<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>b2b events Archives | Virtual Causeway</title>
	<atom:link href="https://virtualcauseway.com/tag/b2b-events/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://virtualcauseway.com</link>
	<description>Sales, Marketing, Research</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:19:38 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://virtualcauseway.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/cropped-VCW_Favicon-32x32.png</url>
	<title>b2b events Archives | Virtual Causeway</title>
	<link>https://virtualcauseway.com</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>Dreamforce, AI and the Road Ahead</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/dreamforce-ai-and-the-road-ahead/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/dreamforce-ai-and-the-road-ahead/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:19:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dreamforce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salesforce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=3023</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! I've had the chance to see some great shows over the years. And many of these occurred at Salesforce's Dreamforce conference. Well – it's that time of year again – give this [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/dreamforce-ai-and-the-road-ahead/">Dreamforce, AI and the Road Ahead</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">I&#8217;ve had the chance to see some great shows over the years. And many of these occurred at Salesforce&#8217;s Dreamforce conference.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Well – it&#8217;s that time of year again – give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7rCNiiNPxA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Foo Fighters a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Living the AI Dream(force)?</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Were you at #dreamforce last week? Estimates say 40,000 attended Salesforce&#8217;s annual conference in San Francisco this year… a far cry from the 100k+ attendees they boasted pre-COVID. And Foo Fighters performed – again!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">You may have seen some of Marc Benioff&#8217;s criticism of the city as well – and his <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/sf-faces-bumpy-2024-road-to-recovery-but-hope-still-emerges/article_adab3b4e-5334-11ee-b861-efa3238e31c0.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>warning</strong></span></a> that Dreamforce 2024 wasn&#8217;t a lock for San Francisco if the city&#8217;s unhoused and addicted population intruded on his company&#8217;s annual software festival.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">And what did we learn? Yes, everything is AI. Salesforce&#8217;s Einstein product was <a href="https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/big-data/articles/dreamforce-2023-highlights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>front and centre</strong></span></a>, which is to be expected, based on the current trend in B2B and beyond.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">What do these lower attendance numbers mean – are they a function of our reluctance to spend time in San Fran? Were the conference (and hotel/travel) costs too outrageous this year? Or we <em>were caged and now we&#8217;re free</em>… but maybe Salesforce underestimated the amount of people still unwilling to get back to in-person events.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The next few weeks will be interesting to see: how the conference&#8217;s success is assessed and perceived (by Salesforce and others), and what the future of Dreamforce might be.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Speaking of AI…</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Maybe you&#8217;ve heard &#8220;Heart On My Sleeve,&#8221; the song that uses AI to mimic the vocals of artists Drake and the Weeknd. Well – there was some recent <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/darreonnadavis/2023/09/08/ai-generated-drake-the-weeknd-song-not-eligible-for-grammy-heres-how-it-could-have-been-though/?sh=7385f61f2321" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>press</strong></span></a> around it, and the fact that it&#8217;s not eligible for a Grammy – but only because it&#8217;s not commercially available (after being removed from streaming services over copyright issues).</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">AI-generated music that took the voice of popular artists to make new songs or have them &#8220;cover&#8221; other songs gained traction on social media earlier this year. &#8220;Heart On My Sleeve,&#8221; in particular, has millions of plays on streaming services Spotify and Apple. <em>Financial Times</em> reported that Universal Music Group – which both Drake and the Weeknd have deals with – requested streaming services prohibit AI platforms from using streamers to study copyrighted songs.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">What do you think? It&#8217;s interesting that while this song isn&#8217;t Grammy-eligible, it&#8217;s not for AI-related reasons. While many are hesitating when it comes to AI, many others have embraced it – whether in music or in B2B. But AI isn&#8217;t going anywhere! So if you&#8217;re one of those hesitating, well, <em>now and then</em> you might <em>try to bend</em>. With the right AI <em>monkey wrench</em>, it might be better than you expect!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello!</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/dreamforce-ai-and-the-road-ahead/">Dreamforce, AI and the Road Ahead</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/dreamforce-ai-and-the-road-ahead/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3023</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Let the Rain Fall Down and Wake Your (Sales) Teams</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/let-the-rain-fall-down-and-wake-your-sales-teams/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/let-the-rain-fall-down-and-wake-your-sales-teams/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 May 2023 21:17:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2937</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! There sure are a lot of songs about rain. What is it about rain that makes us want to sing about it? After last week's blog, I've had tons of feedback and [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/let-the-rain-fall-down-and-wake-your-sales-teams/">Let the Rain Fall Down and Wake Your (Sales) Teams</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">There sure are a lot of songs about rain. What is it about rain that makes us want to sing about it? After last week&#8217;s <a href="https://virtualcauseway.com/marketing-whether-the-weather-is-good-or-bad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>blog</strong></span></a>, I&#8217;ve had tons of feedback and comments from <em>rainy day people</em> about weather-related songs. Keep &#8217;em coming! I love to hear from you.