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As current technologies develop and change, it is our duty to evaluate and redefine the terms that have popped up in our collective lexicon over the past decade. The pharmaceutical industry has a growing affinity for the idea of eDetailing, and the word has taken on a suspiciously broad definition. Unfortunately, those who are searching for eDetailing platforms don’t know the intended purpose or power of effective eDetailing. How will you know when you’ve found the right eDetailing platform if you don’t know what you’re looking for?

Most of us have fallen into the habit of labeling content like blog posts, infographics, whitepapers and presentations as “marketing content,” imagining that content serves as an advertising tool that drops potential customers at the salesperson’s doorstep, who takes it from there. In reality, content can guide customers, and salespeople, through every step of the sales pipeline. Oftentimes, what we label as “marketing content” can also be used as “sales content.” The content you use now for advertising may serve a larger purpose if it is effectively used throughout the entire purchasing process. Here are the beginner’s commandments for kick starting a sales content strategy:

The onboarding of salespeople has proved to be an elusive sport. Sales training best practices are always under construction. Ask a VP of Sales if he or she is totally confident with their company’s sales training process. Chances are, they’re looking for the next best thing to solve that sticky situation.  

It was not so long ago that the best tactic for onboarding was totally tactless. It was a “throw everything; see what sticks” sort of thing. A barrage of outdated loose-leaf papers, unreadable handwritten notes, insufferable 100-page PowerPoints, and other unworthy pursuits characterized onboarding. More often than not, none of that stuck. Salespeople compensated by making up their own rules. They came up with their own sales playbooks.  

There is an old saying - ‘The fortune is in the follow-up.” Sales statistics from the National Sales Executive Association showed that: 48% of sales reps never follow up with a prospect, 25% make a second contact and stop, 12% only make three contacts and stop and only 10% of sales reps make more than three contacts. But, 80% of won business happens on the 5^th – 12^th conversation.  For Best-in-Class performers, registering their name into the subconscious of customers means never underestimating the power of the follow-up. 

Multi-channel engagement has opened up avenues for sales reps like never before. In an effort to increase the engagement process, world class sales reps have found that effective campaigns, emails, social media and Web portals have enabled sales reps to increase win rates in the follow-up stages. In an effort to target customers using the right messages, world class sales and marketing teams are creating the kind of content marketing strategies that work to enable sales reps post-sales call.  

From Face-to-Face interaction to remote customer meetings, follow-up via email, or instant Web portals, one thing is for sure - the sales rep/customer relationship depends on engaging content more than anything else. 

Oracle Marketing Cloud Interact 2014 took place in San Francisco earlier this month. From sessions covering modern marketing best practices, to training sessions from marketing leaders, exciting keynote lineup and private shows, Interact 2014 proved to be a great event for B2C and B2B marketers. Courtney Buchanan, a writer for the New School Marketing blog, covered the event’s happenings while picking up on valuable tips from Oracle Marketing Cloud attendees. Let’s take a look at the latest insights and best practices Courtney gathered from top professionals at the event. 

In her article, 4 Tips for Data-driven Glory: Insights from Interact 2014, Courtney addresses the importance of making sense of customer data to drive personalized experiences and, ultimately, bottom line impact. Below is a list of Courtney’s top 4 ways marketers can make use of data to get the most results from their marketing campaigns.

We know the old adage, "The customer is always right" - but we also know that it isn't always true. One thing we do know for sure is that in order to close the deal with customers, we have to be engaging.

The road to revenue growth is directly dependent on the performance of the sales team, and there is nothing like revving up the sales team than doing so with the right technology.

When was the last time you used Google to self-diagnose a medical issue? The dangers of self-diagnosis are numerous. When you self-diagnose, you assume that you can fully understand what is going on in your body, but most people cannot. By doing this, people may miss a larger diagnosis, deeming a single symptom as the full diagnosis.

When potential clients are far away and sales representatives are selling remotely, there is a lack of human contact present in the relationship. Sales enablement tools like digital sales aids can help to pick up the slack that is inevitably caused by distance.