Blake Van Leer

Maybe the Fed will cut rates this year if we tell them "Don't" ? 😉 Serious note - Retail Sales was way above expectations showing consumer strength. However - we want to see April's number as Easter fell in March this year. And when adjusted for inflation - all numbers show limited to no growth...paying more, not buying more. My old stomping ground, NY, is struggling in manufacturing - numbers remain contractionary #interestrates #mortgage #economy #fedpolicy #retailsales #housing

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"PE Growth HEADWIND”: PE Portco Sales Slumping? Avoid KNEE-JERK & Costly Reactions Only Addressing The Symptoms I often see this costly mistake with PE-backed, lower-middle market businesses. Typically, the business experiences a sales slump midway through the PE hold period, and a mild PANIC spreads from the PE owners/board to the executive team. Then I hear these common suggestions - sound familiar? “Just fire the VP of Sales (or CMO)!” “Double the size of the sales team & we will double sales!” “TRIPLE the leads & we will see a huge revenue increase!” “Just hire salespeople with more sales experience.” “Fire the SDRs and hire a cheaper, outsourced lead-gen team.” “Let's double down on paid search!” "Time to replace our website.” "Let’s quickly introduce AI tools to our sales process!”   While some of these suggestions might be warranted, most are knee-jerk reactions focused on symptoms that, if executed immediately, could lead to negative organic revenue, EBITDA & exit value results. In many cases, PE revenue leaders are biased toward either sales or marketing (e.g., led by the VP of Sales or the CMO) and focus on one or the other – but not both. THIS IS A MISTAKE. Revenue needs to be viewed as an interconnected system, and both sides should be recalibrated. Don't jump to conclusions! Many factors could be causing the slump: ·     Targeting the wrong markets? ·     Poor definition of your ideal customer? ·     Lead generation emphasizing quantity vs. quality leads? ·     Lack of a defined sales process? ·     Ineffective or untrained sales team? ·     New competition with similar messaging? ·     Lack of relevant content along the buyer journey? ·     Unaddressed negative reviews viewed by most buyers? ·     Product/service issues hurting your reputation? ·     Sales incentives to close bad-fit customers who later churn? ·     Maybe all of the above? BIG POINT: sales slumps are rarely attributable to just sales or to just marketing gaps. It’s almost always a combination of issues with a COMPOUNDING negative impact.   So, when I am brought in to address a slow-growth PE portco in either an advisory or an executive capacity, I typically recommend PE revenue teams start their analysis at a high level with 3 GTM buckets and then work down to isolate & fix the root causes: ↳ First, is this a market targeting/aiming issue (wrong market/customer)? ↳ Next, is this a qualified lead generation issue (marketing mix/channels)? ↳ Finally, is this a sales/expansion execution issue (sales process/training)? ↳ Or maybe a combination of all three?   When sales begin to sink, RESIST the temptation to call your favorite marketing agency or sales consultant immediately! Neither may address the full issue, including fixable challenges on both sides of the revenue equation. What are you doing TODAY to enhance your portco’s exit value by addressing & fixing the root causes of sales slumps vs. costly, one-off symptom band-aids?

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📈 **Retail Sales Update - March 2024** Great news from the retail sector! March saw retail sales exceeding Wall Street expectations with a robust increase of 0.7%, surpassing the forecasted 0.4%. This rise highlights a continued consumer spending resilience despite the higher interest rates environment. Excluding autos and gas, sales even jumped by 1.0%, showcasing a significant consumer confidence. Notably, nonstore retailers led with a surge of 2.7%. While sporting goods and hobby stores experienced a dip, the overall trend remains positive. This performance suggests a strong economic footing as we move further into 2024, with job growth and economic projections both on the rise. A critical insight for professionals across industries as we navigate an economy grappling with sustained inflation and growth dynamics. https://lnkd.in/g8hZru57 #RetailIndustry #EconomicGrowth #ConsumerSpending #BusinessInsights

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Check out this interview with Brian Hale for a strategic update around the NAR Settlement and why it's the opportunity of a lifetime for Realtors according to Tom Ferry, and what mortgage industry leaders should implement right now to get ahead of their competition and win market share.

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Hey mortgage and housing friends... This is a 90-second look at charts and an example of important things to watch in addition to the fundamentals (economic reports, Fed, Oil debt, etc) When you couple basic understanding of fundamentals and technical analysis - it further solidifies your "Market Position - where are rates headed? Why and What's Next?" Enjoy and let's hope Mortgage Bonds take out this price resistance level just overhead. Tabrasa mortgage market guide

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Want proof that multi-threading works? Here's our own data: We only win 4% of deals when there's one contact engaged. Scott Tower posted today about this https://lnkd.in/g2y-xjE4 This shows that buying is a team sport, and if there's only one person involved in a buying process it's likely going nowhere fast. One contact usually means they are on an information-gathering tour - typically a person with no decision-making authority - talking to vendors to collect pricing and present it to an executive team. This is the dumbest way to buy anything. People need to stop trying to avoid talking to sales reps. Great sales reps don't pressure prospects to buy products they don't need - they are there to help them buy and ensure their needs fit the solution. They can't do that if they aren't talking to the person with the pain and who has the authority to make the deal happen.

