seven steps to marketing success

© Copyright Espresso B2B Marketing 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Seven Steps to Marketing Success

2 © Copyright Espresso B2B Marketing 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Seven Steps - Overview

A few years ago people noticed a fundamental shift in the way companies bought products and

services. Gone are the days when cold calling to generate leads was effective. Gone too are

traditional selling cycles where sales executives could orchestrate the whole process from first

meeting to contract signing.

The internet changed all that. Today buyers prefer to research products and services online,

seeking to educate themselves rather than be sold to. Companies that demonstrate thought

leadership – engaging in educational exchanges with prospects rather than ‘selling’ to them –

are more successful at winning clients. Permission-based content marketing is here!


In response to these changes, Espresso B2B Marketing

developed a go-to-market program called



1 Build the Foundation for Success

2 Get Found and Generate Leads

3 Generate Great Content to Capture Interest

4 Attract Targeted Traffic: Blogging plus Social Media

5 Widen Audience With an Outreach Program

6 Implement Lead Progression and Nurturing

7 Support the Direct Sales Team


1. Build the Foundation for Success

Before launching sales and marketing

programs, it’s important to develop a unique

value proposition―something that separates

you from the noise of the market.

The value of your solution can only be

measured by the way it helps people solve

business issues and challenges.

To build go-to-market messaging that

resonates with targeted buyers we

developed a process called Foundation for

Revenue by Espresso.

Going to market with an undifferentiated message will lead to disappointing results!

Foundation for Revenue is an on-site or remotely run

program that has been used by more than 100 companies

around the globe. Through this process we generate the

key messaging needed for the marketing campaigns,

including:

• Sales frames that capture target buyer’s pain points.

• A unique selling proposition.

• An articulation of value that will resonate with target

buyers.

• A description of the buyer’s journey with sales

provocations and progression points.

“The program is just outstanding. When you think about it,

it’s a tremendous accomplishment in just 2 half days!”

Channel Executive IBM

Systems & Technology Group

http://www.espressob2b.com/services/differentiated-messaging-focused-on-revenue-workshop/





http://www.espressob2b.com/blog/bid/40036/Frame-your-B2B-Marketing-Message-for-a-Rich-Dialogue

http://www.espressob2b.com/blog/bid/40036/Frame-your-B2B-Marketing-Message-for-a-Rich-Dialogue


2. Get Found and Generate Leads

The key steps in this process are:

• Develop compelling website content that appeals to

buyers and reflects your unique value proposition.

• Create optimized content so that your website ranks

highly for selective keyword phrases.

• Use call-to-action buttons and landing pages to

‘progressively reveal’ informative content to engage site

visitors.

• Establish web tracking methods to identify new

opportunities and leads.

Get your website found, then convert visitors into leads.

Implementing search engine optimization

correctly will get your website found for

the products and services you offer.

Once at your site, buyers need to see

educationally rich content in order for

them to engage with you. This content

must reflect value and how your solutions

help solve business issues.

Through this process, you embark on a

journey of converting website visitors into

new leads.

―We hit page 1, position 1 on Google for many of

the keyword searches we targeted – and soon after

got our first lead through the website.”

Matt Moylan

General Manager

Espresso B2B Customer


3. Generate Great Content to Capture Interest

Promoting killer content can be done in a number of ways,

including:

• Create E-books, white papers, articles and company

collateral that are informative, educational and relevant.

• Use the Sales Frames and messaging components

developed in earlier steps to highlight your unique selling

proposition.

• Build a content strategy map. Match the content created to

the key phases in the buying cycle.

• Distribute content through the website, outreach programs,

webinars and seminars.

Today’s buyer is looking to be educated before being sold to. In this step we

develop compelling content to secure your thought leadership position.

Content that is perceived as too sales-like,

irrelevant or out of sequence with the

stage in the buying cycle could reduce

your chance of winning a deal by up to

45% (according to Marketing Sherpa).

Content that demonstrates your

knowledge and understanding of the

target buyer’s key challenges will

establish you as thought leader ̶

positioned to generate leads and convert

leads into sales.

“The outcome of working with Espresso B2B has been a complete

transformation of our website … taking something that was quite lacking with

no lead generation ability and turning it into a very professional and value

focused website that is already driving outside leads!”Mark Middendorf

Output Solutions Architect



4. Attract Targeted Traffic: Blogging plus Social Media

To build a following of potential buyers, we recommend

that you:

• Publish at least one new blog article each week.

