It’s a truism of all B2B marketing that no one spends their company’s money without consultation, but what most people forget is that those consultations are not just between salesman and buyer.
A bawdy former Sales Director I used to work with described the process as ‘seducing the mother-in-law.’ His slightly archaic analogy being that if you wanted to marry a special girl (or boy) you’d better impress their parents and win their hearts first. Translation being, you might have a great relationship with the main procurement person, but has the person who approves their budgets or who signs the cheques even heard of you?
When I was the Head of Marketing for a tech brand I had a half million pound budget at my disposal, but couldn't sign-off anything more than a few hundred quid without approval by the Finance Director and, or, The MD. More than once I struggled to explain to them why I wanted to spend money on left-field campaigns or new digital platforms; mainly because they were unknown quantities to my ‘mother-in-laws’ in the boardroom.
At the same time we ran a large and voracious sales team, and far too often great prospects were nixed at the final hurdle because the target’s mother-in-law preferred a better known suitor. So we spent a huge amount of time and effort making sure that the right messages were getting to the ultimate decision-makers, and that they were as actively involved in the consultation as possible too.
We also realised pretty quickly that the best consultations are mainly happening away from the sales and marketing departments. Our customer service, tech support, repairs and field engineering teams had just as much positive influence on our brand as we did. How well a supplier fixes problems is usually the best criteria you can use to judge their suitability for your precious cash.
That these complex chains exist is not news, but the opportunities to reach and influence them have never been better or more numerous. Finding the the right digital channels and platforms that can reach your different in-laws — with distinctive individual messages — is not easy, but it’s essential work.
Using old school Direct Marketing techniques with digital tools is the key to harnessing the power of Dark Social and Content Marketing, but the fundamental element is training the whole company to adopt an ‘everybody in’ attitude.
Everyone from the sales floor to the accounts team have to understand their influential roles. They not only have to be well-trained how to react and respond but also how to be proactive too. Customer services using Twitter and Production using Instagram? Absolutely. Repair techs using Skype and Purchasing using LinkedIn? Why not?
If they've got clear guidelines and quick access to mentors and encouraging oversight, you can create a culture where the whole business is the marketing team.
There’s nothing more reassuring for your precious corporate cash than knowing that it’s going to the safe hands of a unified family.
By Tim LeRoy, former Marketing Director of Novatech and Founder of DirtMeetsTheWater.
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