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Why it is a good idea to use a travel agent for your next vacation.
By: Own The Trip
Tags: Travel, Vacation, Trip, Travel Agency

Why it is a good idea to use a travel agent for your next vacation. Own The Trip Apr 13·3 min read

In today’s customized travel landscape, using a travel agent to book an international trip is better than doing it yourself. I can think of many reasons why I would use one, but here are the top 5 in my opinion.

1. Best deals

Yes, you heard that right! travel agents have some good connections with hotels, airlines, guides, and tour services, and they can actually help you get many benefits and perks such as a room or trip upgrades, discounts, etc. They can also go as far as helping you save on your trip by getting you travel and accommodation discounts.



2. Safety

Wow! this is an important one. Imagine visiting a country on the other side of the world where you don’t speak the language. We have heard enough travel horror stories to understand that safety is a priority when it comes to travel; even more so when you are traveling with your family. Travel agents have the experience and are knowledgeable about the destination you plan on visiting. They know what to avoid, how to stay safe, what precautionary measures to take to stay safe, and last but not the least, they are constantly in touch with you.

3. They fix problems

Can you imagine booking a vacation by yourself and then running into problems? The panic attacks and anxiety that come with it, that’s the last thing anyone wants when they are on their vacation.

Travel agents are one phone call away and they can immediately help or arrange for an alternative if you fall sick, or your hotel accidentally messes up your reservation, or you lose your passport, or you miss your flight.

4. Visit the best places

Travel agents are experts, they know the best places to visit in a given destination, the safest places to visit, and the best way to get there. Their experience and expertise allow them to plan an amazing vacation for you based on what you like and what you would like to do on your trip.

5. Hassel free

Let’s face it, we like vacationing to take the stress off our day-to-day work, to take a break, to just chill, and have a great time. Now, who needs stress when you want to plan your next vacation? That’s where travel agents come in handy. They take care of everything for you, so you don’t have to worry about a thing except what cocktail to order while sunbathing on the beach you will be visiting.

If you plan on taking a trip soon, check out Own the Trip. Fill out a quick form and let us know where you would like to go and what you would like to on your vacation. We will match you with relevant travel agents/providers using Artificial Intelligence. Receive specially crafted customized vacation itineraries from them based on your interests, and choose the one you like best.
Experience In Florida
By: Alan Jones
Tags: United Airlines, Vacation, Florida, Blizzard Beach, Disney

Hello Guys! My name is Alan Jones and today I am going to share my beautiful experience in exploring Florida with my family. Well, we live in New York and I decided to have a break from my work life and spend some time with my family. I told my wife that we all are going to visit Florida to make our holiday memorable. My kids are a big fan of Disney cartoons and movies. My wife told me that we will take our kids to Walt Disney World Resort and enjoy our special time.

We started packing things and searched for a good airline company. Finally, I found United Airlines Reservations and I booked flight tickets for all. My friend told me about this airline that they are best in customer service and it is very easy to understand their policy as well like “Pet Policy”. So, when I booked flight tickets I was getting trouble finding the flight status. I connected to United Airlines Customer Service and they resolved my query.

We reached Florida on 10th October 2019 and went ta a luxurious hotel for dinner. The next day, we left for Walt Disney World Resort at Orlando by cab and we had a magical experience for our little ones. There we explored the theme parks, played at world-class water parks in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

We also delight in Disney Springs where we did shopping and dining in the restaurant. The meal was delicious in the restaurant and we did shopping related to all Disney collections for our kids. After having such an unforgettable experience my family was too happy and they were ready to go back again on another vacation.
Step into the world of joy by visiting Anaheim-Disneyland.
By: Luna Rivera
Tags: Vacation, Klm Airlines Reservations, Anaheim, Flight Deals, Disneyland

It’s just not me who loves Disneyland. For last so many years, me and my family was planning to visit this place. Life is not as easy as it used to be. One cannot just think and leave for any destination as everyone has such a busy schedule. Even after planning for such a long time, we were not able to visit it. But then finally everyone was able to take some time out of their busy lives. Without wasting any time, I planned the whole trip.

Disneyland has been always on my list from the very beginning. So, this time I got the opportunity to tick that destination on my list. When we visited this, we could feel why this place is called “The happiest place on Earth”. From the beginning to the end, our trip was nothing but a dream fulfilled.

The first place that we visited was the “Disneyland resort”. Some of the best and most unique areas which we explored here were Disney California Adventure Park and the Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Park. Also, not to forget the “galaxy Edge” is one of the best new editions to this place. Do not miss out on this one when you are here.

After spending such a fun and amazing time here, we headed to “Anaheim Packing District”. This is the perfect place to eat your favorite food. So, one has the best dining options when they are here. There were so many cafes and eateries here. Also, the food tasted even better with the live music performances. Along with so many cafes, there was a very beautiful garden and a market too. Our whole family sat down in that garden for some time and enjoyed the vibes.

