How To Waste A Lot of Money

The Sirius Decisions Survey found that 60 to 70 percent of all B2B content goes unused. 

That’s a lot of dollars wasted. But why? 

Why does this content go unused?

Guessing!

The most expensive sales/marketing expenses are those where you don’t know how a prospect buys. 

Most companies think they know, which is why they create content. Many companies also create buyer profiles… “This is John; he’s 37 years old and is an Operations Manager in the materials handling industry. He is married with two children and drives an SUV. He has a degree in engineering and loves to play tennis, go hiking, spend time with his family, and often attends charitable events.” It tells whom he reports to, his objectives/goals, what associations he belongs to, and which social media accounts he uses. 

They use this information to “speak” to John via content. Content that hopefully brings him their way when it’s time to buy a solution like theirs.

But, is this buyer profile going to tell you?... 

• Why were they doing okay then decided they needed a solution like yours? What happened? What broke that camel’s back?
• How he started, what he did, and where he ended up in the process?
• What he believes is relevant to the solutions available to him?
• What solution attributes did he compare, and why? What was the benchmark?
• What attitudes, processes, information, perceptions prevent him from considering you?
• What buying risks is he trying to eliminate or reduce?
• Why did he buy from them? What did he value about their approach?
• What content he trusts and uses to help in the decision-making process?
• Who is involved in the decision, and what kind of influence do they each have?
• What limitations solution suppliers/the industry place on him?

No. No, it is not. 

Now, your sales team may say — “Hey, I know my clients. This is what they think, and this is how we should approach them.”

This is excellent intel for buyers who buy from you.

But what about all the other buyers who didn’t buy from you? Or worse, never even knew about you? 

Products and services today are bought, not sold. 72% of B2B buyers and influencers are 45 years and younger. They grew up with Google and iPhones and access to as much information as they want. They also grew up with Enron and “too big to fail” and a massive disdain for marketing rhetoric. 

Buyers do not want to be sold to. They do not want to be told what to do or what to think. They do, however, trust what they believe and know. And they trust their own processes for obtaining that knowledge and belief. They don’t need sales or marketing people unless those people are a means to their end in finding the best solution for their immediate problem. 

Buyers are 60% through their buying process before they contact any supplier. Because they are 60% of the way through, they only contact suppliers who make their very short list.

What job is your buyer hiring your sales and marketing team to do?

Buyers want to make the right decision for their companies. They want ways to be more and more valuable to their companies. They want to prove they make the right decisions. 50% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase a product or service when they see personal value (career advancement, confidence, pride).

What will it take to be the company that helps them make the right decisions?

‘I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.’ –Albert Einstein

If ever there were a time to step back and do what’s necessary to understand your buyers completely, this would be that time. 

Keep improving.

Stop Guessing.

Continued success -- KE

P.S. In the past twenty years, we've perfected a sustainable process that we strongly suspect can compress companies' time to revenue, maximize the return on investment of a top-five annual expense…with measurable results in less than 100 days… We're looking for a private equity firm with portfolios in manufacturing, or a manufacturing firm, to take full advantage in an early adopter opportunity where we suspect these benefits can be fully realized.