For some types of buyers, outbound marketing is the only way to engage (e.g. direct mail, email, events, teleprospecting).
These buyers require intervention through outbound marketing:
The Unaware Buyer - this buyer is evaluating but is unaware of your solution despite your high level of marketing activity (including inbound marketing). Outbound marketing may be your only option to reach these buyers.
The Puzzled Buyer - this buyer has some misconceptions that have precluded consideration of your solution. By persuading the buyer through direct, interactive, phone or web-based communication, these buyer's misconceptions can be corrected through dialog.
The Buyer with Unmet Needs - in this case, the buyer may have underlying needs that have not been openly discussed with a third party. Or perhaps, the buyer was unaware of a solution that would address her needs so had not initiated an evaluation. Early stage solutions that are new-to-market often target buyers with latent needs.
The Tuned-out Buyer - not all buyers participate in social media or conduct online searches. Some buyers expect that some vendors must reach out to them as a precondition to considering their solution.
The Buyer at the Tipping Point - B2B marketing is part art & part science. Given the length of the marketing and sales cycle, we can often identify many of the touches that led to a closed sale but we are unable to pinpoint the catalyst that converted the buyer. Perhaps those accounts that closed through online marketing were prompted by the cumulative impact of both online and offline touches through both inbound and outbound marketing.
Through our outbound marketing efforts we have converted these types of buyers into opportunities. Depending on the stage of their evaluation, these buyers can vary in terms of their potential to close.
What results have you seen with these types of buyers?
Photo Credit: henrybloomfield
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