#‘I know who you’re talking about’ melissa did not have a singular clue who she was talking about

[doctorwhoarchive]

why’s this kinda just Tara and Sam

[colmfahey-archive]

Marisa’s ficrecs: STEREK

Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale (Teen Wolf)

This list includes 40 works and will only include completed works, which have all been read and approved by me.

*** means recently added.

(You can check out my other ficrecs here!)

Cuddle Theraphy by alisvolatpropiis (General | 3,216 words)

“Dude, did you know that Derek’s into dudes?” Scott asks the question as he shoves a folded piece of meat lover’s pizza in his mouth, last few words turning to mumbled mush.

Stiles tells himself that’s why he has to ask him to repeat it twice, even though Scott-talking-with-his-mouth-full is practically his second language, mastered when they were first graders, along with Scott-needs-to-use-his-puppy-eyes-now-because-words-are-hard-for-him-sometimes and Scott-talking-while-trying-to-pretend-he’s-not-having-an-asthma-attack (now a dead language thanks to the vigorous application of werewolfdom).

Say It Sweet by morganoconner (Teen | 4,101 words)

"Wolfsbane." Derek grits his teeth. "Interrogation blend. Still in my system. It makes me talk."

The One with the Napping by Captain_Loki (Mature | 4,768 words)

It is a unique and somewhat unhelpful talent, but Stiles can fall asleep anywhere.

All You Ever Needed to Know About Knotting by KuriKuri (Explicit | 4,781 words | AU)

Derek had started reading the column by accident. Really, reading strangers’ questions about knotting and heat had never really appealed to him. However, at that point in time, he was a little desperate.

And he was right: most of the questions submitted by anonymous readers didn’t appeal to him. The answers, though, did.

(Or, in which Stiles writes an advice column about knotting and Derek is smitten. Also they're neighbors.)

Anything, Anything by drunktuesdays (Explicit | 5,242 words | AU)

Stiles wakes up in Derek’s bed in a world where they’re married now, and Derek keeps leaving the room every time he tries to have a conversation about how this happened, since they weren’t even dating.

My Heart Comes Tumbling Down by DevilDoll (Explicit | 5,689 words)

"This is a casual, adult relationship based on sex, and it is awesome."

In which Stiles and Derek have a great time buddyfucking until a burrito ruins it all.

Can’t Be Hateful, Gotta Be Grateful by HalfFizzbin (Teen | 6,260 words)

"Be cool, Dad, we've decided to con Grandma."

(Or, the one where the Stilinski men drag Derek to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's and she gets the right wrong idea.)

Scent Marking for Dummies by Hatteress (Teen | 8,824 words)

Stiles is almost used to being chased around the school by werewolves at this point. Having to share a bed with Derek freaking Hale, on the other hand, is just needlessly complicating his life.

Hemingway Can Suck It by KuriKuri (Teen | 10,054 words | AU)

“For those of you who just transferred into this class or simply decided that day one wasn’t important enough to attend, I’m Professor Hale. Welcome to English 346, The American Novel.”

Stiles is pretty sure his mouth is hanging open right now and that his eyes are wide with shock, because holy fuck, he thinks he knows why his students transferred. Hell, if he was still an undergrad, he probably would have transferred, too.

(Or, in which Stiles is a Biology professor and Derek thinks he's a student.)

Free Consultation by DevilDoll (Explicit | 12,691 words | AU)

Stiles Stilinski, professional knotting surrogate.

Cool Story, Bro by drunktuesdays (Explicit | 13,087 words | AU)

Apparently their personalities were switched today, because Derek was a goddamn Chatty Cathy. “What Brad was saying this morning--” he bit off the rest of the sentence with a clack of his teeth.

“No worries dude,” Stiles said, turning his head to look at him. “I’ve had seventeen years to learn the lesson that I can’t do everything Brad does, no matter what he says. Plus, finding someone he hasn’t already slept with is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“It’s not that you can’t,” Derek said, and he was glaring straight ahead at an old stump of a tree. “You shouldn’t. Your first time, you should be with someone you know, someone who would make it good.”

The lazy sleepiness of the afternoon dissipated in a second, replaced by electricity in the air and licking up and down Stiles’s spine. “What,” he said, and his voice was unsteady. “Wait, are you offering?” He tried to make it come out like a joke, like something they could both come back from, but he couldn’t.

“Yes,” Derek said, and finally turned his gaze on Stiles as the air was sucked completely out of his lungs.