On the next day of our trip, we headed straight to “Huntington Beach”. I knew that there was no better

beach than this to enjoy the water waves. We knew we would want to spend a lot of hours at the beach so we left early from our hotel room. One of the things which I must mention about this beach is its cleanliness. Unlike other beaches, it was very clean which made it even more enjoyable.

“Anaheim Garden Walk” was the last place which we visited at this destination. It was the perfect place for shopping and having dinner. So, we visited it in the evening after the beach. There were many stores so we bought various things for ourselves. After shopping, we decided to have dinner here only. It was an amazing experience and made our trip even more memorable.

After returning to our rooms, we prepared everything and were ready to catch out a flight in some hours. We made KLM Airlines Reservations to make our air trip even easier. It was one of the best flights and the best trip of our lives. Looking forward to exploring more destinations with my loved ones.
Precious Memories Create Lasting Vacation Memories
By: David Jones
Tags: Gloucester Cabs, Travelling, Vacations, Gloucester Taxi, Tourism

Although it is fun, it can be expensive and time-consuming. Here are some useful tips to help you make the most of your precious vacation, both enjoyable and affordable.

It is terrible to lose a child. You may not even want to think about it. If you need to be vaccinated to enter a specific country, please provide evidence that you have received all the necessary vaccinations. If you are based in Gloucester or want to travel there than book airport taxi Gloucester or Gloucester taxi for comfortable travelling within Gloucester or surroundings.

Without proper documentation, the authorities cannot find out. You have been vaccinated and may need to be isolated. Please note that it is abroad. Don’t give your passport to anyone, it may be stolen. Don’t get on the bus with strangers at home and abroad. Sign yourself.

This will allow you to enter the destination and price where you want to go, and when the price of the hotel or flight reaches the level you want to buy, the website will notify you of the change via email. Deteriorating price control. There are now many pet-friendly travel ideas and accommodations.

Some provide pet kindergartens. If all you need to do is make sure it is allowed, it can become your pet. Try to do some exercise before getting on the plane. Long-distance flight puts a lot of pressure on the body and nerves. Sitting in one position for a long time can cause cramps in the legs or back.

Travelling is a great way to educate your family. If you are careful, developing countries may be a good place to visit, and you can show your children life outside of your home country. Join travel forums and travel social networking sites. A great way to prepare for your trip.

This enables you to make friends and share similar experiences. The desert has beautiful vegetation and animals that most people have never seen in their lives. Sometimes you will find yourself staying in a not-so-good hotel. If you are based in Gloucester or want to travel there than book airport taxi Gloucester or Gloucester cabs for comfortable travelling within Gloucester or surroundings.

Rubber door stops provide additional safety. You can put it under the bedroom door at night to increase the security outside the chain and lock. The tips in this article will help you spend your vacation. Travelling is fun, fun, and exciting. Every corner is waiting for adventure.
Tips on Keeping your Family Safe During Summer Travel
By: Edward P. Mckenzie
Tags: Vacation, Family, Edward P Mckenzie

People are taking their kids on vacation again this year. These families would not have left their homes months ago, but new discoveries regarding the virus have given us guidelines. If we follow them, we can keep our families safe from the pandemic without giving up on things that make life fun.

It’s good to take your kids out in search of new experiences. There’s been a wave of anxiety and depression in children kept inside for too long. A good road trip will be healthy for them.

As long as you heed the travel safety measures, you can enjoy the remainder of the summer. The travel safety measures include:

Keep Your Masks Handy

It’s true that we know more about the virus, but this doesn’t mean we should go around unprotected. Even if you’re vaccinated, don’t forget your masks and alcohol. This is especially important if you’re going someplace where the crowd is large.

We have controlled the virus in some places, but it isn’t gone yet. Until we beat it, don’t forget the sanitary measures!

Decide Based On Age

Older kids can be vaccinated, making it easier to take them out. Also, older kids understand the reasoning behind these guidelines. Younger kids might struggle to follow precautions such as not touching surfaces in public places. If you’re traveling with small children, consider driving in your car rather than boarding an airplane.

Stay Outdoors

If it’s possible to keep your activities outdoors, you’ll be making a choice in favor of safety. Open air is the best option if you want to avoid the risks of being in big crowds. If it’s summer, the weather will be nice anyway, so it won’t feel like a loss!

Make Sure You’re Ready

These tips come in useful if your family is ready for a trip. Only you know if your kids can handle being out in the world again; perhaps you’ll decide to wait longer, and that’s fine.

