Marketing’s Role In Business Development

Few B2B companies are doing much about Customer Experience Management (CEM). Those that are may not be looking far enough upstream. What percentage of four-month sell cycles take 1-3 years before prospects are ready to buy?

Customer Experience is a challenging concept. In attempting to improve it, consider when the customer experience starts. In increasing numbers, blogs/search engines/electronic newsletters/websites have replaced salespeople as the first touches vendors have with buyers. The majority of buyers are not ready to buy or evaluate during their first contact.

For that reason, I submit that Tactical Marketing's objective of developing leads has become a long-term proposition. Given this reality, their role in business development could be redefined:

Have ongoing, interruptible, electronic touches to gain mind share and credibility over time so that when buyers are ready to buy they will contact the vendor that provided the better customer experience.

Is it time to have another look at your non-human first touches with buyers?

4 Responses to "Marketing's Role In Business Development"

1. Tom Tomlinson Says:
   September 17th, 2007 at 9:36 pm

   Deal me in John. TTom

2. Tom Lacey Says:
   September 18th, 2007 at 2:22 pm

   I agree. The days of the buyer making a purchasing decsion or signing up for an evaluation unit during their first contact is an outdated concept. Lead generation must be followed up by an Inside Sales Organization.

3. Paul Gannon Says:
   September 19th, 2007 at 4:10 pm

   This notion supports our own experience. In analyzing where prospects come from, I almost always find multiple sources, like seminars, Webinars, trade show visits and Web site downloads. (And, those are just the ones we track.) I'm certain that our ability to serve as a useful resource during these early "touches" improves our inside sales representatives' ability to successfully call into their territories.

4. John Holland Says:
   September 20th, 2007 at 9:45 am

   Paul Gannon's comments indicate that during initial touches vendors would like to establish relationships where buyers view them as a resource. In order to do so, the more specific vendors can be with buyers (title/function, industry and business challenges), the better the chance of elevating the buyer experience. If successful in doing so, it will be critical that when a seller is contacted that he or she be able to relate to buyers on business issues.