What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

What’s your favourite song? Is there one that you hear and you immediately get nostalgic? For me there are some that really hit me – thinking of a place, an event, a person… sometimes it just takes that first chord to take me back.

Wouldn’t it be great to evoke those same emotions with your B2B clients?

Give that song by Big Wreck a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

Using Emotions in B2B Marketing

The shift to digital and online has been necessary in B2B but has also made human contact a rarity. And yet, it’s become clear that this human contact is vital to the buyer’s journey and customer experience in today’s environment! According to Forbes, emotions could be the new B2B marketing tool. Here are some ways you can leverage them:

• Develop thought leadership content
• Use social listening
• Incorporate empathy
• Maximize value
• Focus on a customer-centric mindset
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative research

Of course, the emotional play can be a bit of a tricky strategy. As marketers, we tend to want to keep our content light, to keep our prospects in a good mood. We don’t want to upset them… or do we?

Regardless of whether it’s an upbeat topic, Forbes says emotional appeal is still the most effective way to engage with your audience! When our emotions are sparked – that’s when we’re quick to respond. We tell a friend, share on social media, and scream at the top of our lungs (if only proverbially).

So if you’re looking to ensure engagement (let’s be honest, who isn’t?) and generate buzz around your brand, find a way to appeal to your audience’s emotions.

I really love that tune

Most people that know me understand my personal connection to Alzheimer’s research. A recent study from the University of Toronto shows that listening to personally meaningful music improves brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. As someone who lived with a family member suffering from this, I can personally attest to the importance of music in their life.

According to researchers:

Whether you’re a lifelong musician or have never even played an instrument, music is an access key to your memory, your pre-frontal cortex. It’s simple: keep listening to the music that you’ve loved all your life. Your all-time favourite songs, those pieces that are especially meaningful to you. Make that your brain gym.

Check out the Alzheimer Society Music Project – a way to reconnect people with the soundtrack of their lives by providing MP3 players loaded with personalized music to people living with dementia so they can crank that song.

Albums Turning 25 in 2022

Last week we discussed albums turning 50 this year. The following albums will turn 25 in 2022:

• Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape
• Radiohead – OK Computer
• Blur – Blur
• Oasis – Be Here Now
• Green Day – Nimrod
• Our Lady Peace – Clumsy
• Big Wreck – In Loving Memory Of…

Any of these revelations make you feel old? If so, I’m sorry… or maybe I’m not, if it’s getting an emotional response! Thanks for the tip, Forbes!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to engage or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post The B2B Buyer’s Emotional Journey appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

I celebrated a pretty big birthday last week. So I thought I’d share it in this email by saluting one of the coolest albums of all time along with one of the coolest places in the world!

Give this song by Led Zeppelin a listen with me as we see what the experts are saying this week…

The Big 5-0!

Led Zeppelin’s fourth album was released (almost) exactly 50 years ago. Wow – what a great album. They were always an influential band for me, and this album has some amazing songs and production. “When the Levee Breaks”… the HUGE drums and the overall wall of sound on that song… gives me chills.

And add to the list of 50th birthdays: Walt Disney World! The Florida resort opened officially on October 1, 1971. If you’ve ever visited Disney World, you’ll understand how well-run a machine it is. I thought it would be fun to look at some business lessons we could learn from Disney as we celebrate 50th birthdays all around!

Here are ten business lessons you can learn from visiting Disney World. Some of my favorites:

• Personalize the customer’s experience. That’s no small feat for how many visitors Disney World gets – if they can do it, so can you and I!
• Keep it hassle-free. Think about your product/service as an experience – what’s the easiest and most seamless way to provide value and support?
• Be a trusted advisor. Think about your customers’ journeys and where they want to go… and how you can be the one to get them there.

If you’re an entrepreneur, Walt Disney himself can provide some great lessons for you – see how he learned from his successes AND his mistakes. For instance, don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. Remember – Mickey Mouse may be the one you know, but he wasn’t Walt’s original cartoon star.

And finally, some lessons in leadership – and in perfecting the customer experience – from Walt Disney. The key: Whatever your product, service, or solution, you don’t build it for yourself. Know first what your customers want, and build it for THEM.

As Led Zeppelin puts it, mean old levee taught me to weep and moan. But perhaps you can learn just a little bit more when considering the most magical place on earth – and how it got to be that way!

Lead Follow-up DOES Matter!