The Lunch Table Configuration by thepsychicclam (Explicit | 16,677 words | AU)

When Isaac makes Derek switch lunch tables, the last thing Derek expected was to fall for Stiles.

Last Night’s Dress (Tiptoe Out of This Mess) by hito (Mature | 16,730 words)

My dad just asked me if my booty call guy that comes over at 3am and leaves at 6 would like to stay for Sunday brunch next week. You in?

Fireman Derek’s Crazy Pie (Cheeseburger Baby) by owlpostagain (Teen | 17,698 words | AU)

“He can't blame me for the fact that I live in a building full of people united in the singular effort to ogle Hot Fireman as often as humanly possible."

Laura laughs, loud and echoing in the empty restaurant.

"Hot firemen can make a girl do crazy things," she agrees, nodding towards her brother's name on the menu. "Derek won't let me date anyone from his company, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the eye candy."

"Send them my way," Stiles suggests, finally loading up a forkful of pie. "Apparently I'm incompetent enough that I need to be babysat at all times, because it would be cheaper than dispatching a truck every time I try to use a kitchen appliance."

For Love Is Not Ours to Command by weathervaanes (Explicit | 18,536 words)

Where Derek's skills at thinking on his feet mean that he and Stiles have to act. For the sake of Stiles' dad, of course, for the sake of the pack. No personal interest interference at all, whatsoever. Right.

The Newlywed Game by Captain_Loki (Mature | 19,569 words)

Stiles is (still) single when the pack's getaway to the Caribbean comes by (oh misplaced optimism); lucky for him Derek is committed to being uncommitted and even after all these years is still powerless against Stiles' unique forms of persuasion.

Cue a romantic getaway for two: sun, sand, and sarcasm abound... and the two roped into competing in the Resort's version of the Newlywed game. Only it's completely obvious it's going to end in disaster. Probably homicide.

Most probably homicide.

Plot twist: It doesn't.

Don’t Worry Baby by kalpurna (Explicit | 20,276 words | AU)

"You know you're allowed to ask for vanilla sex, right?" he says, afterwards. "We can do whatever you want. That's kind of the point."

Derek doesn't respond.

There Is a Brotherhood by minusoneday (Explicit | 21,004 words | AU)

So far, college has taught Stiles three things:

1) Eight AM classes are cruel and unusual and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means having to enroll in something truly hideous instead, like Econ 101.

2) Dorm security is just as tight as Stiles’ orientation leader had promised it would be, and the dude guarding Scott’s dorm in particular does not respond well to bribes.

3) Mrs. McCall clearly had no clue what she was talking about when she’d insisted that Scott and Stiles needed to branch out and room with strangers, so it’s all her fault that Scott ended up with a total dick of a roommate and Stiles got stuck all the way across campus with some guy who has a girlfriend two towns over and is thus never around.

(Or, the one where pledge brothers Stiles and Scott start a prank war with Derek Hale's fraternity.)

Here’s the Deepest Secret Nobody Knows by owlpostagain (Teen | 22,322 words)

“Derek,” Stiles groans. “You have me. You’ve always had me, you absolute moron, how many physically impossible feats of life-saving heroics do I have to perform before you get it?” 

They Say It’s Mighty Fine by apocryphal (General | 23,234 words | AU)

"Hello. This is Alpha Vernon Boyd, calling from Camp Remus about—"

"Derek?" Talia asks, confused. "You're calling about Derek? Is he okay? What happened?"

"Oh, boy." Melissa blows out a breath. "All right. Is he hurt?"

"He's been there for two hours, what could he possibly have—" John pauses. "Hang on, Camp Remus? Like the werewolf camp?"

*** Lock All the Doors Behind You by entanglednow (Mature | 25,690 words)

He has no idea what you're supposed to say when you find one of your... werewolf acquaintances, completely out of their mind, growling like they're about to see what your insides taste like. There's no handbook for this. Stiles is thinking that if he survives he might write one.

Take Me Back to the Start by thingcalledlove (Mature | 26,756 words)

Derek had never intended to be named People’s Sexiest Man Alive. It just sort of happens.

(Or, in which Derek stumbles into stardom, becoming the next big thing and Stiles somehow stumbles (read: gets pushed unwillingly by the rest of the pack) into the role of Derek's PR boyfriend.)

Electricity in the Contact by ladyblahblah (Explicit | 27,067 words)

In which Derek has been invited to the Greater Pacific Northwest Alpha Symposium (that's not what it's called, Stiles, stop saying that), and showing up unattached would mean an arranged marriage. When the rest of the pack objects, he agrees to let Stiles come along to pose as his mate. Derek is reasonably sure that he's not going to make it out of this weekend alive.

