MarketStar Blog

In the world of B2B sales there are different types of distribution partners, and each one plays a distinct role in reaching and servicing customers. Value-added resellers, for example, are high-touch partners that sell goods and services as part of a complete solution. At the other end of the spectrum are direct market resellers (DMRs), distributors that sell directly to businesses online or via telephone orders. DMRs maintain catalogs of goods to sell through online storefronts or by taking phone orders. DMRs can be an important part of any vendor’s value chain if you know how to provide the right support.

With customer experience (CX) becoming a key differentiator for businesses, the role of the contact center is evolving rapidly. Emerging technologies and shifting consumer behaviors are reshaping how organizations provide customer support and engagement. 

If you are selling enterprise technology, then you probably are selling cloud services. The cloud is here to stay, and everything-as-a-service sales are outpacing traditional enterprise software sales. Cloud services are faster to deploy, less expensive, and easier to manage. Cloud computing is being used to handle data storage, business applications hosting, custom development, and more. The cloud is driving most of today’s technology buying decisions. Migration to the cloud is also taking decision-making out of the hands of IT since you now are selling business solutions to multiple stakeholders.

Titus, current MarketStar President and COO, to replace Dave Treadway who is retiring December 31, 2018

Understanding Sales Enablement 

What is sales enablement? According to Forrester, ‘Sales enablement is a strategic, ongoing process that equips all client-facing employees with the ability to consistently and systematically have valuable conversations with the right set of customer stakeholders at each stage of the customer’s problem-solving life cycle to optimize the return of investment of the selling system’.1 

Much of what’s been talked about so far seems, at first glance, to lie far off in the possible future. But, as most experts point out, the Internet of Things is already here. While adoption barriers may affect the pace with which widespread adoption of IoT technologies occurs, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the transition to a hyper-connected economy is inevitable. The question then is, how does an organization transition from where it stands today, with varying levels of integration with digital technologies, to this hyperconnected future?

So, you’ve heard that Customer Success is the new industry buzzword, and read a dozen articles on how you’re company can benefit from focusing on it. But where do you go from there?

In today’s world of instant messaging, customers don’t like to wait. Businesses are looking for solutions that help them provide instant service. Live chat is one such solution to which many are turning. According to Gartner, by 2018, over 80% of companies will offer some form of live chat on their website or on mobile devices.

The mobile landscape is constantly evolving, urging marketers to incorporate new technologies into their campaigns and customer engagement strategies. Marketers are leveraging these advancements not just for running campaigns but also for gaining valuable customer insights that help build loyalty. It's clear that brands that adopt new technologies will thrive in today's competitive world. 

Marketing attribution in the B2B world is increasingly about leveraging machine learning and algorithms to enhance marketing investments. As competition intensifies, B2B marketers are borrowing strategies from their B2C counterparts, particularly in using multiple digital channels to reach customers. One key technique they've adopted is attribution—a marketing measurement tool that B2C players have long utilized. 

Simply put, marketing attribution assigns value to each touchpoint used to engage the target audience. This allows businesses to evaluate which marketing channels drive revenue and by how much, guiding future investment decisions. For a CMO, attribution links various marketing activities to revenue, providing concrete data to justify marketing expenditures and clarity in optimizing marketing strategies to meet overall business goals.