Do you ever feel like you're running around in circles trying to hit your sales targets? You're putting in the hours, the effort, and the sweat, but you're still not seeing the results you want. Don't worry, you're not alone. This is a common problem in the B2B world, and the solution is often easier than you think.
Here's the secret: You need to understand why and how your B2B buyers buy. That's it. That's the whole kit and caboodle. Once you have this understanding, you can execute on it and see real results.
In this article, we're going to break down exactly what you need to do to increase pipeline velocity and boost your B2B revenue. No fluff, no filler, just the facts. So, buckle up and let's get to it.
Step 1: Talk to Your Customers
The first step in the process is to talk to your customers. You want to get a clear understanding of their buying process, their pain points, and their expectations. This is the foundation of your strategy and the key to unlocking growth.
You want to talk to current customers, past customers, and prospects. You want to understand their motivations, their goals, and their challenges. And, most importantly, you want to listen. Seek only to understand, not to sell.
Step 2: Build a Clear Picture of the Buyer Experience
Once you have a good understanding of your customers, you need to build a clear picture of the experience they have to go through just to buy from you today. This includes everything from first learning about your company to making a purchase.
You want to map out every step of the process, from awareness to conversion, and identify any roadblocks or obstacles that might be preventing your buyers from buying. This will give you a good starting point for figuring out where to focus your efforts.
Step 3: Compare the Buyer Experience to What Your Buyers Want
Now that you have a clear picture of the current buyer experience, it's time to compare it to what your buyers want. Where are the gaps? What do you need to do to close them? This is the point where you start to see the real opportunities for growth.
Step 4: Audit Your Sales & Marketing Activities
Once you know where the gaps are, it's time to take a closer look at your sales and marketing activities. Are you wasting money and resources on activities that aren't aligned with the buyer experience you want to build?
Take a deep dive into your marketing budget and see where you can make cuts or reallocate funds to support the buyer experience you're trying to create. This is also a good time to assess the effectiveness of your current sales tactics and see if there are any adjustments you can make to better align with the buyer experience.
Step 5: Craft Your Growth Hypothesis
With a clear understanding of your customers, a clear picture of the buyer experience, and a comprehensive assessment of your sales and marketing activities, it's time to craft your growth hypothesis. This is your roadmap for how you're going to close the gap between the buyer experience you have today and the buyer experience you want to create.
Step 6: Construct an Actionable Go-to-Market Strategy
Now it's time to construct an actionable go-to-market strategy. This should be a comprehensive plan that outlines exactly what you need to do to achieve your growth hypothesis. You want to make sure that everyone on your team is aligned with this strategy, so it's important to get buy-in from all stakeholders before moving forward.
When constructing your go-to-market strategy, it's important to consider a few key elements:
- Segmentation: First, you need to identify which customer segments you want to target. This will help you tailor your messaging and approach to meet the specific needs of your target audience.
- Messaging: Next, you need to develop a clear, concise messaging platform that positions your solution in a way that resonates with your target audience. This messaging should be informed by the insights you gained from your customer research.
- Channels: You need to identify the channels that will be most effective for reaching your target audience. This may include a combination of digital marketing, account-based marketing, events, and more.
- Budget: Finally, you need to determine the budget that will be allocated for each channel. This will help you prioritize your activities and ensure that you are allocating resources effectively.
When constructing your go-to-market strategy, it's important to keep in mind that this is not a one-time event. You should continuously refine and adjust your strategy based on feedback from your customers and performance data.
Step 7: Build Team Alignment
Once you have your go-to-market strategy in place, it's important to build team alignment around it. This means communicating the strategy clearly to all stakeholders and ensuring that everyone understands their role in executing the plan.
To build team alignment, you should start by holding a team kick-off meeting to review the strategy and get everyone on the same page. During this meeting, you should clearly communicate your vision, goals, and expectations. You should also provide your team with the resources and support they need to be successful.
It's also important to establish clear metrics for measuring success. This will help you track progress and ensure that your team is aligned with your goals.
Step 8: Execute and Iterate
Finally, it's time to execute your go-to-market strategy. This is where all the hard work pays off. However, it's also important to remember that this is an ongoing process. You should continuously gather feedback from your customers and iterate on your strategy to ensure that you are always aligned with their needs.
By continuously talking to your customers and gathering feedback, you can make data-driven decisions that will help you optimize your go-to-market strategy and achieve your growth objectives.
Here's the secret: if you want to increase pipeline velocity and increase revenue, you need to understand why and how your B2B buyers buy stuff. Then execute on it.
In conclusion, by taking the time to understand your customers and align your sales and marketing activities with their needs, you can increase pipeline velocity, close more deals, and ultimately increase revenue. So don't wait, start your buyer research today!