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Pick a rain song from the list below and give it a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week…</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Eurythmics – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzFnYcIqj6I" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Here Comes the Rain Again</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Led Zeppelin – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRt4hQs3nH0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The Rain Song</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Alice in Chains – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPTHlmhtg8s" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rain When I Die</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The Who – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbAtWpoA6k" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Love, Reign O&#8217;er Me</strong></span></a> (different &#8216;reign&#8217;, I know)</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The Cult – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD5b_0QB0wI" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rain</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Prince – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvnYmWpD_T8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Purple Rain</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Billy Talent – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAOnUF8t20w" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rusted from the Rain</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">CCR – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIPan-rEQJA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who&#8217;ll Stop the Rain</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Garbage – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpBFOJ3R0M4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Only Happy When It Rains</strong></span></a></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The late Gordon Lightfoot – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phcDgM2Mazk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rainy Day People</strong></span></a></p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">B2B Summit</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Who&#8217;s going to #b2bsummit this year? I&#8217;m showing my age by saying that I&#8217;ve been going to Summit for over a decade (since it was still #SDSummit). It&#8217;s always a great opportunity to connect, see what your B2B peers are doing, and learn from smart analyst types. And – it&#8217;s also a great way to <em>hear about the new obsession</em> and see the who&#8217;s who of B2B tech vendors all in one place.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Let me know if you&#8217;re attending – I&#8217;d love to connect.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Hopefully, Forrester&#8217;s earnings <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/forrester-research-forr-q1-earnings-215509963.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>announcement</strong></span></a> last week won&#8217;t rain on the parade at Summit. Earnings were missed and word is there have been layoffs.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">But they&#8217;re not an anomaly. <em>Here comes the rain (of layoffs) again</em>: <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/04/how-shopify-bungled-its-latest-layoffs-and-made-employees-feel-like-npcs/?guccounter=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Shopify</strong></span></a> announced (also last week) another round – 20% of their global workforce – and we&#8217;ve been seeing cutbacks from other organizations in the past few months. The market, however, reacted very favourably to Shopify&#8217;s announcement – indicating that we&#8217;re okay with layoffs as long as they&#8217;re helping to streamline the business (or correct previous over-hiring).</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">How is this impacting B2B sales and marketing? How are you dealing with smaller budgets in your organization – and where are you prioritizing your spending? I&#8217;d be really interested to hear what kind of <em>five-year plans and new deals</em> B2B organizations are focusing on when budgets are cut (or frozen). Is the focus on growth? Retention?</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Artists in Residence</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Skechers <a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2023/04/28/doja-cat-becomes-skechers-first-artist-in-residence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>announced</strong></span></a> recently that they&#8217;re creating a new <strong>Artist in Residence</strong> role. But what exactly will an Artist in Residence do for Skechers? Roles like this <em>rise and fall</em> (I remember Alicia Keys&#8217; short-lived stint as Blackberry&#8217;s Global Creative Director), but there have been many instances of tech companies trying to bridge the gap with artists…</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">If you&#8217;ve ever been to Salesforce&#8217;s #dreamforce conference, you&#8217;d see firsthand that tech loves to hobnob with music and the arts. In fact, SFDC is known to consistently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-involves-william-matthew-mcconaughey-in-company-discussions-ft-report-2023-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>involve</strong></span></a> Matthew McConaughey and will.i.am in strategy and consulting sessions!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">This might just be a case of tech CEOs wanting to hang with the cool kids. Or is it <em>time we all reach out for something new</em> and take a page from these big players&#8217; books? There could be real value in involving artists in the business direction of these companies… What do you think?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello!</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/let-the-rain-fall-down-and-wake-your-sales-teams/">Let the Rain Fall Down and Wake Your (Sales) Teams</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/let-the-rain-fall-down-and-wake-your-sales-teams/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2937</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The B2B Live Event &#8211; A Comeback Story</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-b2b-live-event-a-comeback-story/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-b2b-live-event-a-comeback-story/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:20:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RevOps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Marketing Alignment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2782</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! It's hard to believe it's late September already. The days are still sunny and warm, but things get a little bit back to a routine. School is back in session, trips have [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/the-b2b-live-event-a-comeback-story/">The B2B Live Event &#8211; A Comeback Story</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">It&#8217;s hard to believe it&#8217;s late September already. The days are still sunny and warm, but things get a little bit back to a routine. School is back in session, trips have been taken and we&#8217;re starting to gear up for fall – and many of us can&#8217;t stop thinking about Q4!