With Bloody Feet Across the Hallowed Ground by owlpostagain (Teen | 29,900 words)

There were no last words. No more pleas, no more screaming. Just the sound of Stiles squeezing the trigger, the explosion of a second shot rocketing out of the revolver, and the hunters bursting through the open doorway just in time to see the bullet slam squarely into the center of Derek’s chest.

Fly a Little Faster by mirrorkill (Teen | 32,052 words | AU)

Everyone knows when you go back in time, you shouldn't step on an ant, just in case you accidentally kill your own grandparent or something. But what happens when you go back in time and, uh, accidentally interrupt the one event that apparently made the Grumpiest Alpha in Town into a ball of mindless manpain?

Well, if Marty McFly can do it, so can Stiles Stilinski. All he has to do is get Derek and Paige to fall in love before he gets pulled back to his own time. And before he makes anything worse. That's easy as pie, right? Right?

To Each Their Own by SylvieW (Explicit | 32,668 words | AU)

Stiles agrees to become the owner of a werewolf with some very special needs. Derek has been abused for so long he’s nearly feral. Stiles has to find a way to gain his trust before Derek’s heat, or he could be put down.

Cupboard Love by mklutz (General | 32,682 words | AU)

He’s carefully balancing the sandwiches and the two biggest tupperware containers he could find that both had functioning lids when the front door opens and he almost drops everything right there in front of the stupid fountain.

If that’s Derek Hale, he’s definitely not a mountain man.

(Not So) Pure Imagination by theroguesgambit (Explicit | 33,185 words | AU)

Stiles knows it's wrong, but he's been Fantasizing about Derek and he can't bring himself to stop. Derek doesn't know who's taken an interest in him, but he's enjoying it way more than he probably should.

Noticed by InTheArmsofaThief (Teen | 35,179 words)

Stiles left on a Tuesday. Nobody noticed.

Stilinski’s Home for Wayward Wolves by owlpostagain (Teen | 35,197 words | AU)

“At least your puppies knock first,” Stiles snorts. “Here I thought their alpha raised them to be well-mannered.”

“There’s a sign,” Derek responds stiffly.

Stiles, whose curiosity outweighs even his hardest of grudges, abandons his chilly façade of nonchalance in a heartbeat. He jumps right up and all but pushes Derek out of the way in his effort to get to the window, and sure enough when he leans outside there’s a laminated strip of cardstock duct taped to the vinyl siding:

“DON’T FORGET TO KNOCK. Stiles gets cranky when we scare him.”

Not Your Disney Romance by tylerfucklin (Mature | 42,065 words)

After a long-forgotten agreement of an arranged marriage between Derek and the daughter of another pack's alpha resurfaces, Stiles takes it upon himself to become the most amazing fake fiancé that a clueless, desperate alpha werewolf could wish for.

Will to Follow Through by owlpostagain (Teen | 42,411 words)

“It depends entirely on how you look at it, I guess,” Stiles shrugs. “On the one hand, instant healing and the apparently inherited ability to pull off leather at all times. On the other, serious attitude problems and a suspicious disappearance of eyebrows.”

“Even Derek’s?” Danny snorts, “that’s a lot of eyebrow to lose.”

“I know,” Stiles agrees. “You should see, it’s so weird. Every time I want to ask him where they go, except he’d totally eat my face off.”

“There are worse ways to die.”

Our Lives Are Changing Lanes by grimm (Explicit | 47,537 words | AU)

There's a lot of screaming going on inside the first house Stiles visits. He isn't really worried, because it sounds like kids, but then the door opens and hi, says his dick, because the dude in front of him is gorgeous, built like a god with a face like thunder. Stiles wants to lick that solid jaw line. Hold the fuck on, says his cop brain, because the dude's got kids hanging all over him; one's on his back, skinny legs looped around his waist, and another two hanging off one arm, toes barely brushing the ground. There's a tubby toddler clinging to his leg like a koala, and he's got a baby tucked into the crook of the one arm that doesn’t have kids hanging off it. Stiles' mouth drops open.

"How many of those kids did you kidnap?" he asks before he can wrangle his brain into submission.

The man gives him a look that says what the fuck is wrong with you and snaps, "You think I'd subject myself to this on purpose?"

"Oooh," says one of the kids hanging off his arm. "I'm telling Mom."

