[THE LATEST] How to know if They Ask, You Answer isn't right for you, how to prepare for a virtual sales call and Home Depot's pivot on Black Friday

Here's THE LATEST digital sales and marketing news, so you can do your jobs better and make smarter decisions faster.

5 ways to know if They Ask, You Answer is NOT right for you, the right way to prepare for a video sales call, and Home Depot reinvents its Black Friday strategy ...this is THE LATEST! 🔥 Hot off the presses Good to know: 5 signs your company is not ready for They Ask, You Answer (yet) Get prepared: Virtual Selling: How to prepare the right way for a video sales call Big news: Home Depot says 'no' to usual Black Friday, another sign brands must adapt ❤️ Tickets for HubSpot Training Day are now $99. But, if you use my code KRISTENHASFRIENDSTOO you'll get yours for $49! Whether you're a digital marketer, content manager, sales pro, or business leader, there's something for you at HubSpot Training Day ...even if you don't use HubSpot! Hey 👋, Kristen here! While Liz is still off enjoying her much deserved vacation, I'm here to deliver today's THE LATEST. Some of you may already know me, but those that don't, I'm IMPACT's Director of Demand Generation, a proud dog Mom to Katie and currently counting down the days to my pandemic wedding next month.  Yes, I said pandemic wedding. 👰  We've all be dealing with our own struggles since COVID-19 took over our lives. For me, I went from being an excited bride-to-be to watching everything I had seamlessly planned for my October wedding slowly come undone over the course of a few months. By the time July hit, it was clear that our original 275-person wedding could never happen this year. I'm far from the only bride to have to face these tough decisions this year. Pretty much anyone with a 2020 wedding date has gone through the same emotional rollercoaster my fiance and I have.  What helped me turn things around? It may sound strange, but it was my job. You see, events have always been a part of my career. I've had everything you can think of thrown at me, from earthquakes in Mexico to protesters storming an event and, this year, postponing Digital Sales & Marketing World due to COVID-19. When I was sitting at home in July fretting over whether to just cancel my wedding or pivot to something new, I realized something... My entire career had led me to this moment!  Instead of going further down an emotional rabbit hole, I tapped into work-Kristen and came up with a game plan for how to pivot this event. We made the tough decision to cut our guest list to the bare minimum, completely changed venues so we could be outside, and I hired a company to livestream the entire thing. Once I took control of the situation, instead of getting buried by it, everything turned around and I could finally be excited for my wedding again.  If I can leave you with anything it's that these times may be tough, but it's still possible to create something great out of it! And with that, here's THE LATEST! 👉 "How I know if They Ask, You Answer is NOT right for my company? " (6-minute read) They Ask, You Answer can be a guiding philosophy for most types of businesses. For business leaders who focus on vision, culture, and learning, They Ask, You Answer will perfectly complement their digital sales and marketing goals, no matter your size, industry, or business type. But, there are some cases where it may not be the best fit. In this in-depth article from Revenue & Features Editor John Becker, learn the 5 signs that They Ask, You Answer may not be right for your business. 💬 You asked, we answered  How quickly will we see results with They Ask, You Answer? 3 reasons why company culture matters (and how to build yours) [Infographic]  👉 "What's the right way to prepare for a video sales call?" (7-minute read) Video sales calls aren't exactly the wave of the future. Since the onset of COVID-19, sales professionals have had to adapt to selling in a virtual world, but not all have been getting it right. The key to successful video sales call is all in the preparation! In this tip-packed article from Liz Moorehead, get every single thing you need to do to prepare for a video sales call so you can maximize your chances of closing more deals faster, even in the age of COVID-19. 💬 You asked, we answered Virtual Selling: 6 essential video sales call tools and tech you need Free IMPACT+ course: The Fundamentals of the Visual Sale 👉 "How are brands re-envisioning Black Friday in the era of COVID-19?" (2-minute read) The holiday season is fast approaching and the usual Black Friday swarms on brick & mortar retailers is going to be a bit different this year. Home Depot is the latest brand to announce its COVID-19 take on the annual shopping event and it means two months of discounts for consumers! IMPACT's Director of Inbound & Content Services Justine Timoteo Thomas shares what Home Depot's reinvention of Black Friday looks like and what other brands and retailers can learn! 💬 You asked, we answered How brands are adapting their customer experiences to COVID-19 Facebook Shop to support online retailers, e-commerce during COVID-19 🎒 Go back to school with IMPACT+ Yes, you need an IMPACT+ account to access these, but you won't regret it: The Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing | Free Learn the fundamentals of social media for business, no matter what industry you're in or social channels you use, in this lesson courtesy of yours truly! This includes how to plan and optimize content for your social channels, the real deal with #hashtags, when and how to hire a social media manager, and more. Struggling to increase traffic, qualified leads, and sales, but don't have the budget to hire outside help? Advance your and your team's skill set through online training, access to industry experts, exclusive peer groups, and more. Get 50% off your IMPACT+ Pro membership through September 30! 🌶️ Hot topics in Elite IMPACT Elite is our exclusive Facebook group for the brightest minds in digital sales and marketing. Here's the latest discussion that caught my eye: Nathan is looking for a tool to manage hourly retainer clients that includes dashboard functionality. Do you have any recommendations?  👀 In case you missed it...  A few of my hand-selected, personal favorites from the IMPACT archives...  14 indispensable IMPACT+ resources to crush your 2021 sales goals Should you hire a paid media agency for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns? Free B2B marketing plan template (+ tips and best practices) 📺 Weeklong nonsense With everything going on in the world, you now get nonsense in every single issue of THE LATEST... Same. Enjoy the rest of your week! Kristen Harold Director of Demand Generation kharold@impactbnd.com Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe Sent with 💙 by IMPACT  470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT