| Eighty percent of the decision makers in business to | | | | These include self-driven ROI or configuration tools, |
| business technology-related purchases identify who | | | | competitive comparisons, industry expert |
| they will buy from- vs. being found by the seller- | | | | comparisons, user ratings and feedback. |
| according to Marketing Sherpa Business Products | | | | Marketing Sherpa's and CMP TechWeb's March 2008 |
| Buyers Survey March, 2007. This is a huge change | | | | survey indicates that online user communities are the |
| from even a few years ago. Yet, many sellers have | | | | source of information that had the most influence on |
| not changed the way they interact with their buyers | | | | technology purchasing decisions. Vendor sales people |
| sufficiently for today's empowered buyer. And they | | | | were a close second. The fact that buyers rely on |
| will pay the price- in lost sales, profits and market | | | | peer input when making purchase decisions is not |
| share! | | | | new. However social media has made this very easy |
| Too many companies miss the opportunity to guide | | | | to do. |
| the buyer through the buying process. In the | | | | Are you leveraging the full range of online media? |
| complex, business-to-business sale, you need to | | | | Video is very hot because it engages the viewer's |
| optimize both human and online interactions to speed | | | | emotions and imagination. Podcasts, Blogs, articles, |
| the sales process and capture buyers that might | | | | etc. provide a great way to demonstrate your |
| have been lost. Imagine human/online interaction as a | | | | thought-leadership, which is an increasingly important |
| gradient. An activity can be anywhere on the sliding | | | | element of the marketing mix. Do you use |
| scale. Sales and marketing teams are often more | | | | click-to-call, online chat/ meetings and other vehicles |
| comfortable at one end of the spectrum. Adding | | | | to respond quickly to prospect questions? |
| components on the other end of the spectrum can | | | | On the other hand, some companies have gone so |
| make a huge difference in the pace and cost of new | | | | far to the automated model that it is very frustrating |
| sales. | | | | for a prospect who wants to get an answer from a |
| Is your human/online mix optimized for your target | | | | human being. That conversation can make the |
| audience and complexity of sale? | | | | difference between a sale and a lost opportunity! |
| Human touch is more important where there is more | | | | Quick Assessment |
| complexity, higher investment, more impact on the | | | | * Are you generating enough leads to make your |
| business- both in people and dollars. Where there is | | | | sales goals? |
| more complexity and risk, person to person | | | | * How well do you execute integrated campaigns- |
| interaction becomes more important. | | | | for example, direct mail, e-mail and telemarketing that |
| Are your efforts designed to put the prospect and | | | | sales force is ready to jump on? |
| salesperson together at the moment the prospect | | | | * How well is your web presence optimized for your |
| wants that interaction? The web provides greater | | | | target market to get information they need in a way |
| reach and lower cost per interaction. It, also allows | | | | they trust? Does your online and offline style |
| the buyer to get information on their own terms, | | | | resonate with them? |
| timeframe and location. Most buyers prefer to remain | | | | * How well do your human and online sales |
| anonymous until they have identified a compelling | | | | interactions/tools assist buyers in moving through |
| event/need to act now to solve a problem. Then | | | | each stage of the buying/sales process? |
| they are willing to engage with a sales person (i.e. via | | | | * How many "touches" does it take to close a sale? |
| click-to-call, chat or online meeting). They expect the | | | | How many touches could you eliminate or automate |
| person they talk with to provide valuable information | | | | with an optimized human/online approach? |
| they could not get elsewhere. | | | | The next step is to identify the critical gaps to fill- to |
| Making the right tools easily accessible is critical. | | | | accelerate your sales results! |