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I am part of the executive team heading up a grass roots startup. We have a service that we intend to provide to marketing departments of software technology businesses. We need leads, and new business. We are located in a part of the country that does not have a large technology base so we must go about this remotely.

What is the best way to do this?

Social networking via the mass market stuff seems pointless. Busy executives are not hanging out on Facebook or Twitter during the work day and nobody on our team has a presence there.

Prospecting via LinkedIn seems promising but we have experimented with sending introductory InMails and "free" messages (to other group members where we have groups in common). The results have been dismal. In fact, most of the InMails expire unopened.

SEO seems to be in the same camp as FB and Twitter. We could envision a prospect finding us through a search engine search but the economics and the content creation required to do this seems daunting.

We are selling a professional service. Not a product. And not a commodity service like low end coding. We land every new customer based on trust and confidence, not on price or just being a quick sales cart purchase.

In case someone rejects the premise of our question, saying "you want to sell to marketing departments but you don't know how to market yourselves?" - my response is that we are not selling marketing services. We are selling a service that is of use to marketing departments.

It appears that the classic B2B marketing tactics like cold calling, direct mail, and in-person networking (where?) are really our only options. This stuff has been around for decades and predates all of the social networking fads.

Anything we are missing?

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I love that you pulled this out: "In case someone rejects the premise of our question, saying "you want to sell to marketing departments but you don't know how to market yourselves?" - my response is that we are not selling marketing services. We are selling a service that is of use to marketing departments." I love looking for that type of "authenticity" – Joseph Barisonzi Mar 22 '11 at 22:42
I guess it always help to admit when someone can pull your shorts down over your head. :) – user2757 Mar 23 '11 at 15:51

3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I also work in the B2B space. In marketing. In technology. And I want to give a big "shoutout" to the premise of your post. This is a hard issue. My clients are also not on social media, and rarely attend the conferences and trade shows. You are selling into the C-level. The decision maker. These are folks who sell marketing-- so they protect themselves from it. They are paid to be on top of everything -- so they reject the thought you might have something new. They coordinate sending out hundreds of emails -- so they don't read there. Marketing execs spend all of their time justifying ROI -- so they will make sure you know yours. Oh yes, I know of the market you speak.

So -- what do we do? It is about focus -- targeted focus.

(When I am launching a new "business development" effort to recruit new clients I pull out my old Boy Scout handbook. The motto? Be prepared.)

You need to know where you are going, who you plan on seeing, and what you plan on doing when you do see them. (Think back to the camp song: Going on a Lion hunt")

To launch your company you will need a "launch campaign" -- a targeted C-level launch campaign. This will be an integration of marketing, sales and every ounce of energy, patience, tolerance and perseverance you have. You will have a pipeline and forecasts, prospects that convert to leads that convert to contacts with opportunities. It will be a numbers game -- and a game of targeted focus.

You must:

  1. Identify your targets: -- not just by group, but by name. (Think "I want to sell to Joseph Barisonzi of Strategic Growth Intiatives.")
  2. Know your targets: Who they are? What organizations and groups are they part of? Where did they go to school? What common interests do you have?
  3. Customize your message: Know why your product will make sense for this company. Do research. Personalize your presentation. Convert every general to a specific. I don't want to know how much it could save -- tell me how much it will save ME. You better know what the critical pain is of the buyer and how you are resolving it. If your not -- don't waste their time or yours.
  4. Who knows them: How will you connect with them? Who will give you the referral? Who do they share their "pain points" with? How will you end up accross the table referred by a trusted advisor?
  5. Be prepared to pay: There are people who charge for access, charge for the research, charge to tell you just when to call son-in-so and say that so-in-so called. Don't write these people off. Your market is about who knows who-- and if you don't -- well, you better be willing to pay the person who does.
  6. Assume the close: Have the contract, Have the deal, have the offer, . . . . be ready when they are no matter what.

You want leads? Well right now is when you go out and make them. Not buy them, blog them, bump into them. Make them.

Basic old fashion sales right? Exactly. Because that is what you are doing. Your selling your product. No amount of social networking, no amount of blogging, no matter how many trade shows and conferences you go to will ever replace good old fashion raw leather sales.

Sure, I know "Economy 2.0" -- just put up a website, do some SEO, and people flock to you and purchase off your website. Maybe -- in some towns. But in the world of B32B sales, selling into the C-level, selling a new product . . .well the fundamentals of business never changed. And it is all about earning each individual lonely sale.

(Until you are big and powerful with lots of money and can buy sales people with great contact databases and launch multimedia campaigns supported by social media advertising, white papers, and tradeshow presentations.)

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Joseph, thank you for validating my specific description of the problem. I hear what you are saying. Now my next question: do you believe that it is practical to develop leads remotely? The economics argue against attempting to make face to face sales calls with more than a handful of prospects. They will be across the country. And since we are "cross vertical" in nature, we are at a loss to identify conventions or trade shows that would be practical to employ. Lastly, any suggestions on recommended books or authors in this space? Thanks again! – user2757 Mar 23 '11 at 15:44
Yes. This is somewhat market dependent, it is practical to develop leads remotely. After you qualify and convert the lead to a contact and open a sales opportunity, you will need to have a sales process which includes person-to-person contact. As you grow in credibility and customer profile that contact can be limited. This may be the good case for a reseller or distributor network "go to market strategy." This way you can leverage other peoples existing relationships, and build some market traction. – Joseph Barisonzi Mar 23 '11 at 20:26
In the begining my bet is that that travel costs will be high. The price point and margin of the product will need to support the sales costs -- or there will need to be cash to burn to lift it off the ground. Feel free to hit my profile and contact me direct if you would like to discuss further. Good luck! – Joseph Barisonzi Mar 23 '11 at 20:27
up vote 1 down vote

I don't know the marketing world very well, but I can tell you that the first company I started benefited from going to trade shows for our industry. We made direct sales to customers but more importantly, we met a lot of decision makers at other firms. We ended up forming three great relationships at trade shows. Two ended with win-win partnerships and one ended with them buying our company.

Visit tsnn.com for a directory of trade shows in your industry.

This is the link for marketing / pr shows: http://www.tsnn.com/search/events?title=&tid=512

It sounds like for your service, you need personal relationships. You're going to have to get out there and shake some hands.

My biggest advice when meeting someone knew. Do NOT focus on how they can help you (ie buy your service). Focus on how you can help them. Show genuine (but not overly fake) interest in what they do and throw them some freebies, either in the form of partial service or just helpful hints.

Good luck.

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up vote 1 down vote

In my mind nothing beats an open and honest phone call from a person who says they are just starting out and they'd like to hear my impressions and advice about this thing they are working on - especially if they are local, or if they've been referred to me by someone I know.

Good luck.

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