If you decide to postpone the road trip, find fun things to do at home. There are ways to make it feel like summer vacation right where you live!
How To Identify Your Anxiety Triggers And How To Overcome It
By: Coastal Camping Rentals
Tags: Vacation, Anxiety, Vacation Rental, Book A Camper, Trailers

How To Identify Your Anxiety Triggers And How To Overcome It

With any type of anxiety, there are what are known as “triggers”. These are basically the things that set off your anxiety. Identifying your anxiety triggers is important if you want to learn to combat the condition.

Not sure what your triggers are? Here, you will discover some of the best ways to identify your anxiety triggers.

What Are Common Anxiety Triggers?

Anxiety triggers differ from person to person. They also vary depending upon the type of anxiety you are experiencing. However, there are some common triggers that comparison anxiety sufferers can relate to. These include:

• Social media use

• Caffeine

• Stress

• Medications

• Negative thinking

The most common trigger in comparison anxiety is social media use. You may notice that after using social media, you feel more anxious about your life. Instead of inspiring you, it can cause you to feel depressed or detached.

And did you know caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms? So, if you find you drink a lot of coffee or soda containing caffeine, you might want to cut back. Similarly, stress can exacerbate anxiety, alongside negative thinking.

Being able to identify what it is that triggers your anxiety is key to getting it under control. So, let us look at some ways you can identify your own personal triggers.

Once you know what your anxiety triggers are, you can plan to avoid them. Camping is one way to avoid your anxiety triggers. Spend time in nature by taking a deep breath and appreciating how beautiful nature is or go beach camping and listen to the waves and feel the sand. Surround yourself with people you care about to help you prevent feeling anxious. Go outside instead of suffocating in a four-cornered room! Have a good time because life is too short!
The Sunday Scaries — No Spring Break(Downs)
Tags: Vacation, Spring, Mental Health, Spring Break, Time Off

so, you guys, what’s the 411?

daylight savings — (noun) this weird principle that the US recognizes where we move our clocks ahead an hour come springtime to lengthen daylight hours. here’s your reminder to change your clock — spring ahead!

’tis the season when you’re just about ready to burn your winter coat in the streets. back in the day (not too long ago), when we were in school, there was this amazing thing to serve as a remedy for this seasonal claustrophobia and overall distress: spring break!

since your employee benefits aren’t likely to include a week off in March to recoup, relax, and remind yourself that warmer weather is right around the corner, we’re here to present a few alternative strategies to cope:

find your beach: sometimes you have to make your own beach — it may look a lot like a couch, and who’s to say your bathtub can’t serve as a hot tub. beach reads and piña coladas not included (but highly encouraged). put on some Beach Boys, turn up the space heater, and let the day get away from you!

sometimes you have to make your own beach — it may look a lot like a couch, and who’s to say your bathtub can’t serve as a hot tub. beach reads and piña coladas not included (but highly encouraged). put on some Beach Boys, turn up the space heater, and let the day get away from you! 85 day countdown: the number of days until it’s officially summer is sub-100, which could mean it’s time to get out of hibernation and back into the gym. give your workout a one-two punch and head to a boxing class, you’ll burn calories and reduce stress at the same time.

the number of days until it’s officially summer is sub-100, which could mean it’s time to get out of hibernation and back into the gym. give your workout a one-two punch and head to a boxing class, you’ll burn calories and reduce stress at the same time. day trippin’: really feeling the need to get out of town? do it! rent a car, hop on the train, go for a long walk — a change of place can be huge for a change of mental space, even if you’re not headed for warmer weather.

stay-cation mode, here you come!

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What do I miss
Tags: Vacation, Simplicity, Memories, Childhood

What do I miss

Walking down memory lane I remember the dusty roads

The kids playing outdoors

Travelling by train for holidays

after the school term,

watching the paddy fields and the huge salt reserves,

people waving from these. fields and houses

What do I miss I ask my self

Visiting relatives on two wheelers

Loving the sweets and traditional foods offered, without a care in the world

A lot of time to talk and less access to technology, enabling to build stronger bonds

The best time with family, visiting hill stations, horse riding, taking pictures at the break of dawn at sunrise point

Accommodating in smaller rooms with hard beds and rough blankets, yet provided with everything that we needed in the room

What do I miss I ask myself

The pure innocence of the children around me and the heart that only wanted. good for everyone

No grudges held, petty fights and make up bribes with sweets and hand made cards

A less complicated world, many friends to play with outdoors, happiness derived from small things

What do I miss I ask myself

The memories of childhood which have passed by so quick

Take me back I tell myself — – -Shalingail – — – follow me on Instagram @shalingail
Reading on Vacation
By: Cynthia Smith
Tags: Travel, Vacation, Books, Reading

While I’m still in my depression stage following a wonderful weeklong trip up to Michigan (okay, I’m not actually depressed but I’m definitely on a low trend), I have to say that it’s fun to reflect back on everything I did up there.

