Commentary
B2B Sales Pros Not Satisfied With Content in Campaigns
- by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 13, 2012
According to a survey from Corporate Visions, 80% of B2B marketing and sales professionals say their demand generation campaigns are ineffective to semi-ineffective, Among those, content is the biggest challenge. 37% say the single most important factor hampering successful demand generation campaigns is "... (it) isn't engaging or provocative," while 31% cite a lack of sales and marketing alignment, and 12% cite budget constraints.
Reasons For Ineffective Demand Generation Campaigns (Of Those Responding Ineffective) | |
Reason | % of Respondents |
Content isn’t engaging or provocative | 37% |
Lack of marketing/sales alignment | 31 |
Budget constraints | 12 |
Not enough content | 9 |
Lack of executive buy-in | 8 |
Source: Corporate Visions, July 2012 | |
Moreover, campaign messaging lacks a customer focus, says the report. 60% of B2B marketing and sales professionals say their organization's demand generation campaigns focus solely on their own company's products, features, and services, rather than focusing on their customers' pain points.
As a result, nearly two-thirds (65%) of sales-specific respondents say their sales teams use less than one-half of the demand generation content their marketing department produces.
Tim Riesterer, chief strategy and marketing officer for Corporate Visions, concludes that "... survey results... show us that organizations are facing serious challenges when it comes to creating and executing effective demand generation campaigns... creating engaging content and developing messages that clearly address customer pain points... “
About the data: Findings are from Corporate Visions' Q2 2012 Sales and Marketing Messaging Report, based on a poll of more than 440 B2B salespeople and marketers in the second quarter of 2012.
Please access the complete PDF infographic here
Jack Loechner is the Editor of The Center for Media Research's daily Research Brief. You can reach him at jack@mediapost.com.
I think that the important thing to remember when starting or implementing a content marketing or Inbound marketing strategy is that you have to commit to being educational and not promotional. You need to be ok with sharing your knowledge for free and earning the reputation of thought leader. In the end customers and prospects will want to work with the thought leader but for now.... educational over promotional will win 10 out of 10 times. for more on this blog.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/qualityleads
I'm ashamed for the world of B-to-B Sales Professionals if this report summary is indicating that they are unwilling or 'disappointed' to follow up with marketing generated opportunities via web content.
Web generated opportunities are an introduction to an individual or company that has an interest in what your company does. It is the role and responsibility of the sales professional to turn these opportunities into sales with their own efforts and merit.
If, as a sales professional, we believe that the website is doing the heavy lifting of qualification then the sales commissions should be going to the web and marketing departments. It is our job to find the ripe opportunities and to nurture the rest through the sales process.
My two cents...
I am shocked! Shocked! Are you sure this report wasn't dated 1912? Or 1812? Sales and marketing have always been at war with each other. Sales has always resented and discounted the "leads" sent by the home office. And I agree with Matt, " ... you have to commit to being educational and not promotional." I edited a magazine published by a company for users of its products and similar products. Because we focused on education rather than promotion, we rapidly acquired the reputation of being one of the best magazines in that field. Alas, after a number of years, new management came in and thought they knew better. You can guess the result.