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Barbara Bix

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Managing Principal, BB Marketing Plus

78 points

I work with B2B organizations to motivate their most promising prospects to "raise their hands" when they're ready to buy. My company's clients include high-tech, health care and professional services businesses.

These organizations engage BB Marketing Plus to ...

I work with B2B organizations to motivate their most promising prospects to "raise their hands" when they're ready to buy. My company's clients include high-tech, health care and professional services businesses.

These organizations engage BB Marketing Plus to deliver marketing strategies and programs that shorten the sales cycle and accelerate revenues.

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May 31, 2011

Barbara Bix and 2 other people answered this question

What options exist for a new firm to gain market share from an overbearing & steady market leader?

Hi Elijah,
Most companies don't succeed at being all things to all people. The key is finding a microsegment of the market that has unmet needs and then filling them.
That need may be for a new product feature or for greater shopping convenience. You don't ... more

General Management

Business Development

Business Growth

May 23, 2011

Barbara Bix answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

What are the defining characteristics of a powerful value proposition?

Hi Jake,
From an article Creating Value Propositions Can be Fun ( http://bbmarketingplus.com/articles/article_7_14-2009.html ), here are my set of defining characteristics of a powerful value proposition.
Compelling value propositions:
• Speak to a pressing concern
• Are clear and concise
• Focus on a single benefit
• Promise a quantifiable improvement
• ... more

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix and 2 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

How do you get salespeople to understand sell using the value proposition?

The best way to help sales sell value is to provide them with the information and tools they need to do so.
A number of my clients develop sales enablement aids that describe:
- Buyer persona descriptions
- Information needs by role at various stages in the ... more

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

Does the CEO or founder have to develop the value proposition?

Nope. That said, the CEO or founder might develop the initial value proposition--especially if there are only a couple people involved in the company's startup--and he or she founded the company to fill a particular market need.
Even if he or she contributes to the value ... more

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

How often do you modify your value propositions?

I liked Ned's answer in today's panel. He said the obvious times are when introducing a new product, a regulation changing, or when your marketing literature runs out (never heard that one but it definitely rings true!)
Most of my clients are in the technology space, ... more

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

What's the difference between an "marketing value proposition" and a "sales value proposition?"

Hi, that's pretty much what the panelists said today. The sales and marketing value props should be one and the same. I'd add one qualification. Marketing is one to many. Sales is one-to-one. The sales person may customize the value proposition to each prospect and ... more

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix and 2 other people answered this question

If you had your own personal Board of Directors, who would you put on it and why?

I'm a sole proprietor and have a board of advisers. This board includes representatives from the industries in which I work, experts in various marketing disciplines, and people who excel in other functional areas (with most wearing more than one hat).
These individuals provide perspective, ... more

Human Resources

Information Technology

May 20, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question at this roundtable

Marketing Value Propositions [5/20 @ 1 pm]

What's your company's value proposition? Have you validated it?

Thanks Mark! Sounds great.

Value Proposition

Value Proposition Management

May 9, 2011

Barbara Bix is now following Ned Myers and 1 other person

March 8, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question

40% surveyed call E-MAIL their biz's strongest performing advertising channel: what are yours?

My company doesn't do any advertising. The blog pulls the most qualified leads. Since email only goes to a house list, it tends to pull people who are ready to convert immediately. more

Advertising Channels

Email Marketing

Feb. 19, 2011

Barbara Bix and 6 other people answered this question

Does “Sales Enablement” really work?

Hi Brian,
Just saw your note. It's been a crazy week.
This comment refers to your questions: Did my previous comment describe "marketing enablement" and Is Sales just one of several delivery channels? My answers are "no" and "yes, sort of..."
The only way companies recognize revenue ... more

Marketing & Sales

Sales & Marketing 2.0

Sales & Marketing Alignment

Feb. 16, 2011

Barbara Bix and 6 other people answered this question

What makes an effective email subject line?

Hi David,
Bet those are the most frequently used words in subject lines that no one clicks on too, or was that your point :-) more

Email Marketing

Email Subject Line

Feb. 16, 2011

Barbara Bix answered this question

How are you re-energizing your website as we turn down the road to recovery?

I've noticed that companies that hadn't previously done so are moving to content management systems to facilitate updates and testing of calls to action. This approach is key since re-energization (is that a word?) success will depend on what content and types of content delivery ... more

Content Creation and Management

Lead Generation

Feb. 16, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question

How effective are virtual events and webinars as a lead generation tool?

