Deborrah Ashley, MBA

One proven strategy to make your agency’s offer a no-brainer The Problem: Leads ⍯ $$$ ​ Many agencies only deliver leads to their clients. But most clients have more problems than just leads. ​ Even if your agency delivers leads to your clients (like a phone call or appointment booked), many can’t close them well. ​ If the client doesn’t close sales from the leads, the leads are not as valuable (thus not worth paying premium money for). ​ The Strategy: Combined Value ​ With Combined Value, you offer your clients a complete all-in-one solution to get the desired result (sales) instead of providing just a few pieces of the solutions (and relying on the client to figure out the rest). ​ Example: Facebook Ads for Plumbers Package Instead of just offering Facebook Lead Generation Ads & Retargeting Think outside of the box and include other things that will get the client the result they want: Phone Sales Training for their team (audio or video course, best practices, or examples of successful plumbing closers). Referral-generating Business Cards: The backs of the cards are gift cards you can give friends and family to generate referrals. Past Customer List Email Reactivation: a simple reactivation email flows to past customers to increase repeat business. A thoughtful, custom gift for the decision maker (just because) ​ You want to stand out from the crowd by thinking outside the box, even in small ways (and be the only source for what you do). ​ ProTip: don’t feel pressured to provide everything in your offer in-house (aka doing the sales training, designing and printing the business cards, etc.). ​ Look for other vendors to purchase from or partner with (so it’s not too much extra work). ​ See how this package is much more valuable than some Facebook cheap leads! ​ Who will you hire and keep around if you own a plumbing company? A) The gal who can get you cheap Facebook leads. B) The gal who can get leads, train your phone staff to convert, turn your new customers into referrals, bring past customers back, and send you a custom beer brewing kit. ​ And there’s added value in having one agency they trust who manages the whole thing (vs. a bunch of agencies, vendors, contractors, and in-house employees). ​ Leveraging Combined Value allows you to get 5-20K/mo retainers. ​ Do this, and you’ll have more clients who stay with you for 5+ years and fewer clients who leave after 6 months. ​ Question: Thinking of the ideal clients you’d like to have, what Combined Value, all-in-one solution could you offer? ​ Be sure to share a few of your ideas below and provide some inspo for all of us!

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Mark Huber at UserEvidence posted today: Buyers want to know how you're different and why you’re better than the other tools they’re looking at. Buyers want to see results and performance data from your “average” customers—you know, the good stuff that gets into specific use cases and challenges your customers solve with your product. He also mentioned.... Customer evidence doesn't end with case studies and testimonials. Customer evidence includes industry-specific proof points, competitive intelligence, product stats, and ROI data. In an upcoming ABM Done Right Podcast that should go live next week. Evan Huck (CEO at UserEvidence) talked about the role that customer evidence-based marketing should play in #ABM. In the meantime, check out our other #ABMDoneRightPodcasts at: https://lnkd.in/eahDhQa6

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When I started in content marketing, I cared about: • Keywords • Blog post length • Publishing frequency • Seeing immediate results • Getting as many sessions as possible As a head of content, I cared about: • Strategy • Research • Repurposing • Building a POV • Planning distribution • Crafting compelling stories • Tying content back to biz goals There's a big difference between hitting publish and building a strategy.

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I created Distribution First to help you get off the content hamster wheel. It all started as newsletter. Transformed into a podcast. And today, we're building the best place on the internet to help burned-out marketers escape the content production trap. What if content marketing was light and easy? What if you didn't feel the constant need to create new stuff? What if you woke up every Monday knowing exactly what to do? What if you had a core group of marketing friends helping you get there? The truth is, it's all possible. And that’s exactly why Distribution First exists. Spots are still open for May. See you inside?

