[THE LATEST] New research shows how small businesses responded to COVID-19, what are the benefits of inbound marketing (really), and what to do if your best sales reps still aren't hitting their goals

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New research shows how small businesses responded to COVID-19, what are the benefits of inbound marketing (really), and what to do if your best sales reps still aren't hitting their goals ...this is THE LATEST! 🗞️ Extra, extra! Read all about it! New research: How did small businesses respond to pandemic challenges? A lot has changed: Here are the real benefits of inbound marketing if (and only if) you do it the right way Right the ship: What do you do if your best sales rep still isn't hitting their goals due to COVID-19? If you have a business website: Please take my completely anonymous 2-minute survey about business websites 🎁 Give yourself the gift of digital sales and marketing education. Now through December 31, you can get an IMPACT+ PRO account for 50% off! You'll get access to 15+ marketing and sales courses, all of the on-demand recordings from our virtual events and more. Sign up today! (Fun fact, a pro subscription also gets you access to our virtual peer groups.) Look, this year has been all about adaptation, right? Small and medium-sized businesses have had to completely pivot their strategies in the wake of COVID-19, as have sales teams.  And I... well, my big dream is to one day own a house with a fireplace. But I currently live in an apartment in East Haven, Connecticut — a town with its own "unique" Christmas song (which I respect) — so I made due today with reading by my own "virtual fireplace": Look, you go to battle with the army you've got. Oh, on a completely unrelated note, I learned today that a grouping of owls is called a parliament.  From Scott Gustafson Talk about a branding and positioning slam dunk. I wonder what a grouping of Lizzes should be called... 🤔 Now, here's THE LATEST. 👉 How did small businesses respond to pandemic challenges? New research says... (5-minute read) A lot has happened this year and, in response to the pandemic, many small and medium-sized businesses have been left scrambling throughout 2020 to determine the best course of action when seemingly everything considered stable had fallen apart. So, as we look ahead to the new year, what can new research tell us about how these SMBs adapted, survived, and (in some cases) thrived in this new reality? IMPACT Revenue and Features Editor John Becker sat down with Zyro CMO Gytis Labašuaskas for an exclusive interview on new data that shows how exactly SMBs approached the COVID-19, as well as what were the biggest trends we need to be aware of. 📚 Related reads and resources: What are the biggest social media predictions for 2021? (new report) IMPACT+ course: Digital sales and marketing framework for today's buyer IMPACT+ course: Investing in incredible digital sales and marketing results 👉 With so much having changed in recent years, what are the real benefits of inbound marketing today? (5-minute read) Inbound marketing is a digital marketing strategy in which a business organically earns the attention of their ideal buyers at different stages of their purchasing journey — awareness, consideration, and decision — rather than having to seek them out and competing for attention with traditional outbound marketing and advertising campaigns. In short, the promise of inbound marketing is that you no longer need to chase after your ideal buyers. Sounds amazing, right? Well, in this article from yours truly, I illuminate that yes, there are still numerous quantifiable, research-backed benefits to inbound marketing... but you still need to put in the work. 📚 Related reads and resources: What's the difference between inbound marketing and content marketing? What content marketing tactics do you need to abandon in 2021? IMPACT+ on-demand session: How to create revenue-generating content quickly (so you can get back to work) 👉 What do you do if your best sales reps are still not hitting their numbers after COVID-19? (3-minute read) There's no question that the pandemic has upended business as we know it. Often sales reps are on the front lines of these disruptions — and their experiences can be the bellwether for how a company, industry, or entire economy is doing. If you're a sales leader and you've found that even your best sales reps are not hitting their numbers, it's easy to be discouraged and uncertain about what to do next. However, in this candid analysis from Marcus Sheridan, he shares that now is the time to live in the solution, with his precise recommendations on how to approach under-performing sales reps. 📚 Related reads and resources: 8 essential virtual selling best practices for all industries IMPACT+ course: Assignment selling content is the greatest sales tool IMPACT+ course: Digital communication techniques for 1-to-1 sales 🎬 What's new on the Digital Sales & Marketing Channel 6 most costly YouTube SEO mistakes you can't afford to make We're releasing new educational content for digital marketers, business leaders, and sales pros every single week on our YouTube Channel. Don't miss out and subscribe to our channel today!  ⚠️ In case you missed it... Here are a few of my favorite recent reads you may have missed: What can you expect from IMPACT's website strategy blueprint process? 5 ways to ace your YouTube SEO strategy in 2021 Your definitive HubSpot cost and pricing guide (updated for 2021) 🌶️ Hot topics in Elite IMPACT Elite is our exclusive Facebook group for the brightest minds in digital sales and marketing. Here's a recent discussion that caught my eye for those who work in non-profits: If you do video editing, what computer specs do you have? 📺 Weeklong nonsense With everything going on in the world, you now get nonsense in every single issue of THE LATEST... Have a great weekend! Stay safe and warm! Liz "Yule Log" Moorehead Editorial Director @whatlizsaid Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe Sent with 💙 by IMPACT  470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT