10 Steps For Generating More Leads & Sales For Your Business

As an entrepreneur, it may seem as if there is always something more that needs to be done. But in the area of sales, there is a way to know when you have done enough for the day, talked to enough new people, made enough presentations, and close enough sales in order to meet your goals.

Spotlight

Trumpet Advertising

Believable Brands don’t just say, they do. They don’t just promise, they produce. They don’t just list their values, they live them. Believable Brands are the output of organizations that know why they exist—they’re about purpose as much as product. They leverage marketing communications as an extension of that purpose to legitimately gain preference with today’s consumers—who crave meaningful connections in order to validate their choices in a sea of seemingly exchangeable brands.

OTHER ARTICLES
Martech

Kentucky Teen Once Subject of Viral Video Warns Republicans of 'Outrage Mob'

Article | September 22, 2022

A Kentucky teen who became the subject of a viral video after an incident during a class field trip to Washington, D.C., warned viewers of the Republican National Convention Tuesday of an "outrage mob" that threatens to silence conservative viewpoints. After Nick Sandmann attended the March for Life anti-abortion rally with his former classmates from Covington Catholic High School in January 2019, a cellphone video of a close, face-to-face interaction between the students and a Native American demonstrator spread quickly online.

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Channel Partnerships

How Community Coalitions Are Bridging the Digital Divide

Article | August 8, 2022

Across the country, local networks known as Education Innovation Clusters (EdClusters) are bringing together partners and resources to meet urgent needs and envision a new future for teaching and learning. Many of these efforts are rooted in long-standing partnerships across sectors and institutions. As COVID-19 disrupted the lives of students, educators, and families earlier this year, EdClusters sprang into action, leveraging their capacity and reach in ways their networks were uniquely ready to do. Their collective efforts are meeting a range of needs—from internet access to devices to social-emotional supports. As schools prepare for uncertain and complex reopenings, we turn to Kansas City and Rhode Island for powerful examples of community in action.

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Content Marketing, Martech, Channel Partnerships

How Educators Kept Students on Track During Remote Learning

Article | July 6, 2023

This spring, COVID-19 led administrators across the country to close school buildings and support students learning from home. We asked three educators about how they handled this disruption and found creative solutions to keep students motivated and engaged using the online literacy program, Reading Plus. We looked at what we had at our disposal that would help with reading, the overall environment, and engagement. In the past, we used Reading Plus as an intervention. We considered how we could utilize it with more students during distance learning.

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THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SEO 2020

Article | February 10, 2020

We all are surrounded by Artificial Intelligence. From Siri to Alexa to Google Home, it’s influencing the age we live in and giving higher prospects to execute every task smartly. Most of us nowadays rely on voice search for help even in the simplest tasks. So, how Artificial Intelligence is competent in SEO? How can it manipulate Search Engine Rankings? Have you ever come across the use of Artificial Intelligence in SEO?

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Spotlight

Trumpet Advertising

Believable Brands don’t just say, they do. They don’t just promise, they produce. They don’t just list their values, they live them. Believable Brands are the output of organizations that know why they exist—they’re about purpose as much as product. They leverage marketing communications as an extension of that purpose to legitimately gain preference with today’s consumers—who crave meaningful connections in order to validate their choices in a sea of seemingly exchangeable brands.

