Everyone's finding it tough to build up their sales pipeline right now
The ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing presents many challenges, particularly in building and maintaining a robust sales pipeline. In a recent roundtable discussion hosted by Joaquin Dominguez, Head of Marketing at Adzact, a panel of B2B marketing experts explored the complexities of this process, offering insights into both the obstacles and the innovative strategies employed to overcome them. The conversation underscored the importance of collaboration, data-driven approaches, and the need for continuous adaptation in an increasingly competitive market.
Host
Joaquin Dominguez was joined by marketing experts to discuss the topic.
Guests
Marie Murmann, Digital Marketing Manager, Tealium
Mehul Verma, Senior Audience Manager, Avalara
Omair Izhar, Marketing Operations & Technology Manager, Miro
Tawanda Matongo, Cloud Marketing Manager, Ingram Micro
The Challenges of Building a Sales Pipeline
The discussion began with a shared recognition of the heightened difficulty in building a sales pipeline, particularly post-pandemic. Marie Murmann highlighted the increasing complexity of reaching and engaging potential customers in an environment oversaturated with information. She noted that even when messages are perfectly tailored to the audience’s pain points, cutting through the noise remains a significant challenge.
This sentiment was echoed by Mehul Verma, who stressed the importance of audience stickiness—ensuring that potential customers remain engaged throughout their buyer journey despite the myriad distractions and options available to them. She pointed out that the buyer's journey is rarely linear, requiring marketers to adopt a multi-channel approach and leverage data to strategically position their messaging. Additionally, Tawanda Matongo noted the growing difficulty in reaching key decision-makers within organisations, particularly as buying teams expand in size and complexity.
Another challenge that surfaced was the issue of budget constraints, particularly in smaller or more resource-limited marketing teams. Marie Murmann highlighted the need to focus marketing efforts on the most impactful strategies, often necessitating difficult decisions about where to allocate resources.
"The biggest challenge for marketers today is cutting through the noise, even when you know your audience's pain points inside out. Focus is key; we must have the courage to be selective with our efforts and resources." Marie Murmann
Strategic Personalisation and Complexity Management
The conversation then shifted to the strategies employed to address these challenges. Both Marie and Mehul advocated for a focus on strategic personalisation, where marketing efforts are tailored not just to a general audience but to specific personas within the buying group. Mehul emphasised the need to speak to each persona’s unique pain points and objectives, whether they are concerned with revenue, operational efficiency, or cost savings. This targeted approach can significantly enhance engagement and conversion rates.
However, the panel also acknowledged the potential risks of over-personalisation. Omair Izhar mentioned that overly complex personalisation strategies could lead to inefficiencies and confusion within marketing teams, particularly if they lack the necessary tools or resources to execute these strategies effectively.
In addition, the panel discussed the role of complexity in engaging sophisticated, detail-oriented audiences. While simplicity is often lauded in marketing, Marie and Mehul suggested that, for certain technical audiences, embracing complexity—when done correctly—can actually foster deeper engagement. By providing in-depth, detailed content that challenges the intellect, marketers can better capture and maintain the attention of these groups.
Moreover, Tawanda Matongo raised an insightful point about cultural differences in response to complexity, suggesting that some audiences might prefer more straightforward messaging depending on their background and industry.
"Personalisation isn't just about addressing your audience by name; it's about understanding and speaking to their unique challenges. The more thoughtful and targeted your approach, the more likely you are to engage and convert." Mehul Verma
Data Unification and Social Listening
A critical component of successful sales pipeline management, as noted by Omair Izhar, is the unification of data. He described how integrating data across various platforms and tools allows for a more coherent and strategic approach to marketing. This integration facilitates more accurate segmentation, better targeting, and ultimately, more effective campaigns.
Omair also highlighted the importance of social listening as a tool for understanding market sentiment and identifying pain points. However, he cautioned against the challenges of filtering out noise from valuable insights, particularly in an age where misinformation and fake news are prevalent. Tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite were mentioned as valuable resources for monitoring and analysing social media interactions, but the panel agreed that human oversight is crucial in interpreting these insights.
Tawanda added that social listening helps not only to understand customer needs but also to identify and engage with the right decision-makers within organisations. This approach is particularly useful in competitive markets where standing out requires a deep understanding of the target audience's preferences and concerns.
"Efficiency in marketing comes from data unification and smart automation, but experimentation drives real innovation. We need to focus on building processes that are streamlined, yet flexible enough to adapt to new insights." - Omair Izhar
Collaboration and Process Efficiency
The panelists unanimously agreed on the importance of collaboration between marketing, sales, and customer success teams. Tawanda Matongo described his approach to working closely with these teams to ensure alignment on messaging and strategy, which helps maintain customer stickiness and reduces churn. He emphasized the need for marketing to support the sales process not just with leads but with meaningful, actionable insights that can guide the sales conversation.
Efficiency in processes was another key theme. The discussion covered the necessity of automating and integrating various marketing tools and platforms to streamline efforts and avoid data silos. This integration is essential for scaling personalised marketing efforts and ensuring that campaigns are both targeted and effective.
Omair Izhar pointed out that experimentation is crucial in refining these processes. By adopting a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach, teams can test and refine their strategies on a smaller scale before rolling them out more broadly. This approach helps avoid overcomplicating processes and ensures that marketing efforts remain focused and effective.
"In today's competitive market, our differentiation isn't just in the product—it’s in the experience we provide. Working closely with sales and customer success teams ensures we're delivering value that truly resonates with our customers." - Tawanda Matongo
Leveraging Existing Content and Social Amplification
In discussing content strategies, Tawanda highlighted the importance of leveraging existing content assets to maximise efficiency. By repurposing high-performing content, such as webinars, white papers, and infographics, marketers can maintain a consistent presence across multiple channels without the need to constantly create new materials.
Tawanda also mentioned the value of social amplification, where internal stakeholders are encouraged to share and promote content through their own networks. This approach not only extends the reach of marketing campaigns but also builds credibility by showcasing employee advocacy.
Conclusion
The insights from this discussion underline the complexity of building a successful sales pipeline in today’s B2B marketing environment. The challenges are multifaceted, ranging from cutting through the noise in an oversaturated market to maintaining engagement through a non-linear buyer journey. However, by leveraging data, embracing complexity, personalising strategically, fostering collaboration across teams, and efficiently utilising existing content, marketers can develop robust strategies that not only address these challenges but turn them into opportunities for growth.
As the market continues to evolve, so too must the strategies employed by B2B marketers. The conversation among these experts serves as a reminder that continuous learning, adaptation, and collaboration are essential to staying ahead in this competitive landscape.
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