B2B Content Requirements By Funnel Stage

Crea%ng Insanely Great Customers

Crea%ng Insanely Great B2B Content Stage by Stage Requirements

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Mike Connor | Principal | Spice Catalyst [email protected]

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www.spicecatalyst.com


What will this presenta?on do for you? •  Help develop a more effec?ve B2B content strategy •  Save ?me •  Provide a great star?ng point for defining your stage by stage requirements

•  Requirements for the internal B2B champion at each stage of the buyers journey to ensure they become an “Insanely Great Customer”

•  Sample Descrip?ons for each stage include: • What the champion needs to accomplish •  The informa?on they need •  The best way for you to provide that informa?on •  The experience you will need to create for them so they are mo?vated to take the next step with you instead of your compe??on

What does it cover?


You have a lot to do! The demand to produce great B2B content is skyrocke?ng!


Unfortunately. . . you aren’t the only one crea%ng content

You

Prospects


So the obvious ques%on is. . . “How do you create valuable, differen%ated, easy to find and use content?”

You

Prospects Content that leads to conversion


Food for thought

#1 B2B Marke%ng 2013 CMO Impera%ve •  Embed personas in marke%ng plans • Map the buyers journey

•  Address data and analy%c skills gaps

•  Foster collabora%on across marke%ng, product and sales silos


In B2B crea%ng in-‐depth personas is key to crea%ng great content

Content that leads to conversion


B2B purchases usually involve mul%ple account types and mul%ple decision makers (personas)


The Customer’s Journey provides a powerful framework for defining and delivering a highly effec?ve content strategy

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To create personas that drive conversion requires stage by stage insight into each persona’s requirements

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•  Their goals / desired outcomes

•  What informa?on they need and in what form

•  The experience you need to provide so they are mo?vated to move to the next buying stage with you

In addi%on to the typical Persona you will need to know


Stage based Content / Experience Requirements

This is a starter set focusing on the Champion’s needs Actual requirements will vary by product, industry, and persona

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Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer


Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

Status Quo

Trigger Point

Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer

Status Quo: Starts before prospects know they need a solu?on

Status Quo •  Excel at Job

•  Stay on top of trends & drivers

•  Leadership insight into industry and func?on trends and prac?ces

•  Objec?ve thought leadership on their industry and job func?on

•  Be a trusted informa?on source •  Provide objec?ve informa?on •  Deliver be^er insight than most •  Make it easy for them to be seen

as objec?ve when they present the insight you provided

Champion Needs / Ac%ons

Informa%on needed by champion

What should you provide?

The experience you need to create?


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What should you provide? •  Convey solid grasp of issues •  Establish leadership role •  Define ini?al needs, decision makers

and influencers

•  Framework for comparison •  Key solu?on requirements •  Impact, deployment & risk

factors •  Decision making process

•  Objec?ve, insight •  Thought leadership led

framework for requirements & decision making

•  Provide them a solid, objec?ve grasp of the business drivers and and solu?on benefits and a balanced perspec?ve of compe??ve solu?ons

Trigger Point: A business driver creates need for change and ac?on (A cross func?onal team (mul?ple personas) is formed)

Trigger Point



Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

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Internal Buy In

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Purchase

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What should you provide? •  Framework to narrow field •  Define constraints •  Needs of users & influencers •  Understand impact of change /

adop?on / deployment, and training / support and costs

•  Methodology and detail for framework •  Comparisons for key solu?on, impact,

deployment & risk areas. •  Support for evalua?on method and

process

•  Informa?on easily modularized to fit into evalua?on framework

•  Support for choice of evalua?on framework

•  Provide objec?ve informa?on •  Offer an objec?ve framework for

selec?ng solu?ons to more deeply evaluate

•  Help them convey recommenda?ons in a credible non biased way

Explore Op%ons: The team explores a broad range of solu?ons

Explore Op%ons



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What should you provide? •  Rank value of core needs •  Refine with influencers input •  Compare capability & reputa?on •  Analyst reports, peer discussions,

vendor presenta?ons, live trial •  Meet w/ reference customers •  Contrast & compare vendor proof

points on core issues

•  3rd party assessments / valida?on of vendor capability and competency

•  Hands on experience and comparison in areas most relevant to their highest value needs

•  Modular 3rd party info for key use / concern areas

•  Demo framework to explore / compare / validate capability in high value use areas

•  Help them be confident of evalua?on criteria

•  Make it easy to asses alterna?ves •  Help them confidently and

objec?vely communicate findings and conclusions

•  Provide solid / balanced proof points that your solu?on delivers the best business value for them

