Paul Gillin, author of The New Influencers and a leading authority on B2B marketing, just published a draft of the first chapter of his upcoming book, Social Marketing to the Business Customer on his blog. He had me on the second page when he spelled out what I’ve always seen as the differences between B2B and B2C sales–but have never been able to articulate as clearly. 
The points Paul makes –about buyers’ focus on value, group decision-making, and sales cycle length especially resonate with me as someone who focuses on marketing IT products and professional services to corporations.
Posts Tagged ‘buying behavior’
How search and social media will shorten the B2B sales cycle.
Monday, June 21st, 2010Tags: B2B marketers, B2B marketing, B2B marketing consultant, B2B sales cycles, buying behavior, buying decision, communications, data collection, keywords, long sales cycles, Paul Gillin, pay per click, sales cycle length, search, shortening the sales cycle, social media, target audience, targeted communications, value
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Maximizing Sales Productivity Depends on Meeting Marketing Requirements
Friday, September 5th, 2008There are many reasons that sales cycles stretch out. As we discussed when we reviewed how businesses buy, most companies delay buying until: 1) they recognize a clear need for a solution, 2) have a sense of urgency, and 3) identify product or service providers that they believe will meet their needs.
At that point, however, most buyers have a heightened awareness of the cost of delay–and are anxious to move forward. When they don’t, it’s a telltale sign that your product or service is missing the mark.
Tags: buying behavior, contact management system, marketing research, most promising prospects, primary marketing research, purchasing patterns, sales cycles, sales history, sales productivity
Posted in Buying process model | Comments Off
Shortening the sales cycle starts with getting into buyers’ minds
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008Last week, we discussed the importance of reducing the cost of sales—which I defined as the time it takes to prospect for new clients and close new business. This week, I’d like to discuss how to get started.
Step one is recognizing that for the most part, we can’t convince anyone to buy something from us that they don’t want. When it comes to shortening the sales cycle—as with other forms of behavior change, the thing to remember is that it’s all about attraction and motivation—rather than persuasion and pursuit.
Tags: buying behavior, buying process, cost of sales, marketing research, sales cycle
Posted in Buying process model | No Comments »
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