We had loads of fun visiting different neighborhoods around Michigan thanks to AirBNB. We stayed at a “beach house” one night that had a pool and fire pits. For another few nights, we were in a downtown part of Grand Rapids with a nice loft room that came with everything you could’ve needed. And finally, we stayed in a house tucked away in the woods just 5 minutes walk from the beach. Talk about hitting the jackpot on some stays, right?

But what was possibly the most fun to me was how much I was able to read on vacation. My Wife and I both brought multiple books to read while we were away, and we actually spent a lot of our time out reading in the sun because of it.

You see, before we left, we dug around in some cheap moving boxes of ours to find old books that were put away in storage. Some were science nonfiction. Some were novels. And others were more philosophical. But those cheap moving boxes provided us with so much entertainment during our trip that I won’t ever travel again without at least two books accompanying me.

The best part of reading on vacation is that we read on beaches. Both times we were able to secure a picturesque view up on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan. If you’ve never done this before, I implore you to make time for it. It was free to post up in our lawn chairs on the small sloping sand dunes, and the grass that grew on the dunes made it just “private” enough to feel like we were tucked away in nature away from the screaming kids that were just 20 feet away from us. It actually provided an unparalleled sense of bliss, to be honest.
How Other B2B e-marketplaces are different from Tradeling?
By: Nitish Sharma
Tags: B2B, Business, Tradeling

As Tradeling increases in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Region, most people have one doubt in their minds. What are the differences between Tradeling and other e-marketplaces? Will we get some advantages and perks on other platforms as well? We are about to find the answer here in this blog.

There are some points that every e-marketplace needs to follow to be successful. Also, numerous platforms try to fool people by posing fake offers and other such tricks. However, you get complete trust and efficiency on Tradeling. There are several differences when we compare Tradeling with other platforms.

Differences between Tradeling and Other B2B e-marketplaces

The following are the significant difference that you will find between Tradeling and other such e-marketplaces.

Customers Dissatisfaction

There are several factors that one has to keep in mind to meet customer satisfaction. Not everyone can carry it well, like Tradeling. The main difference that you can find between Tradeling and other platforms is the reviews of people. You can see people angry and dissatisfied from other platforms apart from Tradeling.

Lesser Variants

How many choices in products can you get on a platform? Well, you will be surprised to know the fact that Tradeling delivers you with more than 27000+ options across 350+ sellers. Now that is something huge. You cannot find such a wide range of products on any other platform.

Rough Terms and Conditions

Some strict terms and conditions are there with the platforms making them restrictive for buyers and sellers. Tradeling provides you with a free space to work, negotiate, and purchase as per your choice.

Conclusion

Therefore, these are the benefits that you can get from Tradeling. On other platforms, your approach and objectives of buying or selling become narrow. You will have complete liberty only on Tradeling.
Falconer Electronics Featured on FuzeHub Podcast (NY MEP)
By: Falconer Electronics
Tags: B2b Marketing, Ecommerce, Manufacturers, B2B, Manufacturing

Falconer Electronics recently served as a guest on the FuzeHub podcast. Falconer Electronics of Falconer, NY manufactures ground straps and wire harnesses. The Chautauqua County company also makes commercial power strips that are available via eCommerce. Today, Falconer’s customers can buy commercial power strips not just through the company’s website, but also at Amazon and Walmart.com.

In a podcast with New York State Manufacturing Now, Falconer Electronics and its business consultant, Curt Anderson of B2Btail, tell FuzeHub’s Steve Melito about the manufacturer’s eCommerce experience. For small to medium-sized enterprises across New York State, Falconer’s story offers valuable lessons you can apply to your own business.

To listen the FuzeHub podcast featuring Falconer Electronics, please click here

FuzeHub: New York State MEP

FuzeHub is a non-profit organization that serves as the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NYMEP) center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation. NYMEP is part of a National MEP Network funded by the National Institute of Standards & Technology and dedicated to helping small and mid-sized manufacturers with competitiveness as well as innovation.

FuzeHub provides New York State manufacturers and technology companies with guided access to our extensive network of industry experts, programs and assets to solve productivity, commercialization, research and development issues, as well as other challenges to growth.

FuzeHub’s programs champion the New York State manufacturing and technology community. In addition, FuzeHub provides targeted resources to accelerate manufacturing competitiveness and technology commercialization.

FuzeHub Podcast: Your NYS Manufacturing Industry Podcast

NYS Manufacturing Now is premier FuzeHub podcast with three main goals:

The first, is to showcase new technologies and innovations developed right here in New York. The second, is to close the knowledge gap of small-medium size manufacturers about the NYS resources that can help them find solutions to business and technical challenges. The third is to tell the story of manufacturers across New York State.
The Q Framework: The Seven Questions on the Ramp to Repeatability
By: Scott Sambucci
Tags: B2B, Sales, SaaS

If you implement the Q Framework, you’ll discover the following:

• How to talk with your customers in terms of the one thing they care most about, instead of hoping your product will do the selling for you.

