April 4: Software that delivers the most data wins

April 2nd, 2013

SLMA CEO Jim Obermayer says that software programs that explain the most data, and are verified by the most evidence, are better than those that do not. He'll discuss how CRM properly applied, along with marketing automation, gives the most data on marketing performance and gives more evidence than any other combination of software. In essence, those with the most data will win. But, he says, "You have to manage the sales lead system to win."

During this program Obermayer contends that those with the most marketing toys win. But tools without leadership are just tools in the hands of fools.

About Obermayer

Obermayer is an author (four books) and a speaker on subjects of sales lead management, sales enablement and marketing ROI. He is the founder and of the world-wide 6200 member Sales Lead Management Association, which also has a Linkedin Group of 2987 members. The SLMA is the sponsor of the yearly Sales Lead Management Week, the annual contest for the 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management, and the nomination and naming of the 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management. The SLMA also hosts the weekly c-level interview program; SLMA Radio. Obermayer is the Vice President of Business Development at Vitech Corporation.

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Posted in CRM and Related, Sales Strategist, Current and Past Shows, Sales Lead Management | Comments |

March 21: Smackdown McDade vs. Obermayer Do Salespeople Need More Leads?

March 16th, 2013

McDade contends that salespeople need fewer leads. Obermayer contends that without sufficient leads companies die. In this classic battle of opinions, McDade of PointClear pushes the edge in arguing that salespeople can get by on fewer leads that are qualified. Obermayer CEO of the SLMA says that is a pipe dream and a recipe for disaster. Maybe they are both right, or one is very wrong. Listen and find out.

In THIS corner: Dan McDade

McDade founded PointClear in 1997 with the mission to be the first and best company providing prospect development services to B2B companies with complex sales processes. He has been instrumental in developing the innovative strategies that drive revenue for PointClear clients nationwide.

In addition to serving as president and CEO of PointClear, Dan is the author of The Truth About Leads, an insightful book that sheds light on the little-known secrets that help focus B2B lead-generation efforts, align sales and marketing organizations and drive revenue. The book was published in January 2011.

Prior to starting PointClear, Dan served as president of UST, The Business Marketing Group, a high-tech B2B marketing services firm. The company, serving leading technology companies including Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Oracle and SAP, grew over 500% during his tenure. From 1989 to 1991, Dan was an independent consultant providing direct marketing, telemarketing and new business development consulting services. Clients included Sears, Exxon, Rodale Press, R.J. Reynolds, and The Ritz-Carlton. Dan also served as vice president of marketing with Jackson & Perkins in Medford, Ore.

Dan is chairman of the board of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) Education Collaborative, an organization promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in Georgia’s middle and high schools. He is a member of TAG, and also serves on the boards of TechAmerica Southeast (formerly AEA); the Business & Technology Alliance, a TAG society; and TAG Marketing. The Sales Lead Management Association named Dan one of the 50 most influential people in sales lead management in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Dan is also the author of ViewPoint | The Truth About Lead Generation, a blog exploring issues related to B2B sales, marketing and lead generation. Dan speaks regularly at industry events, both on and offline and writes for publications such as BtoB Magazine, Chief Marketer, Target Marketing Magazine, Sales and Marketing Management Magazine and MarketingProfs.

And in THIS corner: James W. Obermayer

Obermayer is an author (four books) and speaker on subjects of sales lead management, sales enablement and marketing ROI. He is the founder and of the world-wide 6200 member Sales Lead Management Association, which also has a Linkedin Group of 2973 members. The SLMA is the sponsor of the yearly Sales Lead Management Week, the annual contest for the 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management, and the nomination and naming of the 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management. The SLMA also hosts the weekly c-level interview program; SLMA Radio.

James Obermayer is the principal of Sales Leakage Consulting, Inc., an Orange County, CA., marketing and sales interim management consulting firm. His career has been equally divided between sales and marketing positions. He has also been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a B2B direct marketing agency. He has served as VP, Worldwide Sales at an enterprise software company, an internet services company, Senior Vice President for two industry-leading inquiry management firms and Vice President of Marketing for a medical device manufacturer. In addition, he has written more than 95 articles on sales and marketing management. He is a frequent speaker for corporations and also national and regional conferences.

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Posted in Lead Generation, Current and Past Shows, Lead Nurturing, Lead Scoring | Comments |

January 17: Is self-employment for you? Mistakes to avoid.

January 14th, 2013

Ruth Stevens of eMarketing Strategy interviewed by Susan Finch.

Ruth P. Stevens's expertise in customer acquisition and retention derives from a decade and a half of hands-on marketing for both large enterprises and start-up companies. Just prior to beginning her consulting practice, she served as chief marketing officer at an Internet company in New York City. Before that, she had broad responsibilities for direct marketing at three corporate giants – IBM, Ziff-Davis and Time Warner.

