With the customer journey changing to become much more complex today, marketers are having to make adjustments. This is partially due to the amount of change that has been brought out by the onset of emerging technology, writes, Alison Biggan, President of Corporate Marketing, SAP.Â
The customer journey today is deeply complex, regardless of what you’re purchasing. This complexity is due, in large part, to the fact that technology has fundamentally changed every aspect of the purchase experience, from the process itself to the timeline. This change is even more prominent at the enterprise technology level, where customer relationships can last lifetimes.
The link between marketing and sales is nothing new, but today’s long-term customer relationships require that marketers have a greater presence throughout the funnel, focusing on quality demand generation, higher conversion rates, adoption, satisfaction, renewal, and advocacy. This, paired with the development of advanced technologies, means that marketers now, more than ever, need to be strategic in how they support the funnel, driving meaningful outcomes and growth for their business.
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As marketers become increasingly integrated through the sales funnel, here are a few of the ways they are having the most impact:
Capturing the right moment. Through automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, marketers have a direct line into prospect behavior and how they are engaging with a company’s library of content. Not only that, they can identify the pieces of content that indicate certain stages of the consideration cycle. For instance, case studies that reflect a specific use case that’s relevant for their business. With that insight, marketing can continue to serve relevant content through the appropriate channels – including through the initial sale. As prospects explore new features and capabilities, marketers have an opportunity to support education, enablement, and adoption.
Building personalized touchpoints. It isn’t enough to know when to strategically enter the conversation, as prospects and customers alike expect an unprecedented level of personalization. Data has become the foundation to understanding the buyer or customer and the tiniest nuances that then paint an individual picture. The value of data even extends to the persona level, delivering an ROI analysis to a CIO or a step-by-step instruction guide to an engineer. Data presents an incredible opportunity to build more powerful relationships with customers and prospects. But, in the post-GDPR era, marketers need to strike a fine balance. With data privacy regulation expanding, building trust requires marketers to leverage data in appropriate ways that are contextually relevant, but also reinforce the value of opting in.
Changing the mindset. One of the most significant shifts in marketing is the elimination of silos between “B2B†and “B2C†strategies. It started with the consumerization of enterprise technology design and is now prevalent in the buying experience. B2C brands target a consumer with a personalized offer based on their search, what they are streaming online, or their online purchases – the same applies to B2B. Rather than traditional cold calls, marketers are finding better ways to drive conversations in seamless and meaningful ways.  Â
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There is no question that technology is opening up new avenues for marketers to have a direct impact across the entire sales funnel. Intelligent Enterprises are designed to work cross-functionally, where sales tactics are strategically and purposefully supported by marketing efforts to generate higher quality leads. Top of funnel engagements are becoming more targeted, personalized and digital, which drives higher conversation rates. The value imparted back to the customer is immeasurable, as they are only being delivered the right insight they need, right when they need it.