• Join a number of social media sites and build a following

in Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

• Promote blog publication through a number of social

media channels to ensure the largest possible audience.

Use blog publication and social media tools to develop a ‘following’ and drive

traffic to your website.

Espresso has been able to show many IBM business partners how to

rework their messaging and web sites to get new prospects from

inbound marketing. And then Espresso shows them how to get those

leads through a progression pipeline. It is good stuff.”

Keith Myer

Marketing Program Manager, IBM

With your website optimized, and great

content available, you’re now ready to

engage in a full inbound marketing

program to drive more qualified traffic to

your website.

Blog articles promoted through social

media will dramatically increase traffic to

your website—but more importantly, it

will be traffic that is interested in your

blog and social media topics, making it

highly qualified.


5. Widen Audience With an Outreach Program

The key components in this step include:

• Build and run a series of email campaigns with

messaging and content tied to the key steps of the

buying cycle.

• Enter into an electronic dialogue with targeted prospects

and progress the leads through a process of sharing

educational and solution oriented content.

• Make direct calls into targeted companies to set

appointments for your sales team.

Use email marketing to promote educational content―use targeted direct calling

to move opportunities to sales ready status.

The program has a unique mix of vision and execution skills that leads to a

winning formula on how to go to market to win new prospects. It provides

best-of-breed lead generation with little time consumption for the clients.”

Alan Probert

Head of Channels


Use email nurturing and progression

programs to move leads through the

stages of the buying cycle. Matching the

content you share with the appropriate

milestone in the buyer’s journey,

combined with provocation points and

call-to-actions, is a great way of

advancing leads to sales ready status.


6. Implement Lead Progression and Nurturing

The key steps for progression and nurturing

include:

• Create a marketing funnel focused on lead

development.

• Develop a process to assess stage in the

buyer’s journey and match content to buying

stage.

• Establish progression points and provocations

that seek to advance the lead towards sales-

ready status.

Implement a formal and ongoing process to progress and nurture leads – ensure

a steady stream of qualified leads for the sales team.

Many buyers prefer to conduct online research

early in the sales cycle and delay first contact

with a sales person. As a result, they are less

likely to respond to a cold call or meet with a

sales person early in the buying cycle.

Lead nurturing is the practice of matching the

content you share with the information buyers

are seeking. Lead progression is the process of

conducting a digital conversation with buyers to

advance them to a position where they are ready

for the first face-to-face meeting.

“Thanks for a well-done, professional job! The campaign will

result, I believe, in one to three new customers (one sale already

closed!) and increased visibility with all the other prospects.”

Barry Nashen



7. Support the Direct Sales Team

This includes:

• Establish a formal and agreed definition of a sales-

ready lead.

• Maintain a separate marketing funnel that nurtures and

progresses leads.

• Implement a process for moving leads from the

marketing funnel to the sales funnel when they are

ready to meet with a sales person – and from the sales

funnel to the marketing funnel when they fail to

progress.

Many leads fall into a ‘chasm’ when passed from marketing to the sales team.

This program has contributed to over 300 leads, improved

lead conversion rates and launched active sales cycles,

which have resulted in closed business.

Jared Wells

Account Manager

Espresso B2B Partner

Far too often, marketing passes leads to

sales too early in the buyer’s journey.

This clogs sales funnels and distracts

the sales team from their prime objective

– meeting with prospects and clients.

By developing an agreed definition of a

sales-ready opportunity, you can move

all non-sales-ready leads into a separate

marketing funnel. This increases the

efficiency of the sales team, and ensures

that no leads get ignored!


Conclusion

As a result of using this seven step process companies have:

Increased traffic to their website.

Generated new leads from website traffic.

Established a thought leadership position in chosen markets.

Engaged in successful digital conversations with companies

that are reluctant to meet face-to-face.

Improved sales team productivity.

Increased lead-to-win rates.

Generated more revenue.

And lowered the cost of lead generation!

WAY TO GO, Espresso!!! Seriously, this is AWESOME. I am very

excited for our campaign and I think you really nailed it!Joy Spicer

President



Contact Information

Thank you

Mark Lennon

650.346.9683

[email protected]

Dave Brown

650.291 1001

[email protected]

seven steps to marketing success

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