‘Dream Track’ generates instrumental audio based on text prompts.
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
YouTube Announces Broader Launch of ‘Dream Track’ AI Audio Generator
* This article was originally published here
Monday, October 14, 2024
Fear to Fierce - The New Coaches Confidence Catalyst Masterclass
Become a Fear to Fierce: Become a Visible & Confident Online Coach & Use Proven Content Strategies that Converts into High Paying Clients, Even If You’re Scared of Social Media & Don’t Have a Strategy!
* This article was originally published here
How to make $1000/day with affiliate marketing 24/7 - start here!
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Instagram and TikTok Remain the Most Popular Social Apps Among Teens
New insights into teen social media usage habits.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, October 12, 2024
YouTube Tests Removing the ‘Dislike’ Button From the Main Shorts UI
YouTube will move the ‘Save’ button to the main screen instead.
* This article was originally published here
Friday, October 11, 2024
X Avoids EU ‘Gatekeeper’ Designation and Requirements
EU officials have ruled that X doesn’t have significant market power in the region.
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, October 10, 2024
What Is a Revenue Team?
When many of us hear the term salesperson, we cringe. We immediately think of all the times we've been talked into something or upsold, ending up as unhappy customers with buyer's remorse.
But this is an outdated and stereotypical view that doesn't bear much resemblance to the best salespeople in the game today.
Modern sales professionals — at least the most effective — are more focused on educating and guiding than selling. They are about helping customers to make the best decisions for them, not bamboozling them into buying something they don't need.
This modern approach to sales is much more closely aligned with marketing than it was in the past.
And so it should be.
The sales and marketing overlap
Sales can learn from marketing — and marketing can learn from sales. Indeed, they should work together.
This means a more consistent customer experience, better marketing materials, and sales process built on education and trust.
When you look at the numbers, the case for fostering sales and marketing alignment in a company speaks for itself.
Outfunnel's Revenue Marketing Report found that small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) "that struggle with disjointed marketing and sales teams are twice as likely to miss revenue goals, while those with great alignment more commonly exceed them."
Even more striking, the same report found 58% of sales and marketing professionals don’t feel well aligned, a significant increase from 46% just last year.
Working with hundreds of organizations across the world, we've found that one of the best ways to align marketing and sales is to establish what we call a revenue team.
Modern sales and marketing teams are working toward the same goal
It’s estimated that 70% of the buying decision happens in the research phase, before a prospect even dreams of reaching out to someone in sales. In fact, 88% of all buyers are doing online research before they make a purchase of any kind, whether through a search engine or an AI tool.
In other words, marketing lays the foundation for sales to build upon.
Sales needs to inform marketing of what customers are looking for. Marketing then needs to create the right content and experience around this information. Then, sales needs to close the leads marketing delivers based on this.
This interdependence is why the two departments need to work together.
Considering the numbers above, giving revenue growth responsibility to the sales team alone doesn’t make sense. By the time prospects have gotten in touch with sales, the majority of their decision has already been made.
Similarly, marketing can't hold the full responsibility as if they don't know what works from the sales team, the content and experiences they create will just be educated guesses.
With the way modern buyers make purchases, operating in silos is no longer an option for sales and marketing.
But how do you actually align sales and marketing?
The power of the 'Revenue Team'
Tactically speaking, a revenue team is a group of key players from your sales and marketing teams that collaborate around the shared goal of increasing revenue through traffic, leads, and sales.
Yes, some people on the team will be more focused on marketing efforts (e.g. creating content) or sales efforts (e.g. closing deals). But the team acts as one, identifying and working towards their common goal.
For instance, say you’re responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of content strategy (both written and video), as well as the management of your content team.
That won’t change when you join the revenue team. Instead, your role within the revenue team and the conversations that come out of it (more on that shortly), will strongly influence how you do your job.
The revenue team primarily focuses on getting sales and marketing on the same page. This means:
- Sales keeps marketing up to date on the questions they are being asked by buyers.
- Marketing keeps sales up to date on the content that's being produced.
- The revenue team determines what sales enablement content needs to come next.
Outside of the meeting:
- Sales reps make themselves available to aid in content creation.
