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AI Strategy for Financial Services CEOs: Why “Good Enough” is no Longer Enough
AI in financial services has moved from lofty claims about AI's use to being at the center of the growth conversation, shaping how you compete, run, and stay trusted. Margins are under pressure as customers benchmark you against their best digital experiences, whether they are opening a checking account, redeeming loyalty points, disputing a card charge, or seeking hardship help.
Developing a Sales Methodology for Growth
Mon, Feb 13, 2023 — Sales methodology provides the framework for how different steps in your sales process are carried out in the pursuit of sales development, customer success, and revenue growth. There are countless sales methodologies, and many are very similar or built around the same concept. In Spin Selling, way back in 1980, Neil Rackham looked at the differences between highly successful salespeople and those who were underperforming. He showed that the successful sales reps asked higher quality questions and built a methodology around this evidence.
How to Use ABM to Drive Revenue Growth and ROI
Tue, Feb 7, 2023 — By: Carol Eversen and Jeff Loeb As fractional CMOs with deep experience implementing ABM across many B2B companies, we see a pattern emerging: business leaders have very different perspectives about what it takes to implement ABM and how to get started. And most opinions seem to be informed by solution vendors rather than defined by the business challenges at hand. This series of blog posts will guide you through the core pillars of ABM, when ABM should be used and with what approach, and share best practices to get started on a successful ABM journey. You’ll learn about the strategies to consider, the enabling technologies to prioritize, how to measure ABM efforts effectively, and how to get started and reduce risks.
Conduct a Sales Assessment to Exponentially Improve Execution
Mon, Feb 6, 2023 — As a CEO, you’re tasked with improving your company’s bottom line. You and your leadership team may have a good handle on your marketing strategy, but prior to moving forward with that strategy, it’s a good idea to conduct a sales assessment to ensure your sales team can execute flawlessly. What’s at stake? A lot. One study indicates that more than two-thirds of lost sales are a result of flawed sales methodologies.
CEO Go-To-Market Warning: Avoid the Blind Spots That Cause Products to Miss the Mark | Part 5
Thu, Feb 2, 2023 — Part 5: Only Teamwork Can Make the Dream Work We have become a nation of isolation. COVID-19 taught everyone how to use technology to carry on safely. Though Zoom, Teams, and other tools have made communication more efficient, we’ve never felt more distant from our colleagues. Through this “together, but apart” mindset, many businesses feel pressured to enable remote work and grant greater autonomy. As a CEO trying to manage in this environment, it’s tempting -- in the spirit of efficiency – to let everyone stay focused on their “swim lane” and not encourage complex collaboration between divisions.
The Recipe for Revenue Success: Sales and Marketing Alignment
Tue, Jan 31, 2023 — As someone who loves to cook, today I am reprising a popular recipe – bringing back a post from the recent past that is ever more relevant today. It’s a tried-and-true concoction that can help you serve up a successful lead generation program. I marvel at the fact that CEOs continue to be disappointed by their marketing outcomes. In fact, 70 percent cite that marketing isn’t delivering for them as expected. Art Saxby, Chief Outsiders CEO, has expertly covered the difference between Sales and Marketing in his blog. I suggest you read it to make sure you have a baseline of understanding, and greater clarity, about the distinction between the two disciplines.
CEO Go-To-Market Warning: Avoid the Blind Spots That Cause Products to Miss the Mark | Part 4
Thu, Jan 26, 2023 — Part 4: Mastering Your Channel Strategy If you’ve been with us through the previous blogs in this series, we’ve cautioned you against the go-to-market pitfalls that could cause your company – and its profits – to slide into a deep ravine on the road to riches. We’ve alerted you to be wary of competitive and market forces that will diminish demand, and waved an orange flag against a product-market misfits or differentiation that is not enough to dislodge competition.
Are Your Marketing & Sales Organizations Aligned?
Mon, Jan 23, 2023 — The numbers don’t lie: Companies that align their sales and marketing functions win more business, keep more customers, and reap far more revenue than those who don’t. However, true alignment for many organizations can be evasive, and for others, it can be entirely absent. In our experience here at Chief Outsiders, we find that many organizations mistake cross-functional communication for alignment. With the need to plan business strategies to withstand times of economic uncertainty, it’s now even more critical for your sales and marketing teams to be on the same page.
4 Tips for Creating a Sustainable Flow of Qualified Prospective Residents
Wed, Jan 18, 2023 — With an aging population, the demand for senior living facilities in the U.S. has never been stronger. Money and Markets projects that by the year 2040, the United States will need about 1.8 million more senior housing units to accommodate the growing number of senior citizens. That will mean that demand doubles over the next 20-plus years. The increase is expected to really take off after 2025 as baby boomers reach the 80-year mark, and then continue to age and need more housing options than are currently available. Despite growing demand, competition for residents in many markets has never been more fierce. If you want to keep your occupancy rate high and even better yet, maintain a waitlist of potential residents, having an integrated, multi-channel marketing program is essential.
Reap Big Rewards with Sales & Marketing Alignment in 2023
Tue, Jan 17, 2023 — When it comes to corporate synergy, there’s perhaps no greater return on your investment than to align your sales and marketing efforts. Though it’s simply common sense to have the two revenue-responsible departments working in sync, it can also mean dollars and cents. One study found that sales and marketing teams, when well-aligned, can wring out 200 percent more revenue as a result of their collaboration. You may already feel like this cross-pollination is happening at your company: Key personnel are collaborating on projects, keeping each other informed, using a common language, and possibly even delivering cross-functional reports from Salesforce, Tableau, and other analytical tools.