MAIN INSIGHT 45
Dr. Gerhard Heide
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
As we continue to emerge from the global pandemic, should businesses prioritise digital or physical sales experiences?
At the start of the global pandemic, there was a massive digital transformation drive, primarily to keep the lights on! Digital marketing became a top priority as it was one of the few ways businesses could still reach people. Webinars were particularly effective in the early days as they brought people together and gave a sense of human connection even when physically separated. However, as we continue to move out of the global pandemic, there is a considerable amount of webinar fatigue, and buyer preferences are moving back to physical interactions and events where possible. It’s almost come full circle, as traditional selling experiences such as ‘wine & dine’ events and branded merchandise are proving effective once again. This shows that a purely digital or purely physical sales experience is not appropriate, but companies should instead seek to offer a blended experience based on their customer’s preferences.
How can businesses stand out in crowded markets?
Regardless of the channels you use to reach your prospective buyers, your approach should always be personalised & relevant to each individual you target and consistent with other touchpoints in their journey. Buyers are surrounded by digital white noise, the amount of cold approaches being delivered through LinkedIn every day is a prime example, so you must think carefully about how your message can stand out positively for the buyer. Be imaginative and think outside the box. If taking a digital approach, then a personalised video where you speak directly to the buyer, showing an understanding of who they are, the industry they are in, and the challenges they face, can be hugely powerful. For a physical experience, I’ve seen companies send out free gifts such as brownies recently - it creates a natural curiosity by breaking buyer expectations and offering something new in their day-to-day lives. The common theme that all touchpoints should share is ‘being human’ - buyers aren’t interested in faceless corporations when it comes to enterprise sales. They need to feel that they are understood by any potential vendor and have the confidence that there is a team of people who can help them overcome their challenges.
They need to feel that they are understood by any potential vendor and have the confidence that there is a team of people who can help them overcome their challenges.
Reaching a buyer during their early intent stage of making a purchase and understanding the steps they have already taken (or predicting which ones they are likely to take) is one of the most valuable things a business can do.
What part of the buying journey offers businesses the best opportunity to make improvements?
Reaching a buyer during their early intent stage of making a purchase and understanding the steps they have already taken (or predicting which ones they are likely to take) is one of the most valuable things a business can do when it comes to improving their sales and marketing efforts. In a typical buying journey, the buyer spends most of their time in the research and discovery phase. By tracking & understanding the websites they are likely to visit, the videos they are likely to watch and the questions they are trying to answer during this phase, you can target your content and messaging in a way that you know will reach the right people at the right time of their buying journey. It is important to remember though, that although the clues may be generic, each buyer’s preferences will be distinctly individual. If a customer shows a sign of intent by sharing their email address, perhaps to access gated on your website, you must make sure that any communications are highly personalised to their needs or you risk wasting the opportunity presented.
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