Marketing Systems

In B2B sales, every new customer goes on this journey. At the top of this journey a customer doesn’t even know they have a problem. Our job is to undermine and dislodge the status quo – to make the pain of same bigger than the pain of change – and that can be a significant undertaking.

It requires a skilful approach. This is marketing artistry. Custom-built, counter-intuitive, thought-provoking and awesome content is required to engage at this level.

Many businesses engage with potential customers at the next level down – when the customer knows they have a problem.

Educational, authentic, helpful tools that explore the problem, its cause, its likely impact, and consequences help engage a prospect at this stage. Help the customer make the right decision for the right reasons.

By the time a customer is looking for a solution, they are beginning to research heavily (usually online). And if you don’t show up on the digital radar (or come recommended by a trusted third party), you won’t even get to play.

At this stage, our goal is to connect and engage in personal conversations to deeply understand what is driving their decision and make highly relevant and personalised content available.

It is now possible that the first call you have from a customer is when they have already shortlisted your company based on the content they have digested. And they want to discuss pricing or terms.

Demonstrations, tasters, trials, tests, testimonials, and tools help a buyer mitigate risks and build confidence in your solution.

As the potential customer approaches decision-making time, it’s our job to have fully understood the people, their agendas, their choices, and their decision-making process. They should have received a highly personalised proposal focused on resolving their problem and moving them forward.

Ideally, you will have built champions within the business with enough influence and credibility to get you over the line. Now you need to make sure they have the tools they need to advocate powerfully on your behalf.

At this stage, your champions should be tooled up for the fight! Have you worked with them to understand the competing agendas and views? Have you provided the educational material, case studies, and testimonials they need to win the day? Are we keeping everybody focused on the pain, its implications and, potential consequences – the cost and pain of doing the same? Do we have a clear vision for a better future and why the pain of change is less than the pain of the same?