Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Are You a Marketer or a Mind-Reader? How to Know What Your B2B Buyer is Really Thinking
Andrew MoravickResearch AnalystAberdeen Group@Amoravick
Matthew T. GrantDirector, Content StrategyAberdeen Group@MattTGrant
Andrew Moravick – Research Analyst, Aberdeen Group
• Marketing and Sales Effectiveness• Recent Research:
• Understanding Best-in-Class CRM Usage for Marketing
• Demystifying Complex, Multi-Channel Sales Data
• Mainer
Matthew T. Grant – Director, Aberdeen Group
• Content Strategy• Aberdeen Essentials Editor-in-Chief • MarketingProfs Alum• Likes words and music
What’s on Your Mind?
What We’re Going to Cover
• The Standard Approach to the Buyer’s Journey: Its Benefits and its Challenges
• Three Approaches to Mind Reading• News You Can Use
We Want to Control Influence Buyers
What’s the Standard Approach?
We Map the “Buyer’s Journey”
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s World
Business as Usual Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
The Customer Journey
We Imagine it Looks Like This
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s World
Business as Usual Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
The Customer Journey
We Want Our Influence to Look Like This
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s World
Business as Usual Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
The Customer Journey
We Create Content by Answering Questions
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s WorldAwareness of
ProblemConsideration of
OptionsEvaluation of
SolutionsThe Customer
Journey
“There’s a better way?”
“How do we make it
happen?”
“What’s the best option?”
“Can we get promoted
now?”
Behind Our Map, Our Objectives
The Customer Journey
The Buyer’s World
The Marketer’s World Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
“There’s a better way?”
“How do we make it
happen?”
“What’s the best option?”
“Can we get promoted
now?”
The Business
Leads Opportunities Sales Wins Retention
This Approach Yields Real Results
Better Marketing Performance
Better Business Performance
Lower Cost-per-Lead
But…This Approach Has Real Problems
The REAL “Buyer’s Journey”
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s World
Business as Usual
Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
The Customer Journey
“Oh, S#%t!!” “What the &#%^ do we do?!”
“What the &#%^ SHOULD we do?!”
“Can we stop freaking out
now?”
Signals Get Crossed
The Buyer’s World
The Vendor’s World
Business as Usual Awareness of Problem
Consideration of Options
Evaluation of Solutions
The Customer Journey
What Goes Wrong?
Our Assumptions Get in the Way
[Sadly not #ProfsB2B]
Our Assumptions Get in the Way
How Can We Really Know What Buyers Are Thinking?
We Have Three Options
Option #1
Ask Them
46%of all marketers don’t interact with customers directly
77%of all Leading Content Marketers interact with customers directly
Three Approaches
1. Talk to Sales
Salesfolk Have Insights
1. What questions are customers asking?2. What are the problems they are talking about?3. What drives decisions?4. What gets in the way?
Is Your Content Answering the Right Questions?
2. Talk to Customers Yourself
1. Identify target customers2. Draw up your list of questions3. Make sure you have cleared things with sales4. Make your calls (or visit if you can)
What’s Going On?
(PS. You might be able to turn these conversations into content!)
“Just observe someone while they are doing something”
3. Hire Someone to Talk to Customers for You
You Have to Know What You Want to Know
1. What do customers see as their most pressing “needs”?2. How do they normally address these needs?3. Why do potential customers choose competitors?4. What do customers think when they hear your message?
You Might Not Hear What You Want to Hear
Option #2
Use Data
Use Your Own Data
Data Nada
Are There Patterns to Customer Behavior?
1. Is there a piece of content that EVERYONE touches?2. Is there content that gets ignored?3. What searches lead them to your site?4. What are people searching for on your site?5. What do your best customers have in common?
Create a Unified View of the Customer
Find Data Partners
Find Data Partners
Complete the Data Picture
Complete the Data Picture
1. What data do you already have in your organization?2. What are you using and what are you not using (but could)?3. What data are you missing? 4. Who has that data?
Option #3
Write Their Minds
A Very Powerful Tool
Create a Category
Create an Industry Standard
Watch Out for Competition!
Watch Out for Competition!
Be Where the Buyers Are
Be Where the Buyers Are
Be Where the Buyers Are
Final Thoughts
Assumptions and Content Alignment
Data Nada
A foundational framework for what’s going on
Assumptions + Data
Data Nada
Static/ general constructs to improve scalable relevance
From “Alignment” to “Mind Writing”
Data Nada
The aspiration of many; the achievement of a strong few
Things to Do
• Analyze the assumptions you are making about the buyer’s journey
• Talk to customers to test those assumptions• Refine and complete your picture of the buyer with data • Ask yourself…
If you could write your customer’s mind, what would you write?
Images Sources (Creative Commons)
• https://flic.kr/p/EzHYq• https://youtu.be/22P_PSUzx3I• https://flic.kr/p/4ua9wX• https://flic.kr/p/7aHHq• https://flic.kr/p/fBLcyX• https://flic.kr/p/npwZRM• https://flic.kr/p/8qexoZ• https://flic.kr/p/bzRzNy• https://flic.kr/p/aVteMH• https://flic.kr/p/fnTjdR• https://flic.kr/p/uL7TrW• https://flic.kr/p/d8ZdYN• https://flic.kr/p/62EciS
