MTForecast 2020 is going digital this year and will be held Oct. 27-29, 2020. As always, it will bring together leading economists and industry experts – as well as the economic forecasts, market analyses, thought leadership, and educational tracks – that MTForecast conference attendees have come to expect. In this and the next several newsletters, we will highlight several of the speakers to let attendees know more about what they can expect to learn at their presentations.
For the third year, MTForecast will include three educational tracks, and this year’s business strategy track includes Jeff Radichel, President, The Next Step, who will present “Sales & Marketing Trends in the Wake of COVID-19.” Jeff has worked in senior positions in the manufacturing industry for more than a decade in both operations and sales and marketing. He founded his full service B2B marketing agency more than five years ago, and the agency specializes in the manufacturing industry in four key areas: sales, marketing, operations, and new business development.
Jeff will discuss several trends in sales and marketing, many of which have accelerated since the pandemic. They include working remotely and conducting sales and marketing activities via digital platforms; digital lead generation and email marketing; use of social media; and virtual meetings and conferences.
Digital communication in B2B marketing has been in play for many years, and now, more sales activities are moving in this direction. Traveling and personal sales meetings have decreased in the past six months due to the pandemic, and companies are shifting budget from sales visits to online marketing. More resources are going into marketing automation, online lead generation, and content development, including building out websites.
“Another trend we are seeing since the pandemic is a renewed interest in strategy. Manufacturers are asking what their best strategy is for increasing sales given the volatility and uncertainty in the market and less predictable income streams,” said Radichel. “There is a greater focus on doing more market research to map out different scenarios, finding new market niches and different ways to mitigate risk.”
A few other trends that Jeff notes in the B2B marketing space include: about a third of global B2B manufacturing decision-makers believe the largest external threat facing their organization is increasing new customer acquisition costs; 25% of B2B marketers allocate 61%-80% of their budget to online marketing spending; and in doing pre-sale research, 62% prefer accessing information online, a trend that has been growing over the past decade.
To learn more about the MTForecast speaker lineup or to register for MTForecast, click here.
