Over the last year I've realized a personal epiphany about lead management using marketing automation for companies of all sizes, even smaller companies.
As a long time seller I've always felt confident of my ability to sell my way to business success.
In the last few years the world has moved from the rhetoric of the internet to the reality of the internet.
Let's look at three changes this new web reality and the availability of marketing automation impacts:
- Selling Scope
- Buyer Behavior
- Competitive Realities
Selling Scope
The web has expanded target markets, even for smaller companies. The reach provided by phone and web communications makes it practical for businesses to expand targets beyond a regional focus previously served by in person meetings as a primary selling method, to national and even international markets.
Along with geographical expansion comes vertical market expansion. This means businesses are now communicating with more and different buyers than ever before.
Buyer Behavior
With this has come a shift in how B2B customers buy. The internet provides access to most of the information buyers need to start their buying process. This means they often operate in stealth mode from vendors far into their buying process.
This raises a significant challenge of finding appropriate prospects, or even being found by new buyers investigating solutions to new business problems.
Previously, buyers viewed sales reps as the access to important ideas and buying information. Today, that is much less the perception. How often do we hear, "I'm not ready to talk to a sales person yet," translated, "I'm not yet ready to buy, to give you an order."
Competitive Realities
While only about 10% of business-to-business sellers have implemented marketing automation to support defined lead management programs, it is clear to those following the results of these initiatives that this is a real game changer.
Lead management programs, supported by good content and marketing automation, fill the top end of the selling funnel more effectively and efficiently than ever before.
Ultimately, they will enable the complete shift of the B2B sales professional from "hunter" to trusted advisor, by providing the time and interested prospects for sales people to engage and support.
Said negatively, those who fail to embrace and effectively implement lead management programs will miss opportunities, discover potential opportunities too late, experience diminished brand, and realize in-efficient selling that will put them at a significant competitive disadvantage.
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