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DyziWtkfBw" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Red Hot Chili Peppers a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1"><em>Addicted to the shindig?</em></h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Last week was the first &#8216;live&#8217; #dreamforce conference in three years. I&#8217;ve been to my share of these events, and boy can Salesforce throw a party! The first time I saw Foo Fighters was at Dreamforce way back in 2008. As someone that&#8217;s been a Salesforce user since the beginning, I&#8217;ve followed their rise closely.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">With a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/23/smaller-dreamforce-still-comes-up-big-in-first-live-meeting-in-three-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>reported</strong></span></a> in-person attendance of 40,000, it was significantly smaller than the peak pre-pandemic numbers of over 150,000, when every hotel in San Francisco would sell out, but it was still substantial. And if you count the 110,000 who watched some part of the event online (including myself), the numbers are pretty impressive.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Is it lingering COVID fears? Economic worries? Complexity of foreign travel? Whatever the reason, the numbers were closer to Dreamforce attendance from 10 years ago – when the Red Hot Chili Peppers (this year&#8217;s entertainment) first played at the conference!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><em>How &#8217;bout you?</em> Were you at Dreamforce this year? And if not, what kept you?</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1"><em>Music the great communicator</em></h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">We&#8217;ve all misheard lyrics before. Even searching lyrics online for favourite songs can bring up inaccurate transcriptions. But when you listen to Nirvana&#8217;s &#8220;Smells Like Teen Spirit,&#8221; have you ever heard Kurt Cobain sing…</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">With the lights out<br />
It&#8217;s Las Vegas<br />
Hear me all now<br />
Entertainers</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">According to <a href="https://wordfinder.yourdictionary.com/blog/most-misheard-songs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>WordFinder</strong></span></a> by YourDictionary, it&#8217;s incredibly common for people to mishear lyrics, a phenomenon known as a &#8220;mondegreen.&#8221; The concept first came around in 1954, as defined by writer Sylvia Wright as &#8220;a word or phrase that results from a mishearing especially of something recited or sung.&#8221; Some of the most common examples include &#8220;Hold me closer, Tony Danza&#8221; and &#8220;Excuse me while I kiss this guy.&#8221;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">How does this apply to B2B? When you <em>go write your message on the pavement</em>, are you sure your message is clear… that your audience knows exactly what you&#8217;re saying? It&#8217;s always a good idea to take a step back and review – you might find something in need of clarification!</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Have plans tomorrow? Join me!</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1"><em><strong>Outbound Isn&#8217;t Dead (You Just Suck At It)</strong></em> – that&#8217;s my session at breadcrumb.io&#8217;s <a href="https://hopin.com/events/hot-takes/registration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Hot Takes Live</strong></span></a> online event on Sept. 27.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">But more importantly, there are 30 other top SaaS leaders dishing out hot takes and harsh truths on product-led growth, RevOps, marketing, and sales. Trendy marketing and sales strategies emerge seemingly every day, but – <em>far more shocking than anything I ever knew</em> – many of them don&#8217;t really live up to the hype! It&#8217;s free, and you can register <a href="https://hopin.com/events/hot-takes/registration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello!</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/the-b2b-live-event-a-comeback-story/">The B2B Live Event &#8211; A Comeback Story</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-b2b-live-event-a-comeback-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2782</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Striking a Balance with Quantity and Quality</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/striking-a-balance-with-quantity-and-quality/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/striking-a-balance-with-quantity-and-quality/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2022 14:41:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Selling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[demand gen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[demand generation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lead Generation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales leads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tradeshows]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2659</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Quantity vs. Quality. That age-old debate. If I'd let my sales colleagues dictate spend over the years, I'm not sure any of those companies would still exist – but we certainly would have [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/striking-a-balance-with-quantity-and-quality/">Striking a Balance with Quantity and Quality</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Quantity vs. Quality. That age-old debate. If I&#8217;d let my sales colleagues dictate spend over the years, I&#8217;m not sure any of those companies would still exist – but we certainly would have been living the <em>rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll lifestyle!</em> When it comes to demand gen, how do you balance quantity and quality?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BW6CVqJNdU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Cake a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Tradeshows in 2022</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Have you been to a B2B tradeshow or conference in 2022? <a href="https://www.npws.net/blog/future-of-trade-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Statistics indicate</strong></span></a> that the B2B trade show market in the United States was worth $15.58 billion USD in 2019. The market sharply declined to $5.6 billion in 2020 but is projected to rebound to $14.5 billion by 2024.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Will we truly see a return to in-person conferences this year? Or have we fully embraced the hybrid model?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">A joint research tool created by CNN and Moody&#8217;s, the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/business/us-economic-recovery-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Back to Normal Index</strong></span></em></a> reached 94% as of this week. This fascinating analytic scale – which touches on many aspects of life in America – set &#8216;normal&#8217; at 100, representing how things were going into March 2020. We&#8217;re not all the way back, but there&#8217;s cause for celebration to be sure.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">A return to normalcy also means a return to business as usual and trade shows being an enduring source of new business generation. Here are some items you&#8217;ll need to consider if you&#8217;re thinking of exhibiting:</p>