She has been listed as one of the 50 Most Influential in Sales Lead Management in 2011, one of the 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management in 2012 and 2011. Since going independent in the late 90's, Ruth has had a lot of experience with people who are on the fence with the decision of whether venturing out on their own is for them, or are they better staying with or seeking a firm to work for.

She will also help alert you as to the common mistakes people make when making this change without thinking it through all the way. This mistakes can make the difference between success and failure.

SLMA Director of Online Marketing, Susan Finch brings some of the more practical advice in this decision such as seeking the advice of your tax advisor or CPA, speaking to others in the same type of business as you are considering starting. She has been independent since 2001 and doesn't look back at her decision with any regrets. She also recognizes it isn't for everyone.

The show is informative and may bring up some points you'll find helpful if you are considering this leap.

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Posted in Current and Past Shows, Women and Business | Comments |

January 10: Why you need interactive proposals and cost for doing it!

January 7th, 2013

SLMA host Jim Obermayer interveiws Isaac Pellerin of TinderBox. Isaac will discuss why proposal creation is easier than ever before, why it should be software as a service and the cost involved in starting up and using proposal software.

Isaac Pellerin is the Revenue Marketer at TinderBox, a Software as a Service that makes it easy to create, manage, and track interactive proposals. He loves a good story and enjoys working to enhance the way companies engage with their prospects and customers. He believes that marketing and sales are at their best when they have shared goals and metrics.

About TinderBox: TinderBox is an Indianapolis based software-as-a-service that helps you get to yes faster with a smarter, simpler, and more efficient proposal and marketing communications process—one that builds lasting business partnerships. Founded in 2009, TinderBox has become the choice for sales and marketing organizations such as Angie's List, Gannett, and Accenture Life Sciences to create compelling proposals that get to "yes".

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Posted in Inquiry Management, Current and Past Shows, Lead Nurturing, Lead Scoring | Comments |

January 3: Include positive reviews as part of your networking strategy

January 2nd, 2013

SLMA Founder and CEO, Jim Obermayer visits with SLMA Online Marketing Director, Susan Finch about the effects of positive reviews and referrals in a very public format. Did you have a recent positive experience with a hosting company? How about a sales rep who left you feeling better about their product? Tell everyone about them. Seek them out on LinkedIn, Yelp, GooglePlaces, etc. and tell everyone the difference they made on your day. It does't have to be huge, but the payback will snowball into a lovely snow village.

Personalize your recommendations, referrals, requests to connect. Add a bit of personality, which adds credibility for them and for you. People are more likely to connect with someone who takes the time to personalize a request or recommendation.

They will also be talking about nominations for the 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management for 2013, the SLMA College of the Fellows. Join them to get some great resolution ideas. Resolutions are always about giving something up, but adding a new positive behavior.

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Posted in SEO and Social Media, Current and Past Shows, Networking | Comments |

December 20: No one is going to die because you are… “Running the Gauntlet”

December 18th, 2012

Host Jim Obermayer interviews the ever entertaining Jeffrey Hayzlett about his bestselling books Running the Gauntlet and The Mirror Test. The former CMO of Kodak and Chairman of the Business Marketing Association shares his blunt and candid advice on how to be a change agent in your company and survive while doing it. Jeffery reminds us that “No one is going to die” because of the changes you support and why fear shouldn’t stop you.

JEFFREY HAYZLETT is a global business celebrity, former Fortune 100 c-suite executive and Chairman of Business Marketing Association (BMA 2008-2009). From small business to international corporations, he has put his creativity and extraordinary entrepreneurial skills into play, launching ventures blending his leadership perspectives, insights into professional development, mass marketing prowess and affinity for social media. He is a well-traveled public speaker, the author of the bestselling books, The Mirror Test and Running the Gauntlet, celebrity editor to one of the largest-circulation business publications and one of the most compelling figures in global business.

Currently a member of the BMA International Board of Directors, Jeffrey is an esteemed business and marketing expert, appearing frequently on programs like Fox Business News, MSNBC’s Your Business and NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. Drawing upon an eclectic background in business, buoyed by a stellar track record of keynote speaking, and deeply rooted in cowboy lore, Jeffrey energizes his role driving and delivering change. He is a turnaround architect of the highest order, a maverick marketer who delivers scalable campaigns, embraces traditional modes of customer engagement, and possesses a remarkable cachet of mentorship, corporate governance and brand building.

