Why Marketing Isn't Creating Revenue for Your B2B Business
Simply put...
Because your using a B2C strategy.
There you go. You can stop reading now if you want 😉
Or, we can explore more together on exactly HOW these B2C marketing strategies are hurting your business.
If you're ready...let's go.
The B2C Marketing Disconnect
In traditional B2C product-based companies, marketing and sales are strictly separate. And it actually makes sense.
It's the job of the Marketing Team to PROMOTE the product. As in, they show the market what is available, to drive people into stores.
It's then the job of the Sales Team to CLOSE the product in the store.
The Marketing Team doesn't need to know how the sales team functions to promote the product. And the sales team doesn't need to know how the marketing team promotes a product to close a sale. They are both in the right place at the right time, and their paths don't need to cross.
It's purposefully disconnected.
Because it doesn't NEED to be connected for the funnel to work.
But that's not the case for a B2B business. Especially a digital one.
Blurred Lines
Last week, I wrote about how digital blurs these lines.
Now, sales people are showing up in the same places as marketing, and if we're not doing complementary things, then we create the opportunity to BREAK our brand experience. Which, minimally, makes the sales cycle LONGER.
Now, if you tell a salesperson that what they are doing is making the sales cycle longer, they'll likely change their course. Because their job is to make the sales cycle as short as possible.
But what happens when Marketing is making it longer?
One team is making it shorter. One team is making it longer. It's like a nightmare game of Tug O' War that leaves your revenue opportunity caught in the middle.
Unblurring the Lines
To UN-BLUR the lines, you first have to understand the lines. What are your marketing efforts? What are your sales efforts? And are there any places where they could be stepping on each other's toes?
And I'll tell you, keeping it high-level here is a BAD IDEA.
You need to go deep. You need to understand all the activities. And you need to explore how each and every activity impacts the others. Because I will tell you, THEY DO impact each other.
And if they are disconnected so they DON'T impact each other, how are they working together to drive sales? After all, you need BOTH Sales and Marketing to function for a dependable revenue funnel 💡
Make It Make Sense (first to YOU, then to OTHERS)
Next, you need to look at your ideal flow. One that makes sense for your brand, your team, and your potential clients. And it doesn't have to look like the flow for ANY OTHER BUSINESS...because every other business isn't you.
How do people:
find out who you are? [Marketing]
get connected to the brand story? [Marketing]
get connected to members of your team? [Marketing & Sales]
compare you to other solutions? [Marketing & Sales]
do business with you? [Sales]
become raving fans? [Sales & Client Success]
There is ONE flow, that makes sense to YOU (and your team), that allows people to go through this journey with you. As PART of your Brand.
So, what is it?
And now, for a System
Once you have a flow that WORKS, you can then look at systematizing it.
I will tell you; I see WAY too many companies worrying about systematizing something before they know it works.
Just because it works for someone else, does NOT mean it is going to work for you.
So, please don't worry about systematizing anything before you've seen it generate clients.
And not just any clients, but GREAT clients.
The ones you WANT.
The ones who STAY.
The ones who are FUN to serve.
Now THAT's👆 what we want to systematize 💖
B2B Marketing is NOT the same as B2C Marketing
Just like how selling a product isn't the same as selling a service.
If you're using the wrong formula, you're NOT going to get Gold.
Simple as that.
If you're a B2B company and you're wondering if you're using a B2C formula for your sales and marketing, let's chat 😊
