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A Lead Scoring Model : A Complete Guide

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A Lead Scoring Framework To Realign Priorities
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A Lead Scoring Model : A Complete Guide

A Lead Scoring Model : A Complete Guide

Modern marketing and sales have discovered their treasure trove – data. How can they gauge its maximum potential to find the best prospects?

There’s a fundamental problem with traditional lead-gen strategies.

Imagine a scenario where marketing teams capture leads, collate the details, and hand the list to sales. Sales teams are then expected to call these leads and gauge their intent.

This method of lead generation is counterproductive. It could prove detrimental to sales productivity, and consequently, the irrelevant leads overshadow the high-quality ones.

Lead scoring is your savior in this case.

What is lead scoring?

According to Gartner’s sales glossary, lead scoring has a straightforward definition:

“It’s a method of evaluating the quality of sales leads by using a relative and objective ranking of one lead against another based on a variety of buyer profile fit and behavior criteria.”

This model of differentiating or identifying high-value leads has become an asset for digital marketers. It has also proved to be a bridge between the marketing and sales disconnect, facilitating them to outline integrated efforts.

Adopting lead scoring models can significantly lessen conflict between the two teams, elevating overall performance. Thus, it has become crucial in fast-paced digital marketing.

However, before we dive into the nitty-gritty of lead scoring, let’s underscore why it’s necessary in the first place.

Lead scoring is a vital segment of marketing and sales.

For robust marketing, churning out new (hot) leads, nurturing them, and sending sales-ready leads to the SDRs are paramount. Most marketing strategies, such as lead generation, focus on this. Even after the meticulous execution of these strategies, these concerns persist.

One crucial concern for marketing has always been getting new leads into the funnel.

Beyond these, more challenges are branching from this specific concern:

  • Modern buyers interact with your brands across multiple channels and touchpoints. This could easily create complexity in attributing which specific touchpoint drove genuine interest for the prospect.

Why is this a problem? Without this clarity, your teams may either overvalue or undervalue the leads using the incomplete data. And this could further complicate nurturing and scoring efforts.

  • Tracking genuine buying signals is tricky. And can result in a lot of ambiguity around an account. Like, a lead might visit your website a couple of times and even download your whitepapers.

But this doesn’t always indicate the intent to buy; they might just be here for market research.

What does this pose a challenge? Most teams cannot fine-tune behavioral data to gauge purchasing intent, or even interpret these signals accurately. This could lead to false negatives and positives in the pipeline.

  • Not all leads convert or drop off; some merely go cold. It’s tasking to underline whether these leads have moved on entirely, or the investment into re-engagement campaigns could be worth it.

Should your teams push and dig deeper? Because a lack of these efforts could easily make you lose out on a potential reactivation. The singular means is to attain a nuanced understanding and regular tweaking.

It’s the obvious truth that not every lead is interested in buying from a business.

To relieve themselves of these concerns, marketing teams have moved to adopt strategic lead scoring frameworks.

A glimpse into the basics of lead scoring: Why has it become requisite?

In simple words, lead scoring is an effective means of measuring lead quality.

Imagine lead as a crucial ingredient in a recipe, much like salt. They are a significant portion of the targeted market segment and illustrate interest in a brand.

Irrespective of whether these signals come from new prospects or existing customers, brands contribute a significant portion of their time and resources in nurturing them to:

  • Either turn the new prospects into first-time buyers
  • Or, convert the existing ones into long-term loyal customers by persuading them to purchase a second time.

Both contribute to a consistent flow of leads in the sales pipeline.

The actual problem lies with lead identification – it’s not this straightforward.

Lead identification isn’t this simple, especially where each lead is characteristically unique. They present multiple attributes that determine whether the particular lead is the ideal fit for a business.

On the one hand, a specific set of attributes illustrates whether they fit a brand’s ICP, and the other outlines how active the leads are and their interest level:

  • Personal details: The prospect’s location, industry, job, company size, etc.
  • Brand-related actions: The number of pages visited, searches performed on the website, resources downloaded, email click-throughs, demo requests, etc.

This is why data selection is significant in lead scoring.

Of course, such specifics hold different levels of weight for numerous businesses. It highly depends on the company’s working formula and goals – each of them has its own models for assigning scores based on its value system.

However, some common data points are integral in establishing a lead-scoring model and ensuring its effectiveness.

The primary factor is outlining which data should count and which shouldn’t. Because lead scoring isn’t subjective, it’s an analytical approach – the more accurate the assigned score is, the easier it is to discern the most promising leads.

But assigning scores isn’t a piece of cake.

There’s a cluster of data available. But it’s all intertwined and complex to uncoil.

While data is a goldmine for marketers, not every minute facet actually holds any value. This is why it’s paramount for marketers to differentiate which lead information will help lock leads and guide them closer to becoming potential customers.

The 80/20 rule and why it’s a prerequisite for effective lead scoring.

While assigning scores based on historical data sounds easy, the knot of leads and the current business model may complicate it in the flick of a hand. A recent report on sales states that average B2B sales cycles have become 25% longer than before.

With sales turning digital and buyers becoming tech-savvy, selling and buying have become demanding. So, marketing and sales must move. They should leverage leads with the maximum chances of closