Friday Download: This Week's New B2B Marketing E-books and Reports

One idea I’ve had on the backburner for months now is featuring an in-depth review of a B2B marketing e-book or report every Friday. Of course, I never “found” the time to do this.

(As Ardath Albee will confirm, I confessed to her about having a notebook full of blog ideas. Her incredulous response? “Start posting them, honey!”)

On top of that, I have become overwhelmed with the sheer breadth of information presented on Twitter. Quite frankly, I can’t keep up with it all and wondered, “Isn’t there one place where I can find e-books and reports pertaining to B2B marketing?”

I couldn’t find one, so herewith, my new blog feature that you’ll see every Friday: a roundup of the week’s newly published B2B marketing books and reports — all in one place! I can’t guarantee that I’ll have read them all, but you can read them and leave comments and let others know what you think.

1. The Art of the Social Sale
An e-book by The Customer Collective (registration required).

Sales are not often traditionally thought of as a social process. But the behavior of the modern customer is changing. Customers today can increasingly be described as “social customers,” prompting the contemporary sales organization and even the individual salesperson to rethink how they sell. And that can be daunting for many reasons. In this e-book, The Customer Collective has recruited top corporate leadership and thought leaders who sell in a variety of industry sectors to guide you through this change.

2. Social Media in the 2009 Inc. 500: New Tools & New Trends
A report by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (no registration required).

The Center for Marketing Research recently conducted a new in-depth and statistically significant study on the usage of social media in fast-growing corporations. This new study revisits the Center’s study of Inc. 500 social media usage for the third consecutive year, making it a valuable and rare longitudinal study of corporate use of these new technologies.

3. Social Media Time Management
An e-book by Amber Naslund (no registration required).

Although not strictly for B2B, I thought B2B marketers would appreciate this e-book as the one plaintive cry I frequently hear is, “How do we find the time for social media?!” Amber wrote this e-book based on her blog series about social media time Management plus a presentation she did earlier in the year at BlogWorld Expo.

4. Engaging Small Business Decision Makers Through Social Media
A report from Business.com (registration required).

In the latest report from its Business Social Media Benchmarking Study research, Business.com addresses a key question on the minds of companies marketing to small business: What are the best social media channels for reaching and engaging with small business decision makers? Report covers B2B and B2C.

5. Deal or No Deal: Sales Mistakes That Turn Buyers Away
A e-book by RainToday (no registration required).

I read this e-book earlier in the week and learned to my horror that I’m making a few of the sales mistakes outlined. So I’m including it as a public service.

To help demystify the purchasing process, RainToday surveyed more than 200 business buyers of professional services. In this special report, they share insights on the most costly sales mistakes you are making—according to your buyers—and tips you can use to improve your selling skills.

Did I miss a B2B report or e-book? Please let me know and I’ll feature it next week.