Related News

Channel Partnerships

Doug Balut Assumes Senior VP Role in Global Alliances at Meltwater

Meltwater | November 06, 2023

Doug Balut has consecutively received the CRN Channel Chiefs Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He led global teams and forged partnerships with organizations such as SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, and Intel, among others. At Meltwater, Doug Balut will be crucial in growing the company and enhancing client satisfaction through partner programs and strategic relationships. Meltwater, which empowers companies with solutions spanning media, social, consumer, and sales intelligence, has announced the appointment of Doug Balut as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships. In this new position, Doug Balut will be cultivating a dynamic partner network, establishing a resilient channel sales structure, and formulating go-to-market strategies. These initiatives are all geared toward advancing the company's expansion, enhancing customer value, and reinforcing its standing as a comprehensive set of enterprise-grade solutions. Doug Balut possesses over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, with a strong background in building and leading strategic alliances, channel sales, and business development within the SaaS sector. Before this, he worked as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances at Sprinklr. During his tenure at Sprinklr, he was pivotal in establishing a partner organization and successfully implementing a growth-oriented methodology, culminating in Sprinklr's IPO in 2021. Before his time at Sprinklr, he held various leadership positions in sales, both in direct sales and indirect partner sales, at Cisco. He directed teams on a global scale and established collaborations with entities like SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, and Intel, among others. John Box, CEO of Meltwater, remarked I am thrilled to welcome Doug Balut to the Meltwater team as our new SVP of Alliances and Partnerships. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, expanding market reach, and creating value for customers and partners. [Source – Meltwater] John Box emphasized that Doug Balut will be pivotal in fortifying the company's partner ecosystem and expediting its worldwide expansion. He added that the company anticipates a fruitful collaboration with Doug Balut to provide clients with excellent media, social, and consumer intelligence solutions. Doug Balut expressed his enthusiasm upon joining Meltwater, expressing his profound excitement about the opportunity to establish a novel partner ecosystem in support of Meltwater's growth and enterprise transformation initiatives. He emphasized that the current moment is opportune for directing attention toward expanding large accounts on a global scale, marking the next phase in Meltwater's dynamic history. He acknowledged that partnerships serve as a driving force for this expansion and affirmed his readiness to construct an organizational framework and a network of influential partners to facilitate the attainment of these objectives.

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Channel Partnerships

Living Security Announces Key Executive Hire and New Channel Partner Program

Business Wire | October 20, 2023

Living Security, Inc. ("Living Security"), the global leader in Human Risk Management (HRM), announced today the launch of its channel partner program and the appointment of Peter Streips as Vice President of Channel Sales. The company's new global channel program will open additional revenue streams, empower partners to expand their business horizons, and recognize and reward the efforts of both internal and external partners. As a 100% channel-first organization, we know the power of partnerships and recognize our valued partners' critical role in driving customer success, said Ashley Rose, CEO of Living Security. Launching this new program is part of our strategic growth plans, including the appointment of Peter as our VP of Channel Sales. His success and deep understanding of cybersecurity make him a significant addition to our team and the company's growth. He has a proven track record in building partnerships and optimizing channel performance and is the ideal leader for our new channel business. Bringing a wealth of experience and industry knowledge, Streips, a technology leader renowned for successfully launching, developing, and executing global channel and alliance strategies for cybersecurity and cloud computing industries, will guide the company's channel sales strategy, fostering relationships and securing strategic collaborations. As an additional initiative, the channel program is growing Streips' team with dedicated channel specialists to bolster partner pipeline-building endeavors, emphasizing the company's commitment to enhancing partner benefits. Key features include: Competitive Margins:Offering up to 30% margin for partner-sourced deals new to Living Security Lead Flow:Assured lead flow to proactive partners, ensuring they can deliver robust sales, onboarding, and continuous support to clients MDFs & SPIFs:Market Development Funds to increase market awareness and lucrative Sales Performance Incentive Fund (SPIF) for sales and technical teams who source net new business Quarterly Incentives:Top performing partners will enjoy receiving Quarterly rebates allowing the partner to reinvest in future marketing campaigns Channel Specialist:Access to a dedicated Living Security Channels Specialist to help build pipelines and acquire new customers "I'm excited to join Living Security at this critical juncture. With our industry-leading discounts, lucrative sales incentive program, dedicated BDR support, and quarterly rebates, we aim to enable our partners to reach new heights," said Peter Streips, Vice President of Channel Sales at Living Security. "Living Security's partner program aims to supercharge partner business growth, designed with partner profitability at its core. Our commitment to innovation doesn't stop there as the program provides our partners with unique opportunities to showcase the transformative potential of our enterprise-grade human risk management platform and security awareness training products." With an impressive background, Streips has already made notable strides by forming strategic partnerships that promise to amplify the company's reach and impact as it launches its Living Security Partner Program. The program welcomes various partners globally across all industries, from resellers to full-service MSP/MSSPs. Living Security's go-to-market channel partners include Defy Security, GuidePoint Security, Optiv, and is in the final negotiation stages of incorporating distribution into the program. "Organizations today need to do more than create infrastructure security. The human factors that impact cyber hygiene must be addressed in order to cultivate and reinforce a vigilant security culture,” said Justin Iwaniszyn, Director of New and Emerging Partners at GuidePoint Security. "Living Security’s new partner program will further foster a strong relationship for the channel community and provide a solution for a safer and more secure digital landscape for clients." Organizations spend billions of dollars on cybersecurity technology, yet 74% of security breaches result from human actions. Living Security, recognized by esteemed analysts such as Forrester and Gartner, prides itself on being at the forefront of the HRM platform. This novel toolset grants CISOs unparalleled real-time visibility into security discrepancies, facilitating proactive, informed decisions to protect organizations against potential threats. For more detailed information on the Living Security Partner Program and its tiered benefits, visit https://www.livingsecurity.com/partner. About Living Security Living Security, the global leader in human risk management, transforms human risk into proactive defense by quantifying human risk to engage humans with relevant content and communications to change human behavior truly. Living Security solves the challenges of human risk through risk identification, awareness and training, and risk reduction, all through an integrated platform. Living Security is trusted by security-minded organizations, including Mastercard, Verizon, Biogen, AmerisourceBergen, and Hewlett-Packard. Learn more at www.livingsecurity.com.