- Sales uses content created in the sales process (or in what we call assignment selling).
- Marketing monitors content performance so they can refine the strategy.
Overall, instead of two competing teams with independent priorities, the members of this singular unit work together to achieve their mutual goal of revenue growth through true collaboration, information-sharing, brainstorming, and problem-solving.
The benefits of a revenue team
The success of a revenue team leads to a number of benefits. Let's break them down and what they look like at an organization:
More effective marketing content
- The sales team heavily influences the editorial calendar and content prioritization.
- Better content means better leads, more educated customers, and smoother sales.
- You can finally tie revenue to marketing efforts.
Optimized sales cycle
- The length of the sales cycle decreases, as leads become prospects and prospects become customers faster than before.
- Customers feel more trusting toward a company that educates instead of pitches.
- Many of the questions once answered face-to-face (or at least by a human in sales) can now be answered by content on your website that is easily self-discovered by visitors.
Better alignment
- Sales and marketing teams are fully aligned, trust each other, and have mutual respect. Once per week meetings mean they have an open line of communication.
- The sales team understands and sees the value of its role in creating content that drives revenue.
- Salespeople are more fulfilled and happier in their roles.
- Marketers see more value in their work, taking pride in the direct connection between what they produce and the revenue generated for their company.
How to run a successful revenue team meeting
The revenue team meeting is the foundation of your group's collaboration and, honestly, it's where the magic happens.
A successful revenue team meeting depends on six things:
- Understand the purpose
- Ensure the right cross-section of people are involved in the revenue team
- Decide how often the revenue team will meet
- Set the revenue team meeting agenda
- Have a revenue team meeting facilitator
- Ensure there is a way to communicate outside of the revenue team meeting
If you can check those six boxes, you'll have the right people in the right place working on the right things.
Ready to get started?
The revenue team is an essential antidote to the age-old scourge of modern business: Siloed teams with competing agendas that never see eye to eye.
But we know that this article only scratches the surface. You'll need to know more to put everything into place.
You can dive into all the details as well as sample agendas in this full article "How to Run a Revenue Meeting."
Author: jbecker@impactbnd.com (John Becker)
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
X Returns to Brazil After Complying With Government Requests
X is back in Brazil after a month-long absence.
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
What Do Instagram Influencers Think about AI [Infographic]
Current social media AI chatbots rarely go beyond discovery. Here’s what influencers think about the emerging tech.
* This article was originally published here
Monday, October 7, 2024
Meta Shares Tips on Growing Your Threads Presence
With 200 million monthly active users, the platform may prove valuable for those looking to grow their community.
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Pinterest Expands Campaign Automation Elements
New campaign automation options from Pinterest.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Snapchat Brings Back Phantom House Series With Maybelline, State Farm
The Halloween content series now in its second year will also be leveraged by Hulu to support its Huluween campaign and new original film, “Carved.”
* This article was originally published here
Friday, October 4, 2024
Top Social Media Conferences To Watch in 2025
A list of industry gatherings social media managers can attend to keep their skills sharp.
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, October 3, 2024
No, You Can’t Stop Meta Using Your Data via IG Story
Those “attorney advised” posts are back, but they do nothing to protect your info.
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
How Corona Found Success With YouTube Shorts
The campaign for one leg of the brand’s Sunsets Festival World Tour saw 5.1 million impressions and utilized several ad formats to drive results.
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Who’s Going To Win the AR Wearables Race?
A look at the next wave of AR glasses and which will win out with consumers.
* This article was originally published here
Monday, September 30, 2024
Instagram Chief Says ‘Following’ Feed Option Won’t Work
IG boss Adam Mosseri says that people don’t actually want a ’following’ feed option.
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Meta Showcases Updated VR Avatars
The next generation of VR depictions is coming.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Instagram Launches Signature Sound of the App
It’s not pleasant, but maybe that’s not the point.
* This article was originally published here
Friday, September 27, 2024
Meta’s AI Bots Run Counter to the Value of Social Media
Meta’s looking to replicate human interaction with AI bots. But is that a good thing?
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, September 26, 2024
When It Comes to Hiring, Experience Is Overrated
Some years ago I was doing a training session with a sales team. Typically how these trainings work is we’ll teach a communication principle or two and then role-play them in real time. We’ll do this several times over the course of an hour.
