b2b

I am not a sales lead

/ Robert Pease / Leave a comment

Saleslead

I have been doing considerable thinking about the current state of B2B sales and marketing and what is possible given new levels of social interaction, widespread publishing (blogs, Twitter, etc.), and connectedness.  One thing I continue to come back to deals with "demand signaling."  I have seen this referred to as a "personal RFP" or "broadcast shopping" as I have done more reading on the the topic but see very little being done to capture or consider it in any company's day to day operations.  I even wrote a post a while ago about how "we" are the missing piece of social selling.

B2B lead generation is all about getting contact information of prospective buyers that signal some kind of intent then dropping them into a process of nurture and follow up with an eye on converting them to a paying customer at some point.  The problem with this approach is that the "intent" is usually related to downloading a whitepaper, attending a webinar, or merely visiting a website – all of which demonstrate some type of interest but only in rare situations someone ready to make a purchase (see "leads are weak" clip from Glengarry GlenRoss).  People that want to buy from you contact you directly.

So why are millions of dollars, countless hours, and a significant chunk of a marketing team's energy devoted to putting up huge numbers of "leads" that salespeople often struggle with to move through the sales process because they weren't really qualified in the first place?  Good question.

Here's a two step framework to begin to put this into practice for all of us that sell (we all sell something):

Qualify yourself in (or out) – just do a little bit of research before you send that next email and see if the person on the other end is really in need of your product or service.  The bar is not high here and I am continually amazed at how most people will not even do a simple web search on me or my company before sending a pitch. That is one of the key values of a product like Gist.  It does this for you, just use it! At a minimum, visit the company's home page and read the most recent news.

Qualify me in (or out) – Am I asking for what you sell?  Did I blog about it, tweet about it, etc.?  These are really easy indicators to see for anyone who has a public social profile and will make the timing and appeal of your pitch so much better. 

I even decided to set up a Facebook Page to rally around this topic and share examples of doing this poorly.  Check out the "I Am Not A Sales Lead" page, post your stories, and help me spread the word!

Forget about B2B and B2C, it’s all about B2P

/ Robert Pease / 6 Comments

Businessprofessionals_B2P

B2P = Business to Professional

The broad definitions of defining a target market for a technology product or service have a new addition and it is you.

Traditionally, consumer products were Business to Consumer (B2C) and business products were Business to Business (B2B) primarily based on who and how the decision to purchase is made.  Consumer traditionally via an individual and Business via procurement or the like.

Now that products can be delivered via the web, apps, app marketplaces, mobile, etc. a new way to look at how and who you market to has emerged.  

Businesses have employees and those employees are people.  People who now are able to find, try, and even purchase products on their own and bring them to the workplace.  They can then share them with others without central coordination or control.  While not always perceived as a good thing from a IT risk management perspective, this is driving a whole new level of innovation inside businesses.

B2P requires consumer marketing savvy combined with enterprise marketing reality.  Solve a problem but do so in an interesting and even entertaining way that matters to the individual first.

What do you think?  Leave a comment below or send me an email.

 

Three keys to a successful modern marketing plan

/ Robert Pease / 1 Comment

I assembled these notes in advance of a presentation I thought I would be giving.  That didn't come together but I did want to share these three points here as "keys to a successful modern marketing plan."  There are definitely more parts to a plan than what is listed here but I believe these are especially relevant to what you can do and must do given how technology has changed both the approach and pace of marketing.

1.  Launch is a process not an event

Launch is not a one time event for your company.  Launch is a continuous process whether it is the release of new features, a partner announcement, or just a continuous flow of information and events that you are driving. 

I am not a fan of the "one shot" launch events.  Not because I don't think Techcrunch 50 or Demo are good events.  I just believe there are way too many variables that impact a positive outcome…and that the results of the outcome are fleeting.  Isolating everything that could potentially derail a demo or conflicts that could lead to a sparse audience is pretty much impossible so don't set yourself up for disappointment. 

I recommend laying out your time line and finding the events that support it.  Do not spend buckets of money on events although many require some level of sponsorship to get on stage.  Just be frugal about spend and critical of the opportunity.  If it seems to good to be true or it is presented (sold) as the "make or break" event for your company, move on.

2.  Identify on-line influencers in your domain & meet them

Everyone can be a publisher these days and there are no shortage of bloggers, podcasters, and amateur journalists in just about every industry and sub-industry.  A bit of time using a search engine will reveal lots of targets for your given domain that have huge readerships.  Engage with these on-line influencers, share your expertise, and provide content for their audiences.  Traditional newspaper circulation continues to decline so focus on those who focus on what you do and in your space rather than hope for that big article in the Wall Street Journal.  If what you are doing and saying is compelling (and you are really are on expert), those opportunities will find you.

3.  Embrace new technologies but don’t lose sight of fundamentals

Social media is a tactic, not a profession.  It has a role in the marketing mix and is a phenomenal customer support tool.  See it for what it is and understand it is a platform for your brand.  Use channels like Twitter, Facebook, and your blog to share news about you, about your industry, and to show off your expertise as well as that of others (yes, including your competitors).

For a bit of additional perspective, watch this video about how the fundamentals of B2B marketing stay the same: