What does a good B2B marketing plan look like?
Even though B2B sales are more complex and have more variable parts than regular consumer purchases, there are still a lot of commonalities to be found when it comes to a B2B marketing plan. The good B2B salesperson generates leads, makes contact, presents their product and closes the sale. Of course, it also depends on your B2B marketing budget.
Focus on solutions. Ask about your customers' needs and challenges. What would they spend more time or resources on if they could have them? What does the next step look like for them? If they haven't already asked themselves these questions, you can get ahead of them and provide them with invaluable help.
A good B2B marketing plan therefore includes these steps:
- Know your market. Unless you've been in the industry for many years, it probably takes research to understand exactly what's going on. What are customers looking for? How high are the standards? What does the competition look like? These are all important questions that any company with a B2B marketing plan should ask themselves. Knowing your market and prospects also helps your marketing bid as you cut out unnecessary marketing initiatives.
- Identify your customers. There is a difference between find customers and that identify them. This is true in all commerce, but is especially important when it comes to your marketing plan in the B2B segment. In other words, don't just find companies that could be potential customers. You need to identify the companies whose wants and needs you can fulfill. Companies that have the budget to buy your products. Companies that have an interest in doing business with you.
- Make contact - the right way. Your customer is not the company you want to sell to. It's the person or department in the company that acts as the decision maker. This is who you should approach directly instead of just contacting the company "in general".
- Pitch your sale. Once you've made that immediate contact, you need to pitch your product or service. Again, you should think about the people behind it. Make sure you present your product to the right eyes and in the right way. That is, show your potential buyer what value your product can give them and why they can't do without it.
- Close the deal. If your research and presentation have both been on point, closing the deal should be relatively easy. With B2B sales, getting to this point can be a longer process, so be persistent without getting pushy.
- Follow up and stay in touch. Once the transaction is complete, you should check in with the customer and make sure they are satisfied - even though you may not hear from them. If they have feedback on either the product, the price or the shopping experience, you should be all ears. Direct information from your customers is the most important research you can do.
Conclusion: Your B2B marketing plan should be long game
When it comes to your B2B marketing plan, you should think of your customers as a business partner. Modern businesses that buy products or services from other companies are less focused on transactions than they are on collaboration. They want consultation rather than 'being sold to'. If you can fulfill this and implement it in your B2B marketing plan, you'll also ensure a lasting business relationship, rather than one-off sales.
