For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Gen Y Won't Change Workplace Collaboration; Better Integrated Tools Will

Demystifying The Myth Of A Gen-Y-Led Workplace Revolution

by TJ Keitt, October 28, 2009

Gen Yers in the US workforce, those between the ages of 18 and 29, are a confounding phenomenon. Some employers see their self-assured, authority-wary ways as a detriment to business while others see their tech-savvy as a harbinger of a new collaborative . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

A Systematic Approach To Strategic Account Programs Improves Tech Sales Performance

Account Value Mapping Expands Wallet Share In Key Accounts

by Scott Santucci, October 19, 2009

In response to the continued tough economic climate and feedback from customers, vendors with large portfolios are placing bigger bets on their strategic account programs and shifting their focus from gaining market share of key products to expanding . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Targeting Small Business Tech Buyers: The Power Of Owner Personalities

Factoring For Small Business Market Heterogeneity

by Tim Harmon, October 15, 2009

The siren call of the small business (SB) market's sheer size, along with its propensity to lead technology investment in an economic recovery and its increasingly advanced technology adoption patterns, is a compelling target. But the small business market . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Turning Your B2B Web Site Into A Community Hub

Social Media Marketing That Is Persistent, Consistent, And Scalable

by G. Oliver Young, Peter Burris, September 30, 2009

Social media is becoming a major focus in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. However, many marketers are allowing their community marketing approaches to emerge out of piecemeal technology purchases and community participation. To embrace a customer . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

North American Insurance IT Spending In 2009

Despite Gloom, Most North American Insurer Budgets Remain Stable

by Ellen Carney, September 22, 2009

The North American insurance industry is still plowing forward in an economy that fell completely off the rails during the third quarter of 2008. This year, insurers are tackling the impacts of a long global recession, hefty declines in rates and written . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Lead Management Automation Market Overview

Multiple Vendor Choices And Confusing Claims Slow Adoption

by Laura Ramos, September 22, 2009

Lead management automation (LMA) requires a degree of process maturity many business-to-business (B2B) firms don't possess, resulting in underachievement by vendors and users alike. Yet, the benefits of adopting LMA are clear: B2B marketers that successfully . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

IT Services: Banking And Insurance Services Budget Data  (542 KB PPT)

by Ellen Carney, August 6, 2009

A data chart on IT services banking and insurance budget data.

For B2B Market Research Professionals

IT Services: Banking And Insurance Service Provider Selection And Satisfaction Data  (546 KB PPT)

by Ellen Carney, August 6, 2009

Data chart on IT services banking and insurance service provider selection and satisfaction data.

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Inquiry Insights: Web 2.0 And Social Media Technologies, Q1 2009

Insights For B2B Marketers

by G. Oliver Young, July 31, 2009

To help technology product managers and marketers better understand shifts in the Web 2.0 and social media landscape, Forrester recently reviewed 4,145 client inquiries on these topics dating back to 2002. Client interest has exploded in the past seven . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Optimize Performance By Driving Enterprise Sales Outcomes

Moving From Deliverables To An End-To-End Sales Support Orientation

by Scott Santucci, July 17, 2009

Driving down the cost of sales, while simultaneously boosting productivity, continues to be a top business priority and an objective that requires a new way to support and evaluate the sales system. Executive management lacks the visibility into the cause-and-effect . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Pick The Right Sales Strategy To Sell To Insurers

ACORD/LOMA Tech Exhibitors Exemplify Three Go-To-Market Approaches

by Ellen Carney, Scott Santucci, July 15, 2009

When sales teams can tie their offerings to customers' business outcomes, deals move forward. Go-to-market planners target vertical industries like financial services to articulate that value connection within a group of like-minded buyers and boost sales. . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Managed Service Market Continues To Percolate

Economic Worries Drive Consideration, While Business Value Drives Satisfaction

by Henry Dewing, July 14, 2009

Managed services vendors promise mitigation of economic and technology risk to business customers, and some IT professionals are buying those services. The market for many new and traditional managed services has weathered the recent economic environment . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Target The Right Role In IT For Different Software Conversations  (426 KB PPT)

by Emily Van Metre, Ellen Carney, July 10, 2009

CIOs, executives in IT, and managers of IT are responsible for different types of initiatives and have different priorities. To have the most effective sales conversation, tailor your conversation to the priorities of the role you are speaking with.

