Corporate mergers & acquisitions are possibly the most complex, unpredictable, and data heavy processes in the corporate sector. At one time in the past, Harvard Business Review reported that between 70% and 90% of mergers and acquisitions fail to meet projected results, while McKinsey & Company also reported that in any given year about 10% of all large mergers and acquisitions are abandoned.

One of my favorite quotes is from Nolan Bushnell who said “the true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer”. Bushnell knows a thing or two about the difference between dreaming and doing: He founded Atari in the ’70s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the video game industry…before going on to start the Chuck E Cheese pizza chain.

Back in April we published a blog with our top tips for selling and marketing in a pandemic. Seven months later, with COVID surging again around the world, we’re doubling down on our previous advice.

It’s tougher than ever to land new clients, whether you’re in a services business, a technology business, or you do a little of both. The truth is, when there’s massive disruption from external forces (in this case a virus that just keeps on kicking), it becomes more challenging to get buyers to adopt new ways of doing things, or working with untested (at least by themselves) technology and/or services.

With so much uncertainty surrounding us (pandemics, elections, trade wars…even murder hornets), it’s easy to get caught up in what feels like day to day survival and forego annual planning. That said, when it feels impossible to plan for the future it becomes even more important to ensure you have guiding objectives and strategies linking the company’s future to the present day.

The pandemic has revealed more fissures than we’d like to count including a major gap between the sales haves and have-nots. In the early stages of the shutdown, new business opportunities all but disappeared. The most resilient companies were those already clued into the importance of relationship based, personalized sales and service experiences. The good news is, it’s not too late to learn this important lesson. Whether you’re a newbie to the world of personalized sales or you’re ready to leverage personalization through your entire customer lifecycle, here are three ways to drive better connection.

Despite advice to the contrary, most organizations rely heavily on in person events to drive sales activity, which has left many adrift in a sea of cancelled events and online event pivots. How do sales teams, accustomed to in person sales, network and drive lead generation in an event with no opportunity to interact with prospective buyers face to face?

It's critical to have a financial lead and infrastructure that supports the size, goals, and challenges your business is facing.  Controller? Bookkeeper? Accounting Manager? Financial Analyst? CFO? What’s the difference? Should you hire internally or outsource externally? Full-time? Part-time?

To answer these questions, and because all organizations have different financial needs, it’s important to understand the differences among roles and match them to the needs of your business, currently, and in the future. Broadly speaking, financial roles can be separated into two simple categories: backward and forward looking.

With most of the world still on lockdown, 2020 events cancelled and business travel at a near standstill, we are nearing unprecedented levels of video chats, webinars and podcasts.

There’s been a lot of debate around what’s differentiating companies that are faring well during the pandemic versus those that are struggling. Obviously products, offerings and the ability to pivot, if needed, play an important role in a company’s success, but commercial activities are critical too. We asked a few industry sales leaders to share what they’re doing to drive their teams’ success right now. Here’s what they’re up to:

If you’re flummoxed by how to sell or market through COVID-19, you’re not alone. That said, it doesn’t mean we should stop trying to figure it out. As with any major disruption, “business as usual” is likely to result in tone deaf outreach. I find that companies are in 1 of 3 modes right now.