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The heart of the Hu Valuation Summit is its debate around how projects should be appropriately valued - which is why those serving as Analysts are central to the Summit's success. Meet the Analysts: Krysti Clayton Mostert, Karter Smith, Chris Draper, Nicky Gillibrand, Stephanie Majeran, Chris Tesarski, Chrissy Culek, Aaron Santos, PhD, Justin Venetucci, and Brandi Amantea. The Hu Valuation Summit is best described as a 3-day work session where projects, analysts, and attendees debate how the Human Impact of each is more accurately and fairly valued. For information on how to be a presenting Analyst, please visit and apply here (https://lnkd.in/g65nxa7r). Want to attend or sponsor? Please find sponsorship opportunities and ticket purchase options at the #hu2024dsm conference website (https://www.hu2024dsm.com/). #esgracs #Hu #impactinvesting #beyondcarbon #sustainability #esg

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If Shane Gillis can get on Hot Ones, you can too! Commsor 🦕's bringing the heat to your sales and GTM strategies! This past fall in Nashville, 15 daring sales and GTM leaders sat down with the Commsor team for the spiciest interview they've ever done. They ate progressively spicier wings smothered in Commsor’s custom revenue themed hot sauces while answering even spicier questions about the GTM space. The people asked and they’ve listened - you can now send some of the Commsor Hot Intros Sauce through Sendoso to your prospects and customers and put the heat back into your pipeline! Ghosted by a prospect? Trying sending the Ghosted Pepper sauce (the spiciness level will ensure you aren’t forgotten by them. Unable to crack into an account? Trying sending SDR Tears and remind them that you’re also a human. Flavors include: - Warm Intros (Delaware Peach, mild & flavorful) - SDR Tears (Nor Easter, sweet & spicy chili) - Cayenne Cold Call (traditional buffalo sauce) - Ghosted Pepper (you know the drill 🌡🥵) Anyone, both Sendoso account holders and non-sendoso users, can send the Hot Intros sauces here: https://lnkd.in/e4BPV4_X Give it a try today and happy selling (saucing)!!

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In sales, a personal brands matters. It’s not all about ‘who you know’ as a salesperson. It’s all about who knows you. There’s this thing I call: the Opportunity Pendulum (at Flywheel we like our simple machines!) And basically it states that the buyer is on a pendulum. This pendulum is always swinging. And it swings through windows where the buyer is ‘looking’. A personal brand keeps you top of mine through the whole swing. It’s the difference between them thinking of you during that window or not. The best time to build a personal brand was 5 years ago. The next best time is now.

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My experience running marketing departments always feels the same: "Please do more with the same (or smaller) budget." Optimizing your Google Search budget so that you aren't paying for uncontested Ads is the easiest way to find a growth budget (without having to beg your boss). I'm hosting a webinar on Jan 8th to discuss this very tactic! https://lnkd.in/d3QxhTtR

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Nearly everyone in business - from owners and executives, to sales and marketing folks - needs images to power your presentations, social media content, and more. Join Snap Tech IT for our June webinar as we explore how to leverage generative AI tools for image and video creation. Power-user Nathan Caldwell will share his best practices and favorite tools with our audience. Register now: https://lnkd.in/gpyWKv4k #generativeAI #copilot #chatgpt

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There are a lot of opinions about how to build a fast-growing AND successful franchise brand. And few can actually do both. Sean Bock previously of Cold Stone Creamery and Drybar and now with Pure Glow® shares three pillars of successful franchise growth. 💡 Capitalization Strategies: Learn how Pure Glow raised funds to fuel franchise growth and why capitalizing upfront is key to long-term success. 🚀 Franchisee Selection: Discover the importance of choosing the right first 10 franchisees to build a strong foundation. 📈 Focus on Sustainable Growth: Understand how franchisors can create repeatable success as they scale from 1 to 10 and 10 to 100+ units. As you might expect, we discussed brands like Rolling Suds and how their journey is materially different from a typical franchise brand getting started - BY DESIGN. Enjoy this episode of The Advisory Board #podcast - with so many insights. Ryan, Keith, Tiffany https://lnkd.in/g8CQ2Mgr

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🏁Get ready to accelerate your business at RevvedUP 2025! 🏎️ From February 25-27, Sarasota, FL becomes the hub for B2B/B2C media, events, and marketplace leaders looking to turbocharge their revenue and growth strategies. Speakers in the starting grid include: 🏁Paul Miller FCIM Questex's Pit Boss As CEO, Paul will reveal how he's redesigned the engine of information services, driving Questex to record-breaking growth. His blueprint is revolutionizing our industry – join us at RevvedUP to hear how his strategies can apply to your organization. 🏁Constance Sayers GovExec's Digital & Revenue Navigator Navigate the fast-changing media landscape with GEMG’s President as she shares insights from launching award-winning platforms. Constance leads revenue and programs across all brands, driving growth with her unique roadmap engineered from her deep media experience across multiple B2B/B2C sectors. 🏁Matthew Yorke The Channel Company's Strategy Dynamo Matt will explore the major changes expected in the technology industry over the next decade, including AI integration, cloud infrastructure shifts, and evolving cybersecurity. As CEO, he’ll drive The Channel Company's media brands, events, and services adaptation through these transformations. RevvedUP 2025 is your pit stop for premium networking, cutting-edge tech insights, and strategies that'll put you ahead of the curve. Ready to shift your business into high gear? Secure your spot now for this exclusive gathering of industry pacesetters! 🏎️ Join us to network with these industry leaders and more: https://hubs.li/Q02Sy6NT0 #RevvedUP2025 #MediaInnovation #DigitalAcceleration

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The need for lifetime income in defined contribution plans has been around for many years, and is not going away. The way our industry solves that problem needs to evolve. It's not good enough to just use yesterday's annuities which require trade-offs and too many participant-level decisions. That may address the need, but it won't fix the problem. Solving the problem requires a focus on eliminating trade-offs and automatic utilization, which requires a different approach. Fresh thinking is what ARS does as we enhance the way America retires. #lifetimeincome #retirement

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