Petra Sprekos’ Post

I've written before about the concerns B2B Marketers have around the short-term field marketing bias they face from their sales peers, and the almost allergic reaction to requests for investment in brand-building. So I decided to go looking for that bias on the other side of the coin, and the new Sales in Focus 2024 report from Petra Sprekos and Teresa Sperti (GAICD) at Arktic Fox gave me the excuse I needed (not to mention the data) Outside of IT where there is clearly a bias, it's less obvious, and the sales leaders I spoke with wanted their marketers to invest in brand for long-term value. My thanks to Peter Bray Nicole Triandos, Jason McKenzie, Nick Flood, Daniel Lodge and Louisa Day for their insights. I'll be writing a second part piece based on their feedback looking at the evolution of sales tech, next week And while you may be hunting the quarterly number, my cruel and capricious bosses prefer to exchange food stamps for LinkedIn likes, so remember, if you read the story, whether you love it or hate it, rate it! Image by Lauren Martin #b2b #ABM #sales

The way B2B customers purchase products and services has evolved but the way brands sell to them has not necessarily kept pace according to a new study by Arktic Fox which finds too much reliance still on traditional outbound sales approaches. The most successful methods these days involve a stronger alignment with marketing and the use of techniques like account-based marketing (ABM). However, there's still a lack of trust between Venus and Mars, which can lead sales to go off on their own tangent, even to the extent of creating their own content marketing assets. Sales leaders who have more direct relationships – and are usually the 'one throat to choke' for the B2B buyer – often feel marketers have an inadequate understanding of customer needs. But among marketers Mi3 spoke with, there's a recognition of the pressures on marketing, the value of brand, and the benefits of alignment. The good news: half of sales leaders give their marketing colleagues top marks on the quality of the working relationship. Of course, that means half don't, and indeed 50 per cent of those surveyed by Arktic Fox gave the relationship a neutral rating or worse. Nick Flood ARN Peter Bray Petra Sprekos Daniel Lodge Seismic Louisa Day BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia Nicole Triandos NAB

Both teams bring something different to the table. Sales colleagues will contribute valuable qualitative data from direct customer feedback and on-the-ground insights, while marketing will have quantitative data from social, website and content engagements and primary targeted research campaigns or secondary research. This joint effect will allow you to focus on the buyer segments most likely to convert and identify personalization strategies to attract and nurture the right leads effectively. https://ow.ly/pykQ50RoWSX #sales #B2Bsales #B2BTech #B2B #DeepSelling #correlation #B2BBuying

In the B2B space, it's interesting to watch how sales teams react to the question, "What exactly does your product/service do? They expect it, but they do not like it. Often, this question is followed by a standard sales pitch. Such situations make me uncomfortable (sometimes bordering on second-hand embarrassment). And here's why: B2B companies with complex products and services typically spend a lot of time and money on branding and PR. Articles are written, case studies are created for different verticals and departments, and advertising campaigns are run. The goal of all this is not only to increase awareness, but also to generate demand by showing the target audience that there is a product or service that can solve their problem better than others. However, when the question is asked, the answer to which the buyer should have received before meeting with the salesperson, the whole system (CJM, funnels) collapses. As a result, the SDR spends time and effort on awareness (i.e. marketing) instead of moving forward to close the deal. I'm sure you've seen this happen before. For such situations, there is a good remedy - approach the process from a different angle and change the perception of the product/service among sales teams and marketers. In B2B today, we are not selling goods or services, we are selling change. Therefore, before they meet with the customer, they must have answers to two questions - Why does the customer need to change? - Why now? Marketers should also test their strategies and plans against these questions at every stage of their work. That way, the tone and content of the materials will meet the audience's expectations, and sales teams will feel more confident. #B2BMarketing #SalesStrategy #CustomerEngagement #MarketingTips #BrandStrategy

Sales and marketing have different approaches to relationship building, in part because they are approaching customers in different ways--a one-on-one conversation vs. one-to-many. However, sales and marketing teams can learn a lot from one another. Their unique perspectives allow them to gather different information about customers. For example, marketing may have demographic information about target customers that can help sales teams customize their pitch, and salespeople get real-time feedback that can help marketing adjust their strategies. By coming together to share information more regularly, sales and marketing can shift and strengthen their approaches to relationship building. https://lnkd.in/gbjaJvdC

One factor that has changed in B2B sales and marketing funnels over the last year and a half across most market segments is the average length of sales cycles. One of the main causes of this has been the increase in members on client buying committees. Historically, the number of members on a buying committee has been around four to five. Now, in some cases, it’s close to double that. But it’s not just bigger committees that we’re seeing. It’s different types of people and roles on the buying committee. The new buying committee members are typically outside of sales and marketing functions and can include leadership and management. You have to be prepared to influence all members of a buying committee to help with velocity and conversion rates by doing a few things. • Take the time to do an inventory of the new members of your buying committee(s). Understand how their perspectives and needs are different from traditional buyers, and develop a short list of talking points to address them during sales conversations. • Develop marketing assets, specifically for new buying members. This could include tailored case, studies, blog posts and social content. Even landing pages that address their particular needs in their buying decision would be great. • Add the personas of the new buyers to your ABM audiences. This would expand the breadth and complexity of your outbound ABM. But this would be one of the most sophisticated approaches to addressing the new buyer needs.