• How to identify your prospects’ critical business issues, and how to leverage their issues for every sales conversation.

• How to find and sell to every buyer, stakeholder, influencer, and decision-maker in every sales opportunity.

• How to demonstrate how your product is an investment for your customers so that you never hear words like “cost” and “budget” again.

• How to reduce the risk that your prospects feel when they’re evaluating your product.

• How to maintain control in every sales conversation and every sales opportunity.

• How to assess where you are in every sales opportunity.

• How to manage your sales team.

[Excerpt from my new book — “Stop Hustling, Start Scaling.”]

Did you know you can download a free & complete PDF version of the book? Link in the comments below. 👇👇
Our Beginner’s Guide to Ecommerce 2020
Tags: B2c, B2B, Business

Our Beginner’s Guide to Ecommerce

Ecommerce or E-Commerce can be tough to wrap your head around. When you purchase goods and services online, it’s ecommerce. This is our beginner’s guide to understanding Ecommerce.



Most of the people in America prefer to shop online rather than offline. Whether you’re lazy or just trying to save time, online shopping is a booming business unlikely to shrink in the next decade.



It’s one of the reasons the e-commerce businesses are on the top. And that’s why everyone wants to open their own e-commerce business. But working from home isn’t all that easy, much less earning money online.



You want to set up an e-commerce business like others have but don’t know much about e-commerce? In this article, you will get to know about e-commerce stores.

What does Ecommerce or E-Commerce mean?



Ecommerce, or E-commerce, stands for electronic commerce which means online business. Online business, or ecommerce, has grown in the last decade with very high levels of business from major platforms like Amazon and Ebay. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg when ecommerce is all encompassing of every form of online merchanting.



We term every ecommerce to be an online business, but it would be wrong if we say that every online business is e-commerce.
B2B Podcasting: Launch one to distinguish YOUR business from the rest
By: Daniel Ramsey
Tags: B2b Marketing, Podcasting, B2B, Virtual Assistant, B2b Content Marketing

With MyOutDesk Virtual Assitants & Sweet Fish Media Logan Lyles

Producing a B2B podcast helps to establish your business as a leading source of expertise in your market, driving up your brand and credibility.

Right now, you have the ability to start a podcast and stand out from the crowd. Every business is looking to differentiate themselves from their competitors…and a B2B podcast is a perfect way to do that. If you want to launch a high-quality podcast, but need to protect your valued time … you can launch your podcast and upgrade your online presence with a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant

Why is it important?

Podcasting is exploding right now, and Sweet Fish Media has done B2B podcasting for over half a decade.

Today we talk to Logan Lyles at Sweet Fish Media, a podcast agency for B2B brands. Drawing on his background as a trained journalist and more than 10 years in the B2B sales & marketing space, Logan co-hosts a top-ranked podcast according to Forbes. Sweet Fish Media has launched over 100 podcast programs, totaling over 1,600 episodes! Their flagship podcast is the only B2B podcast to broadcast 7 days a week.

Checkout these resources we mentioned during the episode:

Podcast is very top of funnel. It’s brand awareness. Launch & scale your business today with a MyOutDesk Marketing Virtual Assistant.

Don’t lift a finger, have Virtual Assistants launch your New Podcast Episodes!Content Marketing with a Virtual Assistant — Everyone is doing it!

The secret business strategy that sets social media moguls apart is … leveraging virtual assistants (in many cases, more than one). Virtual assistants work for you full-time at up to 70% less cost than a traditional employee. Here’s what it takes to out-compete competitors.

If you do the math, you can get UP TO 3 full-time virtual assistants for the price of one traditional assistant! Save time for more important things by hiring a MyOutDesk Virtual Assistant.

Top talent Virtual Assistants bring you a huge return on investment.

Claim a free ‘Grow Virtual’ business strategy consultation today!

Original Story
What is an In-Market Prospect?
By: Kyle Ackerman
Tags: Buyer Intent Data, B2B, Iiintent

An in-market prospect is a prospect of yours who is actively shopping for the thing that you sell.

They’re shopping, they’re researching, and they’re on a buyer journey right now.

Typically, only about 3% of your marketplace is ever in-market for your solution at any given time.

And 100% of your company’s revenue has come from someone who was previously in-market. Makes sense right?

I know you know this, yet you’re still in the dark ages of blindly cold prospecting people off of a list that you bought.

You must be focused on your in-market prospects when you’re doing outbound. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time, money, and energy.

How to Find Your In-Market Prospects

First, start with the people on your company website.

They’re on your site for a reason.. because they’re researching you. They’re not there to buy a toaster oven.

