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Memorial Day isn’t just about barbecues and the start of summer. For many, it’s a day of reflection and contemplation. As marketers, how often do we reflect on the past and think about the motivation driving our activities?

I started this weekly email/blog during COVID to share best practices and learnings with the B2B community… and to infuse some musical references and forge a link with my personal interest in sales, marketing, music, and tech.

I hope you still get some value from these emails, and of course, always want to hear from you!

Check out this new song by Foo Fighters as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Demand Gen Reflections

How have your campaigns been performing? Where are you now in terms of your demand gen for 2023? As you reflect back on your year so far, perhaps you’ve had your share of failures and successes. What are some of the challenges or pitfalls in your demand gen? If you’re like many B2B organizations, they could be:

• Not talking to your customers enough
• Not generating results from your content
• Not converting your leads into opportunities and clients
• Not having the right data to make decisions

After many years of B2B campaigns and millions of leads generated, I can say that quality always trumps quantity. Many marketers choose quantity, wasting time on leads that aren’t likely to buy. Instead, businesses should focus on high-quality leads to grow their sales. Good things take time and it’s important to set long-term goals.

Perhaps it’s time to go back to square one and reflect on those goals… it might be necessary to rework them with the long term in mind.

The Foos’ New Drummer

You may have seen that Foo Fighters announced their new drummer, Josh Freese. The band revealed the news in a tongue-in-cheek livestream titled “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts,” which promised a few surprises.

Recorded in their studio, the livestream opened with the band teasing the identity of their new drummer by calling in a slew of famous cameos, including Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe, RHCP’s Chad Smith, and Tool’s Danny Carey.

In January, the band announced they would remain together and continue performing after the death of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. There has been much speculation this year regarding the replacement for Hawkins, and the band had been tight-lipped about possible recruits.

How do you think the band handled this whole process? In typical Foos form, they had a ‘genuine-ness’ and a sense of humour throughout. Replacing a key member of the band could have alienated fans or contradicted their overall perception. Would you have done anything different to maintain continuity?

It’s one thing to say, “I’ll take care of everything from now on.” But it’s a whole other thing to assure your stakeholders that they’re in good hands. Reflect back on what was done previously to ensure you can maintain the same standard that your fans (or your customers/clients) will hold you to.

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

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What’s with our love of TLAs?

Come on – we all love to shorten things and make Three-Letter Acronyms out of common phrases… which is your favourite? Here at Virtual Causeway, we tend to shorten it to VCW… and there are countless examples in B2B where we shorten common terms to their TLAs. Maybe it adds a little fun to our workday – making a secret code or language for your peers?

Give T.N.T. by AC/DC a listen and kickstart your morning as we see what the experts are saying this week.

Do you have a jargon problem?

In my early career I learned SQL, the database programming language. Years later when I first saw the SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall, I was confused – what did SQL have to do with demand generation marketing? (Of course THEY were referring to Sales Qualified Leads.)

Are you confusing your customers or employees? According to HBR, you might be!

Workplace jargon is a staple of the modern organization. Whether it’s buzzwords or TLAs, few things are more universally annoying. Organizational researchers even use it to measure employee perceptions of “bullshit” at their offices.

Yet jargon continues to thrive in most professions. But if it’s so disliked, why is it so common?

Jargon fulfils fundamental needs. It can make communication more efficient, or facilitate social bonding by reinforcing a shared identity. Another motive could be insecurity and the desire for status in one’s profession. Some may compensate for a lack of status by trying to signal that they have more of it than they actually do. And using jargon helps.

So how do we avoid alienating customers or employees with too much jargon? Identify whether jargon helps or hinders your daily work life. Ask yourself if there’s a simpler way to communicate the same idea or if the audience commonly uses the same jargon. If you have a jargon problem, it might start at the top – with your leadership team!

TLAs can be convenient if you know what I mean… but if you don’t, they could cause big problems! Remember, just like SQL, not every TLA is unique, and someone might think it means something else – so make sure you’re communicating the RIGHT messages to your audience, and scrap some TLAs.

