Two new surveys of retail executives show that retailers believe the economic recovery could be just around the corner. The BDO Seidman Retail Compass Survey of CFOs reveals that 62% of retail CFOs plan to increase inventory purchases by the first half of 2010. The most recent quarterly supply chain risk report of U.S. retail and manufacturing executives from AMR Research supports the Retail Compass Survey’s findings that retailers and their partners are expecting a need for increased inventory in the coming year. Forty-four percent of the survey’s respondents believe the recovery cycle is the biggest supply chain risk in 2010 because of potential commodity price increases, limited internal skills after workforce reductions, and problems meeting new demand with constrained capacity, low inventory, and transportation constraints. In contrast, only 23% of respondents are worried that the recession will continue, resulting in weak customer demand. Most respondents, 83%, expect the economy to turn around in Q2 2010 or later, with 41% predicting a turnaround will occur in Q2 2010.
If you are marketing to retail CFOs, this is good information to have. After more than a year of stagnation, they might be ready to buy what you’re selling. Now is the time to become familiar with your target CFO careabouts so you are prepared to engage them around how your offering can address their current initiatives and challenges.
Posted September 30th, 2009 in
There are plenty of forums out there about general sales and marketing–but I haven’t yet found a good one that focuses on the special challenge of selling and marketing to senior executives and CXOs. So I started a new forum on LinkedIn on just this topic. It is sponsored and moderated by Boardroom Insiders, but you don’t have to be a customer to join–everyone is welcome! Appropriate questions and discussion topics include:
- research on CXO careabouts
- how to increase the effectiveness of account-based marketing efforts
- what CXOs expect from vendors who want their business
- best practices in CXO engagement
- how to “move the needle” with executive-level customers and prospects
- how to customize marketing communications and programs for individual CXOs
- how other companies have successfully reached and engaged CXOs
- how to pitch new ideas to CXOs within your own organization
To join, just go to LinkedIn, click on “Groups Directory” and search for: “Boardroom Insiders”
Look forward to seeing you there!
Sharon
Posted August 17th, 2009 in
In “The Next-Gen CIO: The New Archetype,” we covered how the role of the CIO has changed, and what type of people are now coming into the role now that the first generation of CIOs is beginning to retire. Listen in on our most popular 30-minute webinar to date!
Listen now!
Posted June 3rd, 2009 in
This McKinsey article poses ten questions that CFOs should be considering now that an economic recovery appears to be on the horizon. For those of you who target CFOs as key decision makers or influencers, you can leverage this as a thought leadership piece and demonstrate how your offer can help CFOs address some of these key questions. Enjoy!
Posted May 26th, 2009 in
If you sell or market to CIOs, this free 30-minute webinar is sure to be of interest!
CIOs may be the only executives who know how the business works from one end to the other–which makes them a critical audience for vendors across solutions and industries.
But have you noticed that the “typical CIO” is no longer so typical? CIOs are not just technologists anymore–some are now emerging from the business side of the organization–even marketing. There are also more female CIOs than ever before.
Spend 30 minutes with us and hear the latest about CIOs. In this session we will discuss:
- how and why the CIO archetype has changed
- the latest data on CIO careabouts and pain points
- insight into how CIOs make purchasing decisions
- what you need to know about selling or marketing to the CIO
All attendees will receive a free two-week trial subscription to Boardroom Insiders and a free CIO profile of their choice.
Register today!
Posted May 19th, 2009 in
Don’t miss the next Boardroom Insiders 30-minute webinar, when we will discuss the changing role of the Chief Information Officer. CIOs may be the only executives who know how the business works from one end to the other–which makes them a critical audience for vendors across solutions and industries.
But have you noticed that the “typical CIO” is no longer so typical? CIOs are not just technologists anymore–some are now emerging from the business side of the organization–even marketing. There are also more female CIOs than ever before.
Spend 30 minutes with us and hear the latest about CIOs. In this session we will discuss:
- how and why the CIO archetype has changed
- the latest data on CIO careabouts and pain points
- insight into how CIOs make purchasing decisions
- what you need to know about selling or marketing to the CIO
All attendees will receive a free two-week trial subscription to Boardroom Insiders and a free CIO profile of their choice.
Register today!
Posted April 24th, 2009 in
We were thrilled and surprised by today’s announcement that Boardroom Insiders is a finalist for a 2009 “Model of Excellence Award” by the InfoCommerce Group, a consulting and research firm serving the specialized business information publishing community. Winners will be announced at an awards dinner at the Data Content09 conference, being held October 27-28 at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, PA. You can be sure we will attend!
Even better, look what the InfoCommerce Group had to say about our service:
“Boardroom Insiders represents an ambitious effort to use public source data to build deep and insightful profiles of C-level executives at major companies nationwide. In terms of the depth of its data and its hand-tooled creation, you might think of it as a “Hoover’s for executives.” In terms of its deep mining of the web for background information, you might think of ZoomInfo, but with researchers, not machines, building the profiles. In many respects, it reminds us of a database of journalist profiles called NewsBios, but targeted at C-level executives, a much larger and lucrative market.
Typical executive profiles will include: biographical data, personal interests and attributes, insightful quotes, current business focus and perceived challenges, key peers and influencers. By utilizing a manual research effort leveraging automated research tools, the company can confidently create a deeper and more useful profile than full automated services, yet without the cost of full primary data collection.
Boardroom Insiders delivers a very differentiated product that focuses on an important and valuable slice of the marketplace. And while so many companies are chasing company data, Boardroom Insiders is staking out a claim to high-end executive data, a market where the need is large and the pockets are deep. ’Boardroom Insiders raises the bar on executive contact information by moving beyond commoditized biographical details to provide the information and insights necessary to make a personal connection – the essence of high-end relationship selling,’ says Russell Perkins, Founder of InfoCommerce Group. This is a savvy product and an extremely useful tool for companies that use relationship selling for high-ticket products sold to the C-suite.”
Posted April 21st, 2009 in
PWC’s latest survey of enterprise CEOs is out. I am sorry to say that pessimism and lack of confidence are key themes. Other more interesting findings include:
- Cross-border JVs will overtake M&A as a growth strategy
- Finding and retaining top talent remains a major priority
- They want better information about both customers and employees
The survey also includes in-depth interviews with CEOs such as John Donahoe from eBay and Fred Hassan from Schering-Plough.
Link to the survey site:
http://www.pwc.com/ceosurvey/
Posted April 20th, 2009 in
In a recent interview on The Intersection Blog, Boardroom Insiders founder Sharon Gillenwater talks about why executive engagement is more important than ever.
Posted March 31st, 2009 in
The CMO Council interviewed 659 global senior marketers online between mid-January and March 2. The big story is it is not about budget slashing; it’s about budget reallocation. Marketers are looking to do three things:
1. better support the sales team
2. drive business growth
3. engage the individual customer
#1 and #3 are what Boardroom Insiders is all about. We give you the insight you need to help your organization–especially your sales team–better engage the customer. Want to learn more? Contact us!
Posted March 16th, 2009 in