You own the data that’s on your website because it’s your first-party data — the data on your in-market prospects.

We believe that all of your resources should be targeting only these people. You need to stop reaching out to cold, uninterested prospects and trying to convince them to come into the market.

Second, you can use an inexpensive platform to help with this: LeadFeeder.

They’ll help identify the accounts and companies on your website, but will be very limited overall.

If you want to know the actual people on your website — we can do that for you... without you having to learn a new piece of tech.

They Want to Hear From You

Your in-market prospects want to hear from you.

If you believe your solution has the power to truly transform someone’s life and their business, you are doing them a major disservice by not reaching out to them and offering your solution.

You need a way to get connected with these people.

We’ll tell you who your in-market prospects are, whether they visited your website or not.

If you had an entire audience of people who were going to buy what you’ve got... do you think you can close them?

Yes?

Great — let’s talk.

kackerman@iiintent.io
Daily Dose: 3 Sales Hiring Mistakes That Kill B2B Startups (And How to Avoid Them…)
By: Scott Sambucci
Tags: Startup, B2B, SaaS, Sales, Scaleup

Daily Dose: 3 Sales Hiring Mistakes That Kill B2B Startups (And How to Avoid Them…) Scott Sambucci Jan 21·2 min read

The pipeline’s thin. Lead gen is a grind. You’re booking demos and slinging proposals, but deal flow is slow. Or maybe never really got going in the first place…

Listen to this podcast here on the Startup Selling Show.

Your early customers were easy to convert and are seeing massive results, but reaching that magic $1mm ARR mark is way tougher than you thought.

And you need to hit that next revenue milestone so you can raise the next round.

I know what you’re thinking –

“If only I had a salesperson to close some deals. That’d fix everything…”

I get it. That’s exactly where too many founders make a crucial mistake.

In this session, I’ll share the 3 biggest sales hiring mistakes that kill B2B startups and how to avoid them…

Want a copy of our Complete Sales Hiring System?

Click here to request a copy of a recorded training & workbook: lnkd.in/eeeYytF

Check out the LinkedIn Live here:

www.linkedin.com/video/live/urn:li:ugcPost:6724356167147024385

Listen & subscribe to The Startup Selling Show here:

Deezer | Amazon | Stitcher | Spotify | iTunes | Soundcloud | SalesQualia

Thanks so much for listening! Tell a friend or ten about The Startup Selling Show, and please leave a review wherever you’re listening to the show.
4 Options for B2B Wholesale on Shopify
By: Frank Chin
Tags: Wholesale, Ecommerce, B2B, 2021, Shopify

A 2021 guide to Shopify Options for B2B Wholesale (8-minute read)

Photo by Tiger Lily from Pexels

Is your Shopify Store Ready for your Piece of the B2B Pie?

Shopify today has a few offerings for companies with basic B2B wholesale requirements, however, it struggles to provide a complete solution for more complex wholesale needs. Will 2021 see Shopify invest more heavily in wholesale and will they release their real B2B contender?

The B2B eCommerce market was 1.1 trillion in the US (2018) and 12.2 trillion worldwide (2019). Since then, B2C consumer sites have continued to evolve gradually pushing expectations in the B2B wholesale business. Coupled with the growing number of Millennials in leadership and the migration away from faxes, phones and emails have been slow and steady within B2B each year.

2020 arrived and along with it COVID-19; sales reps had to adjust their in-person meetings, businesses in some regions searched for new channels to replace their partner retailers affected by closures, and companies sought new reliable suppliers to stabilize their supply chain. Fueled by the pandemic and consumer site expectations, boardrooms everywhere have accelerated their plans further toward more digital, B2B eCommerce, and marketplaces.

As the B2B eCommerce transformation accelerates it has started to exceed B2C in market size. Is your Shopify store ready for B2B Wholesale?

Wholesale & Shopify

Shopify has been successful in B2C since 2006 with over one million businesses using them worldwide. Naturally, its B2C customers have started to want to expand into other channels. Social Media, in-store POS, and Wholesale were evolutions for some of these B2C Shopify businesses, particularly the 5300 larger Shopify Plus customers (those processing over $1M in annual online revenue).

Here are the four options for Shopify customers to consider when wanting to evolve into Wholesale B2B on Shopify.
Effective design personas for B2B products
By: Elena Sviridenko
Tags: Business Strategy, Product Management, Product Development, UX, B2B

This article is for the persona believers and practitioners, and there is not going to be a debate on why personas may not work. Because they always do. When done right.

Thanks to Alan Cooper, personas are now firmly rooted in the conscience of product managers and have long been a powerful means to learn about those on whom the business success depends.

In the world of B2B

As the saying goes, there is always a first time…

When I first happened to create the B2B design personas, I realized they are quite different from the B2C personas I was so accustomed to at a time.

