Tag Archives: B2B

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How B2B Clients Do Business Now

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Keeping up with the evolving mind-set and practices of your current and prospective clients has long been a challenge for Freelance consultants and continues to be so in the “new economy.”  Signing a good client is not easy, what with the penchant for not spending money being all the rage.  We Freelancers can prosper only by staying one step ahead of the client, always positioned to neutralize the temptation to keep a project in-house or let it languish and eventually die.  Knowledge is power and we need strategies that will turn on the spigot and pour out billable hours.  Here are trends that B2B products and services purchasers are following now.

They do research

A recent survey of employees who make B2B purchases for their organizations was conducted by the global consulting firm Accenture and showed that 94% of purchasers (that is, your clients and prospects) research possible solutions for business needs in advance, to learn about the options, availability and pricing of solutions and to save time and money.  By the time Freelance consultants and other vendors are approached, the hoped-for client has done most of the upfont legwork. S/he already has a good idea of what might be provided by service professionals like you and your competitors and maybe even knows what a reasonable ballpark figure for your services might be.

The entrepreneur and marketing expert Danny Wong, co-founder of the online men’s apparel company Blank Label, recommends that Freelancers acknowledge the elephant in the room and simply ask your prospect about research that may have been done and what you might be able to verify or clarify. Don’t ignore the tsunami of information.  Ride the wave and earn respect for your candor and knowledge of client behavior.

They’re skeptical

Unfortunately, some sales “professionals” and unsavory Freelancers have been known to misrepresent that which they sell.  As a result, many B2B purchasers prefer to buy online and bypass you and me.  The practice was confirmed recently by Forrester Research, in a survey that found that nearly 60% of B2B purchasers preferred to buy independently, without the assistance of a salesperson.

Wong points out that demonstrating expertise, as well as an appreciation and respect for the prospect’s goals and situation, confers to you credibility and helps you to earn their trust, an essential process when competing for assignments and sales.  They won’t do the deal if they don’t trust you and why should they?

No matter how desperate you are for billable hours, don’t rush the deal.  Take the time to understand what is needed and how your products and services can help or for that matter, if they can’t  help.  Avoid being perceived as an aggressive salesperson.  Do present yourself as a trustworthy adviser who wants to make the prospect look smart to his/her superiors and other colleagues.

They’re in no hurry

No, it’s not your imagination that closing a deal is taking longer than it used to.  Another study showed that the length of the average B2B sales cycle has increased by 22% over the past five years.  While the prospect is working the worry beads, Mr. Wong recommends that you do what you can to stay at top of mind and try to keep the project from falling into oblivion.  A Freelancer’s main competitor is not one of our rivals, it’s the client’s inertia.

Send information that can support (and speed up) the decision-making, but don’t overwhelm—curate.  Inquire about a timeline and deadline for the project and suggest what might be a reasonable starting time.

They trust the advice of anonymous “peers”

So do you and that’s why you research hotels and restaurants on Trip Advisor and Yelp and search for a contractor on Angie’s List.  Accenture reports that almost 25% of B2B purchasers make their decisions based almost entirely on information gleaned from online “social” rating sites.

If your Freelancing skill is one that would send prospects to Angie’s List or a neighborhood blog, attempt to establish a presence on those sites and build credibility that will help you get hired.  LinkedIn and Facebook could be helpful once a trusted source has referred a prospective client to you and then your online presence is researched before you get the call.  Nevertheless, create a good profile on your chosen social media sites and make yourself look knowledgeable and trustworthy.

They appreciate relevant content marketing

The longer buying cycle gives the advantage to Freelancers who produce long form content—a monthly newsletter, a weekly blog, case studies and other white papers that appear on your website, videos, infographics, or podcasts—that may grab the attention of prospects.  A FAQs page added to your website that details how to do business with you could  be helpful. Impartial and instructive content is what content marketing is all about. Produce your own and position yourself as an expert who is qualified to get the job done.

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukkah,

Kim

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Six Steps To A Successful Marketing Campaign

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Numerous times I’ve advised Freelance professionals to launch a marketing campaign to promote themselves and their services. How about we touch base regarding the core components of a successful marketing campaign?