When it came time to start our first role-play, the most senior member of the team was adamant: I’m not doing that. I’ve been selling for 20 years and I don’t need to practice.
Now, I know role-plays can be uncomfortable — and I know this guy probably was a pretty good salesman.
But, if I were building a sales team, would I hire him? Absolutely not.
His response proved to me exactly what I’ve often found to be the case.
When it comes to hiring, experience is overrated.
That deep resume filled with years of experience can be more of a drawback than a benefit.
Experience often comes with rigidity and a sense of privilege. Of course, this is not always the case. There are countless pros who foster a growth mindset even as they accumulate years of experience.
But when I help companies hire — especially for sales, marketing, and customer service — nine times out of 10 I advise them to hire for coachability and eagerness, not experience.
What to look for instead of experience
In the knowledge economy, the ability to learn trumps the accumulation of experience.
These learners could be young folks with energy and passion, but they don’t have to be fresh-faced twentysomethings. Older professionals can be learners as well — especially if they switched careers at some point to try something new.
According to research from PWC and others, companies are increasingly turning to industry outsiders. The feeling goes like this: If we hire from inside the industry we’ll hear the same old ideas that have all been tried before. But if we get an outsider, we can bring in a fresh perspective.
Increasingly, organizations are looking for something novel in their applicant pool: the ability to adapt, explore, question, and invigorate.
And as I help companies hire their next great sales and marketing pros, I’m moving in the same direction. Coachability and growth potential top pretty much everything else.
The only question is, how do you actually find it?
3 ways to verify an applicant's coachability
Here’s the problem. It’s easy to see experience on a resume: three years here, director of this, responsible for that. It’s harder to see coachability.
So, how do you evaluate something you can’t see?
I’m not going to lie — it can be hard at first, but here are three things you can try.
1. Get more out of your hiring task
In almost every hiring situation, you should include real-world tasks for the applicant to complete.
When you do this and how you do this will depend on the role and your needs, but the tasks should mimic the actual responsibilities the applicants would have in the role if they’re hired:
- The manager facilitates a role-play 1:1 with a troubled employee
- The marketing applicant needs to design a mini campaign
- The salesperson puts together a prospecting strategy
- The videographer produces a quick video
And so on.
Now, the smart thing to do is to use these tasks to measure more than just competency.
Sure, you want to know that your content manager candidates can write a good article. You want to know that your sales rep candidates can put together a strong presentation.
But that’s not where the evaluation should end.
When you collect their work, don’t just use it to check a box for whether they can do the job or not. Instead, offer specific feedback. Tell the candidate in advance that a feedback session will be coming, and make sure some of the feedback you give is critical.
This is the important moment.
Watch the candidate react to feedback in real time. Do they squirm, blame the assignment, or glaze over? If so, they’re not demonstrating coachability. Rather, they’re rejecting your feedback, passing the buck, or just pretending to listen.
Now, imagine the difference. When you offer feedback, a candidate engages with you. You have a discussion. She pushes you to explain a few things more clearly — not to be argumentative, but to really understand your point of view. She takes some notes. Her body language is receptive, open, comfortable, and focused.
That’s the coachable person. That’s the one you should hire.
2. Scrutinize recommendation letters — and follow up
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that recommendation letters are fairly worthless. Not because the opinions of coworkers and managers don’t matter. They do. A lot. The problem is that rec letters are all pretty much boilerplate.
I’ve read a lot, and they mostly all say the same thing:
Hard worker
Stays organized
Team player
And so on.
To find what you’re really looking for in a rec letter, look closely for stories of struggle, perseverance, adaptability, and contribution.
If you don’t find them, set up a time to speak with the supervisor or colleague who wrote the letter and ask.
Be specific. Ask about growth and development, and when things did not go the person’s way.
- What role does this person tend to play? Hero or victim?
- How did they respond to adversity?
3. Ask the candidate
This sounds obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. Ask the candidate directly: Are you comfortable learning new things and receiving candid feedback?
Be clear that these are parts of your company culture, and that the person should know this upfront.
