The SiriusDecisions 2014 Summit in Orlando last week brought more than 2,000 marketing and sales professional together for a deep dive into SiriusDecisions’ latest research and studies. The big message for B2B attendees was that a period of growth has already begun, and marketing and sales teams need to be prepared to make the most of it.
The inaugural “SiriusDecisions B-to-B Confidence Index” study unveiled at the conference focused 
on the current state of b2b growth, and included input from professionals across 25 different industries. The results were very positive, with 90 percent of respondents expecting to grow their businesses in 2014.
“We are moving out of the productivity era and into an area of business optimism with a keen focus on growth,” says John Neeson, cofounder/managing director of SiriusDecisions.
The SiriusDecisions team also highlighted five key areas for growth in the year ahead: entering new markets, expanding to new buyers, launching new product offerings, growth through acquisitions and growth through improved productivity. The critical issues facing those growth areas that could inhibit growth are sales execution, speed to market, managing more informed buyers and the complexity of the buying process.
What steps can teams take to make the most of the info presented in these studies? Marketing teams need to align change initiatives to buyer outcomes and leverage analytics to drive investment decisions and measure results. Sales teams should enable reps with the knowledge, skills and assets required for better conversations with customers, and develop a strong discipline in hiring and retaining sales talent. Product teams must remember that innovation and speed to market are the keys to success, and to create their message with a buyer’s perspective in mind.
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