Partner Article

You had me at hello

One of the biggest challenges facing technology vendors today is, in fact, quite a fundamental one: how to sell their products or services, most effectively, to the right person. This has always been an important consideration, but the increasing complexity of multiple online and offline communications channels, coupled with ever-changing job roles and responsibilities, is making this more difficult by the day.

There is a perception that IT decision makers (ITDMs) are too busy to take phone calls, and that new channels such as social media is a better way of reaching the new generation of IT managers and directors. This is a dangerous way of thinking, because the humble phone call is still one of the most effective ways of reaching and influencing potential buyers.

That’s one of the key findings of our 2015 technology marketing report. Kingpin conducted research among IT decision-makers in France, UK and Germany, and found that in a world of social channels and online relationships, the telephone is as important as ever – but only if it’s used in the right way.

In fact, you can damage your brand more by not making a call. The research shows that ITDMs expect a follow-up after they’ve taken an action, such as downloading a white paper, registering for a trial, or meeting at an event. If vendors don’t follow up on such an obvious expression of interest, then the prospect will naturally wonder whether their business is much wanted. But it’s vital that vendors get that initial contact right.

It’s important to reach out intelligently to ITDMs with agents who know what they’re talking about, and after you have properly qualified each lead. Just as critical is to have a thorough understanding of how best to target the right person once that lead has been generated.

For example, a common mistake is to think that Europe is homogenous. Just as national cuisine changes between borders, so does business culture. This can vary widely between regions: the telephone is the preferred first means of contact for almost two thirds of French decision-makers, but this falls to less than a third for UK respondents, who prefer email. A mixture of email and phone is therefore the preferable way to make that first approach.

When it comes to receiving vendor emails, studies have shown that ITDMs use specifically-created email accounts. In its Customer Engagement report last year, IDG found that more than a quarter of decision-makers use this tactic. This is worth noting, as vendors sometimes rely only on email addresses to identify organisations that are expressing an interest. Too many vendors don’t even allow them in their CRM systems, and Inside sales won’t follow them up.

Technology vendors should not get distracted by new technologies or communications channels. Instead, they should focus on using traditional as effectively as they can: to contact prospects in the way that suits them best, and to make approaches relevant, informed and personal.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Foulkes .