Go-to-Market 2025 Forecast: Two Disciplines to Separate Winners from Also-Rans in Next 5 Years

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Driven by digital transformation, the 2020s will be known for massive behavioral change in both buyers and sellers. This is already apparent across every industry where venture-backed digital disruptors are growing rapidly – they are driving go-to-market and customer behavior change. Yet, many disruptors have not quite reached the “tipping point” of noticeable market share and profitability. Trust me, they will in the next 24-36 months…

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AEP Digital Listening Bulletin #3

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With only one day to go before AEP closes, consumer fatigue with MA advertising appears to have set in.  Despite significant advertising and marketing investment, KFF just released a study that shows how few people actually voluntarily switch plans during AEP.  Consumers get smarter about Supplemental Plans—and carriers get smarter about targeting.  And the issue of social isolation among seniors garners a lot of attention.

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Open Enrollment Digital Listening Bulletin #3

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The last few weeks we have picked up a lot more discussion around emerging categories of enhanced benefits as new products are “digested” by the market throughout this open enrollment; a continued focus on cost control and driving employee engagement; and ultimately, discussions about the future of employer-based benefits in today’s high-cost environment….

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Think Small to Win Big: How Carriers Should Approach Small Business Buyers at an Individual Level

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To meet the needs of small businesses, it is important to remember that inside that account there are individuals making the decisions. And just like consumers, small business buyers have distinct communication preferences, servicing needs, and day–to-day pain points. For example, in our survey of employers, we set out to understand how decision-makers…

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Customer-Centricity: Definition, Challenges, and Solutions

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In this article, I’ll walk through the history of customer-centricity, and how digital technology has ushered in a new era of customer-first marketing and support—at least potentially. I’ll then walk through some of the technological and people-related challenges companies typically face as they attempt to become truly customer-centric, and the solutions that we’ve seen work to get to real results.

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What Exactly is Digital Sales Transformation?

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As of 2020, “digital transformation” is a hot topic in corporate America.  But “digital transformation” of a salesforce – actual people – is almost an oxymoron. Yes, we can provide sales reps with more software tools but essentially, they are still managing human-to-human interactions to communicate, educate and sell products. Here are the 5 Pillars of Digital Sales Transformation (DST).

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3 Strategies to Win with Customer Experience in the Platform-as-a-Channel Ecosystem

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In a previous article, we discussed the rise of ‘platforms-as-a-channel’ and the implications for companies across all industries. While there is a multitude of factors driving the rise of platform marketplaces, the underlying driver that makes it a sticky trend lies with the customer. Customers are looking to streamline and reduce friction in their purchasing processes (whether […]

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Beyond Benefits: Enabling Brokers To Unlock Their Full Potential

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Brokers are successfully building relationships with small businesses, but they shouldn’t get too comfortable…   For individuals buying and managing employer-sponsored benefits at small businesses, the support a broker provides is vital. In most cases, it is even more important than the carrier providing benefits coverage. We surveyed 205 small business owners and HR professionals and found that benefits decision-makers tend […]

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If Customer Centricity Is So Important, Why Do So Many Businesses Struggle to Get It Right?

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Customer centricity has never been more important to the success of both B2B and B2C companies. In just a few clicks, today’s customers have the power to shop around for the best price, compare features and even consult customer and influencer testimonials. The shift in power over the last decade is pronounced. Customers may have […]

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Leveraging Channel Partners as Your Frontline to Sales Agility

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As the technology industry landscape continues to shift towards XaaS recurring revenue models, the role of the channel is changing dramatically and forcing a new model for the vendor-partner relationship. While there are clear financial benefits of the recurring revenue transition, the underlying driver is the dramatic increase in customer control over the buying process. […]

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