Bob Apollo
Bob Apollo
Bob Apollo is the CEO of UK-based Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the B2B sales performance improvement specialists. Following a varied corporate career, Bob now works with a rapidly expanding client base of B2B-focused growth-phase technology companies, helping them to implement systematic sales processes that drive predictable revenue growth.
McKinsey and the end of the Road Warrior…
As we emerge from the downturn, it’s clear that we’re going to have to find new and better ways of reaching and satisfying our...
You can’t offer a complete solution until you understand the whole problem…
Many B2B-focused organisations to prefer to talk in terms of delivering “solutions” rather than selling products. CEOs speak about becoming solution-driven rather than product...
McKinsey Measures the Value of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Your customers, and your prospects, have opinions - and they are fascinated by the opinions of their peer groups and others they have come...
Gartner says high-tech marketing spending is rising again – but the pattern is changing
According to the latest research from Gartner, marketing spend amongst high-tech and technology providers is on the rise again in 2010 – after a...
Most of your marketing efforts are probably wasted too…
Are you involved in selling high-value, complex products or services to a business audience? I recently suggested that most of your sales efforts are...
B2B sales: It’s the economics, stupid…
In Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential election campaign, a sign famously hung in his Little Rock campaign headquarters with the following simple message: "it's...
B2B sales: In the void between pain and ambition
Is your offering a discretionary purchase for your customer? Do you often find yourself having to create needs? Does your true competition include not...
B2B Sales: Eliminating the barriers to the buying decision journey…
The past year has provided abundant evidence that driving sales people to "sell harder" and hoping that this will boost revenues is an out-of-date...
B2B Sales: Elevating your prospect’s need for your solution…
In today's business climate, useful or important needs might help to get a vendor considered or evaluated, but only urgent needs will get them...
Evangelising your vision of a better future…
Thought leading companies are able to evangelise a better future for the markets and prospects they address, and to articulate a clear and compelling...
Re-Architecting the B2B Sales and Marketing Process for a New Decade
According to CSO Insights’ recently published annual sales performance optimisation study, the number of sales people making quota and the percentage of sales organisations achieving...
Is your Solution a New Concept, a New Paradigm or an Established Category?
Last week I took part - together with 30+ senior sales and marketing executives from the technology sector - in an excellent discussion hosted...
Reversing the Decline: How are we going to boost sales performance in 2010?
CSO Insights recently released their annual Sales Performance Optimisation study – and the results make for sobering reading. Their global survey of more than 2,800...
The Jungle, the Dirt Road, and the Highway…
An experienced VC once described the stages that he saw B2B companies going through as the jungle, the dirt road, and the highway. During the...
Gartner: Enterprise CRM no longer a priority for CIOs
Gartner have just revealed the results of their annual survey of CIO priorities. It makes fascinating reading when compared to last year’s report. IT...
Are you REALLY Customer-Aligned?
What was your 2010 New Year Business resolution? The one I've been hearing most often from Chief Executives and Sales and Marketing leaders is...
The Keys to Sustainable Sales and Marketing
All the publicity surrounding the Copenhagen Climate Conference has reinforced the world-wide need for sustainable development. It seems clear that this can’t be left...
5 Key Strategies for 2010…
The past year has proved challenging for some sales and marketing organisations, but others have seized the opportunity to rethink their plans, out-execute their competitors…
5 Key Strategies for 2010 from McKinsey, Stanford, and more…
The past year has proved challenging for some sales and marketing organisations, but others have seized the opportunity to rethink their plans, out-execute their...
Stanford research shows that sales grow when quotas are eliminated
Recent research from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business suggests that companies that eliminate bonuses for achieving sales quotas generate more revenues. According...