How to Pitch Technology to the C-Suite Video
Put yourself in their shoes
Think about it in the context of yourself as a consumer. How quickly do you expect a business to come back to you and what do you do if they don’t get back to you within that time? I know what I do.
Just the other day, I was trying to buy something for the business. I put in an online enquiry and the company didn’t respond. I waited a day, and then contacted a different company who did respond. We started talking, they understood what I was after and how they could help me. The first company then finally send an email simply saying, “How can we help?”.
I thought – well if this is how you treat a potential customer, I certainly don’t want to be a customer.
If you can’t call me back or you can’t get back to me within a reasonable time – you’re not a business I want to deal with. This is the internet age, you should be able to respond to a client in a reasonable time. And make some effort!
B2B Tech Marketing capabilities sure have evolved
It’s not like you’re being expected to sit next to a telephone wired to the wall of your shop. Ready to write onto a piece of slate. There are plenty of cheap or free alternatives out there! They can ensure you’re able to respond to customers quickly, which is something everyone has come to expect. Not taking the time to respond quickly to a potential client is, frankly put, a dealbreaker.
The reason is simple. In the days of information being abundantly available online, the days where Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn and Google Reviews exist, if someone is reaching out to you they are more than likely ready to do something.
These days, people will hold off on contacting a business until they are at a point where they are close to taking some action. Most people, would much rather spend an extra hour researching on the internet than making a five-minute phone call. If you miss that opportunity to grab their attention, discuss their issues, build a relationship with that client, then they are going to find someone who will pay attention, ask questions and build a relationship.
It’s not just 9-5 anymore
You also need to keep in mind that, these days, we’re just as likely to be doing our research out of regular business hours as during 8-6 in the day. We have research machines in our hands called phones and iPads that are accessible at all times. I’m often reading and doing research while lying in bed at 9 o clock at night. Of course, if I put an enquiry through at 9 o clock at night, I’m not going to expect a reply straight away. But certainly first thing the next day. I’d expect a company to come back at 8.30 the following morning saying, at the very least, “thanks for checking out our stuff, can we organise a time to chat?”
If you can’t get the basics right, I would be concerned about your future business. This is particularly true for anyone marketing technology or SaaS products – remember you have a lot of competition!
The B2B Tech Marketing basics are as simple as this:
Phone back, respond to an enquiry, if a client asks for a quote; respond. A quote should be able to be done in a day or two unless it’s really complex. And if it is really complex, let the client know. Tell them you are working through it – you just need to figure out A, B and C and will get back to them as quickly as possible. And IF you are going to miss that deadline contact them again and let them know.
It’s really basic stuff that so many businesses don’t do. When it comes to winning sales through B2B Tech Marketing, the small things go a really long way.