CDs, LPs & Vinyl Resurrection

Growing up, I remember being fascinated by the covers of albums my brother and sister owned. Led Zeppelin, RUSH, AC/DC, The Cars – I would stare at the covers and read the liner notes religiously.

By the 2000s, vinyl was all but dead. We were all going digital and the consensus was that there was no point in keeping this ancient format. Vinyl records were dusty, scratchy, noisy, and easily damaged. They took up too much storage space, got warped and water damaged, and weren’t portable!

But two groups of people stood between vinyl and true extinction: old-school collectors who refused to buy into all the digital promises and DJs who preferred spinning records instead of mixing CDs.

Starting in 2008, a weird thing happened: vinyl was back in town and starting to grow! And today, vinyl is doing something it hasn’t done since the early ’90s: generating more revenue than compact discs. In sheer numbers, CDs still rule. But because vinyl sells at a premium, it’s bringing in more money.

What about B2B? Is there some tool – considered obsolete by most – that you can bring back to support your B2B, ABM, or PLG strategies?

One Stylus… Two Channels!

Speaking of vinyl, here’s a little bonus. I’m a big nerd when it comes to the technology behind music. Ever wonder how vinyl is able to produce sound? This video explains how dragging a needle through a groove pressed into a piece of plastic results in stereo sound.

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

The post Quit Buzzing about Buzzwords appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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I’ve spent some time over the past week staring at the lake – the movement of the waves, the reflections on the water, boats in the sun – it seems different throughout the day. And I feel like our job, as marketers, is to try and roll with the ever-changing market and adjust as we can.

Give this cool tune by Queens of the Stone Age a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Worried about the Rapidly Increasing Need for Content?

Ever feel like you can never produce enough content? More than half of us are still operating with either zero or just one full-time team member dedicated to content marketing. Top it off with a competitive market for freelance and contracted talent, and you’ll find some stressed-out marketers.

According to B2B Marketing Zone, there are strategies you can implement to meet the need for content despite the challenges:

1. Tighten standard operating procedures
2. Only create content your audience wants
3. Create content for SEO snippets

No matter who you are or what you’re selling, the best content strategy to keep you from coming undone will always be one that focuses on providing long-term value to your audience consistently, despite the demands of today.

And Speaking of Content… Check out this Podcast!

I recently had the chance to join Glenn Schmelzle on his podcast, Funnel Reboot. I suggest you check it out if you haven’t – lots of great lead gen content, and I am honoured he asked me to take part. We discussed how marketing can (and needs to) understand how new sales dynamics are affecting us – give it a listen!

Worried About Rapidly Increasing Ticket Prices?

Does it feel like the cost of concert tickets has been skyrocketing this summer? After a couple of years of being sidelined by the COVID pandemic, the live music industry has roared back to life – and it looks like artists and promoters are looking to make up for lost time (and money).

The Globe and Mail took a look at some upcoming Toronto shows and found that the cheapest tickets for Red Hot Chili Peppers are going for $200. Standing room at that show? Almost $900! If Kendrick Lamar is more to your taste, tickets will cost you about $500.

As of late June, the average ticket to one of the 100 most popular tours in North America cost $108.20 USD – a 17% increase over the average ticket in 2019, the last full year of live events, according to concert data provider Pollstar. And concertgoers are spending more after they arrive at shows. Live Nation’s revenue per fan from in-venue merch sales was up 30% compared with 2019.

There is evidence to suggest that the price increases are being driven at least partly by increased demand. In the first half of 2022, tours attracted 5% more audience members than in 2019 and took in 25% more revenue.

It’s no one cause, but a matter of that and this, these and those. The combination of high demand, the need to recoup the losses of the last couple of years, and surely some other factors we haven’t considered are resulting in some real financial pain for the fans.

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

The post Demand Increasing Rapidly? Don’t Panic! appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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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 been living the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle! When it comes to demand gen, how do you balance quantity and quality?

