In the spirit of continually reaching to make our organization better, Net-Results has partnered with the Business Marketing Association, Colorado Chapter, as Gold Trustee Members. The BMA is Colorado’s only association developed exclusively to excellence in B2B marketing. With chapters all over the United States, we at Net-Results are very honored to develop this strategic partnership with such an influential association.
Every quarter, BMA puts on a regional event devoted to developing B2B marketing called B2B Rising was an effort to bring together some bright minds with great ideas and some actionable people who could benefit from their expertise. In a nutshell: we listened, we learned, we networked.
The speakers included a range of experts on topics designed to help B2B marketing professionals “navigate the new marketing landscape” (BMA newsletter) The BMA wrote a great recap of the event here. There were great words of wisdom to take away from this event, but to keep it simple we’re going to list some of the highlights.
Mark Sanborn- author of “The Fred Factor” @Mark_Sanborn
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“Treat your customers as brand collaborators.” This quote outlines the age-old idea that you should listen to your customers. What we like about it is how it really outlines that they’re part of the team, it’s a two-way relationship that grows through collaboration. You don’t always know what’s best for the future, so listening to your customers and working with them to develop what will help them the most is a great way to see success and increase the utility of your product.
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“Not more data, but better insights; not more emulation, but more innovation; not more activity, but more accomplishment; not more conversation, but more community” This quote could stand alone, but to give you an idea of what it’s getting at, it’s developing a process of thinking about business strategy. Data means nothing if you aren’t gleaning important insights from it. Instead of looking for a way to copy something that’s already been done, focus on building on what exists to make it better or on creating a unique source of value. Being proactive is great, but it needs to have direction that helps propel your company forward and meet goals. Talking at people isn’t what’s important, it’s establishing a sense of community and engagement that really shows what you have to contribute.
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“Managers tell, leaders sell.” Enough said.
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“Selling should be helping people make a decision that’s good for them.” There is sometimes a stigma around sales which assumes that salespeople are always just trying to make as much money as possible. A better way to think about sales and train your team is to focus on the idea that sales is helping someone make a decision. If it’s in a Lead’s best interest to purchase from you, then helping them make that decision is just that, helping. Facilitate an exchange of ideas and information that educates the lead about how to make a good decision and if you walk the walk they will realize the value in your product.
Panel
The panel included Todd Wilms (@ToddmWilms), the Head of Social Business Strategy at SAP, Kare Anderson (@KareAnderson), an Emmy-winning reporter, now public speaker and columnist for Forbes and Huffington Post, and Brian Moran, (@BrianMoran), Founder & CEO of Brian Moran & Associates.
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“Focus on what works, don’t do it if you aren’t doing it well.”
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“Facebook is a party that no one is at.”
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“Not storytelling, vignette telling.” -Kare Anderson This quote came from the analogy of stepping across a pond. Tell the story of each step and it’s more relatable and broken down better.
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“How can you be more helpful to your target market?” It isn’t about what you have to say, it’s about what they need to learn. This is the same idea as creating relevant content.
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“Be an accessible resource for your brand.” A good way to think of marketing, content creation and sales working together as a team is to think of them as resources for your brand. You want every member of your team to be accessible, educated and ready to help any prospects that come along.
- “Influencers happen everywhere.” This speaks to the idea of being accessible and present on and offline. Just because digital and social media are big right now doesn’t mean we should lose touch with traditional methods of communication. People trust those methods and value them. Have your eyes and ears open for opportunities even when you’re not on Twitter.
Maegan Fisher- Senior Manager, B2B Markets, Google
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“Moonshot thinking.” The idea that we are a species of moonshots. We imagined being on the moon and then we made it happen. Innovate and build your reality. You can view a neat video Google showed here.
Shawn Achor-
TED talk video: The Happiness Advantage @shawnachor
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This was one of our favorite parts of the speaker line-up. Shawn is a great public speaker with a quick sense of humor and deep insight. From pretending to be a unicorn to positive psychology he focuses on what gives successful outliers in society an advantage and how to raise what average is to a higher level. In a nutshell, he studies happiness. Watch it, you will laugh.
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“It’s the lens through which you view the world that shapes your reality.” An inspirational thought which makes you consider what reality would be had we thought of the world differently. The next time you’re thinking about a new marketing piece or a new feature to be added to your product, think with an open mind and your possibilities open up.
Al Maag- Executive Director for the Business Marketing Association @AlMaagAvNet
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“Marketers should become Chief Transparency Officers & Chief Inspiration Officers”
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We had the pleasure of meeting Al after the event while leaving the venue. We enjoyed his quirky sense of humor, positive spins and readiness for conversation.
Aaron Kennedy- CMO, State of CO and Founder of Noodles and Company
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Colorado is in the process of branding itself. It’s a multi-year project that is in the home stretch, and part of the project involves a badge for businesses to tout the fact that they’re from Colorado. We were able to see several versions of a final design and there was a showcase of a few businesses that are already advertising with the new badges. As a business that was started in Colorado and has grown to include international partners, we’re excited about this new initiative and can’t wait to see how it impacts businesses here.
Thank you BMA!
At B2B Rising we gained new perspectives, learned about emerging trends in B2B Marketing, and met many amazing people in our industry. It was a valuable experience and just underlines the relevance and utility of the BMA and other organizations like them. The BMA is the only organization in Colorado devoted exclusively to excellence in B2B Marketing. Events like B2B Rising are just one of the many reasons we support the BMA and have chosen to be a *Gold Trustee sponsor.
