If you are a marketer operating in the B2B space, reaching out to the C-Level Executives and professionals who directly or indirectly influence the purchases of your target businesses is one of the most challenging tasks. Engaging with key decision makers is not easy as there are multiple gatekeepers and junior level executives that you need to pass through before you can finally interact with the relevant person. In the whole process, many times, the message gets lost and does not make the impact you were expecting.
Cutting through the red tape and getting past the gatekeepers is a tough job. Marketers need to be extra cautious while approaching B2B executives and should not be very pushy in their approach. Here are a few ways marketers can engage with B2B decision makers better and explore profitable business opportunities.
You Need Intelligence, Not Just Data
According to a survey, an average purchase decision in any organization involves about 4.5 persons. That is why; it’s not just important to know who the final decision maker is but also to know the ones who take active participation in the purchase process and can influence the decisions. A marketer needs comprehensive account intelligence and not just marketing data to know the decision-making hierarchy, purchase history, and influencers in an organization. This would help them understand customer psychology and purchase process in a better way to choose the right approach while approaching clients.
Build Upon Your Existing Contacts
According to a 2015 survey by eMarketer, the most trusted information sources when researching purchase decisions in the US are peers and colleagues. Referrals and word-of-mouth are the best ways to get your brand the right amount of attention. A marketing team must invest into building strong relationships with the existing clientele basket so that they get more referrals and publicity. You may also request your existing clients to introduce you to more people who may be interested in your offerings. B2B marketing has a limited scope in comparison to the methods you can use in the B2C space. This is why referrals can positively impact your marketing aspirations in a positive way.
Social Media Marketing
A lot of marketers underestimate social media when it comes to making B2B connections. There are numerous social media sites that give you ample of opportunities to connect with C-Level Executives, key decision makers, and professionals and exchange ideas with them on a frequent basis. While LinkedIn tops the chart, other social media sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Slideshare and many others are increasingly being used to reach out to prospects in the B2B space.
B2B Marketing Database
If you do not have a research team to dig out data to connect with your target B2B prospects, you can approach a data vendor who can provide you reliable and customized B2B marketing data. For instance, if you need C-Level Executives List for a particular region in the US, your database vendor must be able to customize the needed database based on your campaign-specific requirements. This is one of the easiest ways to connect with your B2B prospects especially when you don’t have a dedicated data team that can invest its time into finding campaign specific data. Investing in marketing data may seem like an expense but it is actually a fruitful investment if you select the right database vendor and implement your sales strategies meticulously.
