Have you ever wondered how Engineering The Internet actually works? It’s quite daunting when you think about it. Needless to say, we have places like Open-site.org for giving us a way to find some help, and Google Inc. for making it possible to find such help with ease of searchability. Many kudos to a lot of places in the course of time are due, certainly. Here’s a Fun Fact about Google for you; The domain name for Google was registered on September 15, 1997, and the company was incorporated on September 4, 1998. It was based in a friend’s garage in Menlo Park, California. In May 2011, the number of monthly unique visitors to Google surpassed 1 billion for the first time, an 8.4 percent increase from May 2010 (931 million). Talk about the growth the rest of us would like to be witness to huh? – Matt G.

Thanks to the team over at OpenSite.org who have composed this nice graphic to visually represent how the Internet works. I hope everyone get’s something from this in some way. I know if you analyze this, you can find some things you might not have known about to help your business continue to be successful on the web long after your competition is scratching at your doorstep to stop taking their customers away!

Original Link: http://open-site.org/blog/engineering-the-internet/

The Internet is amazing. It allows us to communicate instantly, search for and find information on nearly anything, stay abreast of current events and, of course, watch the latest cute animal video. But how does it actually work?

As we think about the future of our business, or perhaps the future of our employees we must realize that at some point people and business cultures involve processes that sometime need outsourced to see results achieved. Before I became to be considered a seasoned professional, I got my start working at an outsourcing company. Later I was hired directly by the place I was working to support there. Many opportunities present themselves through established business outsourcing projects that have a benefit and a way to pay off for everyone in the long term. – Matt Geier

Companies Outsourcing Business Processes

Outsourcing business processes
Most companies see outsourcing as a chance for the company to expand. This is all true because outsourcing has shown to be very beneficial for the companies that want to expand and explore new ways to get their product out there to consumers. Recently more and more companies are outsourcing business such as IT departments, payroll, operation’s and even customer service. All these titles in any company are just the few that a company can look to outsource and gain the benefits of doing so. What is the true meaning of outsourcing?

What is BPO?
The business process outsourcing (BPO) is when a business or company hires another business to do activities for them. This does not mean to say that a business or a company is looking to be lazy; it’s thought to be a way where more work can get done where there are double the people working in the same department. Let’s say for instance a company is doing well but wants to expand. The company does not have enough space to hire more workers so what the company decides to do is hire someone outside the company to get the job done. This eliminates the idea that a company must make sacrifices in order to expand. Dell.com/us has a number of helping programs and solutions to make your business run properly.

Benefits of managed services
Now that the company has the extra help it needs to expand there’s no problem to see only success at the top of the ladder for the company. Outsourcing is extra help any company may seek to gain higher profit or looking to expand. It’s a win-win situation for both the company who gets the extra workers they need to surpass their success line while the outsourced company has the opportunity to contribute and make a difference. This is exactly why BPO has gained so many companies in which they proceed in this line of work because it opens new doors and lead to higher success. Teamwork is a major aspect of this agreement between the company and the outsource company. Though the two companies may be far part in distance, communication is always kept constant because when one succeeds so does the other.

Though many companies may not admit it, outsourcing plays a major role in their business just like anything else. What they don’t have space to do something in one place it can be done elsewhere from an outsourced company. This is why it’s so essential for companies to invest in outsourcing, there’s only one outcome between the two and that further success. With the ability to expend without actually spending a fortunate for another building is a plus for any company. Business process outsourcing saves a company more money and more time to focus on other things that can be done. Outsourcing is defiantly an opportunity that any company should invest in.

If you want to see the future of marketing, talk to a recruiter.

The most highly-desired skills have shifted from direct mail and mass media marketing to SEO, analytics, mobile, social media and content marketing. This week, I asked more than 30 marketing and recruiting specialists what hot marketing skills they foresee spinning off into their own job titles. From there responses I create this list of jobs for the marketing team of the future.

Vice President of Marketing Data Analytics

This role would decide when, why and how marketing data should be tracked. This includes data collected through marketing automation, website analytics, social media, email campaigns, mobile, SEO, content marketing, PPC and other channels. The goals: improve marketing performance and predictive modeling, and continually refine the company’s definition of the ideal customer. This information would be shared with brand and campaign strategists who design promotions.