<ul>
<li class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Trade Show Safety.</span> Safety concerns continue to be front and center for attendees and organizers – and what if there are new restrictions?</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">B2B Trade Show Costs.</span> Your total trade show budget should be roughly three times the actual exhibit cost. At an average of $150/sq ft for a booth, assume a 10&#215;10 will cost you over $45,000.</li>
</ul>
<p class="_ad_q1">From what I&#8217;ve seen, these numbers are actually LOW! What are you seeing in your industry? Do you really NEED to be at that conference, or are you just <em>drinkin&#8217; what they&#8217;re selling?</em></p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Your Concert T-Shirt</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Have you been to a live concert recently?<em> How much did you pay for your concert t-shirt, that proves you were there, that you heard of them first?</em></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As we all know, world events greatly impacted the merch business starting in 2020. The cost of blank garments is up, printing supplies are <em>shiny and costly</em>, and supply chain issues abound (plus the usual suspects, like inflation)!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">This <a href="https://streamndestroy.substack.com/p/merch-prices?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>article</strong></span></a> compares prices for merchandise among rock bands. It&#8217;s an interesting comparison – do you see any trends between the strength of the &#8216;brand&#8217; and the cost of the merch?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">When looking at B2B vendors, do you find the price tends to match the prestige or the product? The quantity or the quality? Maybe you&#8217;re willing to pay a little more for something with better brand recognition&#8230; or maybe you prefer to <em>rock on completely with some brand-new</em> option.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Which do you prioritize?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/striking-a-balance-with-quantity-and-quality/">Striking a Balance with Quantity and Quality</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/striking-a-balance-with-quantity-and-quality/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2659</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Map Your Organization to Your Customers</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/map-your-organization-to-your-customers/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/map-your-organization-to-your-customers/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 15:46:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forrester]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forrester Summit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[martech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2650</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Were you at Forrester B2B Summit last week in Austin? Over 2000 marketers convened last week at the conference – and the excitement was palpable. Was it the research? New technologies unveiled? [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/map-your-organization-to-your-customers/">Map Your Organization to Your Customers</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Were you at Forrester B2B Summit last week in Austin? Over 2000 marketers convened last week at the conference – and the excitement was palpable. Was it the research? New technologies unveiled? I think the BIG news of the conference was just how&#8230; normal&#8230; things seemed overall!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Play this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC3kEJnDjHY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Austin&#8217;s own Black Pumas as we <em>listen to what other people say</em> this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">#forrb2bsummit learnings</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">It was great to connect in person with colleagues and see first-hand new research and tech. But the excitement wasn&#8217;t all because of 2000 marketers eager to use their corporate expense accounts again – there were some interesting marketing and technology <a href="https://www.demandgenreport.com/features/industry-insights/forrester-b2b-summit-customer-obsession-the-increased-reliance-on-ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>insights</strong></span></a> from the conference too:</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Increased Prioritization of Customer Obsession.</span> Mapping your organization to the 5 levels of customer obsession – customer naïve, customer aware, customer engaged, customer committed, and customer-obsessed.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Power of Automation &amp; AI.</span> Three key opportunities for technology and humans to work together: support technology, CX, and improved performance.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Power of Purpose.</span> Just like B2C, <a href="https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-b2b-summit-new-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>B2B customers</strong></span></a> bring personal awareness and preference to the buying process.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Smarter Demand, Scaleable ABM.</span> The number of B2B leaders who desire demand and ABM to be fully aligned – sharing people, processes, and tools – has increased from 54% in 2020 to 82% in 2022.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">At last year&#8217;s summit, we learned that the number of interactions required to make buying decisions significantly increased from 17 (2019) to 27 (2021), indicating a new level of attention and due diligence for purchases during the pandemic. Additionally, more stakeholders and influencers are <em>taking control of</em> the decision-making process, resulting in 60% of purchases today having 4 or more people involved (compared with just 47% in 2017).</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">This year&#8217;s summit didn&#8217;t provide updated stats, but I think it&#8217;s safe to assume they&#8217;re consistent, and we still <em>wanna know our customers better</em> to effectively market in today&#8217;s buying environment!</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Piano Lessons Delay Dementia</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Remember those painful piano lessons you had as a kid? Well, maybe it&#8217;s time to <em>get it together</em> and pick them back up in your golden years&#8230;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">There&#8217;s already proof that learning a musical instrument is associated with the brain&#8217;s ability to change and adapt, and that music can help protect our brains against cognitive decline with age. A new <a href="https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/piano-lessons-older-age-delay-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>study</strong></span></a> has investigated how 6 months of piano training can affect the brain compared to simply listening to and learning about music, in healthy older adults who have had no formal musical training.