Evaluate Solu%ons: Detailed evalua?ons of a handful of alterna?ves

Evaluate Solu%ons



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Deploy Solu%on

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Internal Buy In

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What should you provide? •  Build business case to move forward

with vendor selec?on criteria •  Review with key stakeholders •  Iden?fy key proof points •  Define areas of nego?a?on •  Review internally with key

stakeholders

•  Succinct descrip?on of business need •  Business value delivered •  How need is addressed •  Differen?a?ng elements •  Proof points, 3rd party input •  Full view of cost / impact of ownership

and risk areas

•  Framework for business case •  Modular suppor?ng content

•  Helped them build a solid objec?ve business case

•  Be seen as a trusted partner •  Have delivered greater value at

each stage than compe?tors •  Can be relied on to address

issues and concerns in a clear and objec?ve way

Business case: Findings and recommenda?ons created / presented

Business Case



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Internal Buy In

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Purchase

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Internal buy in: Champion resolves internal concerns / differences

Internal Buy In

•  Present to internal decision makers •  Address requests for addi?onal

inves?ga?on, proof points and pet peeves

•  Re-‐present to specific stakeholders

•  3rd party valida?on assessments •  Valida?on of vendor capability and

competency •  Hands on experience and comparison

that support business case

•  Fast turn around on new requests

•  Modular content / proof points •  3rd party references to support

needs of specific stakeholders

•  Make sure they have everything they need to confidently support their recommenda?on and to deal with push back.

•  Make sure they feel excited about closing the deal working with you to deploy it



Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

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Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

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Purchase: Nego?a?ons are completed – Deal is signed

Purchase

•  Nego?ate key areas •  Set up vendor

•  Clear understandable, descrip?on of what is being purchased and why

•  Clear understanding of tradeoffs •  Industry acceptable terms, condi?ons

and payment structure

•  Well structured, enterprise ready legal agreements

•  Balanced viewpoints on tradeoffs

•  Provide win / win partnership / ethics during nego?a?ons.

•  Be a partner rather than an adversary in the nego?a?on process

•  Make sure they are seen as a hero



Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

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Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer





Deploy Solu%on: People are trained and the solu?on is deployed

Deploy Solu%on

•  Review and priori?ze deployment, training and support issues

•  Establish metrics for value created. •  Train, rollout and support users in

being successful in key use areas

•  Best prac?ces for deployment •  Support to reduce risk, disrup?on and

abandonment •  Great training and support

•  Best prac?ce deployment and training workbook / guidelines

•  Support escala?on path •  Community support •  Searchable reference materials

•  Fast resolu?on of technical or user issues

•  Someone that can be there quickly and be flexible in helping them deal with issues

•  Con?nued commitment to their success


Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

Status Quo

Trigger Point

Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer





Validate Value: Value of solu?on is revealed though use and support

Validate Value

•  Gather input from stakeholders •  Assess value promised versus results •  Evaluate vendor responsiveness •  Build case to con?nue or abandon •  Present findings / recommenda?ons

•  Input from users •  Data and metrics to help validate

business value •  Quotes & comments to to support

recommenda?ons

•  Data from use, users and support / training

•  Framework to capture / present ROI

•  Provide them what they need to feel confidence that they are receiving the value promised

•  Help them objec?vely iden?fy proof points

•  Quickly / fairly resolve issues or address new needs


Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

Status Quo

Trigger Point

Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer





Expand

Expand: If value is demonstrated customer may expand rela?onship

•  Make business case to expand

•  Business case materials and informa?on to support incremental deployment

•  Valida?on that vendor & solu?on is delivering value

•  Data from use, users •  Framework to capture / present

ROI / business case

•  A track record from that makes them confident and excited about moving forward with you that makes them excited to share that with others


Validate Value

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Deploy Solu%on

Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

Status Quo

Trigger Point

Internal Buy In

Business Case

Purchase

Refer





Refer

Refer: Willing to tell others about your great company and products!

•  Convey the good, bad and the ugly of their experience

•  Balanced score card to assess value and experience

•  Encouragement and easy pathway to refer

•  Scorecard •  Easy way for them to share

•  Suppor?ve and balanced approach to helping them obtain the evidence and permission the need to present you as a trusted and respected partner and a must have -‐ best in class solu?on


Validate Value

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Solu%on Purchase Internal

Buy In Explore Op%ons

Evaluate Solu%ons

Business Case

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Customer buying stages

Content / Experience

Analy%cs & VOC

Process Flow

Progress / Risk Tracking & Mgt.

Customer Insight Requirements

SWOT Assessment of your exis?ng customer journey

How well does your current content and customer experience address the needs?

How well do your personas reflect the prospect’s and influencer’s needs at each stage?

Rate each cell from – 5 to + 5. ( -‐-‐ 5 = Losing momentum & credibility, 0 = Good Enough, +5 Provides Breakthrough Compe%%ve Value)


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