Happy 2019! and How to Build a Collaborative Relationship Between Sales and Marketing

New clients and expanding marketing budgets with existing clients are keeping us very busy this year.

One of our clients, RedSeal, offers a cybersecurity tool for increasing the digital resilience of networks. Two of their senior sales and marketing leaders, Kimberly Baker, Senior Vice President and GM, Public Sector, and Lauren Stauffer, Director Federal Partners and Marketing, were featured in Modern Marketing Today in an article called, Different Tactics, Same Goals: Building a Collaborative Relationship Between Sales and Marketing

Baker noted that a good working relationship between the two teams is not a function of size. Rather, it is a matter of a shared commitment to a single goal.

“Without a strong branding message that resonates with the marketplace, there isn’t much for sales to work with,” noted Baker.

“Marketing warms up the prospect base and then flows the prospect into the sales pipeline. These two parts are connected by a shared strategic plan and understanding of the outcome.”

Since we started working with RedSeal three plus years ago, the company has almost doubled their public sector revenue and have been selected as a Red Herring Top 100 Global company and Deloitte Technology Fast 500. Kimberly was also named a "FedScoop Top Women in Tech."

Let me know if you want to learn more about the program.

Here are a few articles that caught my eye over the past month or so:

1. 20 expert predictions: Here’s what successful marketers will do in 2019, Marketing Land
2. So what can Apple do next?, Om Malik
3. Welcome to Voldemorting, the Ultimate SEO Dis, Wired
4. It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Think, Zat Rana
5. From Alibaba to Zynga: 40 Of The Best VC Bets Of All Time And What We Can Learn From Them, CB Insights

If you want to talk about optimizing your 2019 marketing plan, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.

Happy Holidays!

Just a few working days before the end of the year and we are in the midst of another busy holiday season.

We wish everyone safe travels and best wishes.

Need a break from the holiday bustle, grab a coffee and read these five marketing articles:

1. Your 2019 Content Strategy: 5 Trends You Can’t Ignore, Convince and Convert
2. 101 Lead Magnet Ideas to Skyrocket Your Email List, Entice
3. 100 Case Study Interview Questions, HubSpot
4. HubSpot Wants to Stoke Innovation With $30M Corporate Venture Fund, Xconomy
5. The Surprising Power of The Long Game, Farnham Street

Fall Marketing Stories. Product Launches and New Clients.

Fall in DC is my favorite time of year.

Football.

Lower humidity. Normal, comfortable temperatures.

Product launches and new clients.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus

All good things.

As per usual, take a quick break from your busy fall schedule and check out these articles:

1. Why big companies squander brilliant ideas, Tim Hartford
2. The Long Goodbye (To Facebook), Om Malik
3. Pivot to traditional: Direct-to-consumer brands sour on Facebook ads, DigiDay
4. LinkedIn Lead Generation: Definitive Guide (Updated 2018), Angelo Sorbello
5. Sunk Cost Sinks Ships, Medium

If you need help reaching your sales and marketing goals, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.

Worldly Marketing Wisdom- What is the One Key to Marketing Success?

So why am I sending you this newsletter? 

My goal every day is to try and live up to the advice of Warren Buffet's business partner. 

“Go to bed smarter than when you woke up.”
— Charlie Munger

I try to read as much as I can. About marketing. Sales. Design. Startups. Software. Business. Economics. Personal improvement. 

Some of the things I read are crap and not worth sharing. Some, however are pretty good.

With that in mind, take a quick break and check out these articles:

What caught my eye in the past month?

1. Tesla, software and disruption, Benedict Evans
2. How the Blog Broke the Web, Amy Hoy
3. Building a Storybrand: The 7 Prospect Desires Your Business Depends On, MarTech
4. 50 Split Testing Ideas (You Can Run Today!), Neil Patel
5. The Websites Of 35 Unicorn Startups Before They Became Billion-Dollar Companies, CB Insights

If your marketing plan isn't functioning as well as you'd like, email me and we'll schedule a free consultation.

Which news is more or less worthy of your trust?

Once again, a good primer on how to determine which news is more or less worthy of your trust.

538: "When To Trust A Story That Uses Unnamed Sources"