It’s Labor Day and I hope you are enjoying some leisure time before getting back into the fray. Some people welcome September and change, while others dread it. Which camp are you in? It’s tough to know if we are coming or going sometimes, so while you’re reading, enjoy this classic from the Clash!

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

Three Strategies to Reduce Buyer’s Uncertainty and Unlock Purchase Decisions
Our friends at biztechreports highlight some research that outlines three key CMO strategies to reduce uncertainty and unlock purchase decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic:

  1. Prioritize high-impact organizational change for a customer segment
  2. Document tasks and create/curate content pieces
  3. Deliver enablement content

Sound easy enough?

The DemandGen report I shared last week reinforces the need for relevant content in early-stage engagement. In particular, 70% of buyers ranked “relevant content that speaks directly to our company” as “very important” in the survey, and 96% of B2B professionals considered messaging that “spoke directly to our industry needs” to be important.

There’s no doubt that change amplifies uncertainty for buyers. We’ve found that revisiting a client’s unique value proposition can yield insights to modify messaging in the current circumstances. Sometimes these insights can even suggest product/service changes to better respond to current needs.

How does your organization provide relevant content to prospects? Have you revisited your sales process to align with your buyer’s journey?

One Day It’s Fine And Next It’s Black
Some unfortunate employment outcomes resulting from the pandemic are becoming clear. A recent study shows that 64% of UK musicians are considering leaving the business. This bums me out, as I’m a musician, a lover of live music, and a huge music fan overall (in case you can’t tell)! Some other findings from the study:

  • Musicians have lost on average 87% of their live bookings (and main source of income)
  • 50% have no bookings for the rest of 2020
  • 40% have applied for a non-music job since March
  • Young Women are worst affected
  • Classical musicians have the fewest bookings; Pop musicians have lost the most money

Check out the full story here.  With venues struggling and musicians leaving the profession, the future of live music is uncertain. In the B2B world, we know the live event business is struggling. And when you take into account all of the ‘adjacent’ businesses and industries, many are affected. Can virtual events fill the void?

Some Good News
In an effort to end on a more positive note, here is a ‘some good news’ throwback that brought a smile to my face!

I hope you do whatever makes you smile this long weekend!

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

Rick Endrulat | President | Virtual Causeway | 519.866.1600 x622