Marketing; people-focused AND people-driven

High hit rates at your firm? Good for you, but no surprise.

When you hear from a (potential) client, they’ve already completed 70% of their buyer journey*.

A team of 9 individuals on average* has used about 8 months* to become problem and solution aware. And, consider their options.

They are now exploring about 4 solutions*. And apparently, one of them is yours. Which means, you did something right.

When the phone is constantly ringing and your inbox is flooded with proposal requests, its tempting to NOT think about marketing and business development.

I don’t blame you.

After all, the chance that you’ll make it all the way through the decision phase and land a new assignment is still 25%.

Well, that’s true in theory. In practice, a potential client usually ends up with the solution from the first vendor they reach out to*.

Therefore, I believe professional service firms should become and stay ‘top of mind’ for their ideal clients. In doing so, it helps to understand who you are trying to interest in your services.

And, although you may be selling to other businesses and organizations, the purchase decision is still made by people. A group of about 9 individuals* who can roughly be categorized as follows:

1. Initiators – People who notice there’s a challenge within their organization. They are the ones who initiate the process of finding a solution to help their organization overcome the challenge.
   
2. Users – People who will directly interact with your product or service, after the deal has been sealed. Because of their role, users can provide you with feedback on usability and effectiveness of your solution.
   
3. Decision makers – People who approve or reject the decision to purchase your solution.
   
4. Influencers – People who influence the purchase decision. By providing recommendations, insights, or expertise. They could be people from within your (potential) client or people from outside of the organization, like consultants or industry analysts.
   
5. Support – People who facilitate the purchase of your solution. They are the ones in procurement, legal, and maybe IT.

Now, each category requires a slightly different marketing approach.

1. Initiators should recognize you as a thought leader. A person or institution that has a clear and distinct vision for the future.
   
   You can use channels like white papers, professional media outlets, your corporate website, and webinars to establish your subject matter experts (their teams and your firm) as thought leaders.
   
2. Users like to understand why they should your solution and how to use it.
   
   Allow them the opportunity to hear from other (similar) users. Showcase the benefits of your solution in testimonials. And also, provide training.
   
3. Decision makers don’t have time for all the nitty gritty. They want executive summaries that allow them to understand the strategic and financial benefits of your services in a heart beat.
   
4. Influencers can be treated as initiators. Make sure the recognize you as a thought leader and allow them to be your cheerleaders.
   
5. Support is a group I wouldn’t focus on too much, when marketing your services. They become more important at the end of the buyer journey. Make their lives as easy as possible in the decision phase and they will return the favor.

Quick recap: when marketing your services, consider your ideal clients, the buying phase they are in, and the people from the decision making unit you’re trying to guide.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for reading MBD Boost #025, sent to marketers and business developers on December 17, 2024.