand gen who I am grateful to have on my management team – to discuss the most effective ways to follow up on B2B leads (it’s not easy). But if you do the right things, you’ll find that you can improve conversion rates and lead velocity. Check out the recording here.

And speaking of lead follow-up – here is some other great content from our friends at VanillaSoft. When it comes to optimal lead follow-up, it’s all about speed, cadence, aptitude and messaging! More details here.

Music Updates – Would You Even Care?

There have been some interesting updates in the music business this week, so here are some quick tidbits from Motive Unknown related to past topics I’ve discussed here…

  • Making a sustainable living from streaming – As we’ve discussed before, it’s tough. 99%+ of artists just CAN’T make a sustainable living on streaming services.
  • TikTok is evolving into a very different streaming giant – Many artists are using TikTok to get noticed by big record labels. They’ll often post a snippet of an idea to test fan reaction before recording a full version. And you can have few followers and still do well!
  • Twitter’s upcoming NFT integration for profile images – Twitter will start to facilitate a more direct connection for users to show off their digital artwork on the platform… would YOU even care?

As usual, I’m curious to see how these changes in the music industry and the B2C space will pan out in the B2B world. We’ve got time to wait for tomorrow… but these changes can come pretty quick, so best be prepared!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat