I got my start in the channel working for a newly appointed Microsoft software distributor where I managed the Microsoft product line. In those days, working for a distributor meant moving heavy boxes filled with thick training manuals, managing floppy drives and SKUs, expediting shipping, executing big launch events and delivering partner education—classroom style.
Along
The New Software Marketplace: Should you partner with a Software Distributor?
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Posted in Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Technology
What I Learned at the B2B Marketing Exchange Conference
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Posted in inbound marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Strategy, Social Marketing, Social Media, Technology Marketing, Uncategorized
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days at the B2B Marketing Exchange conference. Though I was excited to spend time almost exclusively with my marketing peers, my emotions ranged from being eager to try new things out to, “What are they talking about?” It was great to spend so
A Step-by-Step Guide to Customer Journey Mapping
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Posted in Customer Loyalty, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Metrics, Marketing Strategy, Technology Marketing, Uncategorized
It may sound daunting to pull together, but a customer journey map comes with a powerful impact on your business. The idea is centered on optimizing every touch point a client or prospect has with your company. I recently had the good fortune to participate in a mystery shopping experience where I could examine the
How to Use a ‘Pain Chain’ to Add Customer Value
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Posted in Branding, Customer Loyalty, Marketing Strategy, Technology Marketing
A ‘Pain Chain’ is a powerful visual map first introduced by Keith M. Eades in his book, The New Solution Selling: The Revolutionary Process That is Changing the Way People Sell. Software and technology providers can use the Pain Chain to help determine the source of pain for customers and discuss, with the right people,
4 Lessons I Learned as a Managed IT Services Mystery Shopper
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Posted in Business, Customer Loyalty, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Technology Marketing
A Managed IT Services client of mine recently asked me to be their ‘mystery shopper’ and call all their competitors to ask for pricing and a formal proposal. They wanted to review their pricing and offers to ensure they aligned with current customer and market expectations in a relatively small geography. What an eye-opening experience
A Day in the Life of Our Virtual Marketing Directors
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Posted in Business, Channel Marketing, inbound marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Strategy, Technology Marketing, The Partner Marketing Group, TPMG
Software and technology partners and ISVs come to us seeking marketing assistance, but are often unclear as to what exactly they need. What they do know is they want to improve their marketing, build an effective marketing plan, establish a regular cadence and create powerful content they can stand behind. Getting there is the challenge.
The New Case Study: More creative ways to tell your customer stories
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Posted in Blog, Content Marketing, inbound marketing, Marketing Strategy, Technology Marketing, The Partner Marketing Group, TPMG, Video Marketing
As technology marketers, or technologists, our comfort zone often lies in our product knowledge. If you are the MASTER of telling people how awesome your products are and why they should use them, your potential customers probably checked out a long time ago.
As my colleague noted in a recent blog, 3 Customer Engagement Lessons
‘Tis the Season (to make a marketer crazy)
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Posted in Business, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, The Partner Marketing Group
Thanksgiving is done and my turkey leftovers have been reduced to pot pie. Now it’s time to hang the lights and empty the bank account! And with that thought often comes a big sigh. How did the year go by so fast? From a marketing perspective, everything appears to shut down because our customers and
Love it or hate it, your business needs social media
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Posted in Blogging, Content Marketing, inbound marketing, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Marketing, Social Media
How many of you are feeling the same way I do about social media? The constant stream of drivel—according to Miriam-Webster is ‘to talk stupidly or carelessly’—is definitely what social media is starting to mean to me. Talk about information overload! Whether you personally love it or hate, your business needs social media.
My Facebook
Is Marketing Automation the secret to success? Not always.
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Posted in Blog, Content Marketing, Customer Loyalty, Marketing, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Metrics, Marketing Strategy, Sales, The Partner Marketing Group, TPMG
Marketing automation is just one tool we marketers love to have in our bag of tricks. Not all companies can afford one and that might not be a bad thing. After working with various marketing automation systems over time, I’ve come to the conclusion they are great in certain situations and not in others.
If
