marketing, advertising, b2bI’m in the process of starting up a small software company that will cater to other businesses (business-to-business) in a specific industry. I have a lot of technical experience and knowledge in the relevant industry, but not much in terms of sales.
I would like to pitch my services to some specific companies, but I’m not sure how to get my foot in the door; although I haven’t yet tried, I suspect the front door secretaries would screen me out as yet another solicitor. I need to get in contact with people in the company would can actually authorize a purchase for my services, but I don’t know who they are.
If I was intending to sell directly to consumers, I’d likely hand out flyers and setup billboard ads to raise awareness, but I suspect those advertising methods would be far too broad to effectively reach business clients interested in my services.
How do I let potential business clients know my services exist?
This will vary a lot depending on what your target business is. Presumably, your software solves a specific business need. That means you have to think about how you might meet people in charge of businesses who have those specific needs. It sounds like you may already have an idea on what that business is. It is definitely hard to walk into a business cold. This does not usually work. That’s why cold-calling has been mostly written off as a sales strategy. The difference between cold-calling and walking into a business is three-fold:
Networking events are ideal for trying to meet people in position that will help. If you believe that your service can change the community, get involved in the community and start meeting officials in commerce. Commerce chambers are inextricably linked to business decision makers. Commerce officials will become your best advocates; their job is to advocate for stimulating economic growth. This path is, of course, if you want to grow things slowly and sustainably.
If you are eager, don’t mind rejection, and can sustain iterative failure, your sales strategy will go like this:
Most businesspeople are reasonable businesspeople, else they would not be businesspeople. Fair is fair. That means they cannot help be interested in real business opportunities. They love to talk about them, even if they are not going to act on it. Take the leap and put yourself out there. People will appreciate quality when they see it.
Promotions
Specifically, Advertising, Sponsorship and Trade Shows will be your best friend starting out. Figure out what vertical market you want to reach first (hopefully you knew this before even developing the product) and then find some trade associations related to them.
Become a member so you can attend or sponsor their networking events, contact their members (sometimes this is included for business partners, sometimes its an additional fee, sometimes its not even offered for member privacy), attend their larger national shows if you feel ready distribution wise, and advertise in their publications.
This is going to be the best way in the B2B market to make initial contacts and start getting your product to market. Many trade associations exist so really try to find the best one in the industry you’re marketing to. You want one that has decision makers and a good way to find that is by looking at their publications or attending their events to see basically:
Is this Publication or Event mostly just other manufacturers like me or are there attendees? Is there real news and events going on for the end user? If its all just ads and stuff about manufacturers like yourself then chances are the end users you’re trying to reach aren’t into that association.
Cold calling is hard, so is door to door selling. It can work, it can also turn a lot of people off. If there’s no good trade organization than it’ll be your only option though when starting out. But really, everything has a tradeshow of some sort because businesses rely on other businesses.
Like traditional lead generation, the new model is founded on demonstrating expertise and building trusting relationships — but these goals are accomplished online. While online marketing will continue to evolve, here are ten proven lead generation techniques that are working for professional services firms today.
1) Lead Generating Website
Most professional services websites are not designed to generate leads. As a matter of fact many are almost “anti-lead generators.” Jargon-filled, firm-centric website abound in the professional services — and they are completely passive and unhelpful. If visitors do not understand what you do or what problems you can solve for them, they will go elsewhere. Contrast this with a lead generating website that is designed to make it easy for clients to understand your value proposition, download valuable information and request a proposal. The impact on online lead generation can be dramatic. Listed below are some of the top b2b websites with lead generation capabilities:
alibaba
eWorldTrade
globalsources
manta
DHgate
I would personally recommend eworldtrade since they are offering up to 10 free b2b leads to all new signups.
2) Pay Per Click Advertising
Another proven way to get on your prospects’ radar is to buy your way onto search engine results pages for relevant keywords. This technique gives you greater control over the keywords with which you want to be associated. As the name implies you only pay when someone clicks on your link. Many times, Pay Per Click (PPC) leads are of higher quality because the potential client is often searching for a specific solution. In addition, PPC is completely trackable and typically less expensive than traditional print advertising. That’s an attractive combination.
3) Search Engine Optimization
Many potential clients want to learn how to solve the challenges they face. If a prospect is even remotely computer literate (and these days what executive doesn’t have a computer or a smart phone?) one of the first things they do is Google their question, problem or issue. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gives you the tools to match qualified clients with your online content. And if you play your cards right, you’ll end up on their short list when they are looking to purchase services.
4) Online Networking
I could have called this technique “social media,” but I wanted to make a point. The essence of social media is not which platform you choose. It’s the quality and reach of the networking you do. While the style of interaction may vary greatly from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook, it is still about making the right connections with the right people. Online networking can produce the reputation and referrals associated with traditional business networking. Expect to get results in proportion to the level of your investment of time and attention.
5) Webinars
A webinar is the online equivalent of a seminar or other educational event. The lead generating webinar is typically offered free of charge. Because it requires registration, you can collect basic information on a session’s attendees. Like its offline cousin, a webinar should be educational — not a thinly veiled sales pitch. The key to a successful webinar is to select topics that are of great interest and value to your ideal target client. Over time, attendees come to trust your firm and will be likely to consider you when they have a relevant need.
6) Industry Research Reports
A proven online lead generating strategy is to offer executive summaries or full research reports on the industries you serve. You benefit in two ways. First, these documents are an excellent lead generator. Second, they boost your credibility and strengthen you online brand. Be sure your research topics are of exceptional interest to your target client group. In addition, these research studies can be an excellent vehicle for partnering with a trade association or a noncompeting firm to reduce your marketing cost and increase your credibility.
7) E-newsletter
If your e-newsletter offers high-quality, educational content, you can generate a significant number of new leads when people sign up. And your e-newsletter is a great way to nurture the existing leads on your list. Many firms also use e-newsletters to announce new services and make specific offers. To build your subscriber list, offer a free e-newsletter subscription on your website or in your email signature block. Just remember, the better your content, the more people will read it and remember you — and the less likely it will be deemed spam.
8) Blogging
I left blogging for last because of its unique role in online lead generation. To be honest, blogs don’t generate a lot of direct leads. But blogging is probably the most effective driver of leads to your website. Because a blog allows you to create a wide range of keyword-laden content that can be found in the search engines, it can draw a lot of qualified prospects to your website (this assumes that you host your blog on your website — which I strongly recommend). You can further promote your blog posts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Without a blog, your SEO efforts will be handicapped. These ten online lead generation techniques alone could become the cornerstone of a robust marketing plan. Add in traditional marketing tactics, such as face-to-face networking and tradeshow marketing (if appropriate), and you have a formidable strategy for building preference in the marketplace. Online marketing and traditional marketing make a powerful combination.
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