Improving Content and Conversation For B2B Sales Success

Making Leaders Successful
Every Day

Optimize Content and Conversation
for 21st Century Sales Success
Peter O‟Neill, Vice President & Principal Analyst

Forrester Breakfast Seminar
Amsterdam, February, 2014

Agenda
› 10:00 - 10:30

Breakfast, Coffee & Registration

› 10:30 - 10:45

Welcome & Introduction

› 10:45 - 11:30

Forrester Session

› 11:30 - 11:45

Break

› 11:45 - 12:30

Guest Speaker and Analyst Q&A

› 12:30

Lunch

© 2013 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

3

Forrester is a global research
and advisory firm


4

We help you make better decisions in a
world where technology is radically
changing your customers


5

We have entered the Age of the Customer

October 2013 “Competitive Strategy In The Age Of The Customer”

With four market imperatives

Transform
the customer
experience

Embrace
the mobile
mind shift

Age of the
Customer
Turn big data
into business
insights


Become
a digital
disruptor

7

Next Steps
 Visit the Age of the Customer site
 Recent Reports by Peter O’Neill
Establish Your Content Marketing Lifecycle
Gauging Your Progress And Success,
(Benchmarks Report for The Lead-To-Revenue Playbook)

 For any follow up questions, please contact your client representative, if
unsure please ask the host

 Presentation slides will be shared by marketing
 Stay up to date via our Twitter group! @forrester


8

Agenda
› 10:00 - 10:30

Breakfast, Coffee & Registration

› 10:30 - 10:45

Welcome & Introduction

›

Forrester Session

10:45 - 11:30

› 11:30 - 11:45

Break

› 11:45 - 12:30

Guest Speaker and Analyst Q&A

› 12:30

Lunch


9

Michael Porter‟s five forces revisited in the Age
Of The Customer


Strategic budget imperatives for customerobsessed enterprises


Optimize Content and Conversation for
21st Century Sales Success
My Agenda
Your Buyers Have Their Own System
Align Your 21st Century Sales System
Design Your Content Marketing Strategy
Based Upon A Messaging Framework
Enable Your Sales Channels Accordingly
Recommendations


14

So, How are we doing?

Executive buyers
Source: August 1, 2013, ―Executive Buyer Expectations – The Bar Is Low‖ Forrester report

15

80% of our sales efforts are “inside out”

Executive buyers

16

We are not aligned to the buyers‟ context

Executive buyers

17

Our marketing is not even aligned to the
preferred buyer behaviour anymore
Old
Market interactions
based on offers
Seller

Buyer

Offer

Respond

Fulfill

O-R-F scales with media

Source: http://www.funnysalescartoons.com/photo/king-machine-gun-salesman-3/prev?context=user

Source: May 07, 2008, ―Community Marketing: A New Discipline For Business Technology Marketers‖ Forrester report

The preferred buyer interaction model
Old
Market interactions based on
products

New
Market interactions based on
business outcomes

Scale with media

Scale with social media and
communities

Source: May 7, 2008, ―Community Marketing: A New Discipline For Business Technology Marketers‖ Forrester report

Buyers have adopted new technologies
and changed their behaviour
Social media
Video
Mashups
Podcasts

Dialog

Chat
Wikis

Discussions
Social
Rich
Blogs networks
media

Community
Customer
engagement

Usergenerated
content

Virtual trade shows Virtual worlds
Participation
Webcasts
Shared bookmarks
Advergames
Social network
marketing
Tagging/voting

Web 2.0

Groundswell

Content
sharing
Viral

Buyers are fishing for your content
B2B marketers need their
content to be found:
› By each buyer in their
context,
› When they are looking.
Create content that
accelerates the buyers
along their journey and
leaves behind your “brand
scent.”

Base: 418 executive-level buyers at global companies of 100 or more employees; Source: Forrester’s Q4 2012 Global
Executive Buyer Insight Online Survey

21

Messages find their own route to buyers

May 2008 “Community Marketing: A New Discipline For Business Technology Marketers”

The buyer journey starts earlier than your
traditional marketing work, and continues …

Offer-Respond-Fulfil
Marketing


23

Introducing lead-to-revenue management
L2RM is everything that
we, as marketers, do to
engage our customers
on their journey from
need to value.
As we engage, we learn
more about them and
develop a relationship
for our company as a
trusted advisor and
supplier.
And it’s the process we
develop to optimize
customer engagement.
24

It‟s not about . . .
. . . moving masses of ―leads‖ through a sequential
process of attrition until tens or hundreds of deals
emerge.

