MAIN INSIGHT 72
Noelani Wilson
DIRECTOR GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
How has buyer behaviour changed in recent years and what should marketers do as a result?
Buyers are more selfish with their time than ever before and will not share it easily. Because of this, organisations need to be crystal clear with the value that they bring to buyers. Buyers are naturally cautious when being approached cold, so the opportunities for organisations to grab a buyer’s attention, let alone grab their mind, are increasingly precious.
To capture attention, marketers need to lift their heads out from all of the data that is now available to them and avoid the urge to classify different types of buyers on extremely granular levels. Instead, marketers need to think about the buying journey as a whole. Then for each main type of buyer that goes through the journey, what data is most relevant and important to analyse. This then allows marketers to create far more meaningful and engaging campaigns that are more likely to grab the attention of buyers.
Should marketing teams prioritise digital in 2023?
Digital is not owned by marketing, although many businesses seem to think this way. Sales people in particular seem to think that anything digital is not relevant to them, because their main priority is relationship building. But there is the opportunity to perform a much better job by taking a more blended approach. Marketing teams can work together with their sales colleagues to use digital tools in supporting their sales processes. It’s important to remember though that regardless of the platform or interface that buyer interaction happens through, the fact is that people still buy from people. Therefore it’s crucial to understand how your customers prefer to buy, and then optimise that delivery with digital technology, rather than assuming digital platforms are the solution on their own.
Regardless of the platform or interface that buyer interaction happens through, the fact is that people still buy from people.
By giving your sales people exclusive access to content that would normally be shared on corporate channels, you have the opportunity to establish them as thought leaders within your industry.
What can marketing teams do to better support their sales colleagues?
The best way that marketing teams can support their sales colleagues is to turn them into brand heroes. By giving your sales people exclusive access to content that would normally be shared on corporate channels, you have the opportunity to establish them as thought leaders within your industry. This adds a huge amount of authenticity and credibility to their online profiles, ultimately helping them to prospect and engage with new buyers more successfully. Alongside this marketing may need to deliver training on how to use social media as an engagement channel, instead of relying on them as a broadcast channel.
It’s worth remembering that although distributing content through your sales team may take longer to reach potential customers, it is a more effective way of building customer loyalty in the long run. This is because buyers as human beings find it easier to engage with and trust human sales teams over a faceless brand.
Noelani is a Global Marketing Director for a leading, international provider of digital, cloud and advisory services. Her passions are client experience, insights, and compelling storytelling.