Now, the persona should have been representing not an individual but the entire organization and also cover the people staying beyond the name — those who rule the business (the decision makers) and those who actually utilize the product (the end users). And there I were, clueless about how to glue it all together.

A frustrating experience, isn’t it?

“OK, Google, how do I create the B2B design persona?”

In a moment, I’ve got a huge roster of articles about the B2B buyer personas... Not a trace left of my excitement at that point.

Removing the word design from the search query did not help either: the results were still all about the marketing.

“OK, Google, don’t you know that marketing targets are often not the design targets?”

It seems we confuse the terms so often we’ve managed to teach Google the wrong things.
B2B sales online: how to stay successful?
Tags: Business Development, B2B, Sales, Online Sales

There is one must-have which speaks for itself: an authentic voice.

With the overall shift to digital and remote selling, Business Devs who relied on offline interaction are being left behind. To maintain cash flow, B2B companies have to adapt their Sales Departments to the new normal conditions, starting and closing sales deals online.

But before even moving to the offer you need to build initial trust. People buy from those they trust and like. Those of you who have spoken with prospects, trying to land a sale already know that.

While interpersonal communication has a lot of subtle aspects, it’s good to know all of them to apply to online sales as much (or even more) than they do offline.

Body language still matters. Don’t let numerous memes of people running business calls wearing a jacket and underwear fool you. Despite the fact that the prospect only sees part of you, our unconscious perceives non-verbal signals through video as well.

The way you position yourself, the gestures you use, the tonality of your voice–all of those are still noticed and still impacting how you are perceived.

You want prospects to have the same level of confidence you have. And that can’t be done without a proper set of nonverbal signals.

Hear what they say. At the core of every sales call, there is one need. The need to be heard and understood. Your prospect has a certain problem and is looking for a way to solve it. Without this need, they wouldn’t even be on a call with you.

By hearing what your prospect says, you become able to evoke a genuine feeling of understanding, which is the first step to building that initial trust.

Agree instead of arguing. While offline interaction using a power frame might be a viable strategy to fight a prospect’s uncertainties, every interruption during an online call will come much less organically.

Instead of pushing your arguments, make sure you address the prospect’s concerns. Paraphrasing their words might allow you to reframe the statement to your benefit while repeating your agenda will bring nothing except irritation.

Internalizing what a person said and sharing your genuine reactions is the key to building authentic dialogue.

There’s no authentic voice for a company. Make sure your Business Devs value a proper-balanced dialogue that includes listening. Salespeople who use aggressive tactics should be left in pre-covid reality. There is a consistent brand strategy and respective brand message. Authenticity comes from people and their values.

Now ask yourself: do you have what it takes?

Read more on successful B2B sales in our blog.
Sky Systemz Brings FREE Solutions to Local Restaurants, Keeping Businesses Afloat In The Pandemic
By: Skysystemz Marketing
Tags: Mobile, Payments, Pos, B2B, Software

The core belief at Sky Systemz is that local businesses are the backbone of our communities. With that belief comes action.

When CEO Brian Nichols saw how difficult it was for some restaurants to operate under the COVID-19 regulations, he quickly leveraged features in the Sky Systemz software to help these businesses not only be operational, but also to thrive.

These services are in addition to a complete point of sale and payment processing services for restaurants, of which are guaranteed to save restaurant money. With the no setup cost and no monthly fees that Sky Systemz operates under, these additional features are also free added values.

There are two major ways Sky Systemz is helping restaurants thrive despite strict COVID-19 limitations from state governments:

Online Store: You can seamlessly accept orders without the hassle of having people call in, find you on social media, or use a third party system that eats up time and profits. Streamline Curbside System: With the “request payment” option there’s no mess of having to manage payment at the curb. You can send a text or email to customers when they pull up, they can pay on their phone, and they are one their way with contactless payment.

To show you exactly what this process looks like, our CEO Brian Nichols put together a video that takes you through how simple it is :
From 💼 Top-down Sales to 📈Bottom-up 🔬Product Led Growth
By: Shimon Tolts
Tags: Developer Tools, DevOps, Founders, B2B, Product

The cookie-cutter

As we started our startup (Datree) in Israel aka the startup nation, the most successful go-to-market models were done by Security companies such as CheckPoint, Imperva, CyberArk, and more. The cookie-cutter path for a technological startup was mainly built for the Security space and was very much top-down like so: 1️⃣ Get design partners 2️⃣ Convert them to paying customers 3️⃣ CEO relocates to the US 4️⃣ Hire Sales and Marketing team in the US. 5️⃣ Build a Top-down, sales-driven organization.