Attract

Capture

Nurture

Sell

Expand

25

Our goal now is to . . .
. . . take a single
lead through an
optimized process
...
. . . and then repeat
that process
hundreds or
thousands
of times.

26

The LeadTo-Revenue
Playbook


27

Agenda
Design Your Content Marketing Strategy
Based Upon A Messaging Framework
Recommendations


28

What is a selling system?
Messenger

Message

+

Audience

Forrester approach to defining the 21st
century selling system
Message

Messenger

Combination

Outcome

Consolidator

Conductor

Description

Recipe

Expediter

Audience

Specialist

Manager

Procurer

Executive

Leader

Then …

Lastly …

First ….

•

Offers and messages

•

Sales types

•

Role map & wallets

•

Content

•

Skills and model

•

Agreement network

•

Processes

•

Objectives

•

Segments and patterns

The elements of the Customer Reference Model
Audience
Customer
Reference Model

A CUSTOMER IS AN ENTITY
CATEGORIZED BY LEGAL STATUS
SEGMENTED BY LEGAL DEFINITION
GROUPED BY BUYER ARCHETYPES
NARROWED BY PROBLEM UNIVERSE
REFERRED DOMAINS & PROCESSES
INFORMED BY AGREEMENT NETWORKS
FILTERED THROUGH ALTITUDE LEVELS
KEYED TO A ROLE MAP
PLOTTED OVER A LIFECYCLE
SORTED BY OUTCOME PATTERNS

31

All your company should be involved

Sellers (QC)

Audience
Sales Management

Sales Leadership

Subject Matter Experts

Sales Operations

Training & Dev

Customer Experience

Finance

Events Teams

Messenger
Demand Gen

Segment Mktg

Competitive Mktg

Corp Marketing

Services Teams

Solutions Teams

Engineering Teams

Message

Customer
Reference Model

A CUSTOMER IS AN ENTITY
CATEGORIZED BY LEGAL STATUS
SEGMENTED BY LEGAL DEFINITION
GROUPED BY BUYER ARCHETYPES
NARROWED BY PROBLEM UNIVERSE
REFERRED DOMAINS & PROCESSES
INFORMED BY AGREEMENT NETWORKS
FILTERED THROUGH ALTITUDE LEVELS
KEYED TO A ROLE MAP
PLOTTED OVER A LIFECYCLE
SORTED BY OUTCOME PATTERNS

32

GE Healthcare thought ―outside in―

Source: http://blogs.forrester.com/kerry_bodine/13-06-14-customer_experience_innovation_from_the_outside_in

Agenda
Design Your Content Marketing
Strategy Based Upon A Messaging
Framework
Recommendations

34

Strategic Messaging Framework
Level 1:
Corporate
Positioning
& Strategy

Messaging Must be:
•Unique
•Compelling
•Differentiating
•Defensible
•Durable
•Comprehensive

How are we-redefining
our Market Category

Level 2:
Market
Segment
Positioning

How are we a relevant solution provider in the
marketing we sell into?

Level 3:
KDM
Positioning

How do we deliver value to
the key decision makers
in our customers?

Level 4:
Outcome
Messaging

Outcome 1


Outcome 2

Outcome 3

Market Segments are:
A homogenous group that
shares related roles, exhibits
common behaviors, and has
similar needs, distinct from
other segments.
Key Decision Makers:
Decision makers and
influencers in the target
segment

Outcomes are:
The optimal context for customer
messaging. Outcomes are the
driver of action. The outcome to
may be fulfilled through a
number of different products
and solutions, but is not
product-centric

Strategic Messaging Framework
(Example for a Marketing Automation Vendor)
What business are we in?
Level 1:
Corporate
Positioning
& Strategy

Level 2:
Market
Segment
Positioning

Leader in
Integrated Customer Experience

MS # 1:
Digital Marketing
Mgmt

Level 3:
KDM
Positioning

MS #2:
Web Content
Management

How does it all tie together?

What products/solutions
do we offer?
How are they changing
the approach?