ROI and Marketing Budget Officer

Marketing budgets are shifting from quarterly allotments for print, direct mail and media advertising to constantly-shifting spending from one channel to another. Return on Investment (ROI) data is often instantly available–from paid search ad spending, for example–so marketing can be more nimble with resource allocation. The budget officer would track ROI from all promotion channels and adjust spending based on those results.

Crowd Sourcing Specialist

Companies can’t dictate their brand identity to the customer in today’s world. To that end, the crowd sourcing specialist would monitor conversations happening on the Web about the brand and develop messaging that responds to customers’ voiced expectations. At the same time, this role would send out calls to action–such as inviting customers to compete to create the best video about the brand, and perhaps tying the theme to something trending on Twitter.

Marketing Integration Planner

This position would identify ways to deliver a single marketing message, campaign or branding effort across multiple digital channels. For example, using a pay-per-click advertising campaign to promote a viral video, or using SEO keyword analysis to help craft a press release. This person might also use tools such as Demand Metric’s Marketing Channel Ranking Tool to prioritize message delivery channels based on lead quality, cost and other indicators.

Content Marketing Czar

This position would plan the development of websites, blogs, videos, info graphics, webinars, social media and other content vehicles. The individual would decide how that content would be promoted and cross-promoted, then track its performance. Finally, the content marketing leader would look for externally-created content about the company on the Web and find ways to leverage it for SEO and other marketing purposes.

Research for this article was provided by Software Advice.

(Connect with Software Advice & Ashley – Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIN)

I am often on both sides of the fence when it comes to Selling and Marketing, as well as being a Developer and a User of products, services, and applications. Not only am I an active Account Manager for my primary workplace, but I am also an active hobbies, service and support provider, as well as a developer. I have a keen personality that let’s me engage with my audience in a way specific to them. People enjoy hearing my opinions, as much as they enjoy working with me professionally to complete tasks and address needs they have. I am humbled to be able to do both in a way that encourages continued interaction. – Matt Geier

Let it be known that I’m coining a new age phrase right now! I’m going to call it the “Forward Business Marketing Sales Agenda”

So what does this mean exactly?
How can this be applied to help your business or your staff?

I like to stay in the mindset that I am doing everything I can for a client or a customer of my client who was referred to me. One way to do this, is for me to have a plan or assigned task reminders stay in touch and keep current with my clients. I’m careful about how I treat this type of prospecting though. I don’t want to present myself as always trying to sell to my existing client, or their customers, and don’t want to waste anyone’s time with useless conversation either!

When I’m practicing the Forward Business Marketing Sales Agenda here’s some things that I’m doing to make sure I am delivering and receiving the most benefit to the recipient;

1) I am taking the time to keep the conversation with a “just saying hi” attitude and engage as a friend, not a “salesman” or “marketer”.
2) I am taking the time to learn something new about them and/or their business.
3) I am taking the time to learn about any current and/or future projects or plans for the year (or next).
4) I am taking the time to make certain that I am fully addressing the needs I can and servicing them to the best of my ability.
5) I am taking the time to reiterate to them that I’m there when they need me and also get their permission to continue staying in touch.

Now, take a minute to think about those five things. Are you going to be more inclined to talk to the next person trying to get you to buy something on the phone, or are you going to have a better time talking to a person that’s just trying to keep in touch with you and understand what you are doing in your business and how they can help in the future?

I’d rather have a conversation that doesn’t pressure anyone to do anything particular. I’d rather be an open source for topic, and be an ear to have open to hear the other side speaking to me.
Do you think you can build a business on this kind of interaction? I know I can. I do now.

I think perhaps you have to be a certain kind of person, or at least have a certain mind about you that doesn’t prevent you from appearing to be needy for someones money, or attention in general. There are certainly things you can do to make it easy on yourself as well as on the receiving side be genuinely interested in the conversation. Not so much about what you want to gain from them in the long term.

I like friendship. I like professional acquaintances and resources to have in my arsenal to be able to build a circle to turn to when I want to learn.
I enjoy working or engaging with anyone that utilizes me to a capacity that I am helpful!

