Frontline Perspectives

Now, here’s a pledge that’ll strengthen business relationships, as well as personal ones (happy Valentine’s Day, everyone). Listen. Just, listen.

There’s no doubt that listening is important. In fact, more than 35 studies show that listening is one of the key skills needed for business success. But it’s hard. Not only because we’re easily distracted, but because we simply cannot listen as fast as we think. Read more »

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and the fourth-most visited site online according to Earnest Agency. Video is revolutionizing marketing and changing the way prospects get information — including in B2B markets. Read more »

We’re in the process of hiring right now, which means I’m spending a fair amount of time reviewing resumes. I’m continually amazed that the majority of people don’t include a cover letter with their resume. And those who do include one have serious grammar, spelling and clarity issues. What this means is that the majority (and I mean more than 75%) of these people have either made very little, or a terrible, first impression. And because of that, they’re not going to get to the interview stage. Read more »

A lot of marketing time and money is spent generating leads. And these leads often go directly to the sales team for follow up. If the leads don’t immediately turn into sales, the complaints start flying. Marketing generally complains that the sales team doesn’t follow up quickly and effectively, and sales generally complains that the leads aren’t worth the effort. And management is left to wonder why this is so difficult to resolve. Read more »

I think every marketing person needs this written on a T-shirt to remind them what their customers are really thinking. Read more »

Sometimes results have little to do with your message or who’s listening.

If you’ve ever worked with me, or even read my last few posts (When not losing is better than winning and Need to be Creative?), you’ve probably picked up that I measure the value of our work on one scale: behavior modification. Read more »

There’s an old saying that says you should never “assume” anything because it makes an “@$$ out of you and me.” While trite, this is particularly important for us marketing folks to remember. The best copy or the most powerful visuals won’t take the place of really understanding what your target market’s pain points are, and offering the solutions they need. And the best way to know this is to ask. Read more »

’Tis the season for gingerbread and marzipan, but here at MarketSense we bake up new creations all year ’round. As our holiday gift to you, we’d like to share our recipe for persuasion, complete with secret ingredients.

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The B2B marketplace tends to slow down during the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean you have to postpone your marketing efforts till 2011. Just be sure your communications are purposeful. Here are a few ways to get in front of your prospect or customer one last time this calendar year: Read more »

As a consumer, there are days when I wish it was. As a marketer, I know that it’s not.  In fact, I know that e-mail can be highly effective and have seen it create powerful lead and sales results for clients.  But many of us can think of e-mails that are textbook examples of what NOT to do — and these are the ones creating a high level of frustration for consumers.

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