B2B Thought Leadership Content Study Shows Impressive Results
by Emily Swet
The 2019 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study has been released, and here’s the key takeaway: thought leadership can be a veritable marketing goldmine. To make sure we’re all on the same page, thought leadership is trustworthy, authoritative content that taps into the talent and experience of your business. (For an example, check out our client Safety Products Group).
The study questioned over 1,200 business decision-makers on how they viewed thought leadership content. Turns out, thought leadership has a lot more influence on sales than marketers realize — and it’s growing. Take a look at the stats:
Thought leadership drives sales.
- 81% of decision-makers said thought leadership increased trust in vendor organizations.
- 60% of respondents said strong thought leadership led them directly to awarding business.
- 49% said thought leadership can command premium pricing.
- 47% of C-suite executives gave their contact info for thought leadership.
- 45% of respondents said thought leadership helps close deals.
But if poorly done, it drives risk.
Impressive, no doubt. But before you run to the nearest content mill, these stats offered a double-edged sword. Just as well-done content brought in impressive reactions, poorly executed pieces did just the opposite:
- 60% said they’d stop following a writer or organization if the content was poorly written.
- 46% said they decreased respect and admiration for such organizations.
- 29% said they’d decided not to award a piece of business on account of poor thought leadership.
Our two cents: you’d be remiss to shrug off thought leadership in your strategy. But if you can’t do it well, don’t do it without help.
Whether you’re in B2B sales or marketing, your goals are the same: bring in revenue. Thought leadership can be a heavy hitter in this capacity, but it’s not a job for the novice. Your content creators not only need to know your business inside and out but your verticals and audience as well. They’ll also need a solid content strategy in place. (If you don’t have one yet, this is a good place to start). If you want your thought leadership to have legs, it’s got to offer relevance, value, and trust. When you hit home with the right subscriber, they’ll share it with the decision-makers that count.
Continue ReadingB2B Myth of the Week: All Your Salespeople Need Is the Gift of Gab
by MGB2B
The Myth: A Smooth-Talking Salesperson Needs No Tool
The Truth: Even the Best in the Business Should Have Some Tools Up Their Sleeves
In the words of Ben Affleck in the movie Boiler Room, “In every business interaction, a sale is made. Either you sell the client or they sell you on a reason they can’t use you.” It’s a Hollywood notion that the best salespeople can sell anything to anyone with nothing but the art of persuasion.
While there are some salespeople who fit this mold, in this day and age, the more tools they have in their arsenal, the better. B2B brands are seeing a higher demand for content, especially visual content, than ever before. Now is a crucial time for businesses to provide tools and train their sales teams on how to use them. You might think that visual content is a B2C tactic, but as Gary Vaynerchuk says, “behind every B is a C.”
It’s important for salespeople to acknowledge the art of the sale is not just about the pitch, but about how you get them to hear your pitch in the first place.
Here Are 3 Types of Content All B2B Salespeople Should Consider Including in Their Toolbelts:
- Infographics – A Creative Way to Present the Facts. B2B doesn’t have to be all about lists and spreadsheets. Infographics will have a lot more impact on prospects. Start off by creating a few of them (you can do this with a tool like PiktoChart, use an in-house designer, or hire a B2B marketing agency to create them) so that your salespeople have them ready to go. While infographics are often used on social media or email marketing programs, salespeople can also present them to lukewarm prospects as a door-opener. “I thought you might find this infographic on _________ helpful as you go into the New Year.”
- White Papers – Persuading from a Different Angle. White papers can be used in multiple ways. Primarily, they serve an educational purpose. But they also provide salespeople with an interactive and engaging way to provide a counter-rebuttal to the challenges you receive from prospects. White papers should be as colorful, well-designed, and engaging as infographics. Perhaps the most important thing that a white paper can do is give your brand authority and credibility. They might be just the right push to give your prospect reason enough to choose your brand over a competitor’s.
- Video Marketing – The Most Memorable Sales Tool. Marketers everywhere know how important video is heading into 2018. It is one of the most effective and memorable ways to get a point across to sales prospects. Try incorporating video into your sales pitch instead of talking about how great your product/service is. A video can accomplish this in many different ways: from How-To Guides to Live Video Chats to Engaging Case Studies. The level of video production doesn’t have to be on par with a Hollywood movie. Research has proven that content and creativity are important, but the value of the video is what most people remember.
Natural sales talent is important, but it should be complemented by something more substantial. With your competition likely jumping into the content marketing game, it’s important to do it right. Make sure your marketing team and your sales team are working together to create and distribute content in ways that propel the brand forward. Each member of the team should have the tools they need to drive prospects along the sales funnel. The goal is the same for everyone in your organization: conversion.
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: The Lowest Price Always Wins
by MGB2B
The Myth: The Lowest Price Always Wins
The Truth: Business Wins Based on Price Alone Might Devalue Your Brand Over Time
When you give a prospect a proposal, it’s easy to try to win using price. And in many cases, that may just work. But if price is the only thing that differentiates your brand, that’s a problem. Let’s take a closer look at what’s more important than pricing, and how you can deal with those customers who are only looking for a bargain.
The Biggest Problem with Competing on Price
Yes, prospects love low prices. And if you are able to compete on price without sacrificing the quality of your product or service, that’s great. But guess what? Your competitors can drop their prices at any time, too. Then what do you have? Are you the highest quality brand? Do you have the best service? What differentiates you from your competitors besides price? If the answer is “nothing,” it’s time to have another look at your brand’s positioning statement. The best part? Defining who you are as a brand will help you beyond just pricing. It will inform your marketing campaigns and drive everyone in your organization toward the same goals.
Offer Tiered Pricing
Sometimes the best B2B pricing strategy is a tiered one. Potential buyers like to feel empowered, and giving them a limited menu of options is a great way to do that. It also doesn’t detract from the value of your products or services. It says, “this is what we are worth at these different levels.” The buyer can then choose which level is right for their budget. And you don’t have to devalue the brand that you’ve worked so hard to build.
It’s Okay to Lose Some Customers (Really, It’s Okay)
There are prospects out there who genuinely appreciate what you have to offer them at the prices you request. And there are those that will suck your company dry. They are not interested in the quality. Or the service. Or the cost savings over time. They don’t appreciate those things. They will try to get you to bring your price down as low as you’ll possibly go. And then, when you give in, it doesn’t stop. They’ve seen you cave, and when the next project arises, they’ll expect you to cave again. These are not people you want to do business with if you can avoid it. Of course, when times are tight, you sometimes have to make sacrifices. But this should be the exception and not the rule.
When it comes to B2B pricing strategy, the stakes are high. It’s not just about winning another customer by lowering prices. It’s about what you have the potential to lose by doing so – the value and the integrity of your brand.
Continue Reading