B2B Reads: One-on-One Listening, Uncompromised Work Culture, & the Subscription Economy

In addition to our Sunday App of the Week feature, we also summarize some of our favorite B2B sales & marketing posts from around the web each week. We’ll miss a ton of great stuff, so if you found something you think is worth sharing please add it to the comments below.

5 Common Marketing Mistakes You Need to Look Out For
A strong marketing strategy is one of the key components of building a successful company. As marketing evolves, so should your strategy. Here are five common pitfalls that marketing teams fall victim to. Thank you, Sergio Alvarez, for the reminder that a strong marketing strategy isn’t just nice to have but essential.

Tips for Practicing One-on-One Listening to Improve Internal Comms – Ragan Communications
Pulse surveys and suggestion boxes are valuable tools, but there’s true power to listening in its purest form. Thank you, Rick Brandon, Ph.D, for your opinion on the pivotal role individual managers have internal communication and listening.

5 Keys to Perfecting Your Presentation Delivery in a Hybrid World
From in person to virtual and now to hybrid we must communicate to an audience that is both six feet away and six states away. No wonder hybrid presentations can feel clunky and awkward. Thank you, Josh Storie, for these helpful tips to improve hybrid presentation delivery.

Teaching Teams and Colleagues to Lead Without Authority
Cultivating a culture where individuals and work teams can sense, align, execute and renew without fighting through layers of bureaucracy and management is potentially powerful. Bringing these lofty ideas to life and promoting a culture where people are comfortable with and rewarded for taking the initiative to lead when the situation demands it is easier said than done. Thank you, Art Petty,  for shedding light on issues and ideas to consider.

7 Reasons Why Marketing Emails Fail
Underperforming marketing emails are often an indicator of overall program deterioration. Reductions in clicks, conversions, and revenue are typically symptoms of a larger problem. Thank you, Carolyn Nye, for providing several causes of poor email performance and how to fix them.

Maybe We Don’t Want Everyone Rowing In The Same Direction
“Rowing in the same direction” sounds nice but what might it imply in the business world? Are things really that simple? Thank you, Michael Nathanson, for your explanation that the concept of “direction” is much more complex than it sounds.

How To Make AI Marketing Initiatives Actually Deliver
AI typically can help marketers in three ways: improving decision-making, systems and broader transformation. But marketers only tackle one or two at a time. It’s when you do all three at once that AI can really pay off. Thank you, Matthew Lieberman, for the insight on your “all-of-the-above” approach.

It’s Not Too Late to Create an Uncompromising Work Culture
Employees are still quitting jobs at a record rate — and they’re not taking the first job they find. They’re being selective. These employees — of every generation — desire and deserve a workplace where they are respected and validated for their ideas, efforts and contributions every day. Leaders are taking notice, but too few know how to create the right work culture. Thank you, S.Chris Edmonds, for your perspective in how leaders can create a respectful and validating work culture.

What Can’t Change in Times of Change
Change is all around you. Likely you are working through, dealing with, and leading more than one change right now. As we face change and try to make change happen, we can’t lose sight of some keys to making it all work. Thank you, Kevin Eikenberry, for your insight to help us all adapt, adjust, and embrace change.

What Marketers Need to Know About the Subscription Economy
As the pandemic fueled online shopping, companies with a low or minimal online presence needed to adapt and find ways to capture the e-commerce shopper. Marketers have an important role to play by helping to encourage brand and subscription loyalty during hard financial times. Thank you, Jo Hamilton,  on your insight into how marketers can adapt tactics to improve their online presence.