BWise Week in Review

B2B sales isn’t a race–there’s no finish line, the fastest “car” doesn’t always win, and the last thing you want to do is go around in circles. Still, after way more than 500 miles on our lead generation odometer, nothing revs your engine like some fresh B2B knowledge, so fuel up with the BWise Week in Review, your weekly pitstop for the best links, blog posts, and articles from around the net.

Don’t Read Infographics When You’re Feeling Anxiousmore evidence that tapping into your prospects’ emotional mindset is a critical aspect of sales and marketing.

How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog Postthoughtful analysis of what makes blog post titles compelling, and more likely to entice prospects to read on.

In the B2B World, Awareness Trumps Sales Skillsmarketing and sales need to balance and complement one other–finding the perfect mix for your business is key.

7 Lessons Apple Can Teach Us About Persuasive Web Contenta breakdown of what exactly content/web marketers can learn from a company that’s really good at it.

36 Creative Landing Page Design Examples — A Showcase and Conversion Critiquean in-depth look at what makes for a good landing page, and how to make it even better.

And there’s the checkered flag on another week. Take your foot off the gas and enjoy the long weekend–but keep your B2B car running, because we’ll be back again next Friday to set the pace with more great insight and analysis.

BWise Week in Review

B2B sales may be a science, but it’s also an art–landing prospects requires you to paint a picture using strokes of integrity, value, and trustworthiness, ultimately giving them a new perspective on how you can help them grow their business. If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of the B2B landscape, brush up on the latest trends with the BWise Week in Review, a colorful set of links, blog posts, and articles from around the web.

6 Keys to Prospecting Successit starts with a well-honed target market and it ends with touches that are valuable, varied, and repeated.

How Do You Write the Perfect Headline?how consumer curiosity factors into crafting headlines, titles, and subject lines.

B2B is Dead, Long Live B2B“Big glass buildings don’t buy products—people do.”

The 7 Design Pillars of a Successful Landing Pagea simple list of dos (and some important don’ts) when crafting landing pages.

Best. Unsubscribe. Ever.“unsubscribe” landing pages present an opportunity to be creative–and maybe even to win over tough-to-crack prospects.

We hope that left a good impression. Get another canvas ready, because we’ll be back again next Friday to exhibit yet another portfolio of B2B insight and analysis.

WIR mothers day graphics

Sometimes, we feel like we need a B2B mom–someone to cheer us during the good times, hold our hand through the tough times, and give us the advice and guidance we need to make sound decisions rooted in integrity. In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ve got the next best thing: the BWise Week in Review, the mother of all resources for the best B2B links, blog posts, and articles from around the web.

Why Productive People Have Empty Schedulesone last pearl of wisdom from Warren Buffett on the importance of protecting your time.

Content Marketing: Are You Sharing Your Best Stuff?more good reminders of the kinds of content your prospects are looking for.

Surprise Is Still the Most Powerful Marketing Toolwell, we didn’t expect that.

Why E-Mail Newsletters Won’t Die more customers may be hanging out on social media, but the key to their hearts is still through their inboxes.

INFOGRAPHIC: Why E-mail Subscribers Unsubscribeimportant facts and relevant tips on making sure those inboxes remain open for business.

Mama mia, we’ve done it again. And just like mom, you can always count on us–which is why we’ll be back again next Friday with another mother lode of B2B insight and analysis.

What Would Warren Do?

Warren Buffett may be known as “the Oracle of Omaha,” but even he has a dim view of prognostication. “Forecasts,” he once said, “may tell you a great deal about the forecaster; they tell you nothing about the future.”

This past weekend, I finally flew to Omaha to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett’s investment firm. With Buffett now 82 and his partner Charlie Munger 89, I decided to stop procrastinating and join 30,000+ of his other admirers in the annual trek to the Midwest.

But it isn’t Buffett’s billions that intrigues me; it’s how he lives despite his billions.

I was not disappointed. Buffett and Munger were both wise and witty as they answered questions for over four hours. Buffett’s remarks reinforced his reputation for being a level-headed investor who values solid long-term business strategies. He believes that success depends on being realistic and focusing on what you do well, rather than on being the loudest, biggest, or most ambitious person at the table.

Of course, Buffett is a “numbers guy”–when you’re making million-dollar deals, you have to be–but he refused to devalue the “people” side of the business equation. When making investment decisions, he prefers to look at how a given company is managed, and whether it’s a business he understands: Geico, not Google; banks over Bitcoin. Bill Gates sits on his board, but Microsoft has never been part of his investment portfolio.

