How to write about cost in content, 5 deal-closing virtual sales appointment strategies, and 11 business website trends you can't ignore in 2021 ...this is THE LATEST!

🗞️ Extra, extra! Read all about it!

• Close more deals faster: 5 foolproof virtual sales appointment strategies you'll want to start using ASAP
• Freshen up your website: Updated for 2021, here are 11 critical business website trends you can't ignore
• Content creation 101: How to write an effective piece of content about cost and pricing for your company

💪 The Content Creation Bootcamp (with yours truly) is going down on November 10! Check out the full agenda and register using code CONTENTFITNESS to get your ticket for just $250! Not sure if the bootcamp is right for you? Check out this article: Content Creation Bootcamp: Who should really be attending?

I know I should respond to the great injustice and "bamboozling" that happened to me in the last issue. Or that I should spend my time talking about seemingly "more important" topics like video sales call closing strategies or content creation. 

But given the historical and cultural moment we are living through right now, I simply can't do it. 

I can't ignore what we're all focused on today. 

I can't ignore the great choice we have ahead of us. 

I can't ignore the fact that today is National Sandwich Day.

My hope is that today we can unite as a country.

More than that, I hope we can finally come together and decide whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich — or at least reconcile peacefully as a nation, as we agree to disagree on this generations-old, Hatfield-and-McCoy-esque debate. 

No matter what side of this argument you fall on, let this be a moment of true, lasting union, as we celebrate sandwiches of all shapes, sizes, and ingredients.

And when you finally do enjoy your sandwich today, I strongly encourage you to print out this sticker I personally designed for you all to wear as a proud display to others that you have exercised your right as a sandwich-eating citizen:

You're welcome.

If you've never eaten a sandwich, don't worry. All 50 states allow same-day ingestion of a sandwich for first-timers.

And now, here's THE LATEST...

🤑 A tactical, step-by-step guide on writing about cost in your business content, with loads of examples (12-minute read)

When you’re researching an important purchase decision, few things can be more frustrating than not being able to find helpful answers to your questions. And if there is one question that I’ve heard people complain about the lack of quality answers, it’s those related to how much a product or service costs. No matter what industry you're in or what you sell, you do not want to create the same frustration for your ideal buyers. So, in this indispensable article from IMPACT Lead Content Marketing Trainer Kevin Phillips, learn exactly why you need to be writing about cost, the three types of cost articles, and precisely how to write about pricing in your content.

🔎 Related resources:

• 24 all-star blog post examples for B2C and B2B marketers

• How to add personality (the right way) into your blog content

🏆 5 virtual sales appointment strategies to help you close more deals faster from our in-house expert (9-minute read)

Selling virtually doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and that’s okay. In fact, many sales teams have had to do a lot of things they never imagined when COVID-19 hit. Instead of going to meet with prospects in person you’re having to conduct calls on the phone or through a video conferencing tool. All the while, you may have children screaming in the background and/or you're attempting to make a crowded dining room table look like a sleek and sophisticated setup, where you're in control. Give yourself the edge with this sales rockstar how-to from IMPACT+ Community Manager Myriah Anderson, in which she pulls back the curtain on her top five deal-closing virtual sales appointment strategies.

🔎 Related resources:

• How to use video in every stage of the sales process
• How to prepare the RIGHT way for a video sales call

🎨 If your business has a website, here are the 21 must-know website trends you can't ignore next year (11-minute read)

It’s that time again! We’ve barely crossed the threshold into fall, but are entering what inevitably feels like the full speed sprint through the holidays and into the new year. And with many people socially distancing, spending more time than ever online, your business website is more so than ever your #1 sales rep 24/7, 365 days a year, even on holidays. Prepare yourself to kill it in 2021 with this list from IMPACT UX Designer Marcella Jalbert, which covers the 11 business website design trends you need to know about, no matter your industry.

🔎 Related resources:

• Tips for designing for color blindness, from a color-blind designer
• Do you need a full website redesign or a facelift?

🏋️ Strengthen your content muscles on November 10

The Content Creation Bootcamp on November 10 is an immersive, hands-on virtual bootcamp that will teach you exactly what you need to do to bring the right customers to your business through inbound content. 

Here's what the day looks like: 

• Marcus Sheridan will deliver an opening workshop on creating the exact content topics that drive traffic, leads, and sales  
• Our friends at SEMrush will discuss creating a content marketing funnel and how to find and answer the questions your buyers are asking
• Kevin Phillips and John Becker will teach you how to maximize your subject matter experts (SMEs) to generate amazing content
• And finally yours truly (yes me!) will share the ultimate tool guaranteed to help you drive results with every piece of content you produce

Check out the full agenda and register using code CONTENTFITNESS to get your ticket for just $250! (The regular price is $599, so woohoo!) Not sure if the bootcamp is right for you? Check out this article: Content Creation Bootcamp: Who should really be attending?

❤️ Get to know my work family (new feature alert✨)

I'm so lucky. I get to wake up every morning and work with the most passionate, focused, inspiring people in our industry.

So, even though we're living in a time when it's a little harder to forge new human connections, I thought it might be fun to introduce you to a new member from my IMPACT work family each week! 

Meet John Becker

John is probably one of my favorite humans, which makes me very spoiled, because he's on my editorial team here at IMPACT. On top of that, he's my co-host on our podcast, Content Lab. Always calm, cool, and collected, he's one of two people whom I trust to help me edit my own work.

Here is what others have to say about John, our revenue and features editor:

"I want to give a big THANK YOU to John Becker for making the content process fun and encouraging. We've had the opportunity to work together on three IMPACT articles the past month, and it has been a wonderful experience for me. I truly appreciate your kindness, responsiveness and overall positive attitude. Thank you for bringing humor, helpfulness and honest critique to each assignment :)." (Dia Vavruska)

Without further ado, here are a few pieces from John. I cannot speak to their true quality, as I do not know how to read:

• How to build rapport with any subject matter expert
• Virtual selling in practice: Using COVID-19 as a chance to modernize sales
• The value of hiring an industry outsider as a content manager

👀 In case you missed it... 

Here are a few of my favorites from the archives:

• 2020 Women in the Workplace report shows leaders need to take action now
• Content ROI reporting strategy the right way with HubSpot
• Why every single website redesign project also needs a strategy

🌶️ Hot topics in Elite

IMPACT Elite is our exclusive Facebook group for the brightest minds in digital sales and marketing. Here's a recent discussion that caught my eye:

• We are introducing Units to IMPACT Elite to act as free educational resources for our members! Check out our first Unit all about IMPACT+!

🎃 Weeklong nonsense

With everything going on in the world, you now get nonsense in every single issue of THE LATEST...

To those still clinging to Halloween.

Happy National Sandwich Day!