I.   Identify your target audience

Step One, you must understand who you want your campaign to reach and influence and that would be those clients and prospects who are most inclined to use your product or service. It is possible that along the way others may become interested in what you have to offer and new or niche markets can be recruited, but target market groups must have the motive and money to use your category of product or service.

Step Two, decide the channels that you will use to reach current and prospective clients. Marketing campaigns are most effective when they broadcast the message through various media: print display ads, videos, testimonials on your website, or a case study. Social media can also be part of a well-designed marketing campaign, if you can engage current and prospective clients through those platforms. The members of your target audience could be reached more than once and that is a good thing.

There is also the indirect and ongoing marketing campaign that Freelancers are advised to conduct. Providers of B2B services especially should periodically attempt to line up an appearance on a webinar, a panel, or at a conference podium as a way to enhance the value of the intangible resources that you sell, that is, your expertise and judgment. Sponsorship of a local charity is also a good choice for some. Remember to send a press release to the local newspaper to try for yet another channel. A newspaper (or online) item is more believable than a print ad, because it is perceived as unbiased.

2.  Know the competition

As you create your marketing campaign message, keep direct competitors in mind. The marketing message should promote the expertise, experience, judgment and attributes that make you superior to others with whom clients and prospects might do business. Your message should be designed to overcome current or potential objections to you and persuade those with motive and money to choose you because hiring you will make them look good.

3.  Identify the key marketing message

What do you need to make known to current and potential clients that will help them to develop the trust and confidence needed to do business with you? Refer to your knowledge of the competition and also refer to client hot buttons and address those issues clearly and convincingly.

4.  Build the brand

In the marketing message and campaign, find ways to enhance your brand, that is, your reputation. Clients do business with those they know and like; they do even more business with those they trust and respect. Building up your image, or (tactfully) bragging about your already noteworthy image is a key element of your marketing message.

5.  Create a budget

Time and money are among our greatest resources. Once you have your version of the ideal marketing plan in draft form, calculate the financial cost and a roll-out timeline. Make sure that the campaign ROI makes sense for your venture. Tie your marketing efforts to expected sales, to the best of your ability and don’t squander your resources on fruitless strategies.

6. Track performance

I’m a little bit backward in that an important step in the campaign will be mentioned last. Establishing goals and objectives for your campaign are a must-do. This process will guide you in making decisions that shape what the campaign will consist of and furthermore, will help you understand what kind of influence you can wield through marketing. Decide what you want your marketing campaign to achieve and confirm the metrics that will measure and acknowledge its success or failure.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Buying Process Is In Effect

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In 2012,  the global research and advisory firm Forrester Research reported that clients are as totally in the driver’s seat as we all knew anecdotally and that product and service providers have much less influence over purchasing behaviors than we enjoyed a decade or two ago.  We have left the era of the sales process and entered the realm of the buying process.  It is time to readjust your approach to marketing and sales in response to the new reality,  because what was will never be again.  Our clients are making decisions largely without our input.  Many sales professionals and consulting specialists aim to present ourselves as  “trusted advisers”  who guide the sales process and influence customer choices,  ideally for the good.  Say goodbye to all that.

According to the Forrester report,  clients now discuss product and service needs and options with their own team of trusted advisers,  which may include unknown third-party  “experts”  they find on websites like Yelp and Angie’s List.  How far along in the buying process that clients proceed without us varies by industry,  but the report indicates that 65% -90%  of the research process is often completed without assistance from sales professionals or consulting service providers.  By the time the client is ready to make a purchase,  much up-front research has usually been done and only vendor price quotes are needed.

Clients like the control of being in the driver’s seat.  A mistrust of sales practices perceived as unsavory,  combined with access to technologies that allow clients to rather easily research product and service needs once they’ve been identified,  are the driving forces behind the client independence.  Many are leery of being manipulated into paying for upgrades and add-ons that do nothing for their objectives.

In the flip from sales process to buying process,  your marketing strategy will become more prominent and your approach to sales will change.  Your marketing must first create visibility and awareness,  so that prospective clients will find your firm’s offerings and second,  create and sustain demand through exquisitely targeted messages and narratives dispensed through channels that clients trust and follow.  Content marketing will continue to grow in influence as it is distributed through your website and all social media outlets that clients trust.

