MAIN INSIGHT 44
Eugene Nouril
HEAD OF MARKETING
Will machine learning replace the need for human engagement in sales and marketing?
Machine learning will help make our work more efficient as we use more digital methods in both our personal and professional lives, but it will never replace humans entirely. In fact, human engagement is a huge competitive differentiator, particularly if you’re working in a marketplace focused around technology. I’ve seen innovative companies put considerable effort into making sure that they’re utilising all the latest marketing channels, but with little return. This is because their approach isn’t human and therefore doesn’t resonate with their target audience. Successful marketing doesn’t have to be complicated - make sure that you have credible experts who know what they’re talking about and get them in front of the right people. If you can demonstrate expertise across all touch points of a buyer’s journey, from the marketing they see to the sales people they interact with and then through to customer success, your authenticity and credibility will skyrocket - ultimately helping you to win more sales.
How much effort should sales teams put into identifying their target market?
The best sales and marketing campaigns are super targeted, there’s no two ways about it. If you don’t put the time and effort into defining a tight, target audience, then it shouldn’t surprise you when your campaign is not as successful as hoped. The key to identifying your target audience is to utilise modern technology and market focused toolsand combine them with old-fashioned desk research to validate your audience and understand ‘who’ they are.
Once you’ve identified your target audience, you need to demonstrate to them that you understand their challenges and can help them overcome them. Don’t forget that challenges will vary by both industry and regionally, so it’s important to show expertise that is both relevant and valuable for each target as an individual - otherwise they will struggle to engage with you. Having a dedicated Country Manager may seem a little old school, but it’s still a highly effective way of showing prospects in that region you understand the nuances of their particular market alongside the wider industry knowledge required.
The key to identifying your target audience is to utilise modern technology and market focused toolsand combine them with old-fashioned desk research to validate your audience and understand ‘who’ they are.
Even as more of the sales process becomes digital, before making a decision B2B buyers still need a level of trust and comfort that can only be fostered through human engagement.
Has the global pandemic changed B2B buyer expectations?
During the global pandemic people spent considerably more time at home, which has changed the way they consume information even as we continue to emerge from the pandemic. Videoremains the king of content and as attention spans have shortened considerably, you typically only have three seconds maximum to grab a viewer’s attention. Some B2B marketers see this as a source of frustration, but in reality it is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to slim down your content and make it as valuable as possible, moving away nicely from the old days of generating as much content as possible and spamming the market with it. When you think of this change in buyer habits as an opportunity to market in a smarter way, it’s hard not to get excited.
The focus on getting smarter with your efforts should be applied to the entirety of a buyer’s journey. This starts with making sure that your tone of voice and messaging is consistent across all touch points. From there, it’s important to give your buyers the option to speak with a human sales representative as early as possible. Even as more of the sales process becomes digital, before making a decision B2B buyers still need a level of trust and comfort that can only be fostered through human engagement.
Currencycloud gives businesses the capability to move money across borders, and transact globally in multiple currencies, fast. Experts at what they do, their technology makes it easy for clients to embrace digital wallets, and to embed finance into the core of their business - no matter what industry they’re in.
