March, 2024

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Google starts testing AI overviews from SGE in main Google search interface

Search Engine Land

Google is now testing AI overviews in the main Google Search results, even if you have not opted into the Google Search Generative Experience labs feature. Google said this is an experience on a “subset of queries, on a small percentage of search traffic in the U.S.,” a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Land. In May 2023, Google opened up a Search Labs section for searchers to opt in to see and use the Google SGE results, that contained AI overviews.

Launch 145
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What Buyers Need From Sellers

Partners in Excellence

Just as selling has evolved, buying has evolved–but differently. Too often, there is an alignment challenge between what buyers need and what sellers do. We seem to be on diverging paths, and this creates problems for both buyers and sellers. What don’t buyers need from sellers? While it’s always dangerous to make generalizations because there are always exceptions, but with that as a disclaimer, let’s focus on what buyers don’t need from sellers.

Education 139
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Homicide Detective Makes Best Case for Sales Process

Understanding the Sales Force

Although this is an article about sales process, the first two paragraphs have more to do with religion than sales. To fully understand this powerful analogy, you’ll want to read the next three paragraphs and allow me to make my case. It will be worth it! My wife thought I would enjoy a book she found at the airport bookstore and I agreed that it looked compelling.

Process 133
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What Is a Serviceblazer? Here’s What Community Members Told Us

Salesforce

When you’re a Serviceblazer, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage — it’s an absolute necessity. You understand the pivotal role technology plays in shaping the future of customer service. And you love building community with others who know what it’s like to walk in your shoes. If you’re looking for new ways to connect with your peers, the Salesforce Serviceblazer Community is a great place to start.

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How to Optimize Call Monitoring: Automate QA and Elevate Customer Experience

Speaker: Laura Noonan, Chief Revenue Officer at CallFinder + Angie Kronlage, Director of Program Success at Working Solutions + April Wiita, Vice President of Program Success at Working Solutions

Are you still manually reviewing calls? 🤔 It's time for a change! The traditional method of manual call monitoring is no longer cutting it in today's fast-paced call center environment. Industry experts Angie Kronlage and April Wiita from Working Solutions are here to explore the power of innovative automation to revolutionize outdated call review processes!

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Redpoint: Seed May Still Be Strong, But There’s No Bounce Back at Series A. And the AI Premium is 3x.

SaaStr

So Redpoint Ventures published some of the slides they recently presented to their Limited Partners (their own investors) here. There’s a ton of good data there, but this one slide stood out to me, because it was put together in a really clear fashion, better than other data sources I’ve seen. And what it says is that even though Seed stage investing remains arguably as strong as ever … Series A hasn’t bounced back.

Growth 131
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AI in marketing: Examples to help your team today

Martech

Is your marketing team tired of hearing about AI? To some extent, we all are. It’s part of the hype cycle of any new technology. Marketing teams now find themselves surrounded by AI. It’s coming from every direction. Most notably, the introduction of ChatGPT put AI in the hands of just about anyone who wanted to use it. But ChatGPT is far from the only AI game in town.

CRM 126

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It’s Not How, It’s What, Why, Who!*

Partners in Excellence

We have become masters at describing our “how.” That is, we present all the capabilities of our products and solutions, the “how” of achieving a goal or solving the problem. We provide endless content, demos, and discussions focused on the capabilities of our products. But are we addressing the most important issues our customers face?

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Here’s How Google’s Cookie Crisis Is Impacting Advertising and Martech

G2

As the latest Google, IAB TechLabs, and CMA cookie drama invites a MarTech crisis, this comprehensive analysis gauges the impact and informs scenario planning with G2 buyer insights and expert advice.

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The Hottest 3-Letter Acronym in Generative AI Right Now Is Not LLM

Salesforce

In 2023, Canada-based Algo Communications found itself facing a challenge. The company was poised for rapid growth, but it couldn’t train customer service representatives (CSRs) quickly enough to keep up with its expansion. To tackle this challenge, the company turned to a novel solution: generative AI. Algo adopted a large language model (LLM) to help onboard new CSRs faster.

Trust 122
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The Investments Where I’m Going to Lose All My Money

SaaStr

So when I started writing venture checks in 2013, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I had a strong start: First was Pipedrive co-leading seed, then acquired for $1.5B cash Second was Algolia leading U.S. seed, now at $200m+ ARR and an IPO candidate Third was Greenouse/Parklet, acquired for $800m and now at $200m ARR Fourth was Salesloft, acquired for $2.5 Billion cash Fifth was Logikcull, acquired for $300m cash So it was a good start.