If I had a dime for every person I had ever talked to that never bought anything from me as a sales or marketing professional, there’s no doubt I’d be swimming in money. That’s not my goal though. Being successful in business is not just being able to count your stacks of cash in the bank. Sure it helps solidify your business, but does it really make ethical sense to give business to someone without ever looking back at them and counting your blessing they were there in the first place for you? I don’t think so.

I’d rather go about life knowing I might hear from someone 10 years from now that will need me to help them in some way. I can only do that with a friendship and develop that friendship and professional relationship until that time comes. I can do that with The Forward Business Marketing Sales Agenda that I have in place to execute.

Until next time, I wish you all great Business, great Marketing, and great Selling!

Matt Geier
The Sales Corner LLC

Are you a top performer on your sales and marketing team? How about creating and having the constant desire to be a team leader that’s always showing number one stats for your management? What would you be willing to do in order to establish that kind of professional credibility?

I think those questions and probably many more have been on our minds as professionals in Sales and Marketing time and time again. We as professionals in this selling and marketing age of business should always be identifying how to set ourselves apart from the next guy, or our competition.

When I’m looking for a chance to prospect or find a business opportunity that I can move forward to a quote, I ask myself a set of questions and gauge my understanding of what I’m looking for in that prospect or business. Will I be a good fit? Could the person or business benefit from my product or service?

I want you to be a successful sales professional and market professional! To do that, I’m going to provide some advice that, to some, would be worth millions if they put a price tag on it!

Have you ever wondered if you can find a business opportunity out of asking the most simplistic of questions?
Have you ever wondered what type of business opportunities you can find just by letting someone know you care to say hi to them on a regular basis?
Have you ever felt like you could do a better job for someone even though you failed the first, second, or third time in your process?
Have you ever bought a product or a service and NEVER received a phone call or email asking how your experience was, what you liked, what you didn’t like, what you could do to make it better, etc…?

I have some answers to these questions that can be addressed (not easily either) with the help of some tips outlined below. I have used these personally to make great sales and marketing business opportunities come to life and prosper over time!

Keep Actively Prospecting; Understand your prospect and target objective; Gather Intelligence
I want to gauge what I’m asking myself with what I know already about the target prospect or company through my beforehand research. I’ll take enough time to look at their website, check social media networks, whatever I can dig up on them to understand them more. I don’t want to go through the paces of blindly calling someone or emailing someone and just wasting my own time. Nor do I want to waste theirs! In order to be a better sales person, or marketing person, you need to define not only some key questions specifically for that prospective listener, but also a nice short brief concise introduction to yourself. You have about 30 seconds to get your pitch to the gatekeeper before they already know what they are going to do with you! In order to accomplish this, you need to know your market better then your competitor, and better then the sales or marketing person next to you. The only way to get better, is to gain knowledge to be more effective at what you do!

Hi there, my name is Bob Frosting and I get paid below minimum wage to work the outbound phones in a dusty Doughnut Factory; ….ick
For goodness sake though, please don’t read from a script. The listener can hear your speaking patter to understand, and usually does know when you are doing so. If you have been supplied a script, that’s normal, but I hope you’re not forced to follow it word for word. If you are, try to challenge internally as to why exactly. The person picking up the phone most likely isn’t going to be the person making the decisions, nor the person you’ll probably give a quote to. So why in the heck will you blurb out the standard babble that the “script for the ideal prospect” is being used for? You need to be creative and personable. You need to enter the call just as you would if you were being invited for the first time into someone’s home. Because that’s what’s happening. You are for the first time having someone hear you over the phone. So why just give them the “sales” pitch without taking that into account? Most businesses today don’t encourage door to door sales people. That’s why you see the “no soliciting” signs everywhere. “Sales” people make most other non sales people uncomfortable and pressured to hear, think, make a decision to buy ASAP. Don’t give someone a reason not to ever want to talk with you because you’re reading off a script that was provided to you by someone who’s probably never even dialed a prospect in your business. It’s just an easy way to lose self confidence right away which creates another whole set of road blocks.

