MARKET VIEW 17
Eleanor Symons
HEAD OF BRAND AND MARKETING
B2B Customer Acquisition: The role of human engagement in a world of digital-first enterprise marketing
How can B2B sales teams improve close rates in buyers with multiple decision-makers?
On average, there are seven decision-makers involved in a B2B sale. Each decision-maker will have individual preferences with regards to how they want to engage in the sales process, so as the seller, you have to be mindful of this and offer a range of options for the different kinds of buyers that will take part in the decision making process. Some may just want to read your digital content, and reviews of your product/service, while others could also be seeking to have a call where they can ask specific questions to the sales team.
By taking time to understand who your customers are, and who the typical decision-makers are for them, you’ll be able to map out intelligent sales journeys that serve different types of buyers with the right mix of bespoke digital content and face-to-face interaction, giving them the option to take the conversation offline when it suits them. We should remember that, even though it is a B2B sale - the buyers are still human beings so customer feedback should dictate the design of your sales journey. If you can create a positive buying experience for all the decision-makers involved, your chances of winning the sale will increase significantly.
If you can create a positive buying experience for all the decision-makers involved, your chances of winning the sale will increase significantly.
How can sales teams adapt to a world of reduced face-to-face meetings?
Video calls are now considered the norm, and being physically present in the same room isn’t mandatory to start to build a relationship with a buyer; it’s up to sales teams to take advantage of the benefits of this.
In situations where the buyer doesn’t want to book an upfront video call or face-to-face meeting, the sales and marketing team should look to build trust with the buyer, and move the prospect along the sales journey with additional digital touchpoints that create a sense of connection and authenticity. Perhaps the sales team could send the prospect bespoke video and email content. They could use chat-bots to answer any product questions, while the buyer is browsing the website. A page of testimonials and success stories including videos, is also a great way for customers to feel like they’re getting deeper insight into your business. It’s all about staying front of mind with the prospect and ensuring your website and content marketing is centred around building your brand’s reputation, so customers feel like they know the business without needing to meet sales reps.
Marketing can support this process through the use of retargeting ads, which are particularly beneficial for keeping buyers aware of your brand as they go about their everyday life online.
Marketing can support this process through the use of retargeting ads, which are particularly beneficial for keeping buyers aware of your brand as they go about their everyday life online.
What does it take for sales & marketing to ‘cut through’ in global marketplaces?
In global marketplaces, sales teams can’t be everywhere all the time, embarking on a unified approach with the marketing team will mean together, you can build a strategy that provides broad reach. Creating digital versions of your sales pitches gives buyers the information they need in a way that is unobtrusive and allows you to reach so many more people. Tools like Loom, where you can create a video recording of a sales pitch that shows the salesperson’s face overlaid on a slide deck, can be powerful as the buyer gets complete control over when they consume the content. Rich, personalised content has been shown to cut through time and time again, but it can only be achieved when sales and marketing teams share insights and best practices with one another.
Any content produced must be relevant - we are constantly surrounded by advertisements and we have effectively evolved to completely ignore those we perceive irrelevant or invaluable to us without a second thought. There has been a shift towards more entertaining content and advertising recently. Still, relevancy should always be your number one priority - when an individual is served content that contains something highly specific to them, the chances of them consuming that content are significantly higher. Undertaking proper research and content testing, will help marketing teams understand what truly resonates with their target audiences, so that they can serve meaningful content without guesswork.
When an individual is served content that contains something highly specific to them, the chances of them consuming that content are significantly higher.
EYELEANOR SYMONS
Head of Brand and Marketing
ORBITAL
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