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Posted in Sales Skills Training, Current and Past Shows | Comments |

How to make quota in the first quarter! An interview with Steve Richard of Vorsight

December 12th, 2012

SLMA Radio host Jim Obermayer interviews Vorsight co-founder Steve Richard. Making the first quarter of the year is a struggle for every company, unless they proactively plan for a great first quarter. Steve and Jim discuss how to make this happen!

Steve Richard | Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer

Steve Richard is Co-Founder of Vorsight, currently #1689 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest growing companies in the US. Steve has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, The Washington Business Journal, The Washington Post, CNN/Money, and is a CNBC guest contributor. In 2010, the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) named Steve as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Inside Sales and Focus.com awarded Steve the Focus expert status. In 2010 and 2011, AA-ISP also awarded Vorsight as the Service Provider of the Year for Sales Training .

As co-founder of Vorsight, Steve’s goal is to arm talented sales professionals with real life tools, tips, tactics, techniques, and templates to successfully secure sales meetings with senior executives. Vorsight's Sales Prospecting Training Workshops provide an intellectually stimulating and fun way to pick apart dreaded cold calling (and warm calling) into six key areas: prospecting, talking points, objection handling, questioning, email and voicemail, and planning and process. By giving participants a tactical playbook for getting in the door, Vorsight's sales training alumni see dramatic improvement with up to a 300% increase in individual performance.

Prior to co-founding Vorsight with David Stillman in 2005, Steve was Associate Director of Business Development for Growth Strategy Partners, where he was responsible for identifying new opportunities and fostering relationships with new clients through consistent and innovative sales and marketing activities. Steve also supervised the entire lead generation and sales processes including the design and management of the company’s CRM.

Before Growth Strategy Partners, Steve was Associate Director of Sales at the Corporate Executive Board, a best practices research firm in Washington, DC. As a field sales rep, Steve sold five figure executive networking and research memberships to CIOs and their direct reports in charge of Infrastructure and Applications through Canada and Illinois. Steve began his career at CEB as an appointment setter on the newly formed "Tier 1" team where he cold called to schedule meetings with 89% of CIOs in his prospect territory. These appointments directly generated $3.5 million in sales for the company.

Steve volunteers at the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind as a sighted person for visually impaired people. He has also volunteered for the DC schools as a tutor to elementary school students. He lives in Arlington, VA with his wife Ellen and his daughters Katie and Susie. Together they take advantage of all the nation's capital has to offer, from miles of running trails to museums and area dining. They also enjoy skiing, scuba diving, and camping.

Steve graduated from Georgetown University with a BSBA in Finance.

About Vorsight: Meeting Scheduling and Sales Training

Vorsight is an award winning sales effectiveness firm specializing in the first half of the sales cycle for B2B sales teams. With getting in the door being the hardest part of the sales cycle, companies trust Vorsight’s expertise to take that challenge head on by using our effective sales training and meeting scheduling.

Originally founded in 2005 as an outsourced meeting scheduling firm, our team has arranged over 10,000 completed appointments with decision makers. These appointments have resulted in over $20 million in new revenue for our clients. At Vorsight we constantly harvest new ideas from our team of inside sales professionals. We take what works…the best tools, tactics, and techniques from our own business and provide our clients with a proven path to find more opportunities and generate more revenue. We’re passionate about sales, and we’re confident in our ability to arm you with the tools and skills necessary to be successful. We’re a privately held company in the metro Washington, D.C. area.

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Posted in Sales Strategist, Current and Past Shows | Comments |

Why Marketing Automation: Facts, Figures and Cost from Carlos Hidalgo

November 27th, 2012

SLMA Radio host Jim Obermayer has asked Carlos to make an unbiased presentation to the membership (and visitors) on the subject of:

Why Marketing Automation? Facts, Figures and Cost!

SLMA Interviews Carlos Hidalgo, Executive Director of the Marketing Automation Institute.

About the MAI: The MAI is a Community for All Things Marketing Automation

The Marketing Automation Institute (MAI) is the community for marketing automation end users who want to maximize the ROI from their marketing automation investment. The MAI provides the highest level of vendor-agnostic curriculum, training and certification, as well as opportunities for automation professionals to network, advance in their career and learn from their peers and industry leaders.

The Marketing Automation Institute’s mission is to help end-users advance their careers and organizations achieve a higher return on their investments by being the resource for vendor-agnostic curriculum, training and certification for the marketing automation industry. Our priority is to promote innovative ideas and best practices that both expand the industry as a whole, and serve to develop a rich community of marketing automation end-users, vendor partners and services providers.

By joining the MAI, marketing automation professionals can exchange information with their peers, interact with world-class experts, attain the only agnostic industry certification for end-users and advance their careers in the automation profession.