Who is engaged in the
decision making process –
at all levels, through all
stages

CMO/EVP/VP Marketing

Outcome 1
Level 4:
Outcome
Messaging

What do we „uniquely‟ offer

Outcome 2

Outcome 3

Increase
Inbound
Traffic

Build highconversion
e-commerce
platform

Automate
L2RM
process


What can we help them
accomplish?

Artifact: Buyer Role Profile
Marlena Ortega
Chief Marketing Officer

Role and Tenure
Marlena has been CMO a global consumer
products company for the last 18 months. She
is a serial CMO and this is the fourth time she
has held the position. Each transition has been
voluntary as she’s moved to larger companies
(and much higher compensation.)
Marlena is responsible for facilitating
growth, through the sales, distribution and
marketing strategy. She reports to the CEO.

Key Issues & Responsibilities


Creating Brand Image for CPG company
while allowing individual brand freedom


Centralizing brand-specific customer care
centers to a single center


Evaluating the transition to a single CRM
system

Personal Profile
Marlena has been divorced for about 5 years,
after a 15 year marriage. No children. She has
a small group of close friends with whom she
socializes regularly. She has one cat, named
Clio and and contributes regularly to PETA and
the ASPCA. She has a BA in British Literature
from Haverford University and and MBA from
Wharton.

What Makes the Job Hard
CMOs are faced with a diverse range of
specialized disciplines in which they are
required to be knowledgeable. This
challenge is compounded by the fact that
the day-to-day activities of these functions
range from the highly analytical (e.g. –
pricing and market research) to highly
creative (advertising and promotions)
The average tenure of a CMO is 28 months.



Maintaining a single customer experience
across multiple channels


Optimize the mix of marketing, media and
channel



Organizing marketing for adaptability

Getting Marketing Analytics that go beyond
marketing metrics to link to ROI


What makes the job fun.
Marlena likes the diversity. Jumping between
creative and analytical. The power. In CPG,
marketing is seen as a strategic enabler of
growth. She used to work for a global
technology firm and got no respect.

Buyer journey map
Discover

Something
changed —
need to
understand
problem.

Transition
trigger(s)
We will
commit
to
change.

Explore

Transition
trigger(s)

Seeking
approaches
to solve
problem

Identify
possible
solution
provider.

Evaluate

Transition
trigger(s)

How well will Narrow
each solution down the
meet my
options.
needs?

Shortlist

Transition
trigger(s)

Purchase

Which
solutions are
best? How
should I
choose?

Make a
decision.

This is how I
made my
choice.
These are
my
expectations.

What was the
motivation?
What
questions did
you ask?
What info were
you looking
for?
What were you
feeling?
Where did you
go for help?
Who/what did
you trust?

38

Eg. Content research for the Discover phase


39

What: content for the Discover phase
Buyer activities
Identify problems.
Search for
options.
Potential content options
Best practices of leaders
Business or industry blogs
Industry examples
Business stories


40

Marketing content and sales conversations vary by solution
complexity
Portfolio of
technology,
services, and
expertise

Scope of
offerings

Single
product line

Describing the product portfolio

Arguing for business transformation

Listing the product functions

Showing potential business improvement

High intrinsic value
Low knowledge transfer


Knowledge transfer
required

Low intrinsic value
High knowledge transfer

41

Marketing content mapped to solution complexity
Product portfolio

Portfolio of
technology,
services, and
expertise

Scope of
offerings

Single
product line

Business transformation

Content about
• Company brand values
• Portfolio benefits and functionality
• Product functions content
for
• High- and low-level tech buyers
• Multiple content consumers

Content about
• Thought leadership on transformation
• Case studies
• Business improvement
• Portfolio benefits and functionality content
• Product functions
for
• Business and IT buyers
• Many content consumers

Product functions
Content about
• Business benefits and functionality
for
• Lower-level tech buyers
• Few content consumers



Business improvement
Content about
• Thought leadership on improvement
• Technology impacts process and organization
Business Improvement
for
• Business and IT buyers
• Business and tech content buyers

Knowledge transfer
required

Low intrinsic value

42

Thought leadership sits at the pinnacle
of content marketing strategy

Source: April 4, 2013, ―Nurture Thought Leadership To Nurture Your Brand‖ Forrester report

43

Forrester‟s four-step IDEA framework

I
D
E
A

Identify your target audience, their issues, and the
sources of information they trust.