Give this song by Cake a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week.

Tradeshows in 2022

Have you been to a B2B tradeshow or conference in 2022? Statistics indicate 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.

Will we truly see a return to in-person conferences this year? Or have we fully embraced the hybrid model?

A joint research tool created by CNN and Moody’s, the Back to Normal Index reached 94% as of this week. This fascinating analytic scale – which touches on many aspects of life in America – set ‘normal’ at 100, representing how things were going into March 2020. We’re not all the way back, but there’s cause for celebration to be sure.

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’ll need to consider if you’re thinking of exhibiting:

• Trade Show Safety. Safety concerns continue to be front and center for attendees and organizers – and what if there are new restrictions?
• B2B Trade Show Costs. 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 10×10 will cost you over $45,000.

From what I’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 drinkin’ what they’re selling?

Your Concert T-Shirt

Have you been to a live concert recently? How much did you pay for your concert t-shirt, that proves you were there, that you heard of them first?

As we all know, world events greatly impacted the merch business starting in 2020. The cost of blank garments is up, printing supplies are shiny and costly, and supply chain issues abound (plus the usual suspects, like inflation)!

This article compares prices for merchandise among rock bands. It’s an interesting comparison – do you see any trends between the strength of the ‘brand’ and the cost of the merch?

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’re willing to pay a little more for something with better brand recognition… or maybe you prefer to rock on completely with some brand-new option.

Which do you prioritize?

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

The post Striking a Balance with Quantity and Quality appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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Drummers get a bad rap. How many musician jokes are about them? But – what would our world be like without drummers? How important is that rhythm section to us? They drive the music. They hold it together. And in our B2B lives… who’s the drummer in your ‘band’ at work?

Give this Smashing Pumpkins tune (with Jimmy Chamberlin, one of my all-time favourite drummers) a listen as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Marketing Performance Amid Pandemic Challenges

Although many marketers have been largely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests that some are finally rebounding after the initial struggles they faced back in 2020.

Most marketers (70%) are now reporting their business performance as better overall compared to last year. And 63% claim that their budgets and priorities reflect pre-COVID levels. When factoring in pandemic-related challenges, 91% of marketing leaders said that their team has been successful over the past year.

In the same period, the majority agreed that marketing has grown in importance. Most marketing leaders (68%) shifted their resources to product marketing during the pandemic, while 62% shifted toward digital ads. About 53% moved toward customer marketing.

What kind of changes have you made? Did the pandemic prompt you to explore new strategies or channels? All things must surely have to end, but the changes they cause are lasting, so we must be able to adapt as they come.

Who’s Your Favourite Drummer?

I probably learned just as much about business being in bands as I did while in business school. We may think drummers take the backseat to other musicians, but their role is vital, and perhaps they can help us learn the meaning of it all!

What can they teach us that we can apply in our B2B lives?

Everything you do is both a reaction to, and cause of, something. A drummer speeds up, the band speeds up. They slow down, you slow down. But when your bass player settles in on a line, the drummer hears it, finds it, and helps them keep it.

In business, especially startups, every decision has an impact. So they should be rooted in reason (a reaction to something) and executed with purpose (to cause something to happen).

Find the tempo and stick with it. Too slow, and it drags. Too fast, and it gets sloppy. Settle into that pocket and keep it steady.

Find a sustainable pace at which to work. Generating demand can be hectic, but that’s even more of a reason to work at your own pace, not someone else’s. Some days will need more push than others, but those days get more doable if the default pace is where it needs to be.

Every business, every department, every team has to have its own ‘drummer’ to keep things going at the right tempo. As a demand gen partner to our clients, WE are the drummer keeping that steady flow of leads rolling. Do you know who your drummer is?

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

The post The Demand Gen Drummer appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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I’ve been looking at a lot of data this week. Sometimes after staring at spreadsheets too long, I see these data points as a thousand points of light – what do they tell us? What trends do they reveal?