Of course, anyone looking for a job is likely in interview mode, so take what they say with a grain of salt. Still, it’s important to set expectations from the outset so they know what they’re going into.
At IMPACT, we have all new hires read a half-dozen books that line up with our core values. We want them to know from Day 1 that we value candor, collaboration, and involvement.
Hiring for the high upside
Imagine this.
You’ve narrowed it down to two applicants: Candidate A and Candidate B.
If you knew that Candidate B had way higher potential than Candidate A but would take some time to get there, which would you choose?
When you hire an experienced candidate, you’re getting more of a known commodity. That’s both good and bad. The good is obvious, but the bad is this: There’s a good chance that this person has already reached his potential. His capabilities for growth are more modest, so what you’re getting might be good, but it’s unlikely to get much better.
Think back to the salesman in my opening anecdote. Was he good? Probably. Was he going to get much better? Probably not. He had already peaked in his mind, and he was unwilling to do the work to improve.
Not only that, but he was also limiting the growth potential of every person in that room.
When you hire someone hungry and coachable, their best days are far in the future.
That’s a really exciting prospect — but it requires patience and mentoring to bring to fruition.
You will have to play a part in that person’s development. Otherwise, he will never reach his full potential.
The future of your business
The nature of work is changing — and the challenges that lay ahead can’t always be predicted a few months ahead of time.
Let alone a few years.
If the pandemic and the dawning of AI have taught us anything, it was that adaptability and creativity are crucial, while strict allegiance to the status quo can be a death sentence.
In her book Rookie Smarts, author Liz Wiseman writes, “While experience provides a distinct advantage in a stable field — like the realms of bridge building, ballet, or concert piano performance — it can actually impede progress in an unstable or quickly evolving arena.”
When you look to hire your next team member, don’t be bound by the outdated principle that experience matters most. Hire someone coachable, hungry, and ready to learn. You want a company full of workers whose best days are ahead of them.
Author: jbecker@impactbnd.com (John Becker)
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Stop Avoiding AI: Here's How it Can Enhance Your Business [Endless Customers Podcast Ep. 66]
About This Episode
If you lead a company, you’ve probably heard the buzz around AI and wondered, “Would it really be that helpful for us?” Maybe you’ve dabbled with AI tools like ChatGPT, or perhaps you’re more cautious, watching from the sidelines as others dive in. It’s natural to feel hesitant. The landscape is constantly shifting, and your concerns about security, ROI, or whether AI will truly integrate with your team are valid. But here’s the question: What if AI could help your business without replacing the humans driving it?
That’s what Alex Winter and Chris Duprey, Principal Coach at IMPACT, explore in the latest episode of Endless Customers. They discuss how AI, when used right, can help any sized business not just survive, but thrive.
Feeling AI Hesitation? It’s Not Just You
You’re not alone if you’re on the fence about AI. Chris has been traveling all over the country, talking to business leaders and CEOs. And guess what? Even though AI has dominated headlines, many CEOs and decision-makers still don’t quite understand it.
“I start every workshop,” Chris explains, “whether it's with a CEO group or a company, with ‘On a scale of 0 to 10, how much do you use AI every day? Zero means you can’t spell ‘AI,’ 10 means it’s part of your workflow.’”
The result? Most responses fall between a 0.5 and a 2. People are aware of AI but often dismiss it as a tool for writing poetry or cheating on school papers, rather than something that can revolutionize their business. The fear of the unknown keeps them from seeing its full potential.
Changing the Narrative from Fear to Curiosity
Chris has witnessed firsthand how quickly a room can go from skepticism to excitement once people start understanding AI’s real capabilities. He recalls a workshop with a company in the security industry where the mood was initially tense.
“It was fear-based,” Alex adds. “They were a security company.”
But within 15 minutes, that fear started to dissipate, replaced by curiosity. Chris explains how this shift happens: “In just three hours, you can take people from thinking, ‘AI is dumb,’ to ‘Oh, holy smokes, this could help us.’” Once people see AI as a tool to make their jobs easier, the anxiety melts away.
AI Is Not Here to Replace You—It’s Here to Help You
One of the most important messages from Chris is that AI isn’t here to take over human jobs. In fact, it’s more like an advanced assistant. You wouldn’t hire someone today who refuses to use email, right? That’s how AI will soon be perceived—an essential tool that makes your life easier.