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Martech, Channel Partnerships

Scale Computing's Jeff Ready, Scott Mann Recognized on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives List

PR Newswire | August 01, 2023

Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, and Scott Mann, global channel chief, to its exclusive 2023 Top 100 Executives list. CRN's Top 100 Executives list acknowledges the tech visionaries who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry. The list honors executives impacting the IT channel across four subcategories: the 25 Most Influential Executives, Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders, Top 25 Innovators, and Top 25 Disruptors. Ready was named to the Top 25 Innovators subcategory, while Mann was named to the Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders subcategory. Despite the past year's challenging global economic environment, Ready led Scale Computing to increased sales and profitability, driven by its edge computing software platform, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and channel partnerships, and the launch of SC//Fleet Manager with Zero-Touch Provisioning and Secure Link, the first cloud-hosted monitoring and management tool built for hyperconverged edge computing infrastructure at scale. Over the past year, Mann led the global channel team and continuously worked to improve the Scale Computing MSP program, while increasing revenue and average selling price (ASP) per partner. "Innovation infiltrates everything we do at Scale Computing, from our highly reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage solutions to our partner and customer relationships. We constantly seek to leverage that innovation to solve customer problems," said Ready. "Scale Computing continues to be a leader in the emerging edge computing space and we're very proud of the innovations we've made in the technology, products, and partnerships that help us work with enterprises of all sizes, all around the world, today." The annual Top 100 Executives list honors the passionate and hard-working technology executives who are supporting, growing, and redefining the IT channel. The executives named to the list have demonstrated their commitment to the channel and proved themselves as exemplary leaders through their innovative channel-focused strategies and initiatives. "We've had tremendous success in the Scale Computing Partner Community over the past year with SC//Fleet Manager and it's exciting to see how our end customers find more value and success with both our technology and their valued advisors in the channel partner community. I'm thrilled to be named on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives list and look forward to continuing to lead and grow Scale Computing's channel efforts worldwide," said Mann. "It is the bold and decisive who continue to dominate our annual list in the technology world," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Those featured on our CRN 2023 Top 100 Executives list demonstrate perpetual commitment to business growth, partner success, and IT innovation and aren't afraid to push boundaries – even in a time of economic uncertainty." The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2023 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/Top100. For more information on Scale Computing's Partner Community, please visit https://www.scalecomputing.com/partners. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, Scale Computing Platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime, even when local IT resources and staff are scarce. Edge Computing is the fastest-growing area of IT infrastructure, and industry analysts have named Scale Computing an outperformer and leader in the space, including being named the #1 edge computing vendor by CRN. Scale Computing's products are sold by thousands of value-added resellers, integrators, and service providers worldwide. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing Platform is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate, G2, and TrustRadius.