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">This is a topic near and dear to me, so seeing these positive results gives hope. And if it is to you as well, maybe it&#8217;s something to consider to help some loved ones and <em>watch them shine</em>.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/map-your-organization-to-your-customers/">Map Your Organization to Your Customers</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/map-your-organization-to-your-customers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2650</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Streaming Victor, Spotify</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-streaming-victor-spotify/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-streaming-victor-spotify/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 2022 13:37:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Channels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales Conversations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales Data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales Emails]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[streaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2646</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! I'm excited. I'm off to a conference this week and going to see how 'back to normal' things are in the B2B event world. I'll report back next week, but it seems [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/the-streaming-victor-spotify/">The Streaming Victor, Spotify</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">I&#8217;m excited. I&#8217;m off to a conference this week and going to see how &#8216;back to normal&#8217; things are in the B2B event world. I&#8217;ll report back next week, but it seems <em>the tables have turned</em>.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">In the meantime, give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cdZQ41rGAg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by R.E.M. a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1"><em>Blame</em> the HubSpot Data</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">I&#8217;ve been keeping an eye on the <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/industry-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>HubSpot data</strong></span></a> the past few months, and I&#8217;m disappointed that it hasn&#8217;t been updated since February! Why? No idea. This data has been an important part of many marketers&#8217; planning process since the pandemic hit! I hope they continue to update the stats – as I think this aggregate data is invaluable and can really help us spot trends!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">So far this year, we&#8217;ve seen:</p>
<ul>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Deals Closed</strong> took a dip early Q1, but increased again mid-quarter. I&#8217;d be interested to see which has continued: the up or the up-and-down?</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Sales Email Sends</strong> continue to steadily increase, but <strong>Responses</strong> are still hovering below the pre-COVID benchmark.</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Sales Calls</strong> and <strong>Conversations</strong> took an end-of-year drop (not that surprising), but have been working back up since.</li>
</ul>
<p class="_ad_q1">What other trends are you seeing? Are you pining for the updates from HubSpot like me – or are you in the <em>It&#8217;s not my thing so let it go</em> camp?</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Spotify <em>Bangs</em> Out Impressive Numbers</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Whatever happened to #deletespotify?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Netflix stock tanked after the company revealed that it had lost subscribers for the first time. And some were predicting bad things for Spotify when it announced its financial results last week. Well – looks like the opposite happened. It seems Spotify was able to <em>roll right over</em> the Joe Rogan controversy on their ascent to top global streaming audio platform.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Spotify <a href="https://investors.spotify.com/financials/press-release-details/2022/Spotify-Technology-S.A.-Announces-Financial-Results-for-First-Quarter-2022/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>reported</strong></span></a> that it now has 422 million monthly active users (up 19% from a year ago) and 182 million people (up 15%) paying for the premium service. In Q1, Spotify added 16 million listeners – but only 2 million subscribers in the same period. Spotify blames that on the &#8220;wind-down of [their] Russian operations,&#8221; which resulted in 1.5 million disconnects.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Revenue was US$2.82 billion (up 24% year-over-year) thanks to increases of 23% in subscription revenue and 31% in ad revenue. There are also 4 million podcasts available on the platform, which is up from 3.6 million at the end of 2021.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">And things look good for the future. Spotify believes it will have 428 million monthly users by the end of June.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Is this a platform you can leverage in your B2B efforts? According to <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/spotify-rebounds-from-deletespotify/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Forrester Research</strong></span></a>, many marketers stuck with Spotify through all the turmoil. With this much reach and growth – I&#8217;d love to hear some of your strategies for leveraging streaming platforms for your marketing efforts.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Maybe <em>it&#8217;s not your thing</em>, or maybe you <em>know it all too well</em>. Either way, platforms like Spotify are on the up and up, and worth at least some consideration for your own marketing efforts.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/the-streaming-victor-spotify/">The Streaming Victor, Spotify</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/the-streaming-victor-spotify/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2646</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Just More of the Same in B2B?</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/just-more-of-the-same-in-b2b/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/just-more-of-the-same-in-b2b/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 13:24:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[account-based marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Event]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PLG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product-Led Growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2642</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Do you ever get that feeling? Like you've been here before? Or someone says something that triggers a 'déjà vu' moment? I think we all have these moments. As I type this [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/just-more-of-the-same-in-b2b/">Just More of the Same in B2B?