It’s snowing here this morning. Yup. Snow. And not just a little. Sure, it will only last for the day, but it feels like a HUGE setback. We’re all looking forward to warmer weather, sunshine, and better times…but the snow just seems like a huge kick in the…ahem. You know what I mean.

But on the brighter side, we’re seeing more positive trends in the industry – let’s hope we continue to move forward without more setbacks! What are your teams seeing out there? Please share!

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

‘Cautious Optimism’ from HubSpot Benchmark Data

I monitor the benchmark data from HubSpot to track real trends in the market. Last week we saw a mixed bag of results – but overall they’re trending in a very positive way! Some key data points:

  • Deals Closed show signs of recovery after a low in early April – higher than any week since early March
  • Sales Rep optimism for May is not increasing – deals created experienced a slight decline
  • Total marketing email sends are up and total open rates continue to rise. Companies of all sizes continue to lean on email as a channel to effectively connect with customers
  • Tech, Manufacturing, and Construction are currently strong performing industries – apparently less-impacted than others
  • North America’s sales metrics currently hold steady, while EMEA trended in the opposite direction

Check out the full article here.

Pandemic’s Revenue Impact on FY2020 – The Bridge Group

I’ve been working with The Bridge Group for more than 15 years – a trusted partner and advisory firm that focuses on sales models and metrics. Their recent study of 110 revenue leaders highlighted some key findings:

  • Roughly 30% of revenue leaders reported reducing their number of Account Executives (AEs)
  • One third reported reducing 2020 AE Quota
  • Overall optimism for 2020 is mixed – few are optimistic about Q2; optimism improves for Q3; and a majority believe they’ll hit Q4
  • BUT – nearly one third aren’t confident they’ll hit ANY target in 2020!!

See the details here.

B2B Deep Learning – Forrester #SDSummit 2020

Last week was the SiriusDecisions Summit – done 100% virtually. The Summit included 120 sessions, vendor marketplaces, keynotes and musical artists. Overall I found it an interesting experience. For those of you that attended, I would love to hear your feedback!

There was excellent content around renewed ABM strategies, pandemic response, and some interesting sessions on SaaP (Service-As-A-Product).

Highlights from the Summit can be seen on their blog.

Rick Endrulat | President | Virtual Causeway | 519.866.1600 x622