On August 4th, Drift announced not only the release of Drift Prospector for sales but an entirely new category: Revenue Acceleration.
All in the middle of a pandemic.
To be clear, it’s always nerve-wracking launching a new category. And my adrenaline is definitely high this month.
But if there was a best time to create a category, that time is now.
Here’s why:
- To find success, we need to stop living in safe mode: According to McKinsey, “…companies are more likely to thrive if they act aggressively to capture market share during downturns rather than wait for the recovery to begin.” I couldn’t agree more. There won’t be a sudden return to normalcy after COVID. That means we can’t keep viewing everything through a temporary lens. We need to innovate based on what we know now.
- Buyers and customers need help now: Buyers’ needs are changing rapidly. This means innovation should take priority, not a backseat. What new pains are your buyers and customers experiencing? How can your business address those needs right now? In Drift’s case, creating this new category was in line with the needs of our customers. The launch of Drift Prospector spearheaded Drift’s growth beyond Conversational Marketing into a new category servicing both sales and marketing: Revenue Acceleration.
- How we go-to-market (GTM) is changing: In another McKinsey study, 96% of business leaders said that COVID changed their GTM models – and that digital interactions are 2x more important to customers than they were prior to COVID. Meaning digital marketing and sales isn’t just the new normal – it’s the gold standard. Focus on the channels that will connect your message to buyers faster, and the pivots that will make these folks more successful.
I couldn’t be more excited to bring Revenue Acceleration to the market, especially as companies look to support new, agile GTM strategies.
How are you innovating right now? Send me a note on LinkedIn, Tweet to @triciagellman, or reply to this email.
Now, here’s the news I’m reading 👇
MarTech Interview with Kevin Knieriem, CRO at Clari [MarTechSeries]
In this interview, Clari’s CRO Kevin Knieriem discusses the rise of revops and revenue teams, what a good relationship between a CMO and CRO looks like, and how companies can break down organizational silos to fast-track GTM.
I was really impressed with Kevin’s take on “revenue as a process.” His narrative reinforces how important a strong bond between marketing, sales, and customer success is to long-term growth.
In other exciting news: Next week, we’re launching a book with Clari to dig into these topics even further. Check out Drift’s books page on August 19th to learn more.
Removing Bias from Our Industry & Beyond [Drift]
Conversations around racial inequality shouldn’t stop just because the news cycle has shifted. That’s why I’m so proud to share this article from one of our own Drifters.
Director of Engineering, Bernard Kiyanda, wrote an incredible post on how companies can remove racial bias from the software industry. Referencing Ruha Benjamin’s Race After Technology, Bernard discusses how companies should assess and eliminate bias during software development.
This paragraph hit particularly hard, as it should for everyone in this industry:
Throughout my years in software development, most companies I’ve worked for have aimed to create a workplace that promotes racial diversity and works to eliminate biased systems. But for one reason or another, they often fell short – not only in their hiring processes, but also in their approach towards software development. While Black software professionals intently work to eliminate bias, our impact is often invisible.” – Bernard Kiyanda, Director of Engineering, Drift
Let’s continue to rally around leaders like Bernard who show us our blemishes – and take action on what they find.
How Milk Bar’s Digital Transformation Has Led to Sustainable Growth [Think with Google]
Having been on the receiving end of a Milk Bar cake, I can tell you: The hype is real.
So when I saw them featured on Think with Google, I was elated.
This interview with Milk Bar’s owner Christina Tosi is a feel-good story about helping people celebrate life’s sweet moments at home. It’s also a great lesson on pivoting eCommerce channels when brick-and-mortar is no longer viable 👇
When the pandemic hit in the US, it gave us an invitation into the more intimate part of people’s lives, because people were trying to find ways to celebrate from home. Employers were trying to find ways to show up for their employees to say “thank you for showing up to work today.” People were trying to figure out how to engage with one another even though they couldn’t celebrate or share that moment together. We became the conduit for that online, which became a really interesting opportunity. – Christina Tosi, Chef & Owner, Milk Bar
By focusing on CX, digital advertising, and a few key channels, Milk Bar was able to pivot and find growth during a downturn. What channels are driving success for you today? What channels have you not yet explored?
Infographic: How B2B Sales Have Changed During COVID-19 [McKinsey]
McKinsey’s done an excellent job analyzing the economic and organizational impact of COVID. But, it’s easy to get buried under all that content and data.
That’s why I loved this simple infographic they put together. It’s based on interviews with over 3,000 B2B leaders across the globe. It includes data on the state of B2B sales and best practices for transitioning your sales strategy.
Here’s a sneak peek:
See you in the fall!
Talk soon,
Tricia
(P.S. Drift recently conducted our own research on the state of B2B buyer & customer experience. Check out all the insights here.)