Take a look at the chart below, graciously provided by CSO Insights. If you're a B2B software marketer, this may not be inspiring. However, what's interesting to note is what sales execs determine are the leading competitive reasons why their reps win deals.

Looking at this from the other end of the funnel and comparing the views of companies who win more than 60% of the deals they're after (blue) vs. those who don't shows some interesting differences.I'd love to know if their customers agree with how these stack up, but that's another story.Here are a few things I find deserving of attention for those of us looking at this process from the top end of the funnel:Marketing Messaging is last on the list for those who win the most. Is this because marketing messaging is so bad or because it's not integrated across the sales process, so sales reps lack visibility into what's driving opportunities to them?Existing Relationships and References hold the 2nd and 3rd spots for those who win more.

This is a critical point and plays into how hard your company works to build relationships after customer acquisition, as well as nurture your customers along by providing new ideas and insights over the full course of the relationship. I also think it relates to your company's credibility and reputation in the marketplace.What role is marketing playing here? Or is this a direct reflection of the relationships the sales reps have built. Shouldn't be heavily reliant on one or the other, but a shared responsibility of both sales and marketing.Sales process is rated much higher by those who win more.

Contrast this to service and support which are rated higher by those who win less.Interesting dichotomy, don't you think?Finally, I find it good to know that both sides agree ROI is equally important from either view. What I fail to understand is why it's so far down the list for those who win more deals. If ROI wasn't a factor, would your product be superior?

Would your customers still have relationships with you or provide references if they received a limited return on their investment with you? If there was no ROI, would it matter how good your sales process is?If you, as a marketer, had to rate these factors for why your company wins deals, how would your choices differ from sales?What other things do you see in this chart worth thinking about?
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