Among the many things that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 has been the ability to reach B2B prospects by email and phone. The rise in cybercrime—specifically hacks perpetrated through email—has resulted in tighter security protocols that often flag marketing/sales messages and push them into spam filters.
In addition, telesales efforts are complicated by the fact that many prospects have been working remotely, so even direct dial phone numbers (and company switchboards) are not reaching their target. Some industries, like healthcare, are not accepting any sales-related phone calls while their organizations stay laser-focused on the pandemic and related public health matters.
But the good news is that demand is building and the projects that were temporarily put on hold in 2020 and early 2021 are ready to be set in motion. IT solution providers who have kept their nose to the grindstone and continued their organic outreach efforts will be well poised to capture new business opportunities when they present themselves.
We’ve compiled a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” for IT demand generation, updated for 2021, to help you negotiate this evolving area.
DO: Engage with the Process
Many solution providers do not have strong integration between their marketing teams (i.e., the individuals who manage outside agencies) and sales leadership. This lack of connection between the agency who is developing and deploying a demand gen campaign and the individuals who are following up on the leads is problematic on many levels. Our most successful campaigns happen when we are fully engaged with senior sales leadership and there is weekly dialogue around campaign strategy, messaging and lead hand-off.
DON’T: Use Distinct Purchased Lists for Each Campaign
All successful campaigns start with a strong list. While there can be brand new prospects that may enter your crosshairs now and again, most solution providers have a fixed universe of prospect companies. Being able to carry forward account intelligence from prior campaigns and sales efforts is incredibly useful for telesales/sales reps to connect with a prospect. (“Hi, Mike. You attended our webinar last year and then showed some interest in ____________ when we talked afterwards. I’m calling today….”) This can best be accomplished by working with a primary agency who can maintain a centralized prospect database for you that is integrated with your CRM (or at a minimum, synced through a Zapier API).
DO: Consider Partnering with Organizations That Can Provide Timely MQLs
There are many organizations that create and/or host marketing assets (i.e., white papers, research reports, comparison guides, etc.) on specific technology solutions and maintain sell lists (via subscription) of individuals who are downloading them. These contacts are assumed to be researching specific IT solutions and in the preliminary stage of an IT purchase, making them extremely valuable marketing qualified leads (MQLs). There are sites that are technology focused and others that are specific to certain vertical industries. The price tag is steeper than a straightforward list purchase, but it is reflective of the quality you are getting.
DON’T: Drop the Ball after a Campaign is Over
A recent study by Gartner shows that the IT sales cycle now averages 16 months and there are as many as 14 individuals who make up the buying team. Think about that. What is the likelihood that you are going to uncover AND close a new piece of business in the course of a three-month demand generation campaign? Pretty slim. However, getting on the radar of a new company and extracting nuggets of account intelligence (i.e., budget cycle, install base, key decision makers, upcoming projects, etc.) is Part One of the success strategy. Part Two is an ongoing lead nurturing effort that will keep you top of mind with the prospect.
A just released research report from Ascend2 revealed that only 18% of B2B marketers surveyed have a lead nurturing program in place. Imagine how much potential business is lost by simply not continuing to nurture leads that are not yet sales-ready. Lead nurturing is imperative to extracting all the value gained from a demand gen campaign, not just immediate opportunities.
DO: Be Consistent and Disciplined in Your Sales and Marketing Efforts
Like so many other things in life (and business), consistency is key. Successful marketing is anchored by an ongoing calendar of consistent and complementary demand generation activities jointly managed by your sales and marketing team. Establish KPIs in advance and maintain a central database where you can measure both short-term and longer-term ROI. When active campaigns are over, conduct lead nurturing to continue building trust and brand equity with potential clients. You’ll be in the right place and the right time when they develop a short list of vendors to consider for new projects.
There is no silver bullet when it comes to demand generation in the IT sector. But these simple “Do’s and “Don’ts” will contribute greatly to your long-term success.
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