Dan McDade

ViewPoint | The Truth About Lead Generation is a blog exploring issues related to B2B sales, marketing and lead generation.

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Authored by Dan McDade, president and CEO of PointClear, ViewPoint draws on his 20-plus years of experience helping companies develop prospects and drive revenues. Named one of the 50 most influential people in sales lead management in 2009 and 2010 by the Sales Lead Management Association, Dan offers insights into how to close the gap between marketing and sales and explorations on the most effective means of reaching target audiences—supported by real-world examples—Dan fosters productive thought and collaboration among executives.

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Marketing and Sales in 2012–Integrated Marketing is the Sales Solution

Posted by Dan McDade on Mon, Jul 20, 2009
  
  
  
  

Sales and marketing executives filled the TAG Marketing event at the Centergy Building 3rd Floor Meeting Room in Atlanta last Thursday. The panel I moderated included:

Stacy Williams—visionary founder of the award winning SEO firm, Prominent Placement

Joe Koufman—VP of Business Development and Marketing for Engauge and current president of AIMA (Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association)

Tim Sullivan—co-author of "The Solution Selling Field Book" and Director of Business Development for Sales Performance International (the Solution Selling® company)

The topics were:

  1. What has changed since 2006?
  2. What are the predictions for change between now and 2012?

Since 2006:

      • Increase focus on tracking and measurement
      • Enhance search capabilities—video, news feeds...
      • Focus on conversion—not just impression or click thru
      • Focus on enhancing user experience (on all devices)
      • Social media/marketing is past the experimental phase
      • Companies consolidating to single source rather than managing multiple relationships
      • Acceleration in the amount of communication and what buyers expect sellers to know
      • Sales sells "value" much earlier in the sales process than prior to 2006
      • B2B buyers paralyzed by risk—sellers must mitigate that risk (terms, guarantee...)

Predictions for 2012

      • Real-time search (Twitter and other social media) beating out traditional press
      • Integration of search with other media (off-line and on-line tied into all marketing)
      • The age of mobile devices WILL finally happen
      • One device will replace the cell phone, laptop and desktop
      • All marketing will become interactive
      • The cloud will grow so that access is universal and SaaS solutions will flourish
      • B2B marketing will increasingly be directed by sales: the focus will be market coverage
      • "Segments of one"—generalized messaging will be dead
      • Sales forces will be "knights, not armies": smaller, mobile, agile and ultra-responsive

There were more questions than time and our panelists spent 45 minutes after the session answering individual questions and enjoying the informal time with our guests.

Of the 75 attendees, over 50 dropped their business card into the fishbowl to win: "The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century" by George Friedman—an excellent read.

A special thanks goes to my co-chair, Adam Harrel (http://www.neboweb.com/), for his company's work on the PowerPoint presentation! 

Questions?  Just post a question on this blog and I will either get back to you or ask one of our panelists to do so.

Tell us what you think!
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Comments

I know that these types of predictions, by definition, tend to be hyperbolic, but I still want to challenge the accuracy of this prediction: "Segments of one"—generalized messaging will be dead". 
 
There will still be a place for, and great value in, and great efficiency in marketing communications that are not for a segment of one. The great potential we now have for interactivity, and targeting, and using data, allows a higher level of customized, one-to-one mktg, obviously, but there is still value at the "top of the funnel" for educating, engaging, persuading audiences of many about brands/solutions/issues as a first step that's followed by more in-depth and individualized messages. At least, that's my view, and I think smart, segmented "mass communications" will still have a place for many years to come... as part of the overall mix of communications.
Posted @ Thursday, July 30, 2009 2:09 PM by Steele Hays
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