Sometimes I worry that people just don’t care. We spend large budgets on generating leads, but let them die on the vine. Well, it seems you do care! I sent an email out to prospects this week that got some VERY emotional responses! Lead follow-up and lead management really DOES matter to B2B marketers and sales pros!!

Phew! What a relief!

Do YOU care? If so, check this out – I had the chance to discuss best practices with a top expert in this field (and she actually works with me)! Check out the recording here.

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post Lessons at Life’s Big Milestones appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

When you think of sales, what do you think of: Herb Tarlek from WKRP (RIP Frank Bonner)? The Wolf of Wall Street? That person that sold you your last car? What do your customers think when they interact with YOUR sales team? As we know, it’s all about the experience…

Give this classic Jimi Hendrix track a listen with me, and let’s see what the experts are saying this week…

Driving ABM Success in 2021 – Are You Experienced?

We saw some great ABM content from #B2BMX last week. What will drive ABM success in 2021? Here are some highlights:

Experiential marketing and customization – We’ve mentioned ABX (Account-Based Experience) before, and Demandbase outlines how to use the F.I.R.E. methodology to streamline the target selection process:

• An account’s Fit into the organization’s ICP;
• The level of Intent a prospect is demonstrating;
• A review of the account Relationship; and
• An analysis of an account’s Engagement.

Research-backed content & personalized outreach – According to Orbit, the boundaries of the personal and the professional have eroded due to the pandemic. Marketing to an account without engaging each individual within that account in a genuine human way falls short. They also shared some tactical examples using digital marketing and account research:

• Customizing Content for Individuals – Research reports, surveys, e-books;
• Recalling First-Person Experiences – Speak to your own personal experiences 1:1; and
• Leveraging Social Media Data – Determine buying interest through social media activity.

Marketing teams must generate unique research that positions them as thought leaders while demonstrating the value of their solutions. Being human is no longer an option, it’s essential. Team members must be creative in finding ways to quickly connect – get your mind together, then come on across to your prospects.

Disco – Still Sucks?

I feel like I’ve given Dave Grohl a lot of airtime in these newsletters lately; he certainly knows how to stay top of mind. This story is a fun one – and definitely worth sharing! Foo Fighters are going to release a disco album as ‘The Dee Gees’ – what a great name. And the name of the album? “Hail Satin” (no, that’s not a typo… it’s Satin).

A lot of what I originally learned about disco was from my Sesame Street Fever album, American Bandstand, and watching WKRP episodes where disco was consistently insulted. This album, however, will be something I’ll check out – and it will include four Bee Gees covers.

Dave Grohl and the Foos consistently crack me up. Their sense of humour and general attitude of fun are awesome, and I think a lot of fans appreciate it. It reinforces how YOUR brand voice is important – and infusing personality and a sense of humour into your B2B sales and marketing can be a great way to get noticed. Because really, it’s all about the experience!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post Building a Memorable Experience appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

It was Groundhog Day last week. Many would argue that we’ve been reliving Groundhog Day since this pandemic hit! Regardless of the prediction of your favourite groundhog, I think we all need something to look forward to, as pandemic restrictions continue.

Tired of waiting for spring? Give this cool tune by fellow Canadians The Trews a listen with me, as we recap the past week…

Balancing Digital and Human for a Better Experience

The HubSpot data from 2020 shows that sales conversations stayed strong throughout the year. Spilling over into 2021, emails increased exponentially (and have continued to do so) and overall digital interactions are out of control. With all the noise in the marketplace, how do we get our message across?

According to DemandGen Report, it’s all about balancing human and digital. Our project teams at Virtual Causeway concur – when working on client projects, the best results happen when we build a strong combination of digital and human touchpoints.

To help create the perfect balance between technology and human access in today’s world, here are six things to keep in mind:

1. Review your current customer (and prospect!) experience (CX)
2. Strengthen the human connection
3. Create an unforgettable first impression
4. Strengthen trust with customers & prospects
5. Anticipate questions
6. Invest in bandwidth & technology

Understanding the value of delivering a great customer experience will distinguish your business from the competition. In the age of COVID-19, CX is no longer a competitive edge – it’s the cost of doing business!

Spotify Losses

I’ve received notifications from both Spotify and Netflix recently that their prices are going up – all in an effort to “provide the best service possible.” Could this have something to do with Spotify’s $335m loss in 2020? And taking finance-related costs into account, the loss looks more like $810m – that’s the equivalent of $2.2m every day!

