Best of Small Business, 2014 Marketing and Sales Trends Lindsey Stroud I don’t know about you, but this year has flown by to me. It seems like I was just sitting down to write my first blog of 2013, “4 Marketing Habits to Adopt With a New Year!” Now that the holidays are coming to an end, it’s a great time to begin thinking of your 2014 Marketing and Sales goals. To get you inspired, I’ve compiled some great articles related to sales and marketing strategy in the upcoming year. Here are my picks for articles this week relating to the 2014 Marketing and Sales Trends: “The Five: 2014 Marketing Trends“ http://www.dallasnews.com/business/small-business/20131225-the-five-2014-marketing-trends.ece – Shama Kabani, CEO of the Marketing Zen Group, highlights her five recommendations on upcoming marketing trends for small business owners. My favorite trend? Context and Relevancy take center stage. With a saturated market, it’s so important to provide the right information at the right time! “3 Key Business Marketing Trends for 2013” http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/12/2014-business-marketing-trends.html -Small Business Trends has released a short article highlighting its predictions for marketing trends in the upcoming year. Biggest surprise (IMO)? The number one prediction that video will take the cake this year over social media and mobile devices. “12 Key Sales Trends for 2014: Meet the Enlightened Seller“ http://www.brw.com.au/p/marketing/key_sales_trends_for_meet_the_enlightened_dG9M4sTAKQJ7cSm37B9KeJ – Great article highlighting emerging sales trends for 2014. It’s no surprise that consumers are now expecting to work with sales professionals who bring expertise and solutions to the table. Who else is happy that the aggressive sales person is quickly fading?! Can’t wait to see what a new year brings! Happy 2014!