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It’s as if their office is transformed into the Reserve Bank; door closed, iron bars, nothing gets through unless strict permission is given to their right hand man or woman. This is the image you conjure up as a direct marketer when you think about the office of a senior contact, of a large corporate firm. Trying to get to those C-Level contacts can be complex and difficult. Simply put, they do not have the time or care to make the time to view everything that is mailed to them, or to take sales calls. This is where the Gatekeepers come in. These are the people who hold the fate of your marketing success in their hands.
The odds tend to stack up against you when you are up against Gatekeepers (who tend to be a senior contact’s PA, company secretary or receptionist) who are under strict instructions about the type of mail or calls that are deemed acceptable. Your challenge is set even before you have begun the campaign process. So for direct marketers, in the B2B environment, the question is how do get past the gatekeepers who decide what gets through to the C-Level’s door and what doesn’t? Is it even about getting past them, or is it about speaking to them?
Inevitably, you are going to be interacting with the Gatekeeper, rather than the person you intend so why not pitch to the Gatekeeper themselves? The chances are they are going to know exactly what their senior colleague wants and doesn’t want, and will have the ability to influence part of the decision making process.
Relevancy is important during this process. Make a connection and learn about their internal and/or external environment, and whether your product or service is what they really need. Don’t waster their time and yours, make sure what you are sending them is relevant to their position and the responsibilities that they hold. If your offer is relevant, then keep that window of opportunity open with consistent follow up. This doesn’t mean harass them, it means contact them at a time when you know it is appropriate, and pitch your idea to them again.
In the B2B environment the opportunity pipeline can grow quite quickly, however the process of closing off those potential sales leads, tends to take a little longer than in the B2C environment. According a Silverpop Survey ‘B2B marketers want to move sales prospects through the pipeline faster..’ however what marketers need to appreciate is that in most cases, direct marketing into the B2B environment often involves a high involvement purchase, where the decision cannot be made on the spot. So before you enter the market, assess what it means from the client’s point of view, to be become involved in your company’s product or service. Understand that as Gatekeepers they are doing their best to ensure that only the best and most attractive solutions are presented to their senior colleagues. By understanding the business you are targeting, you can build relevancy and engagement. Discover how your solution fits into their environment before you pitch your product or service.
It’s also important to assess your competitiveness in the market. Understand the market first, before you go and ‘knock’ on prospects’ doors. There’s no point offering them something, if what they already have is 3 times more competitive than what you are bringing to the table. Remember the last ‘List Report’ and the point I made about being REMARKABLE? Well in the B2B environment in particular, you will have to certainly stand out from the crowd if you want to be seen and this involves presenting something remarkable. It also involves establishing some credentials in your market. It’s hard to cut through as a new, unfamiliar company or brand so you need to have some credibility within your market and amongst your peers.
Posted on 19th May 2010