Now, the good news is that top line revenue increased, subscriber numbers increased, and the share price tripled. But sales and marketing expenses have also increased considerably, and contribute to the operating loss.

Spotify maintains that it is in growth mode right now, and this is all part of the plan. Customer acquisition, new products (expect a big product announcement later this month), and growth are the focus right now. But when do economies of scale kick in?

How does this impact B2B? Again, it’s the customer experience. I’ve talked many times about delivering extreme value to customers. Do Spotify users feel like they’re getting the value out of the service for the price? Sales and marketing can get you far, but at some point, if the customer is not deriving value from your product or service, they will look elsewhere. There are definitely other big players in their space. It will be interesting to watch over the next 12 months and see if the subscriber numbers continue to climb.

Altered expectations, long anticipation – at what point do investors say THEY are tired of waiting for profit?

Webinar – Choosing the Right B2B Demand Gen Strategy

We’re hosting another What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? event this month! Join me and Forrester as we discuss sales and marketing alignment and the best marketing strategies to hit your 2021 numbers!

What strategy is right for you? Register now and find out!

As always, if I can help you out, let me know! Don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post Human and Digital for Customer Experience appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

What’s the remedy for this past kind of week? I think we’re all burnt out. So for a breather, let’s just listen to this cool song by The Black Crowes and hope it provides an antidote to our pre-holiday blues and media overload!

Here is what the experts are saying, and some takeaways from the past week:

Driving Sales Engagement – HubSpot Data (cont’d)

As promised, I have dug into the HubSpot data from the past six months, and this week I’m sharing some analysis around what’s currently driving sales engagement:

• Sales emails – activity has increased 79% globally since March, but response rates have stayed nearly 30% below the benchmark since April.
• Sales calls – although sales email engagement is suffering, sales calls are now trending 21% above the benchmark. Smaller companies (1-25 employees) seemed to have called their prospects sooner than larger ones. Their call prospecting returned to pre-COVID levels in July, while larger companies are just starting to return to those levels now.
• Sales outcomes – deal performance continued to improve through July and August, and at the end of September, deals won reached 10% above the benchmark. Deals created also improved through the summer and now it’s 35% above the benchmark!

Changing circumstances affected the urgency customers had around purchases in both directions, accelerating some deals while stalling out others. To be successful, brands need to update their definition of a “good fit” customer as well as their sales motions.

Customers are being overwhelmed so it’s important to strategically create a positive customer experience with your outreach plan that includes delivering true value. Avoid the spray-and-pray – that’s not a remedy for anything!

Shifting Content Strategies During the Pandemic

Have you adapted your content strategy during the pandemic? This article from ClearVoice shares some great examples of 4 brands and how they have shifted their content strategy during the pandemic for increased engagement. 5 notable content shifts:

1. Increase in webinars and virtual (duh!)
2. Shorter content calendars
3. A more human connection between brands and consumers
4. Sharpened branding
5. Focus on the audience

In normal times, companies might plan 6 to 12 months of content in advance. In our new reality, that’s condensed considerably. You also need to connect better with your audience – which means developing content that not only adds value but is presented in a manner that the customer prefers/enjoys. Don’t let your good content be the equivalent of bad medicine!

Science Studies Live Concerts

Back in August, I mentioned a German study gathering data on crowd management that could provide useful data for live event professionals. Well – the results are in, and the scientists say that larger group events CAN safely take place in a pandemic situation!

German singer Tim Bendzko performed a real concert, during which different crowd behaviour scenarios were simulated. 1,500 participants wore contact tracing devices to gather data that has been analyzed and modeled over the two months since the concert took place.

This is encouraging! As a music fan, I’m stoked about the possibility of going to a live show again – and I think this kind of research has broader applications and may help us begin to consider how to plan other safe public events. So get ready to mask-up and crank the music!

Convert Your B2B Leads Like the Pros – Recording

Do you want some ideas to get the leads flowing? Access this newly recorded webinar for best practices in B2B lead follow-up from our panelists Tyler Lessard (Vidyard) and David Blackwood (Outside GC). Check it out here – the conversation was so enthralling, we broke our 29-minute rule!!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or ask how I can help.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat | President | Virtual Causeway | 519.866.1600 x622

The post Can I Have Some B2B Sales Remedy? appeared first on Virtual Causeway.