new business

Six Strategies for Seamless, Virtual Sales

Six Strategies for Seamless, Virtual Sales

Sales teams are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to fostering relationships and inking contracts during this time. Prospects are still looking to engage, but in a different way than before. Though the transition may involve a bit of a learning curve now, there can be long-term benefits when you’re confident in building relationships both in-person and online.

While the art of the pitch is a tool that regularly needs sharpening, virtual sales—whether via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet—can present a set of unique challenges. Fortunately, many of the same approaches that you bring to an in-person pitch will serve you well while conducting a virtual one.

Two Brands Are Better Than One

Two Brands Are Better Than One

The old adage “one plus one equals three,” has proven itself to be remarkably applicable in branding. 

When two brands come together, not as a merger but as a joint partnership, it’s called co-branding. The brands join forces and pool their resources in order to increase brand awareness or reach higher customer value and retention. All it takes is one common factor, either a shared audience or goal, to generate a bigger presence with half the effort spent. Many marketing collaborations are developed between brands occupying similar markets. 

In other cases, seemingly unrelated brands can fuse together to create something powerful. Great things can happen when brands look outside of their own locale and align themselves with unlikely but compatible partners that share similar brand promises. A cross-pollination between two radically different brands could be achieved by:

What Brands Miss When They're Not Listening

What Brands Miss When They're Not Listening

When was the last time you had a Kodak moment? Or sent a BBM on Blackberry? Or ate at a Quiznos? These brands are headed towards extinction. Why? Largely because they didn't spend enough time asking questions. They were busy telling others what they needed. 

Quiznos neglected the trend of consumer choice with pre-designed, hot-only subs. Blackberry was convinced consumers wanted traditional keyboards on mobile devices. Kodak discredited the appeal of digital film. In journalism, there's an expression, "Show, don't tell." In branding, the expression should be, "Listen, don't talk."

The Benefits, and Power, of Social Media

The Benefits, and Power, of Social Media

The power of social media cannot be overstated. From overthrowing repressive governments to exposing environmental risks, to helping locate people in crisis, social media has the ability to shine a light on the world. 

Given social media’s strength, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it can even help nurture and develop leads in the business-to-business sales process. Eighty percent of leads in the B2B world come from LinkedIn.

Yet, despite the success of social media, and LinkedIn in particular, many businesses and professionals are hesitant to dip their toes in the water. Why? That’s hard to say. But, what we do know is that the more you put into LinkedIn, the more you will get out.