Market View
Beyond MQLs: Reframing success in B2B marketing
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Produced by:
Frances Wright
Head of Marketing at Sheffield Haworth
About Frances Wright
Frances Wright is the Head of Marketing at Sheffield Haworth, a global executive search and talent consulting firm. With extensive experience in B2B and B2C marketing, Frances oversees the organisation's strategic marketing plans, supports global teams, and collaborates with partnerships and alliances to promote Sheffield Haworth's brand and services. Her expertise is in digital strategy, marketing management, email marketing, and SEO and she has an educational background in English Literature.
How would you describe Sheffield Haworth's approach to account-based marketing?
Our approach at Sheffield Haworth is deeply rooted in relationship driven strategies and heavily focused on B2B networking. While it definitely revolves around account based marketing, I don't believe everyone within the organisation fully grasps that this is what we're doing, so we are on a journey as I’m sure are many other organisations similar to ours.
Account based marketing isn't a novel concept, it forms the foundation of our efforts at Sheffield Haworth however, to get it right I feel the crucial aspect lies in applying relevant metrics and striving to comprehend the factors that influence these relationships. I believe the shift is occurring more in terms of increasing awareness about the elements that shape clients' decisions when procuring our services. That appears to be the most significant change taking place.
"Account-based marketing isn't a novel concept, it forms the foundation of our efforts at Sheffield Haworth."
"While leads are important in terms of ROI, I've also been emphasising the concept of return on influence rather than solely focusing on return on investment."
Can you elaborate on your key performance indicators for marketing?
For me, it's highly bespoke. As an organisation, our primary focus is on educating and helping the company understand the potential that marketing can bring to the table. When it comes to KPI measurement, we're still in the early stages. I often find myself establishing my own KPIs and then articulating the rationale behind my choices to leadership. It's more of an educational journey right now.
I hold myself accountable for generating inbound leads and facilitating conversations, whether they occur offline or online. I collaborate closely with the sales team and individual practices to make this happen.
While leads are important in terms of ROI, I've also been emphasising the concept of return on influence rather than solely focusing on return on investment. I aim to demonstrate the numerous interactions that take place along the way. Through our engagements, we're shaping the decisions people make, all centred around the credibility of our brand.
Marketing encompasses much more than just traditional KPIs. I'm striving to incorporate elements of credibility, brand identity, longevity, and our expertise in specific areas. I'm translating these aspects into what they signify in terms of influence down the line when our consultants interact with clients, how the materials we produce convey our USPs as an organisation, and how we engage with clients regarding new legislation that impacts various sectors. It's a more holistic approach.
Given the complexity of the sales cycle and various data points, how do you ensure teams utilise and understand the significance of an integrated approach?
The strategy is still evolving, and experimentation is crucial. I'm refining my approach and haven't rolled out all my plans yet, as it takes time to embed change. My strategy involves first engaging with teams that are less involved with marketing and then using successful initiatives from other teams as models.
I'm developing a non-formalised process where I encourage teams to create various account-based reports/marketing campaigns and guide how we can generate business development leads, often directly involving myself in the process.
I've adopted a lead-by-example approach. If I see a collaboration or marketing partnership opportunity, I may even step in and execute myself while involving key stakeholders. The goal is to empower the teams to engage effectively and broaden the brand's impact with my support.
The engagement process varies by team, and ideally, we would establish a best practice framework for everyone to follow to ensure success. I will be taking a more structured approach in the future, as we are currently in the innovation and testing what works stage.
"Generative AI is already making a profound impact and disrupting various aspects of marketing."
How do you envision the increasing role of generative AI influencing B2B marketing?
Generative AI is already making a profound impact and disrupting various aspects of marketing. In terms of AI and how we're utilising it within the organisation, it doesn't alter our objectives but rather streamlines processes and eliminates time-consuming and costly tasks, and I would say that is true for all functions across the business.
For instance, when it comes to outsourced services, we've discovered ways to make processes more cost-effective and efficient so time to market is reduced. This applies to creating editorial content, design, or editing. If we've produced a video, AI technology now enables us to edit it more easily. It doesn’t take the human element out of the process, however.
It provides us with greater flexibility to create high-quality content. I'm passionate about the transformative power of marketing and the importance of effective communication. However, it's crucial to exercise caution when using generative AI for thought leadership or other content creation. Guardrails are always necessary to prevent the output from becoming generic.
We also leverage AI in various stages of our processes. From a marketing technology perspective, we employ it for digital campaigns, which is likely the most effective application. We also have a proprietary tool called Talnt, which is specific to our industry and based on senior executive people moves. We're capitalising on these capabilities.
There are numerous aspects where we are exploring, utilising, and driving processes within our organisation that align with our needs. I perceive it as a significant positive, although I understand that some may have reservations. However, throughout my career, one constant has been digital transformation, so I am resilient and excited about what the future holds.
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About Sheffield Haworth
Sheffield Haworth is a global executive search and consulting firm specialising in talent acquisition and development across various industries. Founded over 30 years ago, the company focuses on people-led transformation, offering services such as executive search, trained consulting, and strategic research. Sheffield Haworth operates in key financial centres worldwide, with offices across EMEA, APAC, and Mina regions. The firm is known for its commitment to diversity, maintaining numerous diversity partnerships. As a leader in C-suite level recruitment and consultancy, Sheffield Haworth plays a crucial role in shaping leadership and organisational success in an ever-evolving business landscape.
About 6sense
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