The Amigos Network

Monday, April 08, 2024

In the B2B buying and selling process, it often feels like despite the substantial efforts and considerable investments poured into marketing and sales strategies, satisfaction remains just out of reach.

It begs the question "Is anyone truly getting what they want"? From the initial awareness phase to the post-purchase follow-up, buyers and sellers frequently voice more complaints than commendations.

With all the resources dedicated to refining these processes, why does it seem that no party is delighted, and what can be done to harmonise the discord? As budgets rise and fall and the digital landscape becomes increasingly crowded, the chorus of grievances grows louder, echoing the challenges of meeting expectations and achieving desired outcomes.

Each stage has its unique challenges and frustrations. Here we look to identify common complaints from all sides.

Awareness Stage

Buyer Complaint: "It's hard to find information that's not just sales fluff. I need real insights and solutions to my problems, not just product pitches." “Sometimes the problems they say I have, aren’t even real!”

Buyers at this stage seek valuable, educational content to determine whether they’re interested in what’s on offer. They get frustrated by the lack of depth in the information provided, which often seems more focused on selling than helping.

Sales Complaint: "I'm being told to call leads based on interaction with content to book appointments. When I make the call, most aren't real opportunities, only signs that they found something interesting.

Sales teams waste huge amounts of time calling what are effectively ‘cold’ leads, making them inefficient and unproductive when engaging later in the sales cycle would be more beneficial for both parties.

Marketing Challenge: Creating enough of the right content for every step in the buyer journey and then delivering it based only on buyer engagement. Quarterly sales demands should be aligned with market trends, economic conditions, competitive landscape, and product innovation.

Understand that buyers don't care about vendor sales quarters and just because they aren't interested today doesn't mean they never will be. Equip buyers with enough information to be interested in the CTA and sales with the information that demonstrates they are.

Consideration Stage

Buyer Complaint: "Every solution claims to be the best, but it's hard to tell what's the right fit for us. I wish companies would be more transparent and specific about their offerings."

Buyers get overwhelmed by the abundance of similar offerings and generic messaging, making it difficult to discern which solution meets their needs.

Sales Complaint: "Leads are coming in but they're not always qualified. We spend too much time on leads that are not ready or even a good fit."

Sales professionals are frustrated by the quality of leads passed from marketing feeling that many are not yet ready to buy or not properly vetted, leading to inefficient use of their time.

Marketing Challenge: Being completely aligned with the sales team. They often have access to sophisticated martech they use to assess buyer journeys which sales don't use in earnest.

Real diligence is needed in outlining and communicating what constitutes a lead. By continually educating sales teams on the objectives of marketing activity and what the data is telling them will help them have more informed sales conversations.

Decision Stage

Buyer Complaint: "I need more personalised advice and support to make a final decision, but all I get are generic follow-ups and pressure to try or buy."

Buyers at this point are looking for detailed, personalised assistance and reassurance but often encounter pushy sales tactics instead.

Sales Complaint: "Buyers seem to have all the information and are still difficult to engage despite showing interest in what we offer. It's tough to add value or influence their decision, even at this stage."

Sales teams find it challenging to engage with well-informed buyers who may have formed an opinion, making it difficult to influence their decisions or highlight additional value. Focus on sales training, objection handling and the person making the having more than a superficial knowledge of the product on offer. Buyers often know more than the appointment setters!

Marketing Challenge: Continual engagement with target profiles, even if they aren't showing intent to purchase. Sellers must establish trust, value and an understanding of the problems their buyers have when seeking their solutions before pitching in with a sales call. Understanding and acting on the fact no lead is lost until they no longer want to hear from you and keeping tabs on leads in the different stages of the hand-off process.

They're your leads until sales own them. If they kick them out, take them back and love them like your children. If they keep them, ensure you look after them until the next time you want to sell them something.

Post-Purchase Stage

Buyer Complaint: "After we signed the contract, the support and attention we received dropped away significantly. We feel left in the dark."

New customers may feel neglected once the deal is closed, leading to dissatisfaction due to a lack of follow-up support and engagement.

Customer Success/Support Complaint: "We often receive customers who are not fully aware of how to make the best use of the product, indicating a gap in the pre-sale education process."

Customer success teams might struggle to onboard customers who lack a complete understanding of the product, suggesting a disconnect in communication and education during the sales process.

Marketing Challenge: Busy teams can reach a point where they focus on revenue and not customer satisfaction. Running renewal campaigns shouldn't be the first time they hear from a business again, otherwise, competition may get in first.

Introducing post-sales customer initiatives such as User Groups and regular company announcements all help to keep customers on side and the renewals process on track.

Bridging the Gaps

Addressing these issues requires a collaborative effort between marketing, sales and customer success teams to ensure a cohesive and customer-centric journey. Implementing feedback loops, refining lead qualification processes, and ensuring ongoing support and education can mitigate these common complaints.

Moreover, fostering a culture of transparency, personalised engagement, and value-driven interactions can align teams’ efforts with buyer expectations, leading to improved satisfaction and loyalty.

To learn more about how Market Activation contributes to a seamless sales and marketing growth strategy, get in touch.