Contract 117
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How to Improve Email Deliverability and Optimize Each Send

Learn how to optimize email deliverability and drive greater email ROI. What lands your email in the customer’s inbox? Understanding those factors, otherwise known as email deliverability, is critical to getting the most return on your campaign investments. But the “rules” around which factors land you in the spam folder aren’t always easy to keep up with.

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How to keep your marketing automation campaigns from ruining your week

Martech

Marketing automation is a great tool. It allows companies to set up campaigns that run on their own without further human intervention. This saves time and greatly expands what your marketing team can accomplish with limited resources. Unfortunately, marketing automation can also go wrong somewhat spectacularly. In this article I’ll provide a list of things to check to make sure your automated programs aren’t giving you or your company a big black eye.

Campaign 127
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Google releasing massive search quality enhancements in March 2024 core update and multiple spam updates

Search Engine Land

Google is unleashing multiple measures aimed at improving the quality of its search results beginning today. Google is releasing the March 2024 core update and a number of spam updates (aka March 2024 spam update). Also, Google’s helpful content system has been incorporated into its overall core ranking system. In addition, Google announced several new and updated spam policies that it will begin enforcing through automated algorithms and manual actions.

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“Why I’m So Interested In Selling,” Daniel Schmidt

Partners in Excellence

Preface : I’ve been introduced to Daniel Schmidt by my friend Don Mulhern. While I haven’t met Daniel, it’s fascinating to read his perspective on selling. Like so many other participants, Daniel didn’t set out to be in sales, but found himself selling. There are words Daniel uses in his story which are common to my own experience and what so many other participants in this series say, “solving problems……energizing… passion… imagining possibi

Sell 131
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Empower Your Sales Team with a Strategic Enablement Function

Highspot

ValueSelling Associates’ Julie Thomas and Highspot’s Kelly Lewis break down how to maximize the impact of revenue enablement Love it, hate it – or do everything in your power to work around it – when it comes to the revenue enablement function, everyone’s a critic. How can enablement be the hero in one organization and the constant scapegoat for another?

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Brick & Mortar Retail Relevance: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve

Speaker: Jay Black, Senior Account Executive

Let's set the record straight: in-store retail isn't dead - it's evolving! Faced with the digital age and the demands of omnichannel shopping, some retailers are thriving while others are struggling to adapt. Join Jay Black in this exclusive session as he explores the strategies that set successful stores apart, including: Crafting unique and unforgettable in-store experiences 🛍️ Mastering the art of retail demands 🛒 Navigating inventory challenges in today's climate 📦 an

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AI Trends from 700+ Business Leaders Reveal Global Keys to Success

Salesforce

Nine out of ten leaders know a strong data strategy is critical to AI success – so why are only a third of them integrating a unified data strategy across their company? In January 2024, Salesforce commissioned Forrester Consulting to find answers to these gaps and more in the rapidly developing AI landscape. The research , conducted with 773 business leaders in 14 countries, sheds light on global business decision-makers’ mindsets around AI-powered CRM.

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Dear SaaStr: For High Dollar Vertical SaaS, Does The First VP of Sales Need Domain Expertise?

SaaStr

Dear SaaStr: If you were hiring a head of sales for a high-priced, niche B2B SaaS product, would you focus on general B2B SaaS sales experience or on market/customer knowledge, assuming it will be very difficult to find a candidate with both? This is the scenario when the trade-off is the most acute. Imagine you are selling a $100,000+ product and you yourself as CEO/founders have limited knowledge selling to the customer base.

Niche 115
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Google’s cookie deprecation: An essential marketing playbook for the post-cookie era

Martech

Google’s full deprecation of third-party cookies is right around the corner. Time is running out to get all those well-laid marketing plans off the whiteboards and into action. No matter where your company is at in the post-third-party preparation curve, the truth is that we won’t fully realize the impact on our marketing efforts until Google finally flips the switch and we head into the unknown.

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Google promotes Liz Reid to head of Search

Search Engine Land

Google is making a number of changes to its executive team running Google Search: Liz Reid , who was leading up core search experiences, will now be the Head of Search at Google. Cheenu Venkatachary will be the new lead of Search quality and ranking. With these changes, Pandu Nayak is stepping down as lead of search quality and ranking and will become Chief Scientist of Search.

Promote 140
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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“Why I’m So Interested In Selling,” Don Mulhern

Partners in Excellence

Preface : Don Mulhern is a great friend and colleague. One thing that struck me in Don’s contribution is the joy in “doing the work.” Reflecting on other stories, everyone is excited to “do the work.” Another thing struck me: “And I love what professional selling is not. It isn’t the smarmy, pushy approach using sleazy tricks and gimmicks that unfortunately is how it’s still perceived by many.

