B2B Marketing, Let's Simplify It...

My Mom Asked, and Yours Might Too!

Easter dinner at my family's house tends to be the opposite of a quiet, relaxing meal. It's a rapid-fire of exchanges about any and all topics with sports on the tv in the background - this year it was March Madness (my bracket is completely busted in case you were wondering) and the topic was B2B marketing. 

Before I knew it I found myself diving headfirst into the world of HubSpot automations, lead scoring strategies, and the never-ending struggle to get SDRs and BDRs to truly embrace and utilize a CRM. Just as I was reaching peak marketing-nerd enthusiasm, with acronyms thrown in left and right, my mom chimed in with her signature sarcasm: "Okay, miss marketing guru. What is an SDR? And why do you score leads like points in a basketball game?"

She actually had a great point. For the many that join my mom in being unfamiliar with the B2B marketing world that I live in (crazy acronyms and all), I’m going to take my mom’s advice ("You should seriously write a blog about this, Al.") – so, here it is: 

B2B Marketing: Solutions Not Products

Let's say you're looking to market cutting-edge cloud security software. B2B marketing isn't about convincing every business they need your software, regardless of their situation. It's about understanding the unique security challenges faced by your target clients (maybe they're in healthcare or finance) and positioning your software as the tailored solution to their specific needs. Think compliance, data protection, and risk mitigation – not just buzzwords. This means understanding your target audience’s challenges and showing how your software solves their specific problems, not just pushing your product for mass sale.

Marketing Automation: Your Favorite Assistant

Picture this: your website is a treasure chest of potential leads – decision makers downloading white-papers and requesting demos, and purchase influencers engaging in educational content. Marketing automation is like having an assistant that never sleeps. It tracks website behavior, sends personalized follow-ups, and even flags high-potential leads based on their engagement. This lets you focus on those hot leads while still nurturing the rest – no manual spreadsheets required! (even though I secretly love a beautifully well organized spreadsheet).

CRMs: The Backbone of Client Relationships

Think of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system as your digital headquarters for all things client-related. I am sure you have heard names like Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, etc - these are all considered CRMs. And while some have different capabilities and experiences, they all essentially do the same thing.  Imagine storing every interaction – emails, website visits, form fills – with your leads and clients in one secure, easy-to-access platform. This lets you personalize communication, track progress through the sales funnel, and identify potential roadblocks before they become deal-breakers. Plus, in depth powerful analytics tools within CRMs help you measure campaign effectiveness and constantly refine your approach. It allows for visibility across your entire business in one platform, breaking down those pesky silos. Now before you ask, I do have a favorite CRM but we won’t get into that today (a Hubspot article may be coming soon).

The Notorious B.2.B. Funnel (where my 90's kids at?)

The B2B sales funnel outlines the stages leads go through, from awareness  to becoming client/customer. Think of it like this:

• Top of the Funnel (Awareness): Lots of potential leads, maybe they watched a video, read a blog or visited your website. Prime remarketing audiences are generated here.
• Middle of the Funnel (Consideration): Leads are showing more interest – they might download an asset, attend a webinar or request a case study. (MQL)
• Bottom of the Funnel (Decision): These leads are hot and ready to convert! They're requesting a demo, reaching out to sales, asking about pricing, and comparing your solution to competitors. Primed for closing a deal (SQL)

Lead Scoring: Turning Engagement into Insight

Lead scoring helps you focus on the most promising leads (typically SQL level) by assigning points based on their engagements with your company. The higher the score, the more likely they are to close. Think website visits, ad interactions, content downloads, etc.

For Example:

• Visited your website: +10 points
• Downloaded a white-paper: +20 points
• Requested a demo: +30 points

We typically assign points to move leads further through the process. Say a contact visits your website for 10 points, downloads a lead magnet for 20 points and then requests a demo for 30 - yes, we can track this all (scary, I know). If we set rules in our CRM that says a lead over 60 points is ready for sales outreach then that will trigger the contact to be automatically assigned to a predetermined sales rep. This is how marketing passes qualified leads to sales. It saves everyone time and helps the team prioritize efforts on the warmest possible leads with the highest closing potential.

SDRs, BDRs & AEs: The Lead Qualifiers (marketing's worst nightmare - kidding!)

Think of AEs, SDRs and BDRs as your sales powerhouses. They take the leads generated by the marketing gurus and determine if they're a good fit for the company's solutions. They reach out to warm leads (high scoring MQLs & SQLs), asking the right questions and identifying pain points the business can solve for. If there's a match, they schedule meetings with the key decision-makers, paving the way for a successful close.

Bridging the Gap Between Marketing & Sales: A Tale as Old as Time

SDRs and BDRs don't just close deals – they also provide invaluable information to marketing.  In a perfect world, they report back on the quality of our generated leads, helping us understand if our targeting and content is truly resonating with our audience. This feedback allows us to constantly refine our messaging and strategy, generating even better leads for them in the future. Let's face it... getting sales to actually update lead quality and statuses is a  battle only marketing teams truly understand, but the constant communication between marketing and sales is a win-win for everyone! ...And who knows, maybe reading this will bring marketing and sales closer together – let's dream big, people!

In Conclusion: Thanks, Mom! (And a Reminder for Us All)

My mom was definitely onto something when she suggested this blog idea.  While the acronyms and buzzwords can be overwhelming,  B2B marketing has incredible potential. Unlike selling cool sneakers, it's about understanding the unique challenges target audiences and businesses face while offering real solutions that make a difference. Tools like automation and CRMs are fantastic allies, but building strong relationships with both clients and internal teams is the ultimate key to success. 

Now let's make your mom proud!  Connect with me to discuss your B2B marketing challenges.