I was recently reading Adam Needles’ blog titled, Revising Our Demand Generation As B2B Marketers. When discussing what successful demand requires he mentions “Nurturing the relationship between the buyer and the company/brand.” He goes on to say, “Understanding that modern buyers increasingly don’t need a sales person between them and your company/brand, but yet they still need to have a relationship with you, which marketing must drive.”
I had to read this a few times, but then it clicked. If I walk into a car dealer today I’m much more educated than my father walking into a car dealer 30 years ago. Is it that I’m a car enthusiast or expert? No. It’s that technology gives buyers the ability to educate themselves well before you ever get the opportunity to speak with them about your product/service. Articles, reviews, PR, social media, personal references, etc. are all easily accessible due to technology.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the value of a sales person but I do believe both marketing and sales need to take a step back and ask, “Am I getting in the way of my prospect getting to know my product/service?” I look back at my marketing career and I can think of times where I was interfering.
My take away from Adam’s blog is that I need to find ways to place myself in my prospect’s path to finding a solution and not always interrupt their search to tell them I am the perfect solution.
What are your thoughts?
Engage with Purpose 
I agree. I have found through my career in sales and through my own experiences that now days people are going to make their own decision on whom they select and even when they select, so I’m thinking taking a step back is the best approach. Think about it, how many times have you walked into a department store, finding yourself in a race to go grab what you want and pay for it before the “sales person” catches you in the race? Times have changed.
You make an interesting point about going to the store. But why is it so easy to understand that in a B2C world we don’t want the salesperson holding our hand, but in the B2B world both marketing/sales find it difficult that the prospect might not want them involved in the entire sales process.
I wonder if there are techniques B2B can learn from B2C on how to engage and enable the buyer to make more of their own decisions without the need for sales the moment they engage with the company/product/solution?