Read More

Channel Partnerships

Doug Balut Assumes Senior VP Role in Global Alliances at Meltwater

Meltwater | November 06, 2023

Doug Balut has consecutively received the CRN Channel Chiefs Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023. He led global teams and forged partnerships with organizations such as SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, and Intel, among others. At Meltwater, Doug Balut will be crucial in growing the company and enhancing client satisfaction through partner programs and strategic relationships. Meltwater, which empowers companies with solutions spanning media, social, consumer, and sales intelligence, has announced the appointment of Doug Balut as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships. In this new position, Doug Balut will be cultivating a dynamic partner network, establishing a resilient channel sales structure, and formulating go-to-market strategies. These initiatives are all geared toward advancing the company's expansion, enhancing customer value, and reinforcing its standing as a comprehensive set of enterprise-grade solutions. Doug Balut possesses over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, with a strong background in building and leading strategic alliances, channel sales, and business development within the SaaS sector. Before this, he worked as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances at Sprinklr. During his tenure at Sprinklr, he was pivotal in establishing a partner organization and successfully implementing a growth-oriented methodology, culminating in Sprinklr's IPO in 2021. Before his time at Sprinklr, he held various leadership positions in sales, both in direct sales and indirect partner sales, at Cisco. He directed teams on a global scale and established collaborations with entities like SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, and Intel, among others. John Box, CEO of Meltwater, remarked I am thrilled to welcome Doug Balut to the Meltwater team as our new SVP of Alliances and Partnerships. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, expanding market reach, and creating value for customers and partners. [Source – Meltwater] John Box emphasized that Doug Balut will be pivotal in fortifying the company's partner ecosystem and expediting its worldwide expansion. He added that the company anticipates a fruitful collaboration with Doug Balut to provide clients with excellent media, social, and consumer intelligence solutions. Doug Balut expressed his enthusiasm upon joining Meltwater, expressing his profound excitement about the opportunity to establish a novel partner ecosystem in support of Meltwater's growth and enterprise transformation initiatives. He emphasized that the current moment is opportune for directing attention toward expanding large accounts on a global scale, marking the next phase in Meltwater's dynamic history. He acknowledged that partnerships serve as a driving force for this expansion and affirmed his readiness to construct an organizational framework and a network of influential partners to facilitate the attainment of these objectives.

Read More

Channel Partnerships

Living Security Announces Key Executive Hire and New Channel Partner Program

Business Wire | October 20, 2023

Living Security, Inc. ("Living Security"), the global leader in Human Risk Management (HRM), announced today the launch of its channel partner program and the appointment of Peter Streips as Vice President of Channel Sales. The company's new global channel program will open additional revenue streams, empower partners to expand their business horizons, and recognize and reward the efforts of both internal and external partners. As a 100% channel-first organization, we know the power of partnerships and recognize our valued partners' critical role in driving customer success, said Ashley Rose, CEO of Living Security. Launching this new program is part of our strategic growth plans, including the appointment of Peter as our VP of Channel Sales. His success and deep understanding of cybersecurity make him a significant addition to our team and the company's growth. He has a proven track record in building partnerships and optimizing channel performance and is the ideal leader for our new channel business. Bringing a wealth of experience and industry knowledge, Streips, a technology leader renowned for successfully launching, developing, and executing global channel and alliance strategies for cybersecurity and cloud computing industries, will guide the company's channel sales strategy, fostering relationships and securing strategic collaborations. As an additional initiative, the channel program is growing Streips' team with dedicated channel specialists to bolster partner pipeline-building endeavors, emphasizing the company's commitment to enhancing partner benefits. Key features include: Competitive Margins:Offering up to 30% margin for partner-sourced deals new to Living Security Lead Flow:Assured lead flow to proactive partners, ensuring they can deliver robust sales, onboarding, and continuous support to clients MDFs & SPIFs:Market Development Funds to increase market awareness and lucrative Sales Performance Incentive Fund (SPIF) for sales and technical teams who source net new business Quarterly Incentives:Top performing partners will enjoy receiving Quarterly rebates allowing the partner to reinvest in future marketing campaigns Channel Specialist:Access to a dedicated Living Security Channels Specialist to help build pipelines and acquire new customers "I'm excited to join Living Security at this critical juncture. With our industry-leading discounts, lucrative sales incentive program, dedicated BDR support, and quarterly rebates, we aim to enable our partners to reach new heights," said Peter Streips, Vice President of Channel Sales at Living Security. "Living Security's partner program aims to supercharge partner business growth, designed with partner profitability at its core. Our commitment to innovation doesn't stop there as the program provides our partners with unique opportunities to showcase the transformative potential of our enterprise-grade human risk management platform and security awareness training products." With an impressive background, Streips has already made notable strides by forming strategic partnerships that promise to amplify the company's reach and impact as it launches its Living Security Partner Program. The program welcomes various partners globally across all industries, from resellers to full-service MSP/MSSPs. Living Security's go-to-market channel partners include Defy Security, GuidePoint Security, Optiv, and is in the final negotiation stages of incorporating distribution into the program. "Organizations today need to do more than create infrastructure security. The human factors that impact cyber hygiene must be addressed in order to cultivate and reinforce a vigilant security culture,” said Justin Iwaniszyn, Director of New and Emerging Partners at GuidePoint Security. "Living Security’s new partner program will further foster a strong relationship for the channel community and provide a solution for a safer and more secure digital landscape for clients." Organizations spend billions of dollars on cybersecurity technology, yet 74% of security breaches result from human actions. Living Security, recognized by esteemed analysts such as Forrester and Gartner, prides itself on being at the forefront of the HRM platform. This novel toolset grants CISOs unparalleled real-time visibility into security discrepancies, facilitating proactive, informed decisions to protect organizations against potential threats. For more detailed information on the Living Security Partner Program and its tiered benefits, visit https://www.livingsecurity.com/partner. About Living Security Living Security, the global leader in human risk management, transforms human risk into proactive defense by quantifying human risk to engage humans with relevant content and communications to change human behavior truly. Living Security solves the challenges of human risk through risk identification, awareness and training, and risk reduction, all through an integrated platform. Living Security is trusted by security-minded organizations, including Mastercard, Verizon, Biogen, AmerisourceBergen, and Hewlett-Packard. Learn more at www.livingsecurity.com.

