The message, then, is that to engage customers in this evolving market, companies must go to them -- but, fewer than you'd expect actually do that. According to research from Corporate Visions, only 58 percent of companies surveyed said they have strategies in place to match engagement techniques to different parts of the purchase journey. Still, content doesn't replace salespeople, because salespeople often produce some of the most valuable content: sales presentations. How to blend content with human conversations Given what content provides customers in today's marketplace, when prospects finally turn away from content and turn to live salespeople, they expect more than regurgitated statistics and information. Forcing salespeople to offer a specific product in customer interactions actually lowers sales for that product and decreases post-sale customer satisfaction, primarily because customers find this approach both redundant and unhelpful. And when customers have access to both great content and salespeople who can guide them -- not carry them -- companies can turn drawn-out buyer journeys into reliable conversions. Ultimately, customers respect companies that share information. In fact, a survey by Cohn & Wolfe revealed that 91 percent of global respondents polled said they believed that honest communication about products and services is an important quality for companies to display -- in person and in messaging. Put solutions above sales. By controlling your message, advocating your company's particulars and value solutions above sales through a blend of content and salespeople, you can curate a brand image, marketing strategy and sales philosophy that builds customer trust and leads to long-term financial success.
The 2017 B2B Buyers Survey Report from Demand Gen combines the insights of 283 executives and directors to show how the buyer’s journey has changed over recent years. One big finding? Buyers, from both the B2B and B2C categories, no longer wait for companies to introduce themselves: 75 percent of respondents said that they now use more sources to research and evaluate their purchases — themselves.
With so many research avenues at their disposal, in fact, customers are free to form opinions about a brand before their first engagement with the company. Brands therefore have less control over the message customers receive, which more and more is determined by market feedback, word of mouth and social media.
The message, then, is that to engage customers in this evolving market, companies must go to them — but, fewer than you’d expect actually do that. According to research from Corporate Visions, only 58 percent of companies surveyed said they have strategies in place to match engagement techniques to different parts of the purchase journey.
Without a tailored approach that accounts for buyers in all stages of the purchase — from content consumption to sales interactions — brands cannot reliably engage their prospects.
Content’s value in the modern sales funnel
Modern buyers no longer want salespeople to do their thinking for them and instead prefer a cache of relevant content, with a salesperson operating more as an optional guide.
In fact, customers, who typically seem wary of brand content on principle, value educational content over sales-oriented content because they often assume that sellers will put their own interests ahead of objective information. Thus, those brands that provide customers with high-quality research materials before a purchase are those that earn buyers’ trust, so long as those materials don’t attempt to hide the company’s desire to make a sale.
In terms of the content’s substance, customers ultimately have two fundamental questions when approaching buying: How did the product solve other clients’ problems and help them run more efficient, profitable operations, and what does this mean for me? Companies that provide content replete with data points and case studies that answer these questions maximize their content’s value.
Still, content doesn’t replace salespeople, because salespeople often produce some of the most valuable content: sales presentations. Buyers prefer sales presentations over blog posts, ebooks and case studies. While those other types of content are important, sales presentations provide direct, no-frills summaries of how the product will add value to customers’ lives, helping them more clearly understand what a specific solution can do for them.
How to blend content with human conversations
Given what content provides customers in today’s marketplace, when prospects finally turn away from content and turn to live…
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