Join the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) and the University of Houston, Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute (SEI) for a our join member meeting:  Transforming Marketing and Sales in Our Post-Covid World.

Speakers & Sessions:

Day 1 – Tuesday, May 18, 2021

10:00AM ET 

• Welcome & Opening Remarks – Lynn Yanyo, ISBM Executive Director & Randy Webb, Executive Director of SEI, University of Houston

10:30AM – 11:30AM ET

• Marketing and Sales Working Together in the New Post-Covid World – Thomas Steenburgh, Senior Associate Dean, University of Virginia
  • During the past year, companies have worked under tremendous uncertainty. They have developed strategies to mitigate the risks to their business and found new ways to reach customers. They also have had to create a learning mindset amid a sea of uncertainty. Tom Steenburgh will discuss some themes that have emerged from his research on selling new products and his experience in helping organizations develop new ways of learning. Sales and marketing organizations need to find ways to push ahead despite the uncertainty, which is bound to be with us for the next several years. Tom will share some best practices that will help them thrive in the challenging environment ahead.

12:00PM – 1:00PM ET

• The Evolving Role of Market Research in New Product Development – And Why You’re Probably Doing it Wrong! – Gerry Katz, Retired Vice Chairman of Applied Marketing Science (AMS)
  • Market Research has always played an important role in New Product Development – at least for Consumer Packaged Goods.  But it has only been in the last 15-20 years that its use has expanded into the world of Business-to-Business products and services, probably owing to the fact that it is so much harder and more expensive to conduct.While some are still skeptical, there is now unmistakable evidence of its value.  Unfortunately, too many companies try to do it themselves, and predictably, they make every “rookie mistake” in the book, not because they are stupid, but because they simply lack any expertise in the basics of the field.  Yes, there are certainly some areas of market research where you ought to hire a professional.  But there are many others that you CAN do yourself – with a little knowledge and training. Market Research and New Product Development guru Gerry Katz will try to set us straight.  He’ll describe where in the process to use it, how to do it, and how to avoid the most egregious traps and mistakes. In addition, he will address how the research process may need to be altered in the face of the COVID pandemic, and how some recent advances in Machine Learning can improve your ability to harvest insights from research.

1:30PM – 2:30PM ET

• The Changing Compensation of the Sales Force – Erik Charles, Vice President, Solutions Evangelist, Xactly Corp
  • The world of sales is ever changing – it made it from the Rolodex to the CRM, from the door-to-door salesman (who still exists!) to the telemarketer, and from the one-and-done deal to the subscription economy. In this talk, recent research covering the impact of COVID will be shared, along with a review of recent studies covering the reaction to the pandemic, the impact on Field Sales, and the changing persona of the stereotypical sales rep. A look at applied AI as it impacts key parts of sales operations, and finally the movement from sales operations to revenue operations.

3:00PM – 4:00PM ET

• New Roles of the Sales Manager – Ryan Mullins, Clemson University followed by a panel discussion. Panelists: Randy Webb, University of Houston, Juli Ramos, Eli Lilly, and Kelly Dostal, Dell
  • The way sales managers train, coach, and evaluate their people is rapidly changing, particularly in the post COVID world. This aspect of leadership development has often been overlooked in the midst of repositioning salespeople over the past year. As a result, leaders need an approach for sales manager development as their tools, markets, channels, and strategies quickly evolve. In this session, we will outline foundational areas to prioritize for sales manager development and host a panel to discuss how to navigate these areas beyond COVID.

4:00PM ET

We will be hosting a social hour beginning at 4:00PM with Raleigh Brewing Company.   Even if you missed the deadline of May 1st to receive your samples, feel free to grab your own sampling and join us for some tasting and discussion with Kristie Nystedt, CEO/President of Raleigh Brewing Company.

Day 2 – Wednesday, May 19, 2021

10:00AM ET 

• Welcome  – Lynn Yanyo, ISBM Executive Director & Randy Webb, Executive Director of SEI, University of Houston

10:15AM – 10:30AM ET 

• ISBM B2B Trends Study Results – Stefan Wuyts, ISBM Research Director, Penn State

10:30AM – 11:30AM ET

• ROI of B2B Trade Shows:  Past, Present and Future – Srinath Gopalakrishna, University of Missouri, Gary Lilien, Penn State, and Ian Sequeria, VP – Research & Measurement, Freeman Company
  • For many B2B firms, trade show participation is a major element of their marketing mix, often second only to the cost of the salesforce. Prior to Covid 19, the traditional, all in-person trade show model was evolving to a more flexible, hybrid model due to the growth of online options. The onset of Covid inflicted an abrupt  shock to the traditional trade show model, eliminating the in-person component. This panel discussion will address (a) the traditional role of the trade show as a mechanism for B2B commerce, education and networking; (b) how trade shows have adapted to the on-line only environment induced by Covid — what is working and what is not–and (c) what the future has in store for the role of the trade show, and its ROI, in the B2B marketing mix.

12:00PM – 1:00PM ET

• Digital Transformation of Selling – Johannes Habel, Carl Herman, and Craig McAndrews, University of Houston
  • Mastering the digital transformation of sales is one of the challenges for sales managers today. Interestingly, though, the key challenge is less a technological one and more one of leading people to change. In this session, we review key trends in digital transformation, how sales forces need to adapt their mindset and behaviors in response, and how managers can overcome obstacles to these changes.

1:30PM – 2:30PM ET

• Sales & Marketing Post-Covid – Dave Loomis, President, Loomis Marketing
  • In this session, Dave Loomis of Loomis Marketing will cover what has changed in B2B sales and marketing due to COVID and what might not have changed.  To adapt, Dave will explain four ways to help adapt to the changing times:  watch your customers, map your channels, create more meaningful content, and experiment with new tactics.  Dave will draw on his significant B2B marketing background as well as facilitate an interesting conversation that taps into changes member companies might have experienced in the past year.

3:00PM – 4:00PM ET

• Accelerating Innovation:  Some Lessons from The Pandemic – Robert Cooper, Creator of the Stage-Gate® Process
  • The Pandemic taught us that accelerated new-product development is more important than ever, and has provided examples of firms developing breakthrough products in record time. Dr. Cooper outlines five approaches to accelerated development. The first two deal with adequately resourcing new-product projects, namely the use of focused teams; and effective portfolio management to prioritize projects and reallocate resources. Newer digital tools are outlined that speed new-products developments. Finally, two development methods are described that move development projects faster: Lean development and Agile development. All five acceleration approaches have strong applicability to the development of physical products across a broad array of B2B industries, not just software or medical products. Robert will talk about all five approaches along with an illustration of how each works.