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Do you ever get that feeling? Like you&#8217;ve been here before? Or someone says something that triggers a &#8216;déjà vu&#8217; moment? I think we all have these moments. As I type this intro, I am getting that same nagging feeling again&#8230;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this classic Aerosmith <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6C_nyZLQR8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">PLG – <em>Same Old Story?</em></h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">You&#8217;ve probably heard of Product-Led-Growth (PLG) – how about Product Qualified Leads (PQLs)? If this is all new to you, check out this <a href="https://productled.com/blog/product-qualified-leads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>primer</strong></span></a> on PQLs and PLG.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">But is it just a new acronym for something we&#8217;ve already been doing as marketers? Is it just the <em>same old story</em> with a new name? One could say the same about ABM. Regardless, if you&#8217;re following a PLG marketing strategy, our friends at <a href="https://breadcrumbs.io/blog/plg-marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>breadcrumbs.io</strong></span></a> have outlined the top pitfalls to avoid:</p>
<ul>
<li class="_ad_q1">Focusing on the wrong marketing metrics</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Writing too much content to drive awareness</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Burying new product features</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Assuming customers recognize the value of your product right away</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Neglecting customer feedback</li>
</ul>
<p class="_ad_q1">What do you think? Is PLG an opportunity to <em>change your direction</em> in B2B marketing? Or is it <em>all the same to you?</em></p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">COVID Touring – <em>Same Old Song &amp; Dance?</em></h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Last year we saw many live music tours start back up, only to be cancelled by another COVID wave. With Coachella just completing two sold-out weekends at full capacity and without any masking or vax requirements, promoters like AEG and Live Nation are touting a &#8216;return to normal&#8217; in ticket sales for 2022 events.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">But at the same time, I&#8217;m seeing <a href="https://dadadrummer.substack.com/p/masks-are-off?s=r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>increasing numbers</strong></span></a> of announcements of tour &#8216;pauses&#8217; from bands on the road. They are cancelling shows, abandoning tours, while sick and/or stuck in quarantine far from home.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Consider what catching COVID on the road means for a touring musician. Aside from the health risks, there is lost income and potentially very heavy debt. All the committed expenses of a tour remain: travel bookings, visas, vehicles, band, crew, equipment, merch&#8230; but without any earnings to offset them.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The contrast between what musicians are going through and Live Nation&#8217;s claim of a &#8220;normal pace and cadence&#8221; of touring is so extreme! You would have to see touring as completely separate from the musicians who do it to find this in any way normal. And if your business is only about selling tickets, food &amp; drink, advertising, branding, and attracting capital investment&#8230; then do the musicians even play much of a role?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Is this just how the industry has always been? Is the Coachella festival itself the draw for attendees, or the acts performing? Is your B2B event the draw, or are your speakers and exhibitors? The sooner you figure this out, the sooner you can avoid <em>the same old&#8230;</em></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/just-more-of-the-same-in-b2b/">Just More of the Same in B2B?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/just-more-of-the-same-in-b2b/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2642</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Profanity&#8217;s Professional Proliferation</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/profanitys-professional-proliferation/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/profanitys-professional-proliferation/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:49:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[live events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales and Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2611</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Do you ever start an email and just sit there waiting for the words to magically appear? Sometimes they present themselves to you in the strangest of places... while cooking dinner, while [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/profanitys-professional-proliferation/">Profanity&#8217;s Professional Proliferation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Do you ever start an email and just sit there waiting for the words to magically appear? Sometimes they present themselves to you in the strangest of places&#8230; while cooking dinner, while working out, or while standing in the shower thinking (which happens to be a great song by Jane&#8217;s Addiction <a href="https://virtualcauseway.com/giving-thanks-for-sales-leads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>BTW</strong></span></a>). Or sometimes you just need to kick yourself and ask, &#8216;What am I trying to say?&#8217;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX_nC50U3a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Lenny Kravitz a listen with me as we see what the %$# the experts are saying this week.</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">The Proliferation of Profanity</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">This article really intrigued me. <a href="https://lottie.org/data-insight/song-analysis-reveals-how-the-lyrics-of-music-have-changed-throughout-the-decades/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Lottie</strong></span></a>, a firm that helps people find personal care homes, commissioned a study of 35,000 songs from the 1950s through 2010s to determine how lyrics have changed. There are some cool charts and some very interesting stats. What caught my eye was how explicit and sex lyrics have changed through the decades.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Take a look at the charts in the article – it&#8217;s fascinating stuff. As you can imagine, certain words are much more standard in lyrics today vs. a decade ago (or four, or seven). And we see that in all aspects of culture – TV, print, digital.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Have you noticed the proliferation of profanity in business communications? Is it now common to swear in a business meeting? In a LinkedIn post? As marketers, we&#8217;re always taught that your brand &#8216;voice&#8217; is important. But if your brand is about a certain lifestyle, or caters to a certain audience, perhaps the profanity is appreciated. Has this crossed into the mainstream?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1"><em>What the %$# are YOU saying</em> to your customers? How are you saying it? And would you say it to them in person?