This week's newsletter: The Interplay of Target Market, Sales Process, and Effective Sales Systems https://lnkd.in/dXY-nvGj A sales mistake you can easily fix is not understanding more about your target market. It is so easy to focus on what you sell and not on who you help Here are six steps to quickly get focused: 1/🎯 Introduction to Target Markets Defining your target market is crucial Without it, you risk spreading your resources thin and sending mixed messages Want to know why specificity matters? 2/🔍 The Importance of Defining a Target Market When you align business strategies with specific customer needs, magic happens It's about resonance and relevance And, it guides everything from product dev to marketing 3/⚠️ The Dangers of a "Sell to Everyone" Mentality a) Drained resources due to broad advertising b) Time wasted courting those who aren't a fit c) The risk of becoming "just another brand" without a distinct voice 4/🌪️ Dilution of Brand Message A brand without a focused audience might end up losing its essence Imagine trying to be everything to everyone Confusing, right? A clear audience means a clear message 5/💰 Why Narrow Focus Equals Better ROI a) Tailored campaigns = Direct appeal b) Positioning as the niche expert c) Deep connections, lead to loyal customers d) Products/services your audience truly wants 6/🛠️ Finding Your True Audience a) Dive deep into market research b) Harness the power of analytics c) Listen to customer feedback d) Keep an eye on competitors, they might be onto something Conclusion Target market isn’t just a business term It’s the heart of your brand, guiding everything from strategy to messaging Spend time on it, refine it, and watch your brand resonate and business grow like never before

Commercial success and long-term growth equal a ‘team sport’. The B2B business landscape’s digital and technological advancements are leaving old-school traditional business models and go-to-market strategies behind. Research from companies like Gartner reveals that ‘80% of sales interactions between suppliers & buyers will occur in digital channels’ and ‘increased desire for a less seller-dependent experience’. This calls for innovative business and commercial development - a transition from ‘function-based-me-myself and I’-mode to ‘team effort-first’. Guess what? many companies are still stuck in the same old ‘dysfunctional’/ misaligned cross-functional collaboration, where the usual suspects, e.g marketing, sales, brand, comms, product development etc are scattered to pieces, each pursuing their own disjointed agendas. As a result, critical growth opportunities are missed, and you’re most likely left with a sky-high cost of sales. Here’s a thought to trigger ‘team effort-first’ Marketing isn’t just an add-on, but a necessity for any company serious about propelling sales growth. It offers a dynamic, scalable advantage that outpaces traditional, people-dependent sales methods, whether you like it or not. This isn't to dismiss the importance of salespeople, but with marketing, you're not just reaching stakeholders outside of sales reach; you can uncover untapped opportunities that are invisible to sales, if done right. Marketing and sales complement each other, but it takes more than individual conversations or sporadic alignment meetings to look at a specific campaign's results. If you've ever glimpsed Gartner's B2B journey illustration, you'll realize this isn't some far-fetched dream — it's the reality awaiting those succeeding in transforming marketing for selling. But to get there… marketing, brand, and comms etc need to become ‘commercial’ and understand what sales mean to excel within their own domains. It’s not enough to only be[come] customer centric. Sales needs to face reality and team up with marketing to stay competitive. To achieve commercial success and long-term growth a collaborative team effort is required, where commercial unification is the name of the game. #commercialexcellence #b2bmarketing #b2bsales #marketingliteracy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 🤙  My name is Sandra and I’m the founder of Saxcel 🧭  Saxcel helps B2B companies cultivate unprecedented business growth by transforming marketing for selling 🔔  Feel free to hit the bell/follow on my profile, I strive to always share ideas, knowledge & inspo

Where Will the New Revenue Come From? With the proliferation of solutions available at the click of a mouse, salespeople face a real challenge if they are to remain the catalysts for revenue generation. I believe engagement holds the key, now more than ever. Stable Kernel's Emily Creek offers her set of best practices: "In 2024, effective selling starts with taking an interpersonal approach to activate meaningful conversations with customers. Here are five best practices to foster a dialogue that allows marketers to give B2B customers what they want." #sales #selling #marketing #salesandmarketing #b2b #b2c #engagment #salesstrategies #salesmanager #salestechniques #relationshipbuilding #trust #customer #bestpractices https://lnkd.in/ekb3E2dZ

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵... Over my years in B2B sales, I've had my ups and downs. You know the drill: One day you're swamped, and the next, it's like everyone's vanished... 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Relying on just one approach or infrequent contact missed opportunities. By trying new techniques and increasing touchpoints, I engaged more leads effectively. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 is where the real work begins. And let's face it, inconsistency makes it a challenge to retain interest and keep the momentum going. The key? Developing a systematic follow-up strategy and understanding each lead's unique needs. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 became a reward not just in revenue but in building relationships. It also reinforced the importance of a varied outreach strategy. The B2B sales journey isn't always smooth, and it sometimes feels like trying to pedal a bike with a broken chain, but being consistent and finding new ways to reach your target audience makes all the difference! 👉 Fellow sales pros, how do you navigate the highs and lows of sales? Any insights from your journey? #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #ConsistentOutreach #SalesInsights