.png?width=1500&height=398&name=CO_Corporate%20Logo%202021_4C_HOR_FNL-1%20(1).png)
Outsider Insights | From Hustle to System: Why More CEOs Are Rebuilding Their Sales Function
Outsider Insights
Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this new series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.
What is Account-Based Marketing and Why CEOs Should Care
Wed, Nov 8, 2017 — If you are the CEO of a B2B company, you may have heard of the latest innovation in generating revenue: Account-Based Marketing (ABM). This article will explain the why’s and what’s of ABM so that you can ensure your company is driving the maximum results. Let’s face it: your leads probably suck. They suck either because there aren’t enough of them, or the quality is poor. Most likely it is both. Your sales team is always asking for more and better leads – and you are too.
Is The “VP of Sales and Marketing” Role Becoming “Mission Impossible?"
Thu, Oct 26, 2017 — Here’s to those of you who currently have that title and are performing effectively in a “Vice President, Sales and Marketing” role today! If you are confident, balanced and managing both roles effectively at the same time, you are unique. I think, though, that this combined role will become less common in the future. Here’s what is driving my thinking. I’ve been in a VP Sales and Marketing role in three companies. Most recently, I served in an interim VP Sales role added to an interim VP Marketing role for a client which had an unplanned executive opening. After five months of trying to perform both roles productively and with balance, I have greater empathy for those who have that title and who actually can do both concurrently.
Got a Big B2B Deal On the Line? Three Questions to Ask
Mon, Oct 23, 2017 — Consider this situation: A large enterprise service firm – we will call them “Steady Company” - spent two years cultivating a Fortune 500 prospect. Their selling approach was professional, persistent, and “by the book.” They asked penetrating questions to fully understand their prospect’s needs. They had a “top-to-top” of the key players from both sides. They identified decision makers at each level, and crafted detailed execution plans to support their bid. They understood the competitive bidder’s relative advantages and disadvantages.
CEOs: What’s your Competitor’s Plan to Win?
Wed, Oct 18, 2017 — Part 4 of Creating Sustainability for the Business “How could she not see this coming?” Look in the mirror. Armed with a strategic plan built on the foundation of purpose and stocked with customer insight, it’s now time to look closely at the competition. Learning how your competitors plan to defeat your strategy will fortify your plan to achieve long-term success.
What’s Driving Double-Digit Growth in SMBs?
Wed, Oct 11, 2017 — Latest Vistage Research Provides Important New Insight to Growth If you’re like most companies we’re working with, you’re experiencing growth this year. After all, the economic and business climate is quite conducive to growth – low cost of capital and a stable labor market are certainly contributing. But what about the companies that are getting more than their fair share of growth? What are they doing? Vistage Worldwide just published insightful research that explores the decisions high-growth company leaders are making that set them apart from their peers. This study of over 1,300 CEOs and business owners identifies key factors that clearly distinguish between higher (double-digit growth) and lower growth companies. Ready to see the specifics?
7 Ways Not to Screw Up Your Value Proposition
Tue, Oct 10, 2017 — Value propositions are critical to the health and growth of your business. How critical you think they are may be colored by your personal experience. For me, a value proposition is a powerful summary of who you are and what you offer. It defines what is distinct and valuable for those prospects and customers that you want to reach.
Three Common Mistakes that Prevent Growth
Wed, Oct 4, 2017 — All too often I speak with CEOs who are frustrated by their company’s lack of growth. They know they offer a needed product or service, and they know that they’re using all the tools they should to drive growth. But it doesn’t come. Oftentimes the secret is right in front of us. We just need to pay more attention. If you aren’t growing as fast as you think you should, ask yourself these three questions.
Supercharging Your SWOT, Step Two: Activating Your SWOT
Tue, Oct 3, 2017 — Congratulations! If you’re reading this blog, you’ve mastered the art of collecting the data for your SWOT (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) analysis, and have grouped similar concepts into manageable chunks of information. At many enterprises, this is where the SWOT work dies — leaving company executives with a keen understanding of the state of their business, but lacking a clear path to rendering the findings actionable in an effort to foster real change. Think of the Starship Enterprise never returning from years of space exploration — all that knowledge and data stored in the ship’s memory banks and officer logs, yet nobody ever does anything with it.
Supercharging Your SWOT: Three Steps to Turning Yours into Actionable Business Impact
Mon, Sep 25, 2017 — I’d like to start this blog by offering my hearty congratulations. Having recently completed your SWOT Analysis — that fundamental exploration of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to your business — and declared it a masterpiece, you now have entered a warm and fuzzy zone known as “After the SWOT.”