</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Making Connections IRL</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">How many business or personal connections have you made at an event? In spite of the forced move to virtual events over the past 2 years, we seem to be transitioning back to in-person events as soon as we can. We&#8217;re social beings overall – and nothing beats making those connections in person, right?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Our friend Gary Amaral from <a href="https://breadcrumbs.io/hot-takes/irl-events-are-more-important-than-you-realize-and-heres-why/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Breadcrumbs.io</strong></span></a> has a great take on this – our primary social instincts are just too powerful! <em>Will we ever understand?</em> Who knows&#8230; but Gary believes that making connections in real life leads to exponentially more value in every way. Live events provide us with opportunities for learning, relationship building, and deep business development.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Think back to the number of &#8216;random&#8217; connections you&#8217;ve made at conferences. I can name many chance conversations and connections from past Dreamforce conferences that have added extreme value – either in the form of new client or vendor relationships or other important business connections. Have you been able to build those same connections virtually?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">I am so excited to be hosting an event later this month with a local Senior Sales and Marketing networking group that I&#8217;ve developed over the past 2 years. It will be amazing to get a chance to hang out and network and just have some great conversations IN PERSON.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">What do you think? <em>How will we ever know if we never try? </em></p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/profanitys-professional-proliferation/">Profanity&#8217;s Professional Proliferation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/profanitys-professional-proliferation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2611</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dealing With Those Pesky Cancellations</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/dealing-with-those-pesky-cancellations/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/dealing-with-those-pesky-cancellations/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2021 14:02:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[live events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Objection handling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Price objection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Value Proposition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2408</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Summer mornings at the lake can be very peaceful... the sounds of birds going about their morning business, water gently splashing against the shoreline, and the soothing echoes of... chainsaws!? Our lives [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/dealing-with-those-pesky-cancellations/">Dealing With Those Pesky Cancellations</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Summer mornings at the lake can be very peaceful&#8230; the sounds of birds going about their morning business, water gently splashing against the shoreline, and the soothing echoes of&#8230; chainsaws!? Our lives are interrupted daily by these unwelcome intrusions! Hopefully your summer is going well and this blog series can serve as a welcome distraction – NOT an unwelcome disruption!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0gAxuvo5rc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>song</strong></span></a> by Stone Temple Pilots a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week. <em>Take it away, boys&#8230;</em></p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Nothing&#8217;s for Free – So Sell the Value!</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">I&#8217;ve been talking a lot lately with our clients and our internal project teams about dealing with price objections. Do these objections stump your sales teams? I wonder if it&#8217;s this time of year&#8230;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Whatever the case may be, I thought it would be worth sharing a great post from our partners at VanillaSoft – they define 4 common price objections: budget, high price, lacking features, and time. What are the price objections YOUR team gets regularly?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Communicating VALUE is what transforms these objections into opportunities, and Darryl Praill outlines the top ways to establish value when dealing with these objections:</p>
<ul>
<li class="_ad_q1">Establish and refine value early</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Know your own value</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Be prepared if you&#8217;ve previously given discounts</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Be confident</li>
<li class="_ad_q1">Be willing to accept a &#8216;no&#8217;</li>
</ul>
<p class="_ad_q1">See the complete article <a href="https://www.vanillasoft.com/resource-center/blog/handling-price-objections" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>here</strong></span></a>. Communicating value can be tough sometimes – but it&#8217;s all about the story you tell. Is your team telling the right story, or do they <em>all just hum along</em>?</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">The Downward Spiral of Concert Cancellations</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Concert and tour cancellations are starting (again). Last week, Nine Inch Nails <a href="https://variety.com/2021/music/news/nine-inch-nails-cancel-2021-concerts-1235044833/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>announced</strong></span></a> the cancellation of their upcoming 2021/22 tour, leaving fans disappointed and the industry anxious about the future of live events again!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">They&#8217;re not alone. Florida Georgia Line also cancelled their upcoming tour – and according to <a href="https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2021/08/21/tour-cancellations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>some</strong></span></a>, they may be more worried about pissing off their audiences than about infections! Many of these artists are Live Nation acts and they need to play by the promoter&#8217;s rules – which means they can&#8217;t go on the road without Covid/vaccine restrictions. And some of these acts that have right-leaning audiences&#8230; perhaps they&#8217;re worried about their fans&#8217; reaction to the restrictions?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Whatever the reason – there seems to be some ambiguity as far as the future of live events and concerts again. Sure – we have some big tours rolling across the country now, but will these be paused as we see more and more acts cancel? And as B2B marketers – how does this bode for our fall event season?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Some may feel okay <em>selling their soul to sign an autograph</em>, but it seems many bands are backing out of concerts for various reasons. Hopefully the time of cancelled/postponed shows can safely end before live events are just a <em>burning ancient memory</em>.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/dealing-with-those-pesky-cancellations/">Dealing With Those Pesky Cancellations</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/dealing-with-those-pesky-cancellations/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2408</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bands and Concerts: Your Unlikely Sources for Lessons in B2B</title>
