Now that we’re settled into 2019, we’ve found ourselves going back to some sales resources and tools more than others.

We’ve compiled this list of digital resources, training opportunities, best practices, and other must-haves that our team has been loving so far this year.

This year (on October 17, 2019 to be specific) marked the first year of the Manufacturing Marketing World conference in Jamestown, NY. 

protocol80, in partnership with MAST, the NWIRC, and the SBDC, worked to create the first educational conference geared toward helping manufacturers reach more prospects and generate more sales. This goal was achieved with the help of dedicated speakers, covering an array of topics throughout the day.

To say “you had to be there” would be an understatement. But, for those of you who couldn’t make it (or for anyone who wants a refresher), we’ve put together this recap guide with the key takeaways from each session, and a video glimpse of the day.

For a long time now, one of the hot manufacturing topics has been the United States’ tariffs on imported Chinese goods. Many manufacturers are scrambling for answers and solutions as President Donald Trump continues to add to the list of taxed goods.

Maybe you were on Twitter this week and saw that your local HubSpot User Group is holding a quarterly meetup soon. Or, maybe an email came through today from your local HUG leader, requesting your RSVP.

No matter why the impending meetup is on your mind, you’ve found yourself asking the same question: “How can I get more out of these meetups?” If you’ve attended a meetup in the past and found it less-than-helpful, there are a few proactive steps you can take to get more out of your time spent at a HUG.

On the other hand, if you’re anxious to attend a HUG for a first time, these are some great tips from HUG pros to get the most out of every minute.

Like an old friend, Josh Curcio reached out to say “hey” to a lead. Josh knew 2 things: that the prospect, a sales director at a company he last spoke to 7 years prior, enjoys mountain biking and that the company was recently was in the news because of a video about the company that appeared on Facebook.

The annual Inbound conference is awesome for a variety of reasons. It covers marketing, sales, leadership, culture, growth, and more. There's a ton of great inspiration. The networking opportunities are endless. And the parties...well, let's just say they're a jolly good time. ;)

As a marketer, nothing's more frustrating than consistently improving your website traffic with SEO, but failing to convert more website visitors into sales leads.

Have you ever been in one of those "hindsight is 20/20" situations? You're not alone.

Two years from now, you don't want to look back and say,"Imagine where we'd be if we started inbound sales two years ago!"  While the methodology is still new compared to traditional sales methods, it's absolutely worth the time and effort to implement.

Every B2B company needs a CRM system. Not a contact list in Excel - an actual integrated CRM.

A full CRM stores your contact information and history: prospects, leads, current and past customers, and more. This database is the central location for storing, tracking, and keeping all visitor activity and info up to date.

Only 54.6% of sales professionals meet their sales quota. That's a pretty dismal number. Although there are many things that affect performance, B2B sales prospecting (or lack thereof) has a direct impact.