In honor of the inspiring advice, humor, and philosophy I had the privilege of hearing Warren Buffett deliver in person, I thought I’d share some of my other favorite pieces of business wisdom Mr. Buffett has bestowed on the world, and how they apply to our world.

“When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.” The best investments are about long-term success rather than making a quick buck. While I admire the success of serial entrepreneurs, I’m proud to work at Business Wise for 33 years and counting.

“It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.” The quality of a product or service is invariably more important than the price you pay for it; never buy something just because it’s cheap. I believe quality both costs and pays dividends, and I’m thrilled that BWise clients agree.

“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” Make a point to surround yourself with capable professionals, and both you and your business will be more successful. I have no illusions about the fact that it’s the BWise Guys and Gals that make me look good.

“I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” There’s no virtue in doing things just because they’re difficult; you can still find success–and a lot more of it–by solving a lot of easy problems. Sometimes I wish that there weren’t quite so many bars, one-foot or otherwise. At the same time, would “continuous improvement” be one of our six core values without challenges?

Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy.” Doing well in business depends first and foremost on integrity; without it, nothing else matters. Another one of our six core values, integrity tops the list (and yes, we have let people go when it was lacking).

“No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.” Knowing when to be patient is just as important as knowing when to seize the opportunity. I marvel at how companies can hire temporary employees to do key jobs and doubt that company culture can be acquired so quickly.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” You must strive every minute of every day to meet your own high standards for integrity, professionalism, and success.

And if you every find yourself at a loss, just think: What Would Warren Do?

BWise Week in Review -- May 3, 2013

Successful B2B professionals don’t need to wait for spring to clean house. They know that if you don’t keep your sales and marketing strategies neat, tidy, and clearly reflective of the latest B2B trends, you can get swept away by the competition. Get ready to vacuum up all the expert advice you can get, because it’s time for the BWise Week in Review, a squeaky clean set of links, blog posts, and articles from around the internet.

What Entrepreneurs Get Wrongbrilliant products don’t always–or even usually–sell themselves.

The Top 75 Must-Read Online Marketing Blogs we must’ve just missed the list.

The Top 10 Annoying Things About Top 10 Listsnumber 11: that we didn’t think of this idea ourselves.

I’m Social. My Brand Isn’t. Oops.data that businesses are slower to adopt social media than their employees, and why that may be a problem.

The Anatomy of Content Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]content marketing: it does a body good.

The-Anatomy-Of-Content-Marketing

Spotless. Feel free to put your broom and dustpan in the closet until next week, when we’ll be back with a fresh set of B2B insight and analysis.

 

BWise Week in Review As an energetic sales professional, you’re pretty plugged into the current B2B trends. But keeping up with the lightning-fast pace of emerging tools and ideas–not to mention potential competitors–means you’ve got to do whatever it takes to stay wired. Lucky for you, we’ve got the perfect thing to help you charge your B2B batteries: the BWise Week in Review, a set of the most electric links, posts, and articles from the web.

Nate Silver and How to Hit Your Sales Quota Repeatedlyhow thinking probabilistically can help you focus on what matters.

Why Originality is Overratedthe shortest path between pitch and sale is a well-beaten one.

How to Anticipate the Next Compelling Event of the Buyer Processwhy certain events cause buyers to act–and how to anticipate them.

INFOGRAPHIC: Is Social Media a Waste of Time?spoiler alert: no.

Top 50 B2B Marketing Influencers On Twitterin case you need some help filling out your feed.

Shockingly good, wouldn’t you say? Just make sure you stay on the grid, because we’ll be back soon with more B2B insight and analysis that’s sure to jolt you out of your seat.

After extensive research of evidence-based best practices and years of hands-on experience working with professional sales people, the Wise Guys have identified seven behaviors that clearly rise above the rest in terms of their importance to sales success.

Take a look at the infographic below to see which behaviors and qualities made the list.

BWise Week in Review -- April 19, 2013B2B sales can come in a drizzle or a downpour. Luckily, when it rains, it pours–and you know that the key to weathering the storm is to equip yourself with the latest insights about B2B trends and strategies. We hope you’re ready to get drenched with B2B knowledge, because it’s time for the BWise Week in Review, a deluge of great links, blog posts, and articles from around the web.

You Might Want To Be More Negative in Your Marketingyou know, that’s NOT a bad idea.

How to Take Notes at a Conferencesome good ideas for maximize the impact of what you learn (our fave: “Publish or share your notes with your team.”)

