Yes, you are reading a blog and yes it’s full of content. However, the content on this site is educational and by no means meant to close business. Unfortunately, many B2B companies are relying too much on their content as a means of winning business. It’s a fallacy that needs to be corrected.
Business is closed by sales.
Salespeople have to be able to manage customer expectations, negotiate favorable terms, protect gross profit margins, and secure volumes. That’s not done with content – it’s done with a salesperson that’s well-versed in asking open-ended questions and getting customers to commit.
Content itself doesn’t push a customer to place an order – at least not in a consistently reliable way. It can give B2B customers a reason to act, a reason to ask pertinent questions, and a reason to consider your offer, but it can’t close the deal. It’s a great lead generation platform, but even then the lead itself has to be qualified at some point which invariably involves sales speaking with the customer.
Content Shock is Taking Hold
Now, why have I chosen to make this a focus of this piece? Well, there are a couple of reasons.
1. Overload: Customers Want to Talk Not Read
As mentioned, companies are producing content at a historic rate and this is leading many to claim that content shock is taking hold. We’re squeezing the marketplace. We’re all trying to get the same piece of the proverbial pie hoping and praying that customers will find our content better than others. If they do, they’ll inquire. However, what if they’re sick of content? What if they just want to speak with someone?
How much content can you read before you simply become overwhelmed by it all? You’re probably at that point right now. Either you want to say what I’m writing is wrong, or you agree entirely. Either way, it’s the written word and not a conversation by any means. The only way to convey what you think, feel, and believe is by speaking to someone and the only way a salesperson can close a deal is by speaking with customers. That’s not going to change any time soon.
2. Marketing and Sales Disconnect
Second, marketing and sales have for years been the same and yet completely apart. Marketing was tasked with creating leads and sales was tasked with closing those leads. Once those leads were generated, marketing stepped aside and pursued other lead generation initiatives. Sales then took over. Unfortunately, far too many leads are either unqualified or are qualified and not closed. This means sales and marketing have to be better aligned, and when they are, it becomes obvious to both parties that content can only do so much.
How often has your marketing and sales team sat down with one another to go over those leads? How often have you adjusted your strategy to compensate for a low closing rate? Have you ever had a debrief with both teams to better understand whether your platform is working? Or, have you simply bought into the all-too-common belief that content generates leads and that’s enough? Understand that content works when both sales and marketing are aligned. However, your content can only generate a response. Your sales have to capitalize on the customer's interest.
You can read more about the above by going to the following. Sales Negotiation: Defend Price, Customer Scare Tactics & Managing Concessions
3. Quick Fix Solutions Don’t Apply
Finally, companies seem unsure of how to proceed in today's marketplace. They’re getting conflicting messages about what marketing strategies work and why. They’re looking for insight from people who likely have no relevant experience in their market or industry. They’re applying marketing and sales strategies that worked for other companies with different customers, different sales channels, and different markets and industries.
The push is to find the fastest and easiest way to a customer without spending too much on marketing. Content is then seen as this inexpensive tool for generating opportunities and leads - and in many ways it is. However, that's all it is; sales can't be closed by the written word or an engaging video. Part of this heavy reliance on content is due to restrictive marketing budgets and the need to find that magical elixir. This then forces companies out of their comfort zone and into a pursuit that likely won’t produce results. There is no quick fix to generating leads and winning business.
Content Educates Prospects and Generates Leads
Your content works when you know what concerns customers most. It works when you apply what your sales and marketing team has learned from the field. It won’t work unless you have a market intelligence gathering strategy that continuously feeds both marketing and sales with competitor information and customer-centric data.
Ultimately, content is a solid approach to generating leads but it’s a poor substitute for sales. You need to draw a line where content ends and sales take over. Your best strategy is to continually push prospects to call, push prospects to inquire, and push prospects to speak to your salespeople.
But, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your content will guide customers to a point where they are just about ready to buy so that your salespeople can come in at the last step and close the deal. You’ll lose business that way.
Marketing generates leads. Salespeople qualify the leads and close the business. Both have to work together but both have to understand that content can only do so much. Again, digital marketing strategies like email marketing work and they generate several fantastic opportunities. However, your digital campaigns only generate leads. Only sales can close those opportunities and keep those customers coming back for more.
