People act as if the path to B2B revenue growth has always, and will always, follow the same stale formula. Target the buyers, know the personas, try to appease the stakeholders that influence various stages then throw in some messaging, deploy a MarTech infrastructure and call it a day. When pressed on the matter, you’re likely to hear comments like “it’s tried and true,” or “this works, why change it?”
Sure, that’s how we get leads today, but it won’t be how we get them tomorrow. The future is about user-driven growth and sales. The people who actually interact with your product on a day-to-day basis are the ones you need to impress. Satisfy those folks and you’ll have some incredibly pleased buyers who have your brand to thank. Ready for the best part? Both users and buyers will become advocates who champion your product through word of mouth, social media and professional reviews.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. You can choose to conform by staying on the same trail, or you can venture out on a new path where continuous discovery guides the way and leads to revenue growth.
Give Users Something to Believe In
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the world who isn’t concerned about making the wrong decision for their business. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake for the company, but there’s also the human component. An organization’s success directly affects people’s livelihoods, families and futures. When you consider what’s on the line it becomes easy to see that as marketers, we’ve wasted too much time running brand, product and launch campaigns that don’t offer much outside of speculation, opinion or catchy little quips. All those tactics have done is erode the faith we need our audience to have in us, which is why most deals with big potential are still closed based on personal relationships.
Soon, a growing number of buyers will be prepared to spend significant budgets through entirely self-serve and remote sales processes. When that time comes (and in some cases, it’s already here), the way end users feel about your product will be the key differentiator. If you can deliver a level of authenticity that makes users feel good about your products and services buyers (whose job it is to make the right call for their internal customers) will be comfortable choosing your company. The success and failure of your brand depends on how you prepare yourself to perform at this critical stage.
Show Your Value in a Different Way
As you can see, what we’re talking about goes far deeper than broad features and benefits, so it comes as no surprise customers have lost all interest in case studies that are full of spin, doctored numbers and product managers yammering on about how fantastic their solution is. Simply put, they can see right through it. Consumers are looking for brands they can trust and they’re craving transparency, real connection and products designed with end-users in mind.
It may sound absurd, it may even ruffle some feathers, but do away with your prototypical case studies. Seriously, start today. Replace those irrelevant, outdated clap traps with genuine customer stories that show people you understand the daily challenges they face in their industry and how your brand has helped professionals just like them overcome obstacles to achieve the results they’re after.
Bring the authenticity early and bring it often. Use those customer stories upfront to send a strong message to the audience, keep them engaged and you’ll solidify your standing as a trustworthy partner.
This is a Defining Moment. How Will You Respond?
You ever show up to the party after something big happens? For you, the event can still be objectively good, but everyone is energized about what they’ve seen and it’s too late for you to be a part of that buzz. The same thing is true for the B2B buyer journey and the choices you make will determine how the future of your company plays out. You can keep focusing your attention on the traditional targets and show up late, or you can chart a new course by focusing on the end user, earning their trust and your brand can be the reason people are excited.
At Ledger Bennett, we’re pioneers in B2B revenue growth. We’re not the types to stand by and watch as opportunities pass us by—and we’ve got a feeling you aren’t either. Gather your ambition, authenticity and inventiveness and we’ll push forward together towards a destination that unifies sales and marketing functions, increases revenue and creates deep connections with users and buyers.