How B2B SaaS Marketers Should Prepare for a Recession

The results are in.

CEOs are “shouting that 2023 is going to suck” causing great concern amongst B2B marketers.?

SaaS CFOs are already slashing marketing budgets and cutting staff.

The pressure is mounting for CMOs to drive revenue, deliver more sales-ready leads, and prove the value of marketing.

You still have time though. Especially if JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon’s prediction of six to nine months proves correct.?

But there’s a problem.?

Today’s marketers have been trained to provide “air cover” and to create “branding and awareness” so that sales can more easily generate appointments from their outbound playbooks.

Most don’t know how to tap into the underlying emotional reasons that motivates buyers to take action, turn the screws, and hit them with a compelling offer they can’t pass up.

To impact the bottom line quickly, you’re probably going to have to slow down a bit so you can speed up. But in doing so, you’ll create a competitive advantage and do everything possible to protect your current employment status.?

Wishy washy is everywhere.

In 80 percent of the websites that I review for lead generation potential, I don’t have to go any further than the homepage to see that:

• They don’t know who they’re talking to.
• They don’t know why their customers actually buy.
• They’ve never had to pick up the phone and make a sale.

The reason I can tell is that they’re talking about features before benefits (if they get to that).?

They use language that I know their customers aren’t.?

And they make interested buyers dig through the site just to figure out what the product does.?

Here’s proof.

Two examples I found in a five-minute search:

1. “Advancing U.S. Competitiveness Through Decision Science”?

The word “advancing'' is weak. What does that mean exactly? Is that enough to inspire action??

And is “decision science” a term buyers are using? Are they saying, “We need decision science software in here now!”

I don’t think so.?

2.? ? ? ? ? The place where the connectivity industry connects”

Is there a “connectivity industry” that I don’t know about? And do I buy software because I MUST connect? Maybe if it’s connecting me to my buyer. But it doesn’t look like that’s what they’re communicating.

The difference between success and failure for demand gen marketers is figuring out the true motivations behind their buyer behavior—regardless of whether your content is designed to generate leads in the short term or create customers in the long term through education and thought leadership.

Getting to the truth

The internet has not changed human nature. People buy for the same reasons today that they did in 1920.?

That’s good news for marketers because it’s not about the deficiencies in modern delivery mediums, the attribution software, or competing with the abundance of noise in your space.

The bad news is that finding the truth requires some digging.?

Customers may not be able to articulate the real reasons they bought from you. It’s not that they’re lying-- they’re using their conscious rational to armchair quarterback their decision-making processes.

Direct response master marketer John Carlton suggested a great exercise for this.?

Imagine your prospect walks into a bar and orders a double. The bartender says, “rough day?” and she responds, “Rough month.”

What is she then going to tell the bartender??

That’s what you must find out from your customers—what frustrates them, what would happen if they didn’t act?

If it’s not possible to interview customers, then at least sit in on some sales calls and probe salespeople for every frustrating reason they can think of.?

Those problems that must be solved and the gaps between where they are now and where they want to go are what you play on in your content.?

But that’s only the first step…

With the sheer volume of noise out there competing for your buyer’s attention, if your message doesn’t hit them square between the eyes where they jump up and say, “Yes! I have that problem!” then it’s just not going to get any response.

You gotta grab their attention, draw them into the copy, keep them reading, and hit them with an irresistible offer.?

And by the way, that message should be front and center on the homepage of your website.?

The opportunity amidst chaos

There is a huge opportunity for B2B marketers in a recessionary economy–but what you do in the short term to get the lead machine rolling is paramount.?

John Carlton and Gary Halbert talk specifically about creating content “like you have a gun to your head.”?

It must work.

It’s not about branding, or building name recognition, or how you’re positioned in the marketplace. It’s about selling.

That does not mean that all your content should push to the demo. You’ve got to establish trust, build your case, put it in context and command action.

And I know that marketers love to create new content. But you don’t have time for that.

Look at your existing content (blogs, white papers, case studies, webinars, videos, etc.) And think through whether you’ve actually targeted a problem or gap that you know your buyers have.?

Then rewrite and re-purpose.?

When you can develop marketing initiatives like podcasts that keep you in touch with your potential buyers on a regular basis, you’ll keep the customer knowledge wheel rolling–creating customers and locking out your competitors.

Most of your competitors will follow the same old and outdated playbooks. And that’s your opportunity.?

Want results faster??

Here are two free options that you’d be silly not to take me up on:

Check out our eBook “How to Fix SaaS Lead Generation in 90 days or Less.” It’s a step-by-step guide that will help you deliver better leads to sales as quickly as possible. There’s no form fill–because that’s just silly.?

And…

Let’s do a content assessment.?I guarantee you’ll walk away with some ways you can repurpose content for better results right away--or I’ll give you your email back.