We've had a lot of success with both, despite the fact that overall participation is waning. As with anything else, it depends on the execution.
Consider partnering with influencers in your market. If they are among the presenters, their fans will follow. While these fans ... more

Event Marketing

Marketing Automation

Feb. 16, 2011

Barbara Bix and 4 other people answered this question

What is the role of product management in a lean product development methodology?

Take a look at the blogs that Eric Ries and Cindy Alvarez write. Both recommend involving customers and prospects early in the process, and watching their behavior and choices--not just their opinions.
Their lean startup philosophies are particularly germane for product managers in large companies--who ... more

Information Technology

Lean Development

Product Development

Feb. 16, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question

Will Wal-Mart's pledge to selling healthier food dramatically impact the marketplace?

If Walmart sells healthier foods, it will make a difference because they are such a large force in any market within which they choose to participate. While it may not "reshape" consumer eating habits, habits will change.
Walmart's participation will a) drive down prices and ... more

Feb. 15, 2011

Barbara Bix and 2 other people answered this question

What are some things that marketers are still missing in their demand generation efforts today?

I'm with Jeff. It's important to get deep insights in at least two ways. The first is to watch or ask about past behavior to understand what's important. The second is to conduct interviews to learn why the behavior happened so that you can make ... more

Demand Generation

Focusmarketingrt

Lead Generation

Jan. 24, 2011

Barbara Bix and 4 other people answered this question

Which is the best way to create qualified leads for a small software company?

The best way to create qualified leads for a small software company is to place highly relevant messages where they go for information. To do so, you will want to start by researching the market and getting the deep insights you'll need to:
1. Pinpoint your ... more

Qualifying Leads

Jan. 24, 2011

Barbara Bix and 1 other person answered this question

What exactly are negative keyword lists? How should they be used?

Negative keywords allow you to filter out "clicks" that you know are irrelevant. For example, If you sell bicycles, you might want "bike" as a keyword. On the other hand, you don't want to pay for all the clicks from people seeking motorcycles. In that ... more

Keyword Strategy

Negative Keywords

Dec. 24, 2010

Barbara Bix and 6 other people answered this question

What are the elements of a good elevator pitch?

A good elevator pitch is:
1) Succinct
2) Memorable (consider including an example of how someone benefited from working with you)
3) The focus in on the benefits to the client, rather than on who you are, what you do, or how you do it.
4) Starts strong (consider ... more

Dec. 24, 2010

Barbara Bix and 4 other people answered this question

How can you be sure that your marketing 'guru' is worth their salt?

1. Know your goals
Not everyone is looking for the same things---and consultants vary. If you know your goals, you can proceed to steps 2 and 3 to gather the information you'll need to evaluate prospective service providers.
2. Try before you buy
Many consultants offer a free ... more

Campaign Building

Dec. 24, 2010

Barbara Bix and 14 other people answered this question

Should I add my social media accounts to my email signature?

Yes, but maybe not all of them. You may maintain different social media presences for different audiences.
For example, you may use LinkedIn for business networking, Twitter for thought leadership, and Facebook for keeping up with your friends. Even so, it may be appropriate to ... more

Email Signature

Dec. 22, 2010

Barbara Bix and 3 other people answered this question

Should self-employed people have separate social media accounts?

Doesn't Facebook's terms of service prohibit you're having a separate account for your business? I think it requires self-employed people to tie their business page to their fan page. more

Social Media Marketing

Dec. 22, 2010

Barbara Bix answered this question

How do you choose your research sample in B2B markets?

It depends on what you're trying to research. Can you provide more information about your question.
You mention target "customers" rather than prospects. Does this mean you're trying to test the desirability of new functionality? If so, you may want to examine your CRM or any ... more

Market Analysis

Market Research

Dec. 22, 2010

Barbara Bix and 11 other people answered this question

Social Media Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for using Twitter as a marketing tool?

1. Follow others to stay abreast of news and trends in your area of expertise
2. Share valuable content with your followers--prefaced by insights that get to the heart of the matter.
3. Contribute to the conversation by producing unique content that will provide value ot your ... more

General Management

Dec. 3, 2010

Barbara Bix and 16 other people answered this question

B2B Lead Generation Trends: What are the top B2B lead generation trends to watch for in 2011?

The overarching trend: In 2011, B2B lead attraction activities will continue to erode the efficacy of lead generation activities. Therefore, B2B marketers will:
1. Invest more time, effort, and resources into developing deeper insights into what matters most to their best prospects, what information they seek ... more

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