Develop your thought leadership platform: the ideas
and content that express the company’s positions.

Engage your audience through a considered mix of
digital, social, and traditional channels.

Assess the impact on your business and revise or
reinvest.

Source: April 4, 2013, ―Nurture Thought Leadership To Nurture Your Brand‖ Forrester report

44

True thought leadership embodies bold
attributes
Relevant
Provocative
Forward-looking
Distinct
Inspiring
Actionable
Results-driven
Conversational
Credible
Independent

• Deals with big issues your buyers face
• Challenges conventional thinking
• Anticipates what’s coming over the horizon
• Different from what everyone else is saying
• Energizes people about this way of thinking
• Provides actionable advice on what clients can do now
• Using the ideas can produce breakthrough results.

• The tone encourages a dialogue and feedback.
• Your company can help people get there.
• Makes no reference to your products and services

45

Source: blogs.sap.com/innovation

Agenda
Design Your Content Marketing Strategy Based
Upon A Messaging Framework
Recommendations


48

Content maps to solution complexity
Portfolio of
technology, ser
vices, and
expertise

Scope of
offerings

Single
product line

Describing the product
portfolio
Content about
• Portfolio benefits and functionality
for
• Procurers and managers
• Multiple content consumers

Content about
• Thought leadership on transformation
• Case studies
• Business improvement
• Portfolio benefits and functionality content
• Product functions
for
• Business executives
• Many content consumers

Listing the product
functions
Content about
• Business benefits and functionality
for
• Procurers
• Few content consumers



Arguing for business
transformation

Showing potential business
improvement
Content about
• Thought leadership on improvement
• Technology impacts process and organization
for
• Business managers and IT buyers
• Business and tech content buyers

Complexity of
buying process

Low intrinsic value

49

The content-conversation mix varies
Product
functions

Conversation

Product
portfolio

Conversation

Business
improvement

Conversation

Business
transformation

Conversation

Content
Content
Content
Content


50

Great content begats great conversation
› At the very least, you need to ensure that sales know your
content, so they can leverage it in their customer dialogue.
› Sales account managers are now often in the role of ―content
concierge‖ — pointing out useful content to their contacts
proactively and inventing their own ―call-to-action.‖


51

Help sales to help make your content
successful
› Sales can inform your content plans.
• Sales can review your topics and even language for customer
centricity.
• Sales has ideas for thought leadership content.
• Sales can provide contacts for deeper buyer research.

› Create content about content.
• Every content asset should be ―tagged‖: target audience, sales
stage, intended next step.
• Provide sales guides/battlecards around content programs.
› Thought leadership: what thought? Who? Why? What?

› Forrester Wave™ reprint: Where are we good/not so good — why, what
do we say about it?


52

Not only your content
› Listening platform output specific to
entity/customer
• What has he/she said in LinkedIn-Xing-FacebookTwitter recently (about us, their business issues, the
outcome they seek, etc.)?
• Have they said something about the competition?
• Does customer have friends/contacts that are
potentially useful (advocate for us)?


53

Leaders are linking content marketing to
sales system
› Content asset system knows which content is
most successful.
› Content asset system logs all content
consumption into the CRM system — so sales
can check before meeting the customer.
› L2RM system informs sales about useful content
to deploy for each sales-qualified lead (SQL).
› Attribution analysis shows which content piece
increases success probability.

54

Key takeaways
Your buyers have changed, so you also have the opportunity to change.

 Your buyers have different expectations and new communications channels.
 Re-design your sales system: Message(s) – Messenger(s) – Audience(s).
 Create compelling content; in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
that means local content for local buyers.
 Re-align sales and marketing roles and responsibilities


Engage with Forrester through . . .
ANALYST ADVISORY AND RESEARCH-BASED CONSULTING

 One-on-one advisory sessions with Forrester
analysts to leverage their research and
expertise.

Analyst
engagement

 One- or two-day intensive workshops in
which analysts use research-based best
practices to enhance your team’s skill set.
 Research-based consulting engagements
with analysts deliver the objective, actionoriented recommendations you need in a
condensed timeline. Work closely with our
analysts to apply their proven expertise to
your big initiatives.

56

Thank you
Peter O‟Neill
+49 (0)69.959.29839
poneill@forrester.com
Twitter: @poneillforr
blogs.forrester.com/peter_oneill

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