The Funnelholic

There isn’t a company in business today not announcing layoffs, but over the last couple days, we saw some layoffs that really hit home in the b2b media business.  One thing to understand is that despite being in the online media business myself, I don’t relish “competitors” getting hit.  In fact, I want the opposite: We can all win with a big, competitive b2b media space.

Net-net: CBS Interactive laid off a bunch at CNET which includes a big number in the BNET/b2b business.  There are plenty of articles on it, here’s one.

As well, TechTarget cut about 76 jobs or 12 percent of their workforce. Read here.

Here’s to hoping there isn’t too much more (but I don’t believe that is true)

Economy be damned, I’m in the Holiday spirit. I thought I would share my Christmas list for b2b sales and marketing around the world.

Here is what I hope b2b marketers find in their stocking:

1. A lead-nurturing system and process: The marketer’s Nintendo. Next year you gotta nurture, you’re SOL next year if you don’t . You can have Santa stuff an Eloqua or Marketo in your stocking or you can outsource it.  Either way, gotta do it.  If you already have it and are using it, Christmas came early.
2. An aggressive marketing plan: Santa doesn’t give you this, the CMO and Exec Board does. Hiding will lead to failure. Yes, you have to market smarter next year, but that doesn’t mean not market at all. Pipeline doesn’t come out of the blue, it comes from you. I have seen two types of organizations:  1) those that want to cut budget and hide (you’re dead) and 2) those who know that next year more than ever, the organization needs them to serve pipeline for Christmas dinner. Note to self: Be number 2.
3. Budget: See above, but Santa needs to give you some dollar bills.
4. Your job: Not to be flip on something so negative, but let’s call it like it is. I don’t want to lose your job, lord knows lots of people are.
5. Happy sales guys: Envision the sales team singing Christmas carols at your front door. Next year will be hell for sales team, so here’s to hoping you can help enough so they’ll recommend you for the “nice” list over the “naughty.”
6. Pipeline: Well, isn’t that why we are all here?
7. Closed Business: See above – we gotta keep the lights on folks.

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Tip of the day for marketers: Do “ride-alongs” with sales as you consider your marketing plans. I have spent the last two weeks heavily involved with our sales team, and I learned a ton. Getting feedback is helpful but watching the every-day pain a salesperson endures is eye-opening. If you really want to add value as a marketer, you have to  identify the “have-to-have’s” for your customers, the sales team. The best way to do it, is to see for yourself.

Follow the entire from lead to close.  Here is what I recommend:

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Just a quick sidenote: I used to love the “Notes on a Scorecard” articles on Allan Malamud from the LA Times sportspage. (no wikipedia page for him…bummer)  To me, he started the quick, witty bulleted style of writing articles that were easy to read.  Why do I honor Alan today? Because I have a couple quick “bullets” on my mind, not a whole post…so here it goes:

• I am going to run a Thought Leadership Interview series over the next couple months where I ask lead generation experts 6-7 questions about b2b demand generation and sales and marketing.  It should be fun.
• I loved this blog post title on the B2B Lead Blog: The “Oh $#%@!” Day in Marketing is coming….  It’s declaring January 15 this day, but is really about December.  It’s so true, there are a bunch of marketers who have been “planning” this month and we will wake up mid-January with ZERO pipeline
• December has been crazy!  My buddy in the hedge fund business is talking about how Q4 2008 will be the quarter of paralysis, but we are working with a ton of active vendors…
• Peer reviews.  More on this in later posts, but we have been doing our research over the last year shows explosive growth in buyer preferences for peer reviews.  We have always done fluffy customer success storied and “case studies”, but marketers are going to have to “keep it real” in 2009 with real people and real stories of successful usage of your solutions.
• The Marketing Automation Vendor Dogfight.  As a journalist I look forward to the market share battles between marketing automation vendors.  As a lead generation provider, I love people implementing these systems.  Hurumph
• I get a new Twitter follower every day, and I don’t know how.  That’s got to be good right?
• Have I mentioned Copyblogger?  I’ll have to dig, but I didn’t put them on the Top of the Funnel awards list, but I read their stuff all the time…very good

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