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Showing posts from January 9, 2008

Business To Business Marketing

No one enjoys blind dates. Whether introduced by friends, the Internet or your neighborhood matchmaker, it's nerve-wracking to meet for the first time. Conversely, everyone loves weddings. The flowers, the tradition, the drunken dancing at the reception, you can find something you like. Everything that comes in between is the interesting part. You're learning about each other: what you like to do, the things he doesn't eat, the stuff she does on Saturdays. And you're discovering the things that you do well together. You need to deepen your relationship with prospects over time, interacting in a variety of settings, learning more about each other's needs and capabilities while progressing seamlessly from one interaction to the next. And you need to know when to commit more resources to the relationship as well as when to pull back and give the prospect some space. As in life, B2B marketing can be described in five stages: The introduction The first date Dating The pr