STAFDA Convention-Phoenix

For those of you that are going to Phoenix this weekend for the STAFDA Show, we put together an Insider’s Guide to Phoenix by asking friends and business associates about gems in the city that you might not be aware of. It includes Restaurants, Nightlife, Events and more. It’s available at www.sonnhalter.com/stafda

We hope you have a good show.

Share this:

Podcast: Industry Interview with Georgia Foley-STAFDA Market

I recently had the chance to catch up with Georgia Foley, Executive Director of STAFDA, to get her read on what’s happening in their industry and what STAFDA is doing about it. You can hear the entire interview here.

Highlights include:

  • What the biggest challenges facing members are. Health care lines of credit and overall government policies top the list.
  • Key issues facing the manufacturing sector.
  • Employee Free Choice Act – What it means if it becomes law.
  • What the manufacturer’s role moving forward should be to support distribution.

If you like this podcast, please pass it onto a friend.

Share

Share this:

B-to-B Marketers are Finding LinkedIn a “Go-To” Source for Prospecting

I’ve been saying for some time now that the most overlooked social media tool for the B-to-B market is LinkedIn. It makes sense to join groups on LinkedIn, whether it’s buying groups like A-D or Netplus Alliance, or associations like STAFDA or AHMA. Take advantage and participate in the arenas you sell to and through.

With sales cycles getting longer, social media is a good way to start building those relationships. They are by no means the only way to nurture a prospect, but according to a recent “B-to-B Sales Pulse Survey” from OneSource, LinkedIn usage has increased significantly. Nearly 50% of the respondents said they were using LinkedIn more than a year ago.

Change* in Use of Select Social Networking Sites for  Prospecting/Research According to US B2B Sales Professionals, January  2010 (% of respondents)

Hubspot, in their January 2010 data report, showed that 45% of North American B-to-B companies used LinkedIn for marketing and have acquired customers through the site.

So how are you using LinkedIn to identify new prospects and build relationships?

If you like this post, please pass it on.

Share

Share this: