Leaders, here are 12 can't-miss IMPACT+ resources for 2021 strategy prep

In case you missed it, August was a huge month for our digital sales and marketing online learning platform, IMPACT+:

Here's the thing, though — right now, it's ridiculously easy to deprioritize learning, professional development, and education. Especially when you're a business leader in this current, wildly unpredictable climate. 

You need to focus on ending the year strong, or as strong as you can. More than that, you're already looking ahead to 2021. Likely with increased scrutiny as you more strictly evaluate what is (and isn't) driving the results you're looking for, for your company. 

But as obnoxious as it is to hear someone tell you that you need to "slow down to speed up" — it even ruffles my feathers sometimes, when I'm trying to stay focused — it's more important than ever for all of us to remember how critical it is to do this. Especially in business.

🔎 Related: Why is the traditional marketing agency model broken?

Moreover, you need to approach the future with a willingness to let go of the ways "things have always been done," because they're the devil you know. 

This moment in time reminds me a lot of Marcus Sheridan's story with River Pools and Spas. He rescued his company from the brink, after the economy collapsed virtually overnight in 2008. He didn't do that by sticking to business as usual, however. Instead, he completely changed the entire way his marketed his business and connected with his ideal buyers online.

All from his kitchen table. 

Now is the time to write the first chapter of your company's success story

At IMPACT, we want to be your partner in helping you write your own success story. Because we've learned time and again that it's moments of crisis and forced pivots when true business successes occur, not when it's smooth sailing.

So, how will you innovate and reinvent your digital sales and marketing strategies, as we start looking ahead and crafting our budgets for the new year? What can stay the same? What needs to change? 

🔎 Related: How much does it cost to become a success story?

Well, to help you start on this journey, I've curated the following list of IMPACT+ on-demand videos and online, self-guided courses for resourceful, visionary business leaders just like you. 

On-demand videos, sessions, and recordings

All of these on-demand talks, videos, and sessions are free with an IMPACT+ account, but you do need to sign up for an IMPACT+ account to access them:

• How to become the go-to thought leader in your entire industry
  Are you “doing Inbound” — AKA digital marketing — but not reaching the level of success you’d like to achieve? Do you ever feel like you could do more but you’re just not sure what that looks like? Or are you finding that it’s a struggle to get everyone in your organization engaged in the Inbound efforts? If so, you’re not alone, which is exactly why Marcus Sheridan will share the secrets of highest performing digital sales and marketing programs and how they’ve managed to climb to the top of their industry — and stay there as well.
• How to transform into a virtual selling organization
  Before COVID-19, you could meet “nose-to-nose, face-to-face,” and close a hard-won deal with a handshake and a smile. Which is why sales, out of any other department, is the one that has been the most dramatically impacted by recent events. Unfortunately, many sales teams were not ready for this abrupt shift. If you're looking for immediate takeaways to apply to your sales team and sales process, this is one presentation you won't want to miss.
  
• The proven roadmap to achieve remarkable success in any economic climate (part one)
• The proven roadmap to achieve remarkable success in any economic climate (part two)
• Becoming a better leader through crisis
  An outstanding, inspiring talk for any leader who is struggling or is looking for pointers on how to navigate a crisis with your people. Get ready, by the way... JT Terrell of Petra Coach is a super fun and inspiring speaker.
  
• Selling during uncertain times
  
  In the current climate, your success hinges on your ability to deal with this economic volatility. Yet many of the traditional approaches for coping with tough times can actually make things worse. You ramp up activity, but don't see any measurable impact on your numbers, or you share your full scope of products/services, but your prospects are less interested in any.  We're going to discuss ways you can tackle these roadblocks, and how you can strengthen your value propositions, conduct sales experiments, address risk issues, and form strategic alliances.
• How to dramatically improve your close rates by integrating content into your sales process
  If you were to guess, how many sales team hours and resources are spent educating prospects versus having productive sales conversations? In this session, you’ll discover the importance of leveraging content in the sales process, spending less time educating in sales meetings, and ensuring you’re always working with qualified prospects. You’ll see how it works, what’s possible when done correctly, and how to start implementing it tomorrow.

Online courses for business leaders

Again, all of these courses are free with an IMPACT+ account, but you do need to sign up for an IMPACT+ account to access them:

• Digital Sales & Marketing Framework for Today's Modern Buyer by Marcus Sheridan (Free)
  Everything you need to improve your buying process, build trust throughout it, and leverage content to power your sales process with shorter close time.
• Fundamentals of The Visual Sale by Zach Basner (Free)
  Buyer habits have dramatically changed, has your sales and marketing? Video is the most effective way for businesses to explain complex ideas and build trust with audiences.
• Investing in Incredible Digital Sales & Marketing Results by Chris Duprey (Free)
  The companies that see the biggest returns on their digital sales and marketing investment aren’t the ones that outsource their success to an agency — they own it themselves.
• Scaling up Your Digital Sales & Marketing by Chris Duprey (Free)
  By the end of this course, you’ll know what it takes to turn your digital sales and marketing from good to great, an actual asset that continues to provide opportunities for you, your team, and your community.

Finally, don't forget the scorecard

Before you can figure out where you need to go, first you need to look a long, hard look about where you are, as a company. The IMPACT+ scorecard can help you do just that...

Not only can you take the scorecard yourself, we strongly encourage you to have other members from your team — in sales, marketing, and service — evaluate your company's current digital sales and marketing performance. 

On top of that, you can track your progress and improvement over time:

The purpose of the IMPACT+ interactive scorecard and strategy roadmap is to empower you to evaluate exactly where your company is today, and what specific steps need to be taken to drive the sales and marketing results you're striving for.

It's like that old saying, right? If you're not measuring it, you can't manage it.