B2B Lead Blog

John Jantsch, small business marketing expert and author of Duct Tape Marketing recently interviewed me and sales expert Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies about what sales really needs from marketing.

This podcast was conducted for the marketing alliance partners for Sage Software, makers of ACT!, Peachtree and SageCRM software.  John originally hoped that Jill and I would debate or lock horns (Jill from the sales viewpoint and me from the marketing viewpoint). Instead, we could almost finish each others sentences : )

This is one of my favorite podcasts. I share more ideas on what marketing can do to create and nurture leads before handing them off to the sales force.

Listen to podcast now (MP3 60 min 45 MB)

P.S. I just read John Jantsch’s new book, Duct Tape Marketing. If you’re a small business owner (or plan to be one in the future) you’ll want to put this book on your reading list. It’s great. If you decide to get a copy, you should check out his bonus offers. I’ll be posting my Amazon review soon.

Current Affairs, Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Sales, Sales Leads

It’s been well documented that quality of collaboration between sales and marketing directly impacts ROI. 

The challenge that many organizations face is that their sales process is a black box.  No one except the sales team knows what is going on inside the black box until a proposal or sale happens.  Worse still, 80% of the leads that go into the sales black box are rarely seen again. 

This makes it particularly challenging for marketers who are trying to measure their revenue contribution and lead generation ROI.  So what can be done about it? 

Process mapping is a well-known technique for creating a common vision and shared language for improving business results.

I had the chance to interview Michael Webb, founder of Sales Performance Consultants and an expert on sales process improvement on his excellent book, Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way. Michael gives some great input on how sales and marketing can use the six sigma process to create better sales and marketing results. 

Show Agenda

• How is six sigma relevant to the sales and marketing process?
• How can sales and marketing apply a six sigma process and what are some problems the process can address?
• What are the barriers in helping to create the six sigma process?
• How do you encourage people in sales and marketing who have tried to create a process that hasn’t worked, to give it another shot and how can you help them create one that works?
• Provide examples of companies with complex sales that applied six sigma to the sales and marketing process.

Listen to podcast now (MP3 24 min 5.5 MB)

Current Affairs, Lead Management, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Podcasting, Sales, Sales Leads

Are you finding that trade shows or events are a “waste of time” for lead generation? You may want to think again. I interviewed Ruth Stevens, author of Trade Show and Event Marketing, to get her views on what marketing and sales can do to increase the effectiveness of their event marketing and she gave some helpful insights.

Show Agenda

• Why did you write Tradeshow and Event Marketing and what were you hoping to address?
• What are the critical success factors in effective event marketing?
• What are the issues that marketers are facing in event marketing?
• What are some tips to improve event marketing?

Listen to podcast now (MP3 24 min 5.51 MB)

Event Marketing, Lead Generation, My Podcast, Podcasting, ROI Measurement, Sales Leads

I wanted to share the final installment from the podcast series I did with 800-CEO-READ.  In this podcast, Todd interviewed me and Jill Konrath on the critical interface between marketing and sales. 

Here’s what Todd says about it:
"Here is the final installment to our podcast series on marketing and selling to big companies. We again have Jill Konrath and Brian Carroll talking about the topic. What we try to spend time on in this call is "space" shared between marketing and sales. Brian leads the call with the stat – "80% of leads sent from marketing to the sales organization are lost, ignored, or discarded." You can see why this is a good topic to explore."

Listen to podcast now (MP3 35:56 min 24.68 MB)

Visit 800-CEO-Read Podcasts to hear the complete three part series

Current Affairs, Direct Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Podcasting, Sales, Sales Leads

I had a great time chatting with Todd at 800-CEO-READ on lead generation. This is the first of three podcasts 800-CEO-Read is doing on B2B sales and marketing.

Here’s what Todd says about it:
"In this podcast, I talk with Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale. Next week, I interview Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies. In week three, I bring Jill and Brian together to talk about the interface between marketing and sales."

Like many of Todd’s podcasts; this one is a high-level discussion geared for business leaders and those who support sales people. While you’re there, I encourage you to take some time to visit 800-CEO-READ’s other websites. They are a super resource for anyone who reads business books.

