(The following is a guest post from David Sroka, President and CEO of Point of Reference, a customer referral program provider.)

The marketing department in B2B firms is typically responsible for producing “evidence” of satisfied customers in the form of case studies, quotes, press releases and videos. This customer content has plenty of uses and users, but arguably, the heaviest consumer is the sales force. Like other marketing “investments,” there’s an imperative to make decisions that garner the biggest bang for the buck. So how should the marketing department decide how to spend its finite budget when it comes to sales-accelerating assets like customer content? Start by considering the current range of available content relative to where it’s needed in the sales cycle. For instance, press releases and one-page success stories are perfectly appropriate early on in the sales cycle, but less meaningful and effective in the middle to later stages.  Full ROI case studies, often 5-10 pages in length, are overkill for the early stages when buyers are merely tire kicking.

To provide a framework for this approach we created a tool to help you link various content types to various sales stages: Read More »

By Ana Lapter

Over the last few weeks, we’ve had numerous discussions with members about the increasing influence of Word of Mouth (WOM) in relation to B2B purchasing decisions.

One academic study attempted to demonstrate that expert power is the most important determinant of influence inside a buying center, especially in environments involving risky purchases, as well as large purchasing committees not facing significant time pressure. The author defined expert power as an audience’s faith in a source’s knowledge. But, what defines an “expert”? In my view, any worker engaged in generating corporate value by using technology tools, processes and information is a knowledge worker, and, therefore, an expert. To build knowledge, many of these workers are increasingly leveraging tools (social media, search engines, external survey platforms, etc) and information residing outside the corporate walls and spheres of influence. Read More »

By Kirsten Robinson

Voice of the customer and other traditional research methods uncover potential product improvements—but, for current products only. These techniques fail to generate the deep understanding of customers’ needs that enable companies to create the best new solutions offerings. Why? Because traditional methods use existing products as points of reference, rather than zeroing in on customers’ desired outcomes—the results customers are seeking to achieve irrespective of existing products or services.

So, rather than thinking about how certain products can work better for your customers, your company should explore segment needs by determining what exactly they’re trying to achieve. Switching to this research perspective can provide your company with more valuable, actionable insights for innovation, as it gives you a better grasp on customers’ underserved desires. Read More »

By Whitney Satin

Marketers don’t always have it easy when it comes to recognition within B2B organizations.  Often the spotlight lands on the engineer who designs the sleekest new model or the sales rep who lands the biggest contract of the decade.  Horror tales abound of small marketing teams huddled in the dusty and cobweb-ridden bowels of corporate facilities, struggling to convince the organization of the benefits of segmentation and value props.

Okay, maybe that last part is a bit of a stretch, but the reality is that many of us work in sales- or technology-driven companies where marketing is the afterthought, not a leading player.  Well, now’s your chance to show that Marketing is a force to be reckoned with, to gain bragging rights among your peers, to prove once and for all that marketers are the rock stars of the company.  It’s time … for the 3^rd annual B2B MarComm Awards! Read More »

(this is a guest post from Jonathan Grieb of the Communications Executive Council, our sister program for communicators and public relations professionals)

When crises like the events in Japan strike, corporations play a number of vital roles in helping society to respond effectively.   We, as large organizations, are an important social network that helps authorities account for those most affected.  We are a communications channel to provide critical emergency instructions to affected areas.  We are a trusted source of information in a cluttered environment.  Our resources provide the technology, supplies, and expertise to support immediate relief.  Our employees and foundations donate significant aid funds.  Our early statements shape policy discussions to minimize future disasters.  And, lastly, our collective response efforts ensure global economic continuity and minimize collateral damage. Read More »

By Kirsten Robinson

We’ve all seen executives played out in movies and TV shows—whether smart, powerful, or bumbling (e.g., Michael Scott, The Office). These characters are usually entertaining because they represent an exaggerated stereotype of how businesses operate across functions on a day-to-day basis.

Imagine recruiting your favorite characters from the big and small screens to your company. Who would head up your marketing, finance and IT departments…or the business overall? Read More »

By Ana Lapter

The origins of B2B marketing lay in academic studies developed in the 1960s when the terrain was initially framed as “industrial marketing”, a type of relationship between organizations, as opposed to relationships between individuals or between organizations and individuals. Ever since then, research findings and theoretical discussions have mainly focused on understanding the specific characteristics of business – rather than individual – behavior.

Over the last seven weeks, I participated in about 30 conversations with B2B marketers trying to understand how they view the early, research-intensive stages of the purchasing process. The majority of these discussions acknowledged that individuals, rather than corporate entities, ultimately make purchasing decisions. The divergence in opinions arose with the question: “Is there a clear, dividing line between B2B and B2C marketing?”  The spectrum of answers ranged from: “There is zero or limited resemblance between the two worlds”, to “Consumer practices are irreversibly reshaping business behavior.” Read More »

By Whitney Satin

When it comes to buzzword bingo, establishing a “customer-first focus” should ring true to most B2B and B2C marketers out there.  After all, we spend our days striving for deeper customer understanding, that ability to know exactly what products and services customers need and then what motivates them to act in certain ways—specifically in ways that lead to a purchase decision.  This customer-first culture should be the bedrock of any company strategy, and having a customer plan (Tesco) should be tantamount to having an annual financial and operations plan.

Read More »

Purchase Decisions - Rationality

By Ana Lapter

Traditional decision theories discussing industrial purchasing behavior emphasize buyers’ rational pursuit to maximize profit. Certainly, business purchases are more rational and bottom line focused as compared to the impulse-driven consumer purchases. But are business purchasing decisions fully rational?

Many marketers I spoke with recently recognize that individuals, not corporate entities, make purchasing decisions. The same marketers seem to either underestimate the emotional component of a purchase, or write off emotional tactics, like relationship building and face-to-face interaction, to Sales.

Understanding the psychology of business buyers is a critical element for any B2B marketing strategy. There a few critical factors that influence business purchasing decisions: Read More »

By Kirsten Robinson

B2B marketing communications continued to evolve in 2010, as evidenced by our B2BMarComm Award winners. But what set the winning campaigns on top? For some, a creative use of social media. For others, attention-grabbing taglines or a more in-depth, personalized experience. How do your company’s campaigns stack up against the competition—and what can you learn from the best?

Here are the winning campaigns from our 2010 B2B MarComm Awards: Read More »