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I was asked today: "Relationships are the heart of effective ABM 💙! So here's a question for you Kristina Jaramillo: How do you balance the need for scale with the importance of personalized, relationship-focused ABM strategies? My answer: True ABM was and should always be 1:1 where you focus on navigating complex relationships, building meaningful connections, having the right interactions and delivering the right account experience. It's about driving the greatest revenue streams possible YoY from your most valuable future and existing customers so the whole experience needs to be value engineered. There is no scaling ABM. But, what can be scaled is the revenue impact that #ABM can have. We should be taking the lessons we learn from true 1:1 ABM and apply it to scale the complete account-based GTM motion so we get more of the right accounts into the pipeline and get more of the right accounts to the stage where teams now take a 1:1 approach to accelerate accounts to revenue at the highest possible ACV. Because teams focus so much on scale vs. getting the account experience right, teams are building pipelines that eventually go dark. This is why CMO Council gives ABM programs overall a C- as teams struggle to drive stage progression and impact revenue KPIs. (See the attached image!) During her ABM Done Right Podcast recording on Friday, Lindsay Baggett at Tanium talked about how GTM teams should focus on getting ABM right vs. scale. She talked about how we should focus on creating a compelling account experience that has buyers wanting to progress in their buying journey. Lindsay's podcast goes live this coming week where she has many hot takes to share with the #ABM community including how we should be scoring ABM teams just like we score ABM accounts. Keep an 👀 out for her podcast. What are your thoughts? How would you answer the question I received today? Let me hear from my ABM community. Please comment below. If you'd like to discuss your ABM program and how you can have a stronger impact on revenue KPIs, schedule an ABM strategy session with me: https://lnkd.in/et6GhHFu

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If you’re struggling to choose the right CRM for your agency, you don’t want to miss this episode of the Sell With Authority podcast. Predictive ROI’s own Erik Jensen joined me to share some rock-solid awesome insights for aligning your needs vs. your wants when choosing your next CRM. Erik’s method is simple and effective — create a needs vs. wants list, identify the activities that take up most of your time, and ensure the software you choose has strong customer support that can address your questions and concerns quickly and efficiently. And lastly — make sure it has a thriving third-party marketplace to fill in any gaps the software might have. This episode is packed with actionable strategies and strong advice that you can implement right away in your agency. Now’s the time to double down. If you want to get all the insights and practical strategies we discussed — click on the link to listen to the full episode. Onward with gusto!

What do you have to lose? Seriously. Whenever people tell me they're hesitating about "starting their own podcast," I tell them: "There's literally 0% downside. Only upside." 1. You generate leads consistently 2. You establish your voice in your industry 3. You enhance your speaking skills 4. You expand your professional network significantly 5. You access invaluable insights from guest experts 6. You discover innovative marketing tools and strategies 7. And you unlock business opportunities that seemed out of reach before Look... Podcasting platforms now host millions of active listeners. But only a fraction of businesses use podcasts → effectively. The opportunity to stand out → enormous! Question is: Are you ready to make your mark?

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Is your content strategy delivering real results? Does it help bring in new leads? Close more deals? Keep your customers engaged? Learn more about measuring your content quality through outcome-focused KPIs, this week on the How to Sell More Podcast with guest Amanda Natividad Check out the full episode --> https://hi.switchy.io/MDis #CustomerEngagement #KPIs #ContentMarketingTips

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𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 I’ve been receiving numerous emails and messages from software development company leaders seeking guidance on creating an effective lead generation strategy. Many of you have been relying heavily on marketplaces, selling your resources at hourly rates, or engaging in cold calls and emails to acquire clients. First, let’s reflect on why companies hire you in the first place. If your company is well-organized and capable of building MVPs, extensive ERP solutions, or other innovative systems, it’s important to understand the primary motivations behind why any industry seeks your expertise. Broadly, companies look to software development partners for three main reasons: 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: To stay ahead of competitors and embrace cutting-edge solutions. 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – To streamline operations and boost financial outcomes. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 – To enhance how their end-users interact with their products or services. These are the core reasons why industries pursue innovation through software solutions. They often have specific use cases where they need your expertise to achieve these objectives. 𝑁𝑜𝑤, 𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝘩𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛-𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠? The answer lies in becoming their research partner. Here's how: Create blogs that discuss innovation tailored to specific industries, like manufacturing. Share insights on upcoming technology trends that are reshaping industries and how leading companies are leveraging them. Send reports that highlight opportunities for cost-cutting or improving customer experience through technology. Your goal should be to first get into their mindset—generate awareness and create the need. Once the need is established, they’ll recognize you as the go-to solution provider. How do you prove your expertise and authority? Publish insightful content that positions you as an expert in their industry. Provide actionable value, such as: 💻 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑠. 💻𝐸-𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙. 💻𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑤𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡. This is the essence of a sales funnel—guiding potential clients from awareness to action. If you need help building a sales funnel for your software development firm or technology startup, drop “𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥” in the comments, and I’d be happy to assist!

