Business to business marketing strategy requires some deep thinking. Unlike consumer marketing, B2B organisations face longer sales cycles, multiple decision-makers, smart competitors who are talking to your prospects, complex propositions and the need to build business relationships with clients over the long term.
Start with a written B2B plan
The best place to start is with a written B2B marketing plan. Having worked on hundreds of them with my clients I can tell you this. The process of planning makes you think. It forces you to make strategic decisions within a coherent framework. It is well worth spending a few hours doing this.
B2B market segmentation
As marketing revolves around customers, it is important to think about customer (or client) segments. Think about the organisations you are currently serving or would like to serve. What industrial or commercial sectors are they in? What type of products or services do they have? Whereabouts in the world are they? Which job titles should you be focusing on? What problems or challenges are they facing?
Sales lead generation
This is the topic that I get asked about the most. Bearing in mind that there are several hundred ways to get sales leads, you are spoilt for choice. This is where part of the problem lies: which promotional techniques are right for your organisation, given that each technique has its pros and cons?
Other things to consider
Of course, there are many other things to consider, including your value proposition, how you will differenitate your business and B2B marketing measurement. However, you have to start somewhere.
Stop banging your head into the wall
To paraphrase Einstein, if some or all of your marketing isn’t working, in order to get better results stop banging your head into the wall. The world is changing quickly. Artificial Intelligence, fragile economies and rising competition are just some of the challenges. Perhaps it is time to talk to an experienced marketing consultant in order to move things forward?
B2B marketing consultancy
