In B2B, traditional marketing and sales are no longer effective. What do you mean, that’s too bold a statement?
Defining the perfect leads in business-to-business is has a lot in common with arranging the ideal blind date. Does she live up to to your company’s expectations? Does he have similar interests, or will the conversation fall flat? Is she even ‘available’ or ‘on the market’? Will there be any mutual sparks?
Stop, think, act. This key motto from my very first scuba lessons in Australia kept resonating in my head, a few years ago off the Costa Rica’s west coast. My dive buddy, a german underwater cameraman sporting mega fins and an even larger ego, had disappeared. The strong current made it impossible for me to follow him. And he was too busy do his own thing to notice. Unfortunately I happened to be at 25 meters depth.
Well over 200 B2B companies (North America) were surveyed Q1 2012 to assess the state of affairs when it comes to B2B lead generation. The differences between those companies that use CRM and Marketing Automation and those that do not sometimes don’t seem all that massive. Yet the delta is significant when it comes to the volume of leads generated and the happiness with the quality of leads generated.
When selling your products and services in B2B remains as cumbersome as shown in this video you do have an issue. The sales cycles in B2B of course tend to be a lot longer and more complex, (mutual) interests are more significant and the decision making unit usually is more diverse than going to your local grocery store around the corner.
In B2B and B2C alike, the process of ‘helping to buy’ however essentially is all about enabling the customer (or prospect) to confidently take the steps of a flight of imaginary stairs. In order for the customer to take steps in terms of preference, buy and loyalty. Selling in B2B therefore does not need not be rocket science.
The scenes in the video embedded in this post are over the top. In Business to Business however all too often there are easily one or more similarities to the examples shown. Professional services companies that are requested to provide ‘two consultants and charge only one’. IT vendors that are expected to integrate their new mobile app free of charge in the existing ERP software. Or – recognize the situation? – a prospect with an ill-defined assignment running a series of ‘qualification workshops’ with a number of potential ‘business partners’.
Perhaps it’s worth your while to show this video on your iPad during a difficult customer meeting. Prevention however is smarter in B2B sales and marketing. Starting off by choosing the right customers. And by determining what value to create for them.
Want to know more? Download the DutchmarQ whitepaper ‘more enthusiastic customers, by less marketing in B2B?’.
