customers are your best advocates - turn them into your best sales team

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Today’s Speakers

Laura RamosVP, Principal ResearcherForrester Research

Elizabeth BrighamProduct Marketing ManagerJive Software

Customers are your Best Advocates: Turn them into your Best Sales TeamElizabeth Brigham, Product Marketing Manager

Jive Software

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Marketers care about 2 things….

Winning new customers

Keeping existing customers

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From to for Marketers

Common challenges

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Aw

aren

ess

Co

nsi

der

atio

n

Pre

fere

nce

Pu

rch

ase

Loyalty and Advocacy

ProspectsDisregard Marketing’s message

Leverage “unofficial” channels to inform buying decisions

CustomersNo platform for dialog with company or peers

Takes too long to find accurate documentation & find answers

CompetitionPressure from new entrants

Fickle customer base; loss of market share

How Communities drive Customer-Centricity

Awareness

Consideration

Preference

Purchase

Support

Loyalty & Advocacy

Example Communities Driving Business Value

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“Customers who are engaged in our community spend 240% more on average than those who aren’t engaged.”

-Todd Forsythe, VP Global Marketing EMC

Example Communities Driving Business Value

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McAfee reports:• $2.6M in annual savings due to decrease in call escalations, volume and total call

minutes• $350K annual savings due to decreased employee on-boarding and IT costs

@lauraramos

Competitive Advantage Through Customer ObsessionLaura Ramos, Vice President, Principal Analyst

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Why customers will be your best source of competitive differentiation

›What is the “age of the customer”?

›Winning firms obsess over customers

›Four key investments to help you become customer-obsessed

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Empowered customers create a new era of competitive advantage

Source: May 21, 2013, “Make B2B Marketing Thrive In The Age Of The Customer” Forrester report

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› Your salespeople › Google› Your website

› Peers/colleagues› Experts› Your customers

› Brand perception › Brand perception› Features/benefits› Alternatives

› Brand perception› Features/benefits› Alternatives› Prices› Comparisons› Ratings› Customer opinions

Top places buyers get information

What buyers know before

seeking sellers

Pre-Web Web 1.0 Social Web

Information scarcity

Information overloadAttention abundance

Attention fatigue

Purchase power shifts to buyers

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Understand the problem/opportunity.

Learn about approaches.

Commit to change.

Build business case.

Identify possible solutions.

Make selection.

Acquire solution components.

Compare alternatives.

Define requirements.

Participate in communities and user groups.

Adopt and use a solution.

Measure and share results.

Refer and advocate.

B2B buying process = solving problems

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B2B fails the customer obsession test

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Obsession requires new approaches

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Digitally enable sales

and channels.

Create customer

experiences that enhance human touch.

Use content to create

interaction and dialogue.

Turn big data into actionable

customer insights.

Age of the customer

Success = deep customer engagement

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Build actionable customer insights for frontline teams›B2B analytics: Evolve from

operational to insight.

›Customer intelligence command center

›Data cleanup — tie to buyer’s journey

›Listen and join social conversations.

›Capture usage information, and share it.

›Personalize each interaction.

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Stihl: shifting the focus from dealers to buyers

Example courtesy of:

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Key investment requirements

Invest more in:

›Database service providers.

›Analytics.

›Predictive modeling.

›Micro-level segmentation.

›Personas.

›Social intelligence.

Invest less in:

›Email blasts.

›Untargeted, 1-way print advertising.

›Rear-view research.

› In-person focus groups.

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Create intimacy across both digital and physical worlds›Digital — create unique

relationships at scale

›Understand the buyer’s journey.

›Give buyers rich details.

›Turn employees into brand ambassadors.

›Connect cohorts of influencers, prospects, and current customers.

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Harvard Pilgrim Health Care: connecting HR to broader healthcare community

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Bank of America: cultivating SMB community to grow banking business

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Key investment requirements

Invest more in:

›Digital customer experiences.

›Cross-channel interactions.

›Employee social training.

›B2B communities.

›Multitouch campaigns.

›Simplifying transactions.

›Assessment tools.

Invest less in:

›Service goals based on lowering call volume.

›Basic customer satisfaction surveys.

›Conventional product collateral and data sheets.

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Help channels engage more personally

› Increase focus on end users to ensure loyalty and repeat business.

›Teach sales to become socially savvy and to add a personal touch.

› Invest in account-based marketing.

›Elevate channel partners to customer status.

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SAP: engaging end users to innovate and drive partner sales

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BASF: focusing on end users through a dedicated sales team

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Key investment requirements

Invest more in:

›Knowing end customers.

›Commercial insights for sales.

›Marketing to current customers.

›Account-based marketing.

›Social selling.

›Channel partner leads/portals.

Invest less in:

›Cold calling and outbound telesales.

›Programs that shift inventory to channels.

›Third-party marketing funds.

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Invest in relevant content

›Publish and syndicate richer, more tailored marketing content.

›Develop content strategies geared to online use.

›Get interactive to spark conversations.

›Engage buyers in a value-based exchange of ideas and information.

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Xerox: publishing healthcare industry newsroom

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KPMG: tracking global perspectives

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Key investment requirements

Invest more in:

› Inbound content.

› Interactive video and digital.

›Thought leadership marketing.

›Goal-driven social and mobile apps.

›Nurturing.

Invest less in:

›PR-led social activities.

›Campaign-driven ad blitzes.

›Paid-only, 1-way media.

›Brand sponsorships.

›Mass-market trade events.

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Source: May 21, 2013, “Make B2B Marketing Thrive In The Age Of The Customer” Forrester report

Summary investments you need to make

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Obsession drives advocacy and sales

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Questions?

Thank youLaura Ramos

+1 650.581.3812

lramos@forrester.com

http://blogs.forrester.com/laura_ramos

Twitter: @lauraramos