10 Things Really Amazing Bosses Doreading this post is like looking in a digital mirror.

How Do I Get More Relevant Readers for My Blog?readers are great, but readers that you can convert into prospects are better.

Your Friday Photo: 1993 vs. 2013 in Technologyin case you needed a reminder that content delivery channels have changed.

No need to save those for a rainy day. And since we’ll be back again next Friday, it looks like the forecast calls for extended periods of B2B insights and analysis–no umbrella necessary.

Atlanta's Hottest Businesses

Reading about other fast-growing businesses in your local market can be mildly annoying. It’s no fun hearing how well your business peers–or worse, competitors–are doing when it feels like you’re grinding out every sale.

In the B2B space, however, all business growth is good business growth. Generally speaking, every successful business serves as a reminder that success can be had with the right strategy, and offers a roadmap for getting there. More to the point, the more businesses that are succeeding, the more potential customers you have for your product or service.

Pacesetters PosterThat’s why, for the past several years, Business Wise has been a proud sponsor of the annual Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter Awards, celebrating the 50 fastest-growing privately held businesses in the Atlanta metro area.

Since the 2013 ceremony (scheduled for April 26) is just around the corner, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at some of last year’s winners, and to preview what to expect when this year’s winners are announced.

Here’s a list of the three businesses that, a year ago, rounded out the cream of the crop (descriptions courtesy of the Atlanta Business Chronicle).

Southeast Gold Buyers LLC dba GoldMax

Southeast Gold Buyers (aka GoldMax) buys jewelry in any form, from gold estate jewelry and pocket watches to necklaces, charms, and earrings. The company also takes in platinum, gold and silver bars, flatware, coins and silver tea sets. Founded in 2009, GoldMax has seen substantial growth since inception, increasing revenues nearly 1,361 percent from 2009 to 2011.

We loved how CEO Scott Garber described the company’s belief in connecting with consumers: “We’ve always been a company that focused on educating the general public about our industry — it’s a core value of ours.”

Resolution Technologies Inc.

A full-service information technology staffing firm, Resolution Technologies Inc. offers contract, contract-to-permanent, and direct permanent placements for its clients. Since its founding, the company has seen notable growth, with revenues surging 1,955 percent from 2009 to 2010 and 157 percent from 2010 to 2011.

Our favorite part about Resolution Technologies is the company’s firm commitment to providing high-level customer service. President Joe Bell says his company takes the time “to understand each person’s goals and objectives. In an age where everyone has moved to short-term transaction-based selling, we believe in long-term relationship-based partnerships.” We couldn’t agree more.

Search Wizards Inc.

Search Wizards works as an extension of the recruiting departments of Fortune 500 and emerging-growth company clients spread across multiple industries and markets. The recruitment and talent-sourcing firm was founded in 2000 and following a slow growth year in 2009, grew its revenue more than 60 percent from 2010 to 2011.

We applaud Search Wizards for their internal teamwork and sacrifice in service of getting the job done for their customers. As CEO Leslie O’Connor put it, “We had a small internal team that each [wear] many hats and covered a lot of day-to-day tasks.” As we say at Business Wise “‘Not My Job’ NOT spoken here.”

While we’re familiar with these and the other Pacesetters on last year’s list (they’re in our database after all!), you can read more about the 2012 crop of winners–and emerging prospects–here.

As for 2013, once again, I have the privilege of announcing the number one Pace Setter on the list (if you’re interested in attending, you can register here). Like you, I won’t know the exact winner until I open the envelope on April 26. What I do know is that, whenever we have the opportunity to connect with thriving businesses in our local market, we all win.

WIR taxes graphicsStaying ahead of your B2B competitors can be a taxing endeavor. If you’re not in top form, your efforts won’t generate the returns you’re looking for, and even your most promising prospects will write you off. Don’t let a lack of knowledge about the most current B2B trends turn into a liability for your company–prepare yourself with the BWise Week in Review, an itemized list of the week’s best links, blog posts, and articles.

You Have a Lead Generation System, but No One Is Buying. What’s the Problem? just because you have it doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn how to use it.

How To Write Effective Email Subject Linesa short video from a sales pro on one of the most important aspects of e-mail marketing.

Appointment Setting Tips: Shadows Can Be Chasedacross all platforms, persistence is key.

20 Ideas for Social Media Content That Engagesa laundry list of content ideas, and tips for making them work.

Infographic: How Colors Affect Conversionsan enlightening graphic on a seemingly obscure marketing metric.

Those links were money. For another accounting of the latest news from the world of B2B, well be back next Friday to file another set of great insights and analysis.


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