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Adam Schoenfeld posted on LinkedIn: #ABM can be simplified to 3 things: 1.) Account Selection -- Instead of filling your CRM with "leads," you have named accounts. -- This requires an ICP program -- Your account list is not frozen in time. ICP is an ongoing initiative to define, translate, enable, and improve your focus. 2.) Account Engagement -- Instead of targeting personas or firmographics, you target specific accounts. -- It applies to both inbound (qualify by account fit) and outbound (target by account fit). -- It can be 1:1, 1:Few, or 1:Many. But in all cases, the plays & activities are based on groups of accounts and/or individual accounts. 3.) Account Measurement -- Instead of celebrating MQLs, celebrate progress with ICP accounts. -- Set goals based on how you move target accounts through the buyers journey. Adam asked if he oversimplified ABM and I say a resounding "YES!" ABM is not just a tiering, segmentation, prioritization, and targeting strategy. Because teams are simplifying ABM to just better targeting, they are not changing #GTM interactions and the account experiences that are being delivered. Teams are building pipelines but accounts are getting stuck. This is why CMO Council gives ABM programs overall a C- as teams struggle with stage progression. More than anything - ABM is about changing the account experience across the buyer's journey and customer lifecycle so teams can shorten sales cycles, increase win rates, close higher deals, and drive greater long term revenue growth. What are your thoughts? Did Adam over-simplify? I'd love to hear from Tania Saez, Michelle Radlowski, Cristina Daroca, Mark Stouse, Alex Pappas, Davis Potter, Vladimir Blagojević, Declan Mulkeen 🎯🎯🎯 and others doing ABM.

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This is my Saturday INTERVIEW series, Feature number 6. Today, I am featuring Stacy Eleczko🔅 📌 If you aren't following and seeing Stacy's content, now is the time to start. 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 Stacy 𝗗𝗢: → Website Copywriting & Brand Messaging Strategy → Helps people build clarity around the messaging they use to market their brands → Writes copy that gives your dream clients the confidence to click → She's a chronic overachiever :) 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡: → Helping people talk about their businesses → In the right way to the right people → To attract their dream clients → And help them understand how their offer → Is the ideal solution to their dream clients' problems → All without using shady or manipulative marketing tactics ✅ Web Copy | Website Content | Email Marketing | Sales Pages | Marketing Communications and Strategies Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers & Father Figures Out There 🙌 Enjoy your weekend!

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Five Actions for Total Performance There are only five things you can really do, so do them all at the same time: 👉 Sell 👉 Resell 👉 Upsell 👉 Cross-sell 👉 Refer 👉 Oh, yes, a sixth one: Take advantage of our professional “no BS” discovery call: https://bit.ly/3x6kUXr and 2 free gifts See the video here: https://bit.ly/4bf407C #performance #totalperformance #advertising #digital #marketing

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Five Actions for Total Performance There are only five things you can really do, so do them all at the same time: 👉 Sell 👉 Resell 👉 Upsell 👉 Cross-sell 👉 Refer 👉 Oh, yes, a sixth one: Take advantage of our professional “no BS” discovery call: https://bit.ly/3x6kUXr and 2 free gifts See the video here: https://bit.ly/4bf407C #performance #totalperformance #advertising #digital #marketing

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Five Actions for Total Performance There are only five things you can really do, so do them all at the same time: 👉 Sell 👉 Resell 👉 Upsell 👉 Cross-sell 👉 Refer 👉 Oh, yes, a sixth one: Take advantage of our professional “no BS” discovery call: https://bit.ly/3x6kUXr and 2 free gifts See the video here: https://bit.ly/4bf407C #performance #totalperformance #advertising #digital #marketing

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