Capturing and Keeping CxO Engagement · October 10, 2018 Heinz Marketing blog Sales and marketing...

Capturing and Keeping CxO EngagementFOR CUSTOMER ADVOCATE SUCCESS

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David Sroka

March 13, 2019 © POINT OF REFERENCE, INC. 2

Accepted Wisdom

Executive engagement is needed to:

• Get resources (IT, agencies, staff, etc.)

• Get budget (technology, travel, rewards/spiffs)

• Champion (and enforce) change management

• Sustain a program long-term

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CMO Priorities

October 10, 2018 Heinz Marketing blog

Sales and marketing alignment Defining and operationalizing. Closing the gap in

performance and impact from B2B marketing

organizations.

Attribution Understanding what’s working, what’s influencing

pipeline velocity and closed deals in a complex, multi-

touch sale.

Culture and team structure Optimizing individual roles, skill sets, cross-

departmental working relationships and more.

Account-based marketing Effectively and efficiently scaling the operation and

impact of ABM beyond initial or limited campaigns.

Balancing the art and science of

B2B marketing

New and big ideas vs. focusing on metrics-driven

marketing performance and ROI.

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Executives and CAPs

How are you

relevant?

Show me.

• VPs and CxOs typically

◦ Don’t have customer marketing on their radar

◦ Don’t know that a CAP can strategically support their

business goals

• How to rank your executives’ CAP savvy?

◦ By the goals they set (or accept)

• Executive support is neither automatic nor altruistic

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A model for program relevance

ALIGN

to company goals

EXECUTE

to meet goals

COMMUNICATE

contributions

ADAPT

to change

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Growth Strategies

Do you know your company’s strategies?

Source: 2018 The CMO Survey, cmosurvey.org © Christine Moorman

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Existing

products/

services

New

products/

services

Existing

markets

Market

penetration

Product/service

development

New

Markets

Market

developmentDiversification

How about the execution plan?

Exercise

• Growth tactics may include:

◦ Partner channel(s)

◦ New geographies

◦ New product(s)

◦ Acquisitions

My Company’s Growth Goals

◦ New delivery model

◦ New customer segment(s)

◦ Industry specialization/focus

Q1

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Stellar Software’s Growth Plan

Increase revenue by 18% in 2019

• Grow mid-market share by 15%◦ Includes 8% growth in services

• Expand into two new verticals◦ Green Energy – Grow to $8.8M

◦ FinTech – Grow to $24M

• Upgrade initiative ◦ Migrate 40% of customers to StellarXR

• Double Intl. revenue by 2021◦ $18M to $28M / EOY 2019

◦ $28M to $36M / EOY 2020

How?

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International Growth - Example

• What are the target countries?

• Are there sufficient advocates, by market, to tell our ideal story?

• What are the buyer profiles?

• What stories will resonate with those buyers?

• What are the localization considerations?

• What are the anticipated advocate assets/activities?

• Best channels to reach buyers with customer advocate stories (webinars, social media, events, etc.)?

• What local company resources can be leveraged?

CAP Considerations

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Exercise

What are my CAP considerations?Q2

Pick 1 goal

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Stakeholder Goal Support

Customer

Advocate

Program

Events

Demand

Generation

Public

Relations

Analyst

Relations

Executives

Sales

Content

Social

Media

Growth Goals

• Double international revenue

• Grow mid-market market share

• Upgrade growth

• Vertical expansion

What do these teams need?

Investor

Relations

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Exercise

What am I Missing & Who has the Answers?Q3

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Set Your Aligned GoalsInternational Growth Example

• Advocate use goal: Ensure 85% of opportunities can leverage references

• Increase referenceable international accounts by 90

◦ 45 in Q1, 45 in Q2

◦ 30: UK, 20: DE, 20: FR, 20: ES

◦ 75% sr. mgr./director; 25% VP and up

• Referenceability priorities1. Sales calls

2. Event speakers

3. Webinars

4. Content

5. PR

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Exercise

What are my program goals?Q4

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Exercise

What are my obstacles?Q5

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Reality Check

• Share & validate goals with leadership

• Review obstacles and impacts

• Refine plans as needed to gain full buy-in & support

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Ask: “Will my CEO care about my plan?”

Finalize Execution Plan

• What do you need?

◦ Bandwidth

◦ Staff

◦ Agencies

◦ Colleague support

◦ Technology

• Define/Finalize timelines

◦ Consider time to impact

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A Word of Advice

Your Strategy Support Planis your North Star

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FocusFlexibility

Plan

Quantify & Share Results• Customize to the audience

• Choose the communication channel carefully

• Format is important

• Limit what you report on

• Make information easily consumable

• Confirm receipt, seek feedback

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Exceeded our goal of

influencing 85% of intl.

deals, amounting to $15.2M

in new revenue

Met or exceeded 3 of 4

international recruiting

goals.

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Program Performance

Executive Summary

Q2

International Growth

Goal Support

Program Performance

Executive Summary

Q2

International Growth

Goal Support

Just short of exec

contact goal. Will get

back on track in Q3.

Our post-win survey

shows that references

are the #1 influence on

buyers’ decisions.

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Review & Adapt

• Establish feedback loop(s)

• Re-Sync with company goal adjustments

• Confirm plan change with leadership

• Revise metrics and reporting

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Option A: Don’t Align…Survive

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Opportunistic

Approach

Execs view

CAP as

tactical

CAP struggles

for resources

CAP remains

reactive and

“underwater”

Option B: Align & Thrive

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Align

Prove

Strategic

Value

Earn Support

& Resources

Grow &

Amplify

Impact

Questions

Follow Up Questions?

David Sroka

Point of Reference

dsroka@point-of-reference.com

+1 303-399-0338

Resources:

point-of-reference.com/blog

point-of-reference.com/resources

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