Give this song by Neil Young a listen with me as we see what the experts (and the data) are saying this week…

HubSpot CRM Data

It’s all about the data, right? In looking at the HubSpot data through December 2021, we can see some interesting results compared to previous months:

• Just about all sales and marketing activity was down in December – not a big surprise for year-end, and consistent with December 2020.
• Sales Emails Sent remain below benchmark, as they have since the pandemic began – though Responses continue to sit well above.
• While Deals Closed took a small dip in December with everything else, there was a drastic drop in Deals Created (down 90% from November!), bringing them the lowest they’ve been in 2+ years!

Some troubling statistics here – and we continue to see that an omnichannel approach to marketing is required to compete in today’s marketplace. Maybe there’s a warnin’ sign on the road ahead – what do you think? What are you seeing with your teams as we enter the new year?

A Man of the People? Neil Young, Spotify, and Numbers

You’ve probably heard the latest Spotify/Neil Young news (if not, you can get caught up here). Joe Rogan and Spotify may feel like Satan to Neil Young’s camp, but not to their own fans. Seeing how this has played out really got me thinking about audiences and target markets. You may remember I looked at Spotify’s ‘wrapped’ back in December, and Joe Rogan’s podcast was the top streamed for a second year running. So if Neil Young’s streaming numbers were higher, would Spotify have made a different decision? Of course!

Music subscriber market share data was released recently. Amazon Music once again out-performed Spotify in terms of growth (25% vs. 20%), but the standout success story was YouTube Music, growing by more than 50% in the 12 months leading up to Q2 2021.

YouTube Music was the only Western DSP to increase global market share in this period. It particularly resonates among Gen Z and younger Millennials, which should worry Spotify, as their core base of Millennial subscribers from the 2010s is now beginning to age.

How does this impact B2B? As always – make sure you’re targeting the right content to the right audience on the right platform. With competition on the rise, we’re seeing Spotify keep hope alive by assessing two opposing parties and making a business decision based on what the largest portion of their target market will consume (and where they have a vested interest).

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

The post Data and Numbers and Stats, oh my! appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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What’s your favourite song? Is there one that you hear and you immediately get nostalgic? For me there are some that really hit me – thinking of a place, an event, a person… sometimes it just takes that first chord to take me back.

Wouldn’t it be great to evoke those same emotions with your B2B clients?

Give that song by Big Wreck a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Using Emotions in B2B Marketing

The shift to digital and online has been necessary in B2B but has also made human contact a rarity. And yet, it’s become clear that this human contact is vital to the buyer’s journey and customer experience in today’s environment! According to Forbes, emotions could be the new B2B marketing tool. Here are some ways you can leverage them:

• Develop thought leadership content
• Use social listening
• Incorporate empathy
• Maximize value
• Focus on a customer-centric mindset
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative research

Of course, the emotional play can be a bit of a tricky strategy. As marketers, we tend to want to keep our content light, to keep our prospects in a good mood. We don’t want to upset them… or do we?

Regardless of whether it’s an upbeat topic, Forbes says emotional appeal is still the most effective way to engage with your audience! When our emotions are sparked – that’s when we’re quick to respond. We tell a friend, share on social media, and scream at the top of our lungs (if only proverbially).

So if you’re looking to ensure engagement (let’s be honest, who isn’t?) and generate buzz around your brand, find a way to appeal to your audience’s emotions.

I really love that tune

Most people that know me understand my personal connection to Alzheimer’s research. A recent study from the University of Toronto shows that listening to personally meaningful music improves brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. As someone who lived with a family member suffering from this, I can personally attest to the importance of music in their life.

According to researchers:

Whether you’re a lifelong musician or have never even played an instrument, music is an access key to your memory, your pre-frontal cortex. It’s simple: keep listening to the music that you’ve loved all your life. Your all-time favourite songs, those pieces that are especially meaningful to you. Make that your brain gym.

Check out the Alzheimer Society Music Project – a way to reconnect people with the soundtrack of their lives by providing MP3 players loaded with personalized music to people living with dementia so they can crank that song.