Listen to podcast now (MP3 43:47 min 30.1 MB)

B2B Telemarketing, Books, Cold Calling, Direct Marketing, Email Marketing, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Podcasting, Public Relations (PR), ROI Measurement, Referral Marketing, Sales, Sales Leads, Web/Tech, Webcasts/Webinars, Weblogs, Word-of-Mouth

I’m a guest on the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast today hosted by John Jantsch.  John’s Duct Tape Marketing Blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite for small business and was twice named "Best Small Business Marketing Blog" by the readers of Marketing Sherpa. While you’re visiting John’s blog, be sure to subscribe to his newsletter. It’s terrific. 

Listen to podcast now

Books, Current Affairs, Direct Marketing, Email Marketing, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Personal Messages, Podcasting, Public Relations (PR), ROI Measurement, Referral Marketing, Sales, Sales Leads, Web/Tech, Webcasts/Webinars, Weblogs, Word-of-Mouth

With my book just being released, I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I got my book deal.  I’m delighted to tell them that it all started with my blog. A number of bloggers I know have become or are in the process of becoming published authors after starting a blog.

In this Podcast, which is part of a PRWeb podcast feed, I give the scoop on how it all came together for me.

Listen to How a Blog Turned into a Book Deal (MP3 7:43 min 7.12 MB)

Also, an interesting article "It’s Not Too Late To Start Blogging (But It Will Be Soon),"was just published on RainToday.com by Larry Bodine. If you’re still debating on starting a blog sure to read it.  His Professional Marketing Blog is good too. 

B2B Telemarketing, Books, Current Affairs, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Personal Messages, Podcasting, Public Relations (PR), Sales Leads

The wait is over! My book, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale, was released this morning. You can read the press release or listen to my podcast about it. 

I liked what Bryan Eisenberg, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Call To Action and the new book Waiting for Your Cat to Bark? had to say: 

"The lead generation game has changed in the age of the Internet. If you don’t have this new playbook your competitors will. Brian Carroll closes the loop on lead generation, taking you from defining a lead, thinking like your prospects, tactics to increase lead generation, passing leads from marketing to sales, measuring the results, and nurturing the leads for increased revenue. If you don’t read and then apply lessons from Lead Generation for the Complex Sale, then let me know how things work out for you."

Read the book announcement press release

Listen to the book release podcast (7:43 min 7.12 MB)

Download a free chapter

For the real thing, order on Amazon. You can find the book at your local Borders or Barnes & Noble and other bookstores. For multiple copies, order on 800-CEO-Read (Call Meg at 800-236-7323 ext. 206 CST.)  For the buzz on the book, read reviews and news. More about the author.

Update:  The book made its debut in Amazon’s top 100 (sales and marketing books) today.  Debbie Weil author of The Corporate Blogging Book calls my book launch an example of Book Launch 2.0. 

B2B Telemarketing, Books, CRM, Cold Calling, Current Affairs, Direct Marketing, Email Marketing, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Personal Messages, Podcasting, Public Relations (PR), ROI Measurement, Referral Marketing, Sales, Sales Leads, Web/Tech, Webcasts/Webinars, Weblogs, Word-of-Mouth

Steve Gershik of the Innovative Marketer Blog interviewed me for his podcast on the subject of lead generation.  During the interview I talk about my early roots in marketing, some of my philosophy, my upcoming book, and what marketers should be thinking about about to develop effective B2B lead generation programs.

Listen to podcast (right-click to save to your desktop)

Link: The Innovative Marketer: Podcast #4 – Brian Carroll, Author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale.

Books, Current Affairs, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Lead Qualification, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Podcasting, Sales Leads, Weblogs

If you’re involved in complex sale, be sure to listen to the recording of my live teleseminar with Jill Konrath, Chief Sales Officer and author of Selling to Companies.  Over 93% of the live audience (200 marketers and sellers) strongly agreed or agreed that they found value in attending this session.  I’m sure you will too.

Listen to Segment 1: Selling to BIG Companies (17:51 min 4.1 MB)

• Why has it become more difficult to sell to large organizations?
• Who is the seller’s toughest competitor?
• What can a marketing do to help this?

Over 93% of the live audience (200 marketers and sellers) strongly agreed or agreed that they found value in attending this session.  I’m sure you will too.

Books, Cold Calling, Current Affairs, Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Leadership, Marketing Strategy, My Podcast, Sales, Sales Leads