Strong Sales and Excellent Opportunities Come From Hard Work and Quality References; Practice Makes Perfect and Generates Good Business.
I have people close to me all the time tell me they wished I could talk to them, the way I talk about my customers, and prospective buyers. Has this ever happened to you? Do you know what this says? To me, it says that they have no idea what it takes to be upheld with outstanding integrity, honesty, passion for the daily activities that are required to be successful as a Sales and Marketing professional. I’m always able to hear about that company or person that didn’t bother caring about someone else. Like the saying goes; For every 1 bad experience a person has, they will share it with 10 people to let them know. As a person that’s honest, full of integrity and passion, and truly caring about what involvement I play in a business transaction, I wish sometimes it was the other way around. I certainly wouldn’t have to be so repetitive and keep at it so much, that’s for certain! I can’t imagine being that person that didn’t want to come to work selling car magazines and knew nothing about cars. What about being that person selling video game advertizements with a background in kitchenware marketing? Doesn’t make sense, but because they are a “sales” person or a “Marketing” person, they think they can swing it and be happy. Truth is, your customers know you’re not happy by the way you’ll carry yourself and lack of knowledge and process in your trade. So make sure you love what you do, and you keep doing what you love over and over and over again, and you’ll find more success down this path!

End on a positive note and don’t burn your bridges; Even after you get told off, or lost an awesome opportunity to move forward.
I don’t mind being the middle man in a lot of situations. In fact, I’m very good at it. This is a key trait I have that makes me personally good the positions that I am involved in during the process in my sales and marketing approaches. I’m always trying to be friendly, and no-matter who I am working with, try to connect with them and relate to something, someone, or some situation in their life that let’s them open their arms a little more each time. If I had a time for every deal I’d lost in my career, I’d have stopped working. Certainly you need to be able to take the criticism in a kind way, and open your mind when you want to get upset that you did everything you could just to find out someone else came in during the last stage of the game to win the business. I find that happening more now then ever before. After all, I make it easy for my competitors. I’ve already helped out my prospect so much, that they have all their answers about their solution needs and requirements that they just need to pull the trigger. So when one of my competitors comes in with a “look a like” solution or something that appeals in the same way that led the prospect to me, its no wonder they close the deal. Some of being successful is luck, some is being in the right place at the right time, and some is having the innate ability to make sure you’re always in front of that customer or prospect. No matter what! Even if that means continuing to be there in front of them when they have given their business to your competitor. I guarantee you they will come to love you for it later when they have more needs and even more money to spend!

Thank you for reading.
We here wish you the best of success at what you do!

I’m a fairly young sales person. None-the-less, I can still remember a time when I started utilizing sales tools in my sales career. The closest thing I had to field tools was a Blackberry with a stylus and my bulky laptop. Those were the days! I could check email and respond to email requests while on the road or in my car (not driving). I could be more effective in my sales role to the company! Now we are here in the year 2012. In the last decade we’ve seen so much change as sales professionals and managers that it’s almost unfathomable. Ashley came to me with this article and I told her I would gladly post this to our readers to get their attention! More sales individuals can utilize tools such as “smart devices” like the pads and other things to improve on their sales techniques, sales process, and opportunity close ratios. This advantage could be tremendous if used in a way that empowers them and their device to work smarter to gain attraction and close more sales business with their customer! I do hope you enjoy this read. I know I did! — Matt G.

So You Bought iPads for Sales – Now What? – By Ashley Furness

(Connect with Ashley – Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIN)

Published on April 24th, 2012 @ Software Advice —

Two telecom sales reps recently stopped by my office to pitch executives on their latest solution. Both toted iPads, which I assume were loaded with dazzling interactive presentations and other tools for elevating the pitch. But neither rep turned on their device.

This got me wondering, did they plan for how they were going to use their iPads? And if they did, what did that plan look like?

“We talk to companies all the time where they literally purchased iPads for their team with no idea of what they were going to be doing with them,” said Matthew Suggs, vice president of enterprise sales at Mediafly Inc., a company that develops iPad sales tools.

Apparently this was not an isolated incident. One recent study reported that while 78 percent of employers plan to deploy tablets across their organization (83 percent of which will opt for the iPad), more than half haven’t articulated a clear adoption strategy.

With this in mind, I wanted to offer a helping hand to readers wanting a ride on the iPad-for-sales bandwagon. I asked some mobile strategists what tips they would offer sales managers looking to maximize their iPad investment.

Read More…

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