Sell 132
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The Growth Power Trio: Aligning Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success for Maximum Impact

Heinz Marketing

By Maria Geokezas , Chief Operating Officer at Heinz Marketing B2B purchases are complex, involving multiple decision-makers, each with specific needs. So if you want real, predictable revenue growth, it’s time to forget the one-off quick-win tactics. The days of extracting short-term value from customers are over, and those outdated growth hacking strategies of yesterday won’t cut it today.

Growth 113
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Your LLM Gets Its Data From Where??

Salesforce

Do you trust generative AI to help you with tasks at work? While AI-powered tools are great at projecting confidence and certainty in their responses, chances are you know little about the origin of the AI’s data. Did it come from a trusted source, like a peer-reviewed journal in your industry, or a dubious one, like a smart-sounding comment scraped from social media?

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The 6 Most Common Mistakes Founders Make When They Are Just Starting to Scale Revenue

SaaStr

Dear SaaStr: What are The Most Common Mistakes Founders Make When They Are Just Starting to Scale Revenue? Let me list some of the ones I see most often going from say $1m to $10m in ARR: Chasing the Shiny Penny. One of the biggest mistakes I see after $1m in trying to enter new market segments, new verticals, where you have zero traction. It’s one thing to invest in an area where only 5% of your business is today.

Start-ups 112
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1st, 2nd, and 3rd Party Intent Data: Which Is Right for You?

How do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party intent data compare? 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data each have specific advantages and disadvantages. It comes down to four factors: accuracy, cost, control and quantity. This infographic explains the pros and cons of each and helps you understand which one is best for meeting your business objectives. Intent data can be a great way to fill your pipeline and close more deals.

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How to make sure your data is AI-ready

Martech

Leading CRM platforms like Salesforce, Dynamics, Zoho and HubSpot are introducing new AI features for autonomous chats, automatic campaign launches, product suggestions and sentiment analysis. That’s great and exciting. But there’s one thing in the way: our data. Ultimately, all the technology in the world isn’t worth the investment if the data it relies on is poor.

Territory 123
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Google updates its page experience docs to clarify ranking signals

Search Engine Land

Google updated its page experience help documentation to clarify how Core Web Vitals metrics are used as a ranking signal. Google also clarified that other page experience signals are not directly used for ranking purposes in Google Search. What Google wrote. The updated documentation is in the ranking section of the document and it now reads: Core Web Vitals are used by our ranking systems.

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“Why I’m So Interested In Selling,” Chloe Wold

Partners in Excellence

Preface: I’m departing from my normal process of introducing a new story about selling. Every once in a while you see something so special, moving, and important, you have to change things. Chloe’s story is just that. I’ve told the story of a variety of others. Some with very distinguished leadership and selling careers. People who have managed 1000s and led multi-billion efforts.

Sell 132
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The Intersection of AI and Corporate Training: Personalized Learning Journeys

G2

While the way we learn has come a long way from dusty textbooks and stuffy classrooms, the corporate training journey still struggles to cater to the diverse needs of a modern workforce.

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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How To Get Started With Email Segmentation

Salesforce

Personalize, personalize, personalize. We all know it’s the key to great email marketing , but it’s one thing to know it and another to do it. That’s where email segmentation comes in. By grouping your email list properly, you set yourself up for targeting the right people with the right content. But what exactly is segmentation in practice, and how do you make sure you’re doing it correctly?

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What Are The Odds You Get Acquired Within 5 Years for a Good Price? Around 1%-1.5%

SaaStr

So Carta put out some recent data I found very useful on how many startups raise another round, and how many sort of quietly wind down, in the first 5 years or so after being founded (from 2018 to early 2024): Almost none IPO’d in the first 5 years, but that just makes sense. It takes at least 8-10 years, on average, to IPO these days. And half the Seed stage startups had shut down by Year 5.

Price 112
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How to assess your organization’s AI readiness with the 5P framework

Martech

As organizations grapple with the complexities of AI adoption, a strategic framework becomes essential for assessing readiness and ensuring successful implementation. Before introducing even more tech into your stack, you must know what you’re working with. How confident are you with your team’s readiness for change? Can you also sustain those changes?

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Google issues search ranking penalties through manual actions

Search Engine Land

The day after Google released its new search spam policies , including the March 2024 spam and core updates, Google began penalizing websites that the search company felt violated those spam policies. The result of these search penalties was that some sites were completely or partially de-listed from Google’s search results, and all or part of their search traffic was wiped out.

Technique 138
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How to Leverage Intent Data for Better Outcomes

Speaker: Susan Spencer, Principal of Spencer Communications

Intent signal data can go a long way toward shortening sales cycles and closing more deals. The challenge is deciding which is the best type of intent data to help your company meet its sales and marketing goals. In this webinar, Susan Spencer, fractional CMO and principal of Spencer Communications, will unpack the differences between contact-level and company-level intent signals.