by Jeff Hoffman for HubSpot Today's buyers are busier than ever before. So for a sales rep to connect with a prospect, they must supersede all the other tasks, priorities, emails, meetings, and notifications the prospect has on their plate at that very minute. They have to convince the buyer to put everything else down and listen to them. Sounds like a Herculean task. And it is … if you take the same approach as every other rep. Most reps go into prospecting calls projecting an air of authority and credibility. After all, why would a buyer listen to someone…
4 ways to find unique content ideas from real-life insights
by Brandon Schmidt for Search Engine Land Marketers often work at a distance from frontline operations. We may not directly build the product, deal with angry customer phone calls, or be out in the field selling. We might even be at an agency, an additional level removed from the shop floor or direct interactions with the target customer. How, then, can you: Know what to write about? Insert meaningful insights into your landing pages or ad creative? Effectively persuade your target audience that you are the clear choice over your competitors? Digging new wells to find new content One of…
How to integrate generative AI in your SEO
by Marcus Miller for Search Engine Land As the initial buzz around AI dies down, the practical use of generative AI is now well-established in the content creation world. In theory, this creates a huge content marketing opportunity. However, as we are seeing, there are many pitfalls from an SEO perspective. This article outlines how we are primed to make such mistakes, ways Google has tackled this historically and how to safely integrate generative AI in your SEO and content marketing. Pitfalls and problems Human beings are hardwired to seek the path of least resistance. Generative AI tools seemingly make it easy…
Does Google Think Your Website Is Spam?
by Rebecca Churt for HubSpot Everyone who uses the internet knows the frustration of web spam, where you find a promising page in search results that is useless. And we all know Google hates spammy websites, probably even more than we do. But as a site owner, how do you know if your site visitors and Google consider your website spammy? And what should you do to ensure it isn't considered *GULP* web spam? If you have concerns about your website being considered spammy, here is helpful information to know when optimizing your website. As you read through these items, ask…
The Complete Guide to AI Algorithms
by Harshit Baluja for HubSpot Artificial intelligence is appearing in every industry and every process, whether you're in manufacturing, marketing, storage, or logistics. There are scores of examples of AI in the real world. That includes technical use cases, like automation of the human workforce and robotic processes, to basic applications. You'll see AI in search engines, maps and navigation, text editors, and more. But have you ever given a thought to how these machines work? AI systems run on algorithms, but not every AI algorithm is the same. If you understand how AI algorithms work, you can ease your business processes, saving…
Unhappiness is Contagious: Navigating the Low Turnover Phenomenon
By Kim Tabac for HR Daily Advisor In the current economic landscape, where unemployment rates are at their lowest in decades, an intriguing paradox has emerged, and we are experiencing an unexpected trend: Employees are staying put. Employees across industries are choosing to remain in their jobs, not out of a profound love for their work or unwavering loyalty to their employers, but largely due to fear of employment amidst the rising cost of living, and the struggle that many employees are facing in maintaining their lifestyle amidst rising interest rates and fears of a looming recession which is getting quite…
The Email Sequence That Earned Us $100,000 in 30 Days
by Matthew Scott for HubSpot Like most small businesses, we at Feed. The Agency used to get 90% of new clients from referrals. If we had more time, we‘d generate leads through inbound marketing. If we had more money, we’d purchase $30,000+ in advertisements or sponsorships. But we had limited time AND money. So, we had to come up with a different solution — email sequences. Email marketing ROI can be as high as 3600%, generating as much as $36 for every $1 spent. An email sequence adds even more value because of the time it can save. In addition, they've been…
Lead Velocity: What It Is & How to Calculate It
by Meg Prater for HubSpot If you’re measuring sales success against only your number of closed deals — you’re doing it wrong. One important sales metric to track besides customer acquisition cost (CAC), win rate, and average contract value (ACV) is your lead velocity. In this article, we’ll discuss what lead velocity is and how you can calculate this sales metric. Download the Sales Metrics & KPI Calculator Is lead velocity rate the most important sales metric? Jason Lemkin, the founder of SaaStr, believes the lead velocity rate is the most important metric for sales teams, especially those in SaaS, to…
I Debated ChatGPT: ‘Commission Should Be Done Away With’
by Jay Fuchs for HubSpot Last month, I debated ChatGPT about whether AI will replace conventional salespeople. We had a constructive conversation, learned more about each other and ourselves, and contributed to its ever-expanding bank of insight that might ultimately doom humanity — so I'd say it was mostly productive. The piece got decent traction, was fun to write, and produced some interesting perspectives on both sides of the argument — so I figured it might be worth it to try the process again with another hot-button sales issue. After exploring some potential topics, I landed on a long-standing debate about sales…
Are Your Salespeople Selling or “Playing Sales?”
by GEORGE BRONTÉN for Membrain In the world of complex sales, people generally take themselves very seriously. Sure, there’s fun and laughter in the workplace, but when it comes down to it, business professionals like to think of themselves as results-driven, real-world achievers. People certainly don’t like to be accused of “playing” at work, or, worse, “gaming the system.” Yet, according to Pieter Kemps, a venture capitalist at Sequoia Cspital with a focus on SaaS, that’s exactly what starts to happen in companies north of $10M in annual recurring revenue after introducing sales management, KPIs, dashboards, etc. “Everyone does it. Your reps do…