Albums Turning 25 in 2022

Last week we discussed albums turning 50 this year. The following albums will turn 25 in 2022:

• Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape
• Radiohead – OK Computer
• Blur – Blur
• Oasis – Be Here Now
• Green Day – Nimrod
• Our Lady Peace – Clumsy
• Big Wreck – In Loving Memory Of…

Any of these revelations make you feel old? If so, I’m sorry… or maybe I’m not, if it’s getting an emotional response! Thanks for the tip, Forbes!

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

Looking forward,
Rick

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

The post The B2B Buyer’s Emotional Journey appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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Things are looking awful c-c-cold here lately. What better way to heat things up than some racy sales and marketing research? Seriously, though… we’re almost at year-end. Time to spice things up and get moving to hit your numbers and ensure a strong start to 2022!

Give this classic song from The Who a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Top 2022 Marketing Trends

Our friends at HubSpot (hmm… it’s time for another look at the data soon) released their list of marketing trends to watch in the next year. Marketers embraced digital transformation more than ever during the pandemic, but as countries cautiously reopened – and more consumers left the house – some businesses saw slumps in the virtual engagement and online traffic they’d come to rely on.

So how are we expecting things to play out next year? No real surprises, but here it goes:

1. Influencer marketing will evolve from trend to common marketing tactic.
2. Video marketers will keep content short.
3. Mobile optimization will be even more important.
4. Permanent social media posts could overtake ephemeral content.
5. Companies will prioritize social responsibility.
6. Experiential marketing could make a comeback.
7. More businesses will use SEO to concur search traffic.
8. Virtual events will continue, but some brands will invest less.
9. More consumers will hear branded audio content.
10. Inbound marketing will remain a best practice for growing brands.
11. Consumers will step into VR and AR experiences.
12. ABM will align more sales and marketing teams.

What are you finding with your business? How many of these trends are impacting you!? If you’re trying to cause a big sensation, keep this list in your back pocket – and hopefully some of these trends will ensure you don’t fade away!

Talkin’ ‘Bout YOUR Generation… and Streaming Habits

When we’re talking about generations, we see some real differences in streaming services. WeThrift took a look at how streaming subscriptions differ by generation.

80% of music fans have a music subscription of some sort. Surprisingly, Spotify and Apple Music are NOT the most popular platforms among Gen X and Gen Z. It’s actually Amazon Music – perhaps the result of so many Alexa devices in the marketplace. Baby Boomers, meanwhile, spend the most time with iHeartRadio while Millennials head to Spotify.

And get this: based on responses to this survey, the average monthly spend on subscription services of all sorts is US$242, the most common being Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. But only $21 of that goes to music platforms.

How does this impact B2B? Do you market your solution differently to different generations? Perhaps we need to think more about this. When we develop our ICPs, how much are we taking generational preferences into account?

It’s not enough if you’re just talkin’ ’bout your own generation – you’ve got to look at the bigger picture! Think about what you can do to appeal to a wider age range – and get out there and cause that big sensation!

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

The post Generations at Odds appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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Seems like there have been a lot of big anniversaries lately. Is that what happens as we age? We find ways to celebrate milestones and perhaps inflate sentimentality? Should we keep looking back or looking forward?

Give this deep track from Nirvana’s Nevermind (the record’s 30th anniversary just passed!) a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying…

B2H – Focusing on the Person

B2H (business to human) focuses on the human and what each individual needs rather than just marketing to a specific consumer or business. In this post-pandemic world, is it even more critical than before?

According to Forbes, here’s what marketers should be considering when it comes to B2H:

1. Walk a mile in their shoes
2. Engage authentically
3. Recognize the impact of B2H on employee and customer satisfaction

Somewhere I have heard this before! We’ve been talking about improved engagement with buyers forever – and we’ve talked about the need for empathy, authenticity, and relationship building. So what’s different here? Who knows…

• Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is all about relationship building already.
• Is this just a cool new TLA (Three-Letter Acronym) to talk about something we’re already talking about?
• We always advise our clients that they need a strong, integrated, and balanced combination of human and digital touchpoints in any sales and marketing activities… and the whole concept of B2H underlines that need.