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Forrester's Value-Equation Sales Messaging Framework

Enabling Sales Teams To Tailor The Right Messages To A Given Account

by Scott Santucci, June 16, 2009

As technology vendors broaden their product portfolios and ask their account teams to sell across all levels within their client roster, traditional approaches to hard-coded value propositions are becoming antiquated. Sales enablement professionals should . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into Insurance IT Decision-Makers

by Ellen Carney, Emily Van Metre, June 2, 2009

Insurance professionals seem unlikely candidates for social media use. They trust familiar information sources, value personal relationships, and are generally risk-averse. However, this group's interest in social media is not only on par with their peers . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Effective Customer Reference Management Anchors B2B Community Marketing Efforts

by Laura Ramos, May 27, 2009

Customer references validate product claims and streamline the sales process, both vital activities in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Yet, even as program budgets grow and reference pools swell, customer reference management risks sliding to second-class . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Hardware Tech Marketers Bank On The Small Financial Services Market

by Ellen Carney, May 6, 2009

Not too long ago, IT hardware vendors banked on the business they got from financial services industry giants like Morgan Stanley, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and AIG. When the Wall Street bubble burst, hardware tech vendors like Cisco Systems, Dell, . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Sales Enablement, Q1 2009

Tech Sales And Marketing Execs Look For New Strategies In Tough Economic Times

by Scott Santucci, May 4, 2009

As the economic downturn persists, Forrester is seeing a lot of introspective activity among executive teams and within sales and marketing organizations about the current go-to-market approaches and various execution tactics. Discrete issues like introducing . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Vive La Difference In B2B Buyer Behavior

by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., April 24, 2009

Social media is a global phenomenon creating profound change in B2B buyer behavior and the nature of the relationship between technology buyers and vendors. While social media is evolving into a valuable marketing tool, local adoption of social technologies . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Marketers' 2009 Budget Trends

Dollars Shift To Digital Tactics As The Recession Provokes Deep Cuts

by Laura Ramos, April 24, 2009

What a difference a year makes. Compared with our year-end 2007 study, the outlook for business-to-business (B2B) marketing budgets is, not surprisingly, dire. Facing budget reductions of 23% on average, most marketers try to fend off deeper cuts while . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Gaining Executive-Level Access

Marketing Strategies To Help Salespeople Secure Higher-Level Meetings

by Scott Santucci, April 16, 2009

As technology industry vendors pursue go-to-market strategies intended for more executive-level ears, helping sales forces gain higher levels of access inside targeted accounts is becoming increasingly important. This task isn't as simple as replacing . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Uncovering The Hidden Costs Of Sales Support

Strategic Sales Enablement Is The Path Through Trying Economic Times

by Scott Santucci, April 13, 2009

Technology vendors are spending, on average, 19% of their selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs or $135,262 per quota-carrying salesperson in support-related activities. Few are aware of this enormous amount because the costs are hidden . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into Software Decision-Makers

by G. Oliver Young, Laura Ramos, March 31, 2009

Buying business software is a highly considered, collaborative process, one ideally suited for community interactions. Recently, Forrester surveyed software decision-makers to see how digital and Web 2.0 media affect their buying process. Overall, respondents . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Enterprise Web 2.0 Marketing Vendors Will See Price Growth Stagnate Over The Coming Years

by G. Oliver Young, February 24, 2009

The market for Web 2.0 and social media marketing tools has been growing at a rapid clip over the past few years. As the technologies broadened and the deployments deepened, prices rose substantially. However, that average deal growth will diminish in . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Social Technographics® Of Business Buyers

How Technology Buyers Engage With Social Media

by Laura Ramos, G. Oliver Young, February 20, 2009

Social media give a voice to buyers who can now describe their experience and disappointment to a global audience. And, wow, are they saying a lot. Forrester surveyed more than 1,200 business technology buyers and found that they exceed all previous benchmarks . . .