Read More

Martech, Channel Partnerships

Scale Computing's Jeff Ready, Scott Mann Recognized on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives List

PR Newswire | August 01, 2023

Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, and Scott Mann, global channel chief, to its exclusive 2023 Top 100 Executives list. CRN's Top 100 Executives list acknowledges the tech visionaries who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry. The list honors executives impacting the IT channel across four subcategories: the 25 Most Influential Executives, Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders, Top 25 Innovators, and Top 25 Disruptors. Ready was named to the Top 25 Innovators subcategory, while Mann was named to the Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders subcategory. Despite the past year's challenging global economic environment, Ready led Scale Computing to increased sales and profitability, driven by its edge computing software platform, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and channel partnerships, and the launch of SC//Fleet Manager with Zero-Touch Provisioning and Secure Link, the first cloud-hosted monitoring and management tool built for hyperconverged edge computing infrastructure at scale. Over the past year, Mann led the global channel team and continuously worked to improve the Scale Computing MSP program, while increasing revenue and average selling price (ASP) per partner. "Innovation infiltrates everything we do at Scale Computing, from our highly reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage solutions to our partner and customer relationships. We constantly seek to leverage that innovation to solve customer problems," said Ready. "Scale Computing continues to be a leader in the emerging edge computing space and we're very proud of the innovations we've made in the technology, products, and partnerships that help us work with enterprises of all sizes, all around the world, today." The annual Top 100 Executives list honors the passionate and hard-working technology executives who are supporting, growing, and redefining the IT channel. The executives named to the list have demonstrated their commitment to the channel and proved themselves as exemplary leaders through their innovative channel-focused strategies and initiatives. "We've had tremendous success in the Scale Computing Partner Community over the past year with SC//Fleet Manager and it's exciting to see how our end customers find more value and success with both our technology and their valued advisors in the channel partner community. I'm thrilled to be named on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives list and look forward to continuing to lead and grow Scale Computing's channel efforts worldwide," said Mann. "It is the bold and decisive who continue to dominate our annual list in the technology world," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Those featured on our CRN 2023 Top 100 Executives list demonstrate perpetual commitment to business growth, partner success, and IT innovation and aren't afraid to push boundaries – even in a time of economic uncertainty." The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2023 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/Top100. For more information on Scale Computing's Partner Community, please visit https://www.scalecomputing.com/partners. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, Scale Computing Platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime, even when local IT resources and staff are scarce. Edge Computing is the fastest-growing area of IT infrastructure, and industry analysts have named Scale Computing an outperformer and leader in the space, including being named the #1 edge computing vendor by CRN. Scale Computing's products are sold by thousands of value-added resellers, integrators, and service providers worldwide. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing Platform is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate, G2, and TrustRadius.

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Events