		<link>https://virtualcauseway.com/bands-and-concerts-your-unlikely-sources-for-lessons-in-b2b/</link>
					<comments>https://virtualcauseway.com/bands-and-concerts-your-unlikely-sources-for-lessons-in-b2b/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Krol]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2021 13:24:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b2b events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Event Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDBMD]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://virtualcauseway.com/?p=2393</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights! Sometimes we need to keep it simple. It's August. It's summer. I bet we're all having problems staying motivated – so I'm going to keep this email simple and rev you up! Give [...]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/bands-and-concerts-your-unlikely-sources-for-lessons-in-b2b/">Bands and Concerts: Your Unlikely Sources for Lessons in B2B</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>
<h3><em>What Do B2B Marketers Do Now?</em> is an ongoing email. <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/dL2IjAt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join the mailing list</span></a> to be the first to receive these weekly insights!</h3>
</blockquote>
<p class="_ad_q1">Sometimes we need to keep it simple. It&#8217;s August. It&#8217;s summer. I bet we&#8217;re all having problems staying motivated – so I&#8217;m going to keep this email simple and rev you up!</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">Give this iconic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymtpePP8I8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>punk song</strong></span></a> a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying – let&#8217;s go!</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Business Lessons from the Ramones???</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">As you know by now, I love trying to bridge that gap between music and B2B. There&#8217;s something about the Ramones that people just love. Is it the attitude? The simplicity and raw energy of the songs? The fun of it all?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">They were actually tremendous business people! I found this great <a href="https://dsm-llc.com/4-things-the-ramones-can-teach-us-about-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>post</strong></span></a> that outlines lessons from the punk rockers that apply to B2B. Let&#8217;s see what we can learn from them:</p>
<ul>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Short &amp; simple works.</strong> Most Ramones songs clock in at a little over 2 minutes. Short. Simple. Impactful. Use the same strategy with your sales and marketing messages; say just enough to get your prospects interested and move them through their buyer&#8217;s journey – that&#8217;s all you need!</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Clever shines through.</strong> Ramones songs were funny and smart – and not everyone got the joke. Your smarts and expertise will shine through when presented correctly to the right person – not everyone will get it, but those that do could be your best clients!</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>The brand is more important than the individuals.</strong> Only two members of the Ramones (Joey &amp; Johnny, who by all accounts hated each other) lasted from inception to dissolution – other members were swapped and changed with regularity and yet their popularity never wavered. The brand &#8220;the Ramones&#8221; mattered more to their fans than the individual members. Your lesson – work hard to build your brand so that no matter who&#8217;s representing it, it remains successful.</li>
<li class="_ad_q1"><strong>Don&#8217;t take yourself too seriously.</strong> The Ramones were caricatures made real and they knew it and had fun with it. Bring fun into what you do every day – people will like you better and you&#8217;ll probably live longer.</li>
</ul>
<p class="_ad_q1">Keep these lessons in mind when dealing with potential clients. <em>What they want, I don&#8217;t know</em> – but these strategies can help you stay top of mind!</p>
<h2 class="_ad_q1">Too Soon for the COVID Concert?</h2>
<p class="_ad_q1">Did you stream any of the Lollapalooza festival last week? Experts are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/02/lollapalooza-covid-cases-music-festival-experts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>saying</strong></span></a> that precautions were insufficient, and infections may spread among concert-goers, as thousands <em>piled in the backseat</em>, as it were.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">The four-day festival welcomed about 100,000 guests a day to hear headliners including Megan Thee Stallion, Foo Fighters and Tyler the Creator. To attend, people had to provide either a COVID-19 vaccine card or proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the previous 72 hours. But doctors say more restrictions should have been in place as the US tries to limit the spread of the more infectious Delta variant.</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">And of course, many of those that attended left at the end of the weekend and crossed state borders. Not to mention there are fake vaccination cards making the rounds. Should we be worried about the future of events in general?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">According to <a href="https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2021/08/02/covid-concerts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Bob Lefsetz</strong></span></a>, it&#8217;s too soon to know – &#8220;Delta is gangbusters and very transmissible. But promoters are wary of shutting the business down.&#8221;</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">How will this impact B2B? I think we&#8217;ll need to see how B2C events shake out over the next months – as they will indicate how the fall B2B event season will progress. <em>We&#8217;re all revved up and ready to go</em>&#8230; but at what cost?</p>
<p class="_ad_q1">As always, don&#8217;t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.</p>
<p>Looking forward,<br />
Rick</p>
<p><strong>Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat</a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com/bands-and-concerts-your-unlikely-sources-for-lessons-in-b2b/">Bands and Concerts: Your Unlikely Sources for Lessons in B2B</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://virtualcauseway.com">Virtual Causeway</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://virtualcauseway.com/bands-and-concerts-your-unlikely-sources-for-lessons-in-b2b/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">2393</post-id>	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
