In 2015, messaging applications overtook social media in total usage.  In addition to outbound engagement, best-in-class companies also use internal communication tools such as Slack, Trello, and Chatter to maintain consistency around key accounts and opportunities. Automating internal communications ensures holistic engagements and better outcomes in a 2.0 framework.

New middle-layer tools such as Zapier and Tray.io are the key to these extended internal or external engagements. Middle-layer tools don’t replace MAP. Rather, they extend the range of possibilities and open the door to a wider range of engagements in the future.


The term “demand generation” arose from the marketing automation tool platform. Now, there’s another marketing role taking shape as a result of the new level of data connectivity: the growth hacker.  AdRoll uses multiple tools to source individual and behavioral data. Multiple middle-layer applications run logic and automate the execution of experiences across a web of applications. It’s the power behind their modern revenue engine. This extended range of possibilities has increased their demo setups by 13 percent.

1. Is there an internal team set up to manage the evaluation and eventual implementation?

2. What internal and third-party tools does your company use? Which ones must remain? Which ones can you live without? Which ones would be nice to add?

3. How large is your contact database across all internal systems?

4. How clean and accurate is your internal database?

5. Do you have a standard set of fields and values for which you collect data?

6. Have you created an inventory of all your internal offer assets, forms, landing pages, email templates, etc.?

7. What is your budget for this project and does the platform build in flexibility for potential year-over-year price increases?

8. Do you know what vendor questions to ask?

9. What browser(s) does your internal IT team support?

10. Did you create a wish list?