Authentic, empathetic engagement is key to continue building those customer relationships – at ALL stages of the buyer’s journey. Quote me on that.

How the Worldwide Vinyl Shortage Impacts Us

If you haven’t heard, there is a worldwide shortage of vinyl, and it’s impacting the music industry today. Why do we care? Well – if you’re a vinyl fan, it means you’ll have to wait for that next new album that’s released for your collection.

And if you’re a Nirvana fan, it may mean you have to wait longer for that cool 30-year anniversary vinyl box set of Nevermind. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many of them on eBay as fans that were lucky enough to get them are taking advantage of the after-market and trying to sell them for big money.

How does this impact B2B? Well, how can an interruption in the supply chain interrupt your sales and marketing process? Sure, scarcity is something that can help to pump up and even increase demand. But at what point does it hurt you?

• Would your solution benefit from some sort of scarcity?
• How would your demand generation change if your product/solution was in demand, but you were only able to provide it to a small portion of those potential customers?
• Would ‘manufacturing’ this sense of scarcity help to BUILD your brand?

Like learning to cry on command, a controlled ‘shortage’ could build a whole lot of demand. But following the same principles can help you to ensure that the next time we’re struggling with supply chain issues the world over, you can maintain an effective sales and marketing process.

And One More Special Message to Go

Last chance to check out our latest webinar – Best Practices in Lead Follow-up – with one of the top experts in this field (who actually works with me)!

Check out the recording here.

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

The post B2B vs B2H vs ABM – So Many TLAs! appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

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I celebrated a pretty big birthday last week. So I thought I’d share it in this email by saluting one of the coolest albums of all time along with one of the coolest places in the world!

Give this song by Led Zeppelin a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

The Big 5-0!

Led Zeppelin’s fourth album was released (almost) exactly 50 years ago. Wow – what a great album. They were always an influential band for me, and this album has some amazing songs and production. “When the Levee Breaks”… the HUGE drums and the overall wall of sound on that song… gives me chills.

And add to the list of 50th birthdays: Walt Disney World! The Florida resort opened officially on October 1, 1971. If you’ve ever visited Disney World, you’ll understand how well-run a machine it is. I thought it would be fun to look at some business lessons we could learn from Disney as we celebrate 50th birthdays all around!

Here are ten business lessons you can learn from visiting Disney World. Some of my favorites:

• Personalize the customer’s experience. That’s no small feat for how many visitors Disney World gets – if they can do it, so can you and I!
• Keep it hassle-free. Think about your product/service as an experience – what’s the easiest and most seamless way to provide value and support?
• Be a trusted advisor. Think about your customers’ journeys and where they want to go… and how you can be the one to get them there.

If you’re an entrepreneur, Walt Disney himself can provide some great lessons for you – see how he learned from his successes AND his mistakes. For instance, don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. Remember – Mickey Mouse may be the one you know, but he wasn’t Walt’s original cartoon star.

And finally, some lessons in leadership – and in perfecting the customer experience – from Walt Disney. The key: Whatever your product, service, or solution, you don’t build it for yourself. Know first what your customers want, and build it for THEM.

As Led Zeppelin puts it, mean old levee taught me to weep and moan. But perhaps you can learn just a little bit more when considering the most magical place on earth – and how it got to be that way!

Lead Follow-up DOES Matter!

Sometimes I worry that people just don’t care. We spend large budgets on generating leads, but let them die on the vine. Well, it seems you do care! I sent an email out to prospects this week that got some VERY emotional responses! Lead follow-up and lead management really DOES matter to B2B marketers and sales pros!!

Phew! What a relief!

Do YOU care? If so, check this out – I had the chance to discuss best practices with a top expert in this field (and she actually works with me)! Check out the recording here.

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

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