Chris emphasizes that many business leaders fear AI because they think it will replace human workers, but the reality is different. AI is here to handle the tedious, repetitive tasks that take up valuable time. That leaves your team free to focus on high-level work that drives real results.
“I’ve been in rooms with CEOs who were initially afraid AI would replace jobs,” Chris says. “But when I show them how AI can actually make training, onboarding, and even translation tasks easier, they start to see the potential.”
Real-World Applications
In Chris’s travels, he’s seen some surprising places where AI can make an impact. You might think AI is all about marketing and sales, but he’s found it can be incredibly useful in areas like training and onboarding.
“Most people think of AI for things like creating landing pages or writing articles,” Chris explains. “But when I ask CEOs how they would experiment with AI, many of them think about training and onboarding.”
For example, companies can now use AI tools like HeyGen or Synthesia to create training videos in multiple languages without needing a professional film crew. That’s huge for businesses that need to train employees quickly and cost-effectively.
Another example? AI tools can create an avatar of you that speaks in the primary language of your clients. Chris shares how he used an AI tool to translate a video of him speaking English into French for a presentation in Quebec. “It wasn’t just a direct translation,” Chris says. “It even had the Quebec accent. People thought I’d suddenly learned French!”
The Fear of AI in Sales and Marketing
Of course, a big concern for many businesses is how AI will affect sales and marketing. Will AI automate too much? Will it take away the personal touch that’s so crucial in building relationships with customers?
Chris’s answer? Not if you use AI the right way. The key is to view AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement. It’s there to handle the tedious work—like gathering customer data or organizing reports—so your team can focus on what they do best: building connections and closing deals.
And when it comes to content creation, AI can streamline processes without compromising quality. But again, it’s not doing the work for you; it’s enhancing your ability to deliver personalized, relevant messages faster than ever.
Don’t Fall Behind on Learning AI as a Tool
Imagine running a construction company where you refuse to use power tools. Sure, you can still build a house with hand tools, but how long would it take? How many more mistakes might you make? Now imagine your competitor is using power tools. They’re working faster, producing better results, and growing their business. That’s what AI is like—it’s a power tool for your business.
As Chris puts it, “If you’re not trying to figure out how to sharpen the saw—how to get better, more efficient, and more useful—you’re going to struggle.” AI isn’t going away. It’s here to stay, and businesses that don’t adopt it will get left behind.
Getting Started with AI
The best advice Chris gives to companies? Start experimenting. The only way to know if AI can help your business is to try it out. Begin with small tasks, like asking ChatGPT how it can help with a specific job function. The more you use it, the more you’ll discover how powerful these tools can be.
For instance, when Chris first used ChatGPT, he simply talked to it like he would a colleague. “I asked it questions just like we’re talking now,” Chris recalls. “And it gave me exactly what I needed.” The key is to not overthink it—just start the conversation and see where it leads.
Be Curious, Not Judgmental
Chris leaves us with a piece of advice borrowed from Ted Lasso: “Be curious, not judgmental.” If you’ve only tried AI once or twice and didn’t see the value, try again. AI evolves rapidly, and what didn’t work six months ago might now exceed your expectations. The more curious you are, the more you’ll uncover ways AI can benefit your business.
“If you’re judgmental and not curious, you’re not going to die,” Chris says with a laugh. “But you will get left behind as more people adopt AI and start finding efficiencies. And cash flow is king.”
So, take the first step—experiment, learn, and grow. AI isn’t just for big tech companies or the future. It’s here now, ready to help you drive your business forward.
AI is not a threat—it’s an opportunity. Whether you’re looking to improve your sales, streamline your onboarding, or create multilingual training videos, AI can help you do it better and faster. Start small, experiment, and stay curious. That’s the key to embracing AI without losing the human touch that makes your business unique.
Connect with Chris Duprey
Chris Duprey is a sought-after speaker and business coach with over two decades of leadership experience.
Get to know Chris through his IMPACT bio page
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
Keep Learning
Author: awinter@impactbnd.com (Alex Winter)
* This article was originally published here
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