Develop your content marketing to explore and discuss motivating factors that compel prospective clients to research your products and services,  solutions that you provide and benefits that clients receive,  frequently asked questions and how to buy from you.  As has long been said in academic circles,  publish or perish.  When not generating content,  do what you can to get in front of an audience and teach a workshop,  moderate a panel,  or give a presentation and further your brand as a source of expertise.  Remember also that traditional media outlets may still be important to your clients,  so the art of the press release should not be forgotten.

Whither the role of sales?  Rather than being reduced to mere order takers,  consulting service providers and sales professionals will apply their well-honed communications expertise to identifying networking opportunities and building relationships.  Content is king and having lots of good things that demonstrate your expertise come up in a search is a wonderful thing,  but in my town,  no one hires anyone that they don’t know.  If a prospect does not already know you,  then an introduction made by someone whom the prospective client trusts is the next best thing.  No amount of artfully written content will convince anyone to hire an unknown.

Networking will be the queen,  as you meet potential clients and referral sources and take the time to build relationships,  taking an interest in others’ concerns and offering to give before you receive.  The B2B buying process is a tall order for a Freelance consultant,  but we are determined to succeed and we will rise to the challenge.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Highlights of The Social Business Benchmark Study of 2013

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Last year Leader Networks,  a Boston area consulting firm that specializes in B2B social media and the global not-for-profit think tank Society for New Communications Research,  teamed up to conduct a comprehensive and global study of the usage of social media for B2B interaction.  Fifty-five mostly for-profit organizations of various sizes participated.  The study examined the following topics:

  • How organizations are currently leveraging social business efforts
  • The use of social media tools,  internally and externally
  • The readiness of organizations to utilize social media tools
  • Intentions of social business strategy
  • Social media marketing strategy and the ability to leverage and operate same as social business initiatives

Companies studied were mostly present on LinkedIn,  Twitter,  YouTube,  Facebook,  Google+ and their company-sponsored blog,  in that order.  The study distinguished between social media marketing,  which it defined as the use of social media platforms for marketing and social business,  defined as using customer information gleaned from social media marketing to enable more efficient and effective decisions,  actions and outcomes within the organization.  The study also developed a continuum of social media use:

  • Socially Familiar- organization is present on at least one platform and has policy guidelines;  the organization is experimenting to learn what works
  • Socially Present- organization has minimal or limited social media staffing, strategies,  or policy guidelines;  brand advancement forms the core of information communicated
  • Socially Enabled- social media platforms form the basis of customer outreach;  moderate to significant levels of budget,  staffing,  policy guidelines and strategies are in place and utilized optimally
  • Socially Integrated- organization has significant use of the above indicators;  communication is two-way,  with much customer engagement;  information gleaned is incorporated across the organization

Companies usually approach social media involvement through a few Socially Familiar staff members who experiment with various platforms to figure out what works best for company objectives.  After about 3 – 6 months,  those staff members will present their findings to direct-report management and request approval to advance to the next level.   At the Socially Present stage,  selected social media platforms are used to broadcast brand awareness messages and marketing campaign information.  Communication is primarily one-way.   This period usually lasts 6 – 24 months.

At the Socially Enabled stage,  communication is primarily two-way and information is deemed actionable.  Social media staff gather and disseminate information from social media communications deep within the organization,  where it impacts R & D,  customer service,  technical support,  marketing campaign strategies,  sales distribution choices and other functions.   Social media may play a role in nurturing relationships with organizational partners and suppliers.  Tangible social media ROI is recognized.  The final stage,  Socially Integrated,  is only rarely achieved at this point.  In fact,  this stage may not fit the objectives of most businesses.

Insights brought forth from the study were what one would expect.  C-suites executives are rapidly accepting the inevitability of social media and budgets are being made available to support staffing,  which is based in marketing departments.  Social media strategies are being developed and social media guidelines are being drafted (by legal departments).  Brand reinforcement,  rather than customer engagement,  is the primary goal of B2B social media strategies at this time,  but lead generation (sales departments),  R & D and customer service (operations departments) are emerging as important players.  Linking the social media strategy to business needs and performance metrics to measure ROI is becoming more common.

