I can’t blame marketers for avoiding the development of marketing plans, launch plans or any other version of a strategic plan. This apparently reasonable request usually requires countless hours of…
Read more
Buying Criteria
Really Bad News about the Real Buyer’s Journey
Across thousands of buyer interviews spanning dozens of industries, there is one aspect of almost every buyer’s journey that is pervasive and absolutely terrifying – Almost no one can recall…
Read more
What’s Your Content Strategy Now? Ask your buyers!
This is the first of many upcoming blog posts from Steve Rankel, who joined our team last summer as COO. Steve is a 30-year veteran of marketing and sales, and…
Read more
Gartner says: Sales and marketing influences just 32% of B2B buyer’s journey
I am fascinated by a recent Gartner study about the journey of 700 enterprise buyers across the U.S., EMEA, Brazil, India and China. According to a recent interview with Hank…
Read more
How Radio Shack lost their buyer focus and their business
I was saddened by Radio Shack’s recent bankruptcy filing. Its convenient stores and helpful staff are easy to find in any city I’m visiting. There is even a store in…
Read more
Make Every Word Matter (and Make Sure Your Buyer Personas Tell You How)
There’s a wonderful Mark Twain quote that goes like this “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the…
Read more
How Many Segments Does Caterpillar Have? Buyer Personas Supply the Correct Answer
One of the most important decisions a marketer needs to make is segmentation – how to determine the essential differences between customer groups and effectively market to them. Companies use…
Read more
Hot Off the Press: The Buyer Persona Manifesto, 2nd Edition
It’s been almost three years since I published The Buyer Persona Manifesto, and so much has changed. In 2011, few marketers had even heard about buyer personas. That’s why I…
Read more
Jan. 1 Fails to Inspire B2B Buyer Persona Resolutions … Do You Know What Does?
I wonder if the companies that help us to get fit or organized realize just how lucky they are. They have the luxury of perfect timing, confident that once each…
Read more
Orbitz Reveals Too Much About Mac Buyer Persona
I’m frequently asked for examples of buyer personas, but my clients never allow me to share their findings publicly. That’s because the insights they discover about their buyers are non-obvious…
Read more
