Strategy - Marketing to a tough audience from ycagen: MarketingProfs Question 19212

Question

Topic: Strategy

Marketing To A Tough Audience

Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在5:46 PM ET 125 Points

My key challenge as a marketer of an IT outsourcing solution is as follows

We're basically marketing to a high-level audience (CEOs, senior executives) who, in most cases, have neither the time, interest or comfort-level to talk about a technical solution.

(We can't market to the IT people - in-house or offsite consultants - because they see us as a serious threat to their egos and jobs, and do everything to sabotage our efforts.)

Clients love us. But even THEIR referrals to this point have been "hard-sells" as well.

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RESPONSES

Posted bySteveByrneMarketingon7/25/2007在5:55 PM Member

You didn't say the size of company you are targeting. Typically companies with sales of $25m to $250m are a little easier to approach. That said, I would target the marketing managers with easy access informational/educational content. Start below VP of Marketing and get someone to buy in and champion your services to the executive management team.

Hope this helps,

Steve
Posted byCarolBlahaon7/25/2007在5:57 PM Member

Well you can't make them have the time or make them buy anything-- you are selling solutions. If you find their pain, they will find the time. Sometimes they don't know they are in pain, you have to help them find it. If the IT people see you as a resource vs a threat-- you will get their attention.

to get their attention you need to develop good pain questions. You have 90 seconds to leave a message so compelling to get a return call. Sell only the appointment, get face to face. Ask more pain questions and become their solution. Even CEO's want assured that their IT people are a good investment-- and you will compliment them in every way.

Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm
Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在6:11 PM Author

Thanks. In nearly ALL instances, we never compliment the IT person -- we threaten them.

Our sales people ask pain questions, but most just want to know upfront and quickly "what they want from them."

I agree with the idea of leaving a compelling message, but in many cases this too has fallen on deaf ears.
Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在6:14 PM Author

Steve,

Thanks for your questions.

Why would the marketing director care about IT services? I as a marketer certainly don't nor do I have the confidence in my own technology expertise to suggest something to my superiors.
Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在6:45 PM Author

psimone,

Thanks. How may I get a hold of you?
Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在8:49 PM Author

Thanks Randall, and everyone else. A couple of follow up questions if I may:

Firstly, what is an NFP organization?

Secondly, what sort of university programs/alumni programs?

Finally, how does one go about developing "high-level corporate leadership relationships"?

Vevolution, unfortunately we don't even sell to the IT executives -- in most instances it's the sr executive or owner that we cater to (since we enable businesses to outsource their ENTIRE IT department in most cases, IT people see us a threat)
Posted byycagenon7/25/2007在8:59 PM Author

Figured out what NFP is, thanks.

Would love to hear your response on my other questions, though.

Thanks for your help!
Posted on7/26/2007 at 3:23 AM Member

If you are marketing to an audience that you feel is as tough as you've written, then, IMO, you are

1) marketing to the wrong folks.
2) not reaching the right people and the right pain
3) not getting enough testimonials
4) don't have the right systems in place.
5) are not connecting with the audience you're trying to reach.
6) not connecting enough with the right people at the firms you are helping i.e. those who know the right people at the right firms.

Best thing to do is to get a good sales coach to review your process. I know a few good ones (I am not one) if you'd like a referral.
Posted bygregon7/26/2007 at 5:40 AM Accepted

Hi

The best sales process is the willing customer buying process. The customers’ buying process always has the following 8 steps:

• I am important and want to be respected.
• You must first earn my trust.
• You must consider my needs.
• How will your solutions help me
(the benefits)?
• What are the facts?
• What are the snags?
• What do I have to do?
• I agree/disagree.

Each step of the sales process must address each of these 8 buying requirements in the sequence set out. If you do not demonstrate that you know the customer is important and wants to be respected – then the buying process will stall and terminate.

Here's how you demonstrate this first two steps in your sales process?