About: Carlos Hidalgo

Carlos is a known thought leader in B2B marketing for his keen insights on the development and implementation of lead management process, and is also a recognized expert in marketing automation. Most recently, Carlos was named a 2011 Who’s Who in BtoB Marketing. Additionally, Carlos has been recognized three years in a row (2009 – 2011) by SLMA’s 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management. He is a frequent speaker, blogger and guest contributor of many articles on B2B marketing. Prior to The Annuitas Group, Carlos was responsible for global SMB marketing at BMC Software. In this role, Hidalgo managed all aspects of marketing and customer relations for the SMB line of products including the creation of strategic messaging, go-to-market strategies, management of all customer communications and demand generation activities. He was also responsible for implementing global marketing best practices and processes, and ensuring all global direct marketing needs were being met. Prior to BMC, Carlos held similar roles at other various B2B companies including McAfee and Staffware, as well as Bertram, McKee & Associates, an independent marketing firm, where he was instrumental in delivering strategic marketing, lead management, generation and database design.

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Posted in Marketing Automation, Current and Past Shows | Comments |

Research on Lead Scoring, all prospects are not created equal!

November 14th, 2012

SLMA Radio Host Jim Obermayer interviews two executives, David Nachman and Jorge Jeffry from Leads360 on two of their most recent research reports “The Ultimate Contact Strategy, How best to use phone and email for contact conversion and success!” and “Lead Scoring 101 Leverageing Lead Quality Insight to Improve Conversion and Enrollment. ” We will tackle the highlights of each study in our 45 minute program.

About Leads 360:

Leads360 is a market leading provider of cloud-based lead management and sales automation solutions solutions proven to deliver smarter, more efficient sales processes for improved conversion rates. With unmatched expertise, drawn from a dedication to helping more than 5,000 clients automate and improve their lead distribution, response and conversion processes, Leads360 has become the platform of choice for organizations focused on improving customer acquisition and business performance. Leads360 is a privately held company, recently recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in North America by Deloitte. Please visit www.Leads360.com for more information.

David Nachman, EVP - Marketing, Product & Business Development

Leads360, Inc.

David Nachman is an experienced and successful technology industry executive, having spent the majority of his career developing and executing effective growth strategies, both as a senior executive and as an advisor. Prior to Leads360, Mr. Nachman was an Operating Partner at Marlin Equity Partners, a $1 billion private equity firm. Previously, he served as CEO of Phoenix Energy Technologies and was one of the early senior executives at HireRight, Inc., where he was responsible for Marketing, Product Management, Business Development and Strategy. Earlier in his career, Mr. Nachman spent six years as a consultant at McKinsey and Company, and worked as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and Kidder, Peabody & Company.

Jorge Jeffery - Senior Manager, Strategic Intelligence

Leads360, Inc.

Jorge Jeffery joined Leads360 in 2011 as Senior Manager, Strategic Intelligence. Mr. Jeffery has been instrumental in mining data from the more than 40 million leads managed through Leads360. Insights gleaned help establish best practices for Leads360 client schools that want to drive smarter and more efficient recruiting and enrollment processes.

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Posted in Current and Past Shows, Lead Nurturing, Lead Scoring | Comments |

7 Common Mistakes in Buying A B2B Email Database

November 8th, 2012

SLMA RADIO Hostess Susan Finch will interview Frank Jamieson of Applied DM Research. In this age of increasing database centric marketing, buying an email database is more risky than ever before. In this program Susan will dig into the common mistakes marketers make in buying a database. What is over-looked as the most obvious do’s and don’ts. What is full market coverage? How important are bounce rates and list erosion? How to avoid paying twice for duplicate records. Lots More.

About Frank Jamieson

Frank Jamieson is the Founder and President of Applied DM Research which has been in business for 19 years – prior to that he was the General Manager of Gazette Marketing Systems - the largest solo direct mail company on the West Coast which processed one million address records each day. Frank is a Board Member of Direct Marketing Association of Northern California and he’s also active in Market Research Association. Jamieson earned his undergraduate degree at University of New York at Geneseo and he earned his Executive MBA at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga CA. He has lived in Novato CA in Marin County for 35 years. He is married with 3 children.

About Applied DM Research Applied DM Research offers a fully integrated suite of marketing database solutions for b2c and b2b programs that includes customer profiling, sales funnel analytics, prospect database development, market segmentation and database cleansing. We also offer project management services for direct marketing and digital marketing campaigns. Customer Profiling, Prospect Database Research, Sales Funnel Analytics, Market Segmentation, Database Cleaning, Media Targeting Profiles, Email Appending, Telephone Appending, Computer Mapping, Direct Marketing, Lead Generation, Database Marketing, Digital Marketing, Demand Generation.

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