Nevertheless,   in most cases,  funding for social media initiatives remains low.   More than 50%  of respondents reported that their companies spent 5%  or less of their IT budgets on enabling social media platform tools.  23%  reported that their organizations had no plans to spend on social media.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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Challenge B2B Sales Assumptions

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A new hypothesis on how to succeed in B2B sales has exploded onto the scene and Freelance consultants had better take notice.  “The Challenge Sale”  (2011),  written by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon,  has turned received sales wisdom onto its head.  According to the authors there’s no such thing as Santa Claus,  the Easter Bunny is dead and relationships don’t mean much  when you’re trying to make a sale.

These  startling findings are based on extensive research.  Adamson and Dixon studied 700 sales professionals and then followed up with a global analysis of 6,000 sales people who make their living in complex B2B sales.  They first identified five selling styles:

The Hard Worker                      self-motivated;  goes the extra mile,  won’t give up easily

The Problem-solver                focuses on service issues;  detail-oriented;  excellent with post-sale follow-up

The Relationship-builder      very customer-focused;  generous with time and attention

The Lone Wolf                            self-assured,  follows his/her own instincts

The Challenger                           has a different perspective;  understands the client and his/her business;  loves to debate

When it comes to B2B sales,  Challengers blow everyone else out of the water.  According to the data,  40%  of top-performing B2B sales reps are Challengers.  A mere 7%  of Relationship-builders can claim that distinction.  How do Challengers do it?  They display six game-changing attributes and trying to be the client’s friend ain’t one of them:

1.  Offers the client unexpected options on how to get the job done

2.  Has strong interactive communication skills

3.  Knows the client’s value drivers

4.  Knows the organization’s economic drivers

5.  Comfortable discussing money

6.  Willing and able to pressure the client

The wily Challengers mix these attributes well and have come up with this recipe for the sales-winning cake they bake:

Teach for differentiation

About 53%  of what drives B2B purchase decisions  (like the awarding of project contracts)  is the Freelancer’s /salesperson’s ability to teach prospective clients something new,  to challenge their usual way of thinking,  the standard approach.  Challengers persuasively deliver information and methods that lead clients to see their situation in a new light that  (they think)  will help them improve competitive positioning,  make money,  save money or do whatever it is that they want to do,  all in a way they didn’t know was possible.

Tailor for differentiation

To win a contract today,  the Freelance consultant often has to build consensus and win over a group of stakeholders who have varying amounts of influence on the hiring process.  Job-seekers grapple with this reality also,  as they face down search committees that now control the hiring for nearly every position, no matter how lowly. 

Adamson’s and Dixon’s research shows that Challengers respond to this environment by treating each stakeholder as an individual client,  learning how each one’s role fits into the organization and tailoring a sales pitch specifically to that role and its attached priorities.

Take control of the sale

As our ailing economy drags on,  the authors estimate that 80%  of business is lost to no decision at all.  No,  it’s not your imagination.  Most sales  (or proposed projects)  really do just die on the table for lack of client follow-through.   When it comes to complex buying decisions,  clients have become paralyzingly risk-averse.  Many economists and business experts have pointed out that this practice does organizations more harm than good,  but there it is.  

Furthermore,   Freelance consultants also know that many,  if not most,  clients use the ailing economy as a pretext to get our expert labor on the cheap,  always scheming to wheedle a discount out of us when a contract does get offered.  Challengers are  not swayed by this tactic.

Rather,  s/he sidesteps requests for price cuts and re-directs focus away from price and onto the value of the product/service.   Challengers know that a solid value proposition makes clients more willing to pay a premium.   S/he sells their service’s  (or their product’s)  unique ability to meet or exceed expectations,  meet crucial deadlines,  solve a difficult problem,  or save/ make money for the organization.

Adamson and Dixon claim that the combination of teaching,  tailoring and taking control draws on constructive tension throughout the sales process.  Challengers teach clients how to build consensus for the sale  (project)  by engaging the right stakeholders with the right message.  They don’t cave in to pressure to cut their price.   Moreover,   they do it all in a respectful,  never aggressive manner.   Are you ready to Challenge?

Thanks for reading,

Kim