Step 1: “I am important and want to be respected”

This must be demonstrated in all meetings with customers. Typical demonstrations will be in:

The Preparation You Do
• Researching their Website, Accounts, Other Sources
• Understanding their Organisational Chart and power people
• Knowing their business drivers
• Being in tune with their Culture

Behaving Peer-to-peer
• Buyers ‘buy from someone like themselves’
• It must be Chief to chief

请继续关注in meetings
• Don’t wander, it wastes their time and is therefore ‘disrespectful’

Always ask Questions
• What are your key objectives this year?
• How will you know if you are successful?
• What keeps you awake at night?

Step 2: “You must first earn my trust”.

Be strategic and singular in the ‘company you keep’. Demonstrate that you can be trusted with the following:

• CEO and his/her profile in marketplace
• Members of the Board of Directors
• Having a Panel of Advisors
• The Investors, taken on/and in subsequent rounds
• Advisors (audit/assurance, financial and legal)
• The strategic marketing management team (CEO and marketing director)
• The sales management team
• Channel distributors and re-sellers
• Alliance, joint ventures and partners
• Reference customers.

Trust in a new product/technology has to be earned by the seller. Buyers will be fearful, uncertain and doubtful about buying something entirely new to them.
Some categories of buyers, however, will be more willing to try a purchase.
These are the early adopters and innovators.
Posted bySteveByrneMarketingon7/26/2007 at 12:20 PM Member

"Why would the marketing director care about IT services?"

The answer is all, or nearly all companies have become service companies to some degree, even if they manufacture something. IT includes the customer's web experience, communication systems, delivery of services, perceptions of service quality etc. Great creative IT can actually become a key differentiator relative to the competition. IT IS an element of the product and brand.

I run into savvy marketers who understand this and make it their business to understand how their companies measure up against the competition, especially with their websites. I have had success selling IT through marketing people and financial people.

Maybe you could set up a test using A/B split techniques and find out for yourself if marketing or financial is a better path to get in the door.

Hope this helps,

Steve
Posted bykoen.h.pauwelson7/27/2007 at 2:49 AM Member

Lots of great advice already...what I can add is to read Keith Ferrazzi's book 'Never Eat Alone', in particular the chapter on 'warming the cold call'. He gives some great examples on what Pattie called 'gentle persistence': even when you get past the gatekeepers, use a common friend reference and state what you can do for your audience right away; you may still have to use different routes for an extended time before making the connection,

Good luck!
Posted on7/27/2007 at 1:26 PM Member

If you are having problems reaching your audience, then you must establish credibility and trust. You can do this by publishing articles on well-known, respected websites and online publications that your audience is reading. At the end of the article that establishes your credibility, you get a bio box that should include a strong call for action and a link to your website.

Through articles published on MarketingProfs.com, About.com and many other sites, I have established myself as the Article Marketing Expert. If you're looking to get more prospects through article marketing, go tohttps://www.IWantMoreProspects.com

Good Luck!
Posted byycagenon7/27/2007 at 6:30 PM Author

Thanks Eric,

Do you know of any publications specifically geared towards CEOs and other high-level execs?
Posted byJay Hamilton-Rothon7/29/2007 at 9:37 AM Member

Have you created any white papers that show the ROI (return on investment) for using your services? A CEO's focus is on the bottom line, and if you can help them improve it, you have their ear.
Posted byycagenon7/30/2007 at 10:47 AM Author

Great Feedback!

Steve, how do you seek out the savvy financial and/or marketing people - the early adopters - who are looking to gain an edge - even technologically?

Thanks!
Posted byycagenon7/30/2007 at 12:53 PM Author

peg,

我真的很喜欢你的书的想法,谢谢。是什么estimated costs of putting together something like this? And how do you make it objective, ie. so it's not self-serving?
Posted bySteveByrneMarketingon8/1/2007 at 2:37 PM Accepted

"Steve, how do you seek out the savvy financial and/or marketing people - the early adopters - who are looking to gain an edge - even technologically?"

The short answer is "it's a numbers game". Using interactive web-based (SEO, PPC, email, phone), offer-based (free information that is useful in present time) marketing to uncover (they raise their hands) executives who have a curiosity and require more knowledge about how technology can improve the bottom line.

Shoot me an email to further explore.

Steve

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