Data-driven strategy for B2B sales

A data-driven strategy for B2B sales doesn't have to be costly or take a long time to implement. Despite these challenges, getting useful data out of unconventional and sometimes uncomfortable places does require a structured approach and dedication.?

Essentially, the steps to finalizing a strategy process are the same, except that either new investments are made to collect new data, or the company realistically rethinks and restructures what it already has.

The following process can help you develop data-driven strategies if you follow them. This does not mean that data-driven strategy development is easy.

Practice the same thing?

There is a lot of data around us these days. For instance, your brand and competitors have been researched by someone. A report has been purchased by someone. Locate the report. Research that seems unrelated to your current goals, when viewed from that lens, can often give fresh and powerful insights.?

Hear out??

Spend time with customers if you cannot conduct primary research. This is the best place to find out what the market needs. You can follow up on sales calls and attend face-to-face meetings with customers along with account managers. You should take advantage of every chance you get. One of the best ways to come up with a strategy is to find a compelling story that leads you to unlock a way of seeing the world or thinking differently.?

Understand your customers?

The enemy of the analyst is analysis paralysis. Assume for a moment that you have completed all those readings and conversations, but you are still struggling to comprehend what you have read and heard. Begin by thinking of your customers first.??

If you wish to succeed in any business, you will need to think about it as you work. As a buyer, you have to ensure that you are engaged in your business. If you talk about them in the third person, you will appear more credible. If you think differently about them, you will appear more credible.?

Engage others in the process. To put what's in people's heads on paper is very powerful, and it's amazing how powerful that is. When you take account of every potential customer opportunity, you will quickly be able to trade-off the right ones for the ones that matter most.

Take your customers with you?

Marketing funnels are not customer journeys. Honestly, this is the most challenging part of the process, especially if you lack the budget to involve your customers directly. You must project the world through the eyes, hearts, and minds of your prospects and customers.?

From the moment your customers find out about your brand to the moment they become loyal advocates, you need to walk in your customers' shoes.?

When building each stage of the journey, it is important that you think about what the customer wants, needs, and feels at each stage. In other words, B2B customers are not immune to emotions. Identify emotional moments in your audience planning where you and the customer will need to interact based on what you have learned. Putting your strategy into practice at these moments of truth will allow you to create real, meaningful, and resonant interactions that will put you well on your way to developing a customer-centric, data-smart strategy.?

In conclusion, here is one last tip for your strategy for 2022: no plan is perfect. While you may not get there without some rigor, some deep thinking, and a belief that the data smart marketing strategy you are creating will be successful, you can get a long way there by applying these techniques to your organization.