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Then vs Now

Any new business role is going to be tougher in these current times, tough but not impossible. Most B2B businesses are working remotely and it can be challenging to reach decision-makers at the moment. However, that certainly doesn’t mean you should be doing nothing.

Try instead to think outside of the box when it comes to creating your prospecting campaigns.

These are my tried and tested guidelines for creating a new prospecting approach and wanted to share it with anyone experiencing similar challenges.

“Listening is sometimes the only thing needed to help someone” Anonymous

Having been in sales and marketing roles for the last 15 years, it was drilled into me early on the importance of having two ears and one mouth.

Historically, if you dialled enough numbers, you eventually spoke to someone, and finally, you would hit the jackpot and find someone that was interested in what you had to say.

It’s not what you do, it’s how you can help

Calling a prospect and talking to them about your products and services without any idea of their pain points or challenges from a business point of view is not going to work for you in the current climate.

People need you to empathise with them. Take the time to understand the challenges they are facing in their particular sector.

• Are they able to continue trading?
• What measures are they having to take to ensure their staff and customers are safe?
• What are their competitors doing?
• Maybe they’ve not been affected now, but what’s the potential knock-on effect?

These are all things you should be thinking about prior to picking up the phone or reaching out blindly via email or social channels.

Reaching your ideal audience

It’s really important to spend time in the research phase when looking at the B2B buying process, this is the stage an individual spends most of their time when looking to buy a new product or service.

Think about the channels that your prospects use to reach their target audience and how you can portray yourself as a thought leader through these channels.

• Do you already follow industry leaders relevant to you and your business?
• If so, on what channels?
• What sort of content are they sharing with their network?
• How are they positioning themselves as a trusted advisor?

These are all questions that will help you to understand your target audience better in terms of their behaviours and interests, and enable you to reach them and communicate effectively.

So you’ve made a new connection, now what?

Instead of sending an email spilling your candy immediately by telling them everything about your product and the facts and benefits, try following up with your potential prospects using content aimed at helping them. This is a much nicer way of starting a networking relationship and will position you as someone that may be able to help them, Whether they need that help right now, or further down the line.

If you can aim to solve a problem or highlight how you might be able to help your prospect with their problem, then they are much more likely to think of you when the need arises. Through the right content, you can position yourselves as problem solvers demonstrating your skills in overcoming similar challenges for a similar client.

It’s important to track these types of connections and prospects as they can easily be forgotten when a more immediate prospect comes along, so it’s best to use some sort of CRM system or spreadsheet which enables you to track your communications.

Ultimately, content is key

Content is something that everyone seems to be talking about at the moment, and I can’t stress enough the importance of a planned content strategy for both sales and marketing.

Use resources at your disposal, I have absorbed lots of content during the lockdown and as a result, have unearthed lots of fresh ideas for switching things up when it comes to prospecting and marketing.

At the moment, this is something that needs to be re-evaluated on almost a daily basis. What was working for someone yesterday, might not be working so well today, and it’s the SDR’s role to uncover that.

If you’re looking for some new prospecting ideas or generally want to watch some great content, then check out some links below to the thought leaders and companies I’ve been following.

Steven Bartlett
Leadfeeder – Dipak 
Bright Talk
Gary Vee
Sophia Amoruso
Econsultancy
Marketing Week
Hubspot

Alternatively, if you’re struggling to reach your target audience or want additional info on any of the above, please contact me (melhosegood) or the team at Digital Clarity on 01483 823370

Sources: Hubspot, Leadfeeder and BrightTalk

Pictures – Hubspot and Daily Sales