As we started Datree, we didn’t really think much about the GTM model and mainly used the cookie-cutter way, we were just eager to help engineering teams. So we started with a handful of design partners, they gave us access to their source control, and we started mapping the manifest files and identifying misconfigurations (mainly) in infrastructure as this was a pain we felt in our previous job.

After seeing downtime due to human errors, we thought how can we help engineers make the right decisions while working with systems like Kubernetes, a sort of guard-rails without reading endless emails and internal wikis and remembering to make the right configuration decisions? We felt it has to be done in an automatic way, inline during the development process.
The B2B Sustainability Startup Landscape
By: Lisa Liu
Tags: Venture Capital, B2B, Startup, Sustainability

The B2B Sustainability Startup Landscape

Which startups enable corporates to drive their sustainability agenda? In this article, Techfounders, Digital+ Partners, and UVC Partners are introducing a map of ~150 European startups working in areas we expect to unfold dynamically in the near future. Lisa Liu Follow Mar 30 · 3 min read

As legislation, consumer activism, and corporate activity on sustainability are significantly picking up speed, it is clear that existing solutions are not enough to achieve what is needed to avoid a climate disaster and restore a healthy balance between people, profit, and planet.

In the past years, startups have started to jump into the void with innovative solutions to mitigate climate change, disrupt capitalist models, and drive systemic change. While startups are highly active in a variety of sustainability categories, we need much more innovation in the years to come.

So TechFounders, Digital+ Partners, and UVC Partners joined forces to present startups that enable corporates to drive their sustainability agenda. We identified four categories that we expect to unfold dynamically in the near future: emissions management, supply chain transparency, circular economy, and sustainability reporting.

Why?

To gain deeper insights on corporate’s biggest sustainability challenges, UVC Partners conducted interviews with corporates who had invested in their fund. Here is a summary of the main findings:

1️⃣ While all corporates publish sustainability reports covering environmental, social, and governance aspects, environmental topics are by and large the most dynamic and the biggest pain point.

2️⃣ While most sustainability goals are qualitative, most have set a quantitative goal for their carbon emissions, e.g. “we will become net zero by 20XX”. This includes scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Some even have the ambition to reach this goal without carbon offsetting.

3️⃣ The level of startup collaboration is low. External service providers, if any, are consulting firms or IT software agencies which develop customized solutions. If the corporate does work with a startup, projects are usually still in the pilot phase. Why?

➡ High complexity of internal systems and high implementation effort

➡ Internal resistance aka “not invented here syndrome”

➡ Sustainability is not at the core of the organization yet, as business units are not driven by sustainability-related KPIs

💡 However, some topics emerged that were frequently mentioned. These are areas where the corporates are actively seeking solutions as the problems are difficult to solve internally.
Building a ₹10,000 Cr B2B marketplace in India
By: Nikhil Kapur
Tags: Startup, India, Venture Capital, B2B, SaaS

Building a ₹10,000 Cr B2B marketplace in India

A few days ago, I had a chat with an LP who is looking into the Indian B2B market for the first time. His question to me was simple:

“Do you believe that a large enough business can be built by charging subscriptions to Indian SMBs?”

My answer was simple:

“No”

But a moment ago I had explained how we are investing heavily into the Indian B2B market targeting the SMBs, explaining why this market is so hot, why Messrs Scott Shleifer, Masayoshi Son et. al. are dumping hundreds of millions of dollars on the market and why India B2B products are no longer restricted to Global SaaS businesses but also businesses targeting Indian SMB. So how do the two statements add up?

I don’t see companies building a significantly large subscription businesses targeting the Indian SMB market. But the SaaS-enabled marketplace business model is often overlooked by those not investing in the Indian SaaS category. And this is the gold mine that a handful of investors are searching for.

I am not alone in saying this. As you read, massive companies are being built by exceptional founders in the Indian B2B category taking this exact approach. But instead of building a $100M subscription revenue businesses from Global SMB/Enterprise, their goal post is different:

How to get to a ₹10,000 Cr Revenue business?

Why this arbitrary ambitious target? If you look at recent IPOs on the National Stock Exchange (see Dixon Technologies) or even NASDAQ, crossing a ₹1,000 Cr revenue mark usually equates to a $1B valuation. But in the age of billion dollar fund sizes (see Tiger Global’s latest fund of $6.7B fund or Sequoia India’s latest funds of $1.35B), a Unicorn valuation doesn’t cut it any more, it’s the age to build a Decacorn.

As a general rule of thumb, an Indian B2B marketplace businesses ends up with 10–20% take-rates. A ₹10,000 Cr Revenue business can end up yielding ₹2,000 Cr of Gross Margin and (hopefully) at steady state at least ₹500 Cr of EBITDA. At a conservative 30x EV/EBITDA this would yield a company worth ₹15,000 Cr or $2B. But at an inflated tech multiple of 100x, ~$10B.

Hello, Decacorn 👋