*** All’s Fair in Orgasms and War by bleep0bleep (Explicit | 63,213 words | AU)

AVN BREAKING NEWS -- DIAMOND VISTA RIDGE BREAKS HIS CONTRACT WITH HALE HOUSE "We haven't seen much of our favorite rock hard stud from Hale House ever since that indie twink dethroned him as champion in Orgasm Wars, but it's just been confirmed that Diamond will no longer be working for the legendary studio famous for producing some of our favorite werewolf-on-human works. Don't fret, Diamond fans, it looks like he's been spotted cozying up to True Alpha Studios! Apparently he couldn't get enough of that one human and then followed him home. Could it be true love? Keep your eye on this studio -- us at AVN think we're about to get a lot more of Diamond in a very new way!"

(Or, the one in which (almost) everyone is a porn star, and Derek just wants to curl up with his fluffy blanket and watch the Hallmark channel, but work and falling in love gets in the way.)

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach (Explicit | 76,956 words | AU)

Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf.

Windows by dr_girlfriend (Explicit | 83,015 words | AU)

Derek has a new neighbor who won't stop looking.

There’s Monsters at Home by calrissian18 (Explicit | 83,582 words | AU)

“How did you get past the wards?” Derek had put them up, with Peter’s grudging assistance, after the Alpha pack had made themselves at home a few times too many.

The guy pulled a face. “You mean the wards a five-year-old girl with the mental ability of a goldfish could deconstruct?” He blinked wide eyes at Derek. “Gee, I don’t know. It’s bound to go down as one of life’s great mysteries.”

Derek despised him.

Cornerstone by Vendelin (Explicit | 83,738 words | AU)

Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

Gravity’s Got Nothing on You by zosofi (Explicit | 89,979 words | AU)

“Three weeks,” Derek says.

“Still don’t want to,” Stiles says.

“I’ll pay you,” Derek says, and that… that has Stiles interested. Alf’s Antique’s may be a great job, but it’s not a high-paying job, and half of Stiles’s tuition is coming from financial aid, so…

“How much,” Stiles asks, “are we talking here? Because I know your family, dude. And it’ll be kind of awkward after.“

“My family thinks you’re some sort of fucking gift to the world,” Derek seethes, like he’s jealous, “they’ll probably be pissed at me when we break it off, so don’t worry about that. Five hundred bucks.”

“A thousand,” Stiles says, because screw ethics. Also, the Hale family is loaded. Derek can deal.

Prince Among Wolves by tylerfucklin (Explicit | 101,000 words | AU)

Looking for full day/evening sitter. 2 twin boys age 4. Must have exp. w/werewolves. Must be human. No pedophiles. No teenage girls. Pay negotiable.

[berthastover]

From Cold Email to Nurture: Build Momentum with Your Leads

Have you ever had to do door-to-door sales? Let me tell you, it takes a special kind of energy to just walk into a stranger’s life like that and try to get them to pick up what you’re putting down. It takes finesse and charisma to get through the door.

Once inside, a successful traveling salesperson wields the uncanny ability to quickly soak in their surroundings and use those contextual clues to their advantage. They glean what they can about their customer or host and work that into their presentation. They interact with their clients to figure out how, specifically, their product meets their clients’ needs. By the end of the visit, the unsuspecting consumer wonders how in the world they’ve lived this long without the product.

To be honest, when I think of walking up to a stranger’s door to make a pitch of some sort, I get a little sick to my stomach. Like a lot of digital folks I know, I enjoy the relative anonymity of existing behind my monitor. But it turns out that digital marketers could learn a lot from a traveling salesperson. Think about it, we have the same goals: endearing oneself to the customer to find out and relate how your product specifically meets their needs.

 It takes time

Traveling salespeople generally only have one visit to go from cold call to closed case, but it’s a long visit, quite possibly hours. Digital marketers don’t have hours to sit with one customer. Or do we?

According to an Ascend2 survey, nearly half of businesses polled say most of their leads require “long cycle” nurturing involving many influencers.

In fact, research shows that prospects receive, on average, ten touches during their journey from the top of the sales funnel to closed sale.

In the long run, all those touches take time. Don’t try to rush it. Remember, it’s called lead nurturing and nurturing takes time.

 Let’s see how lead nurturing can build momentum through your sales funnel.

 TOP OF THE FUNNEL

In salesperson terms, the top of the funnel is where you get your foot in the door. These first touches include your cold (introductory or first) emails, social media and advertising. If you haven’t already, figure out your target buying personas and build targeted content that speaks to their needs. You’re going to need it.

 He went that-a-way

When leads come through digital ads, use the information gathered from the ad placement to personalize your follow-up email. If the ad was placed on a sports site, send content geared toward the sporting aspects of your business. If the ad was placed on a fashion site, follow up with appropriately fashionable content. Use the information you have in front of you to direct your next steps.

 Misery loves company

Thanks to click-thru content, emails are a great source for gleaning information for future personalization. Click-thru content provides information on the lead’s interests and perhaps the pain points to which you can speak. You know the old saying: “Misery loves company.” Voicing and addressing pain points is a number one tack for getting your foot in the “door”.

 MIDDLE OF THE FUNNEL

The middle of the funnel is where your salesperson assesses the situation and gathers information they can use to better relate to the consumer. You’re already in the door, now it’s time to learn more about your lead – really see and address their needs. This is also the time to introduce more about yourself, your company, and your product. You see their needs and you just so happen to have a solution.

 Put it on auto(mation) pilot

Are you using a marketing automation platform? If you’re not, you’re missing out. From campaign scheduling to persona identification and segmentation to trigger follow-up responses, marketing automation platforms offer all sorts of bells and whistles. You can have the best content ever created and it won’t amount to a hill of beans without the appropriate timing. Successful marketing requires having the right information in the right place at the right time. With automation, you can set follow-up responses based on depth and breadth of user interaction in addition to standard reaction mechanisms of landing page triggers and calls-to-action.

 One of the most beautiful assets marketing automation provides is, of course, lead nurturing. BUT, did you know that they can help with multi-channel lead nurturing? Successful multi-channel lead nurturing takes into account direct sales outreach along with marketing automation, email marketing, dynamic website content, social media, and paid remarketing/re-targeting. Bringing together information from multiple channels allows you to better learn your prospect’s behaviors and interests. Then, you can turn around and use that information to send them emails, calls, or even direct mail with personalized content – think white papers, email newsletters, special deals and offers, etc.

 Pulse it out

One of my favorite tongue-in-cheek lines comes from, of all places, the movie Beaches:

“But enough about me, let’s talk about you…what do you think of me?” I love how it showcases people’s innate desire to be known. Your prospect wants to be known and so do you. Not everything needs to be cloak and dagger with scouring analytics and tracking user interactions. Take the guesswork out of customization with quick pulse surveys. List a few options and ask what they’d like more information on or what interests them. This is a very straightforward way to let your leads know you care about them and want to best serve their needs.

 BOTTOM OF THE FUNNEL

You’ve made it through the door and you’ve delivered your spiel. You’ve convinced your lead that they have a need and you have an answer to their need when the doorbell rings and there stands another salesperson with a similar product. The bottom of the funnel is where you give it your all to show your host why they should choose you and kick the competitor to the curb.

 Rely on your relationship

By this point in your sales cycle, you should have a relationship with your lead. If you don’t, you’ve missed a step or two. Rewind and try again.

 You have their email address. You know their spending habits. Heck, you could probably figure out their pay periods based on their grocery market schedule. Let me be clear: Do. Not. Do. That. There’s a difference in having access to information and exploiting information. Do not creep out your customers. Healthy relationships have boundaries. Healthy relationships are good. Be healthy. Do good.

 Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on, shall we?

 You have a relationship at this point. You and your lead have been exchanging information. Use that information (wisely) to your benefit. Put reminders and notifications in your project management software (TechnologyAdvice has recommendations for good project management tools) or CRM. Send a birthday or anniversary greeting. Give your lead a one-on-one phone call. Find out what is keeping them from closing and provide the answers they need to seal the deal.

This stage is all about breaking down barriers to meeting their needs.

Get into the nitty gritty and see what you can do. Show them you’re in their corner. You don’t need to contact them every day (see above: do not creep out your customers).

But you do need to let them know you’re there for them. Be present. Not overwhelming. Clients who know you’re there for them will be there for you.

 Remember, it takes time to get there. Don’t be discouraged. Nurturing takes time. It’s worth the wait.

  Author: Melissa Reinke is a writer for TechnologyAdvice.com. She is a storyteller, editor, writer, and all-around word nerd extraordinaire. She spends her days managing web content and her nights unwinding in myriad creative ways, including writing for herself and others. From personal memoirs to professional solutions, when writing and editing for others Melissa’s singular goal is to sculpt each piece into its best, most successful form while maintaining the integrity of the original voice and vision.

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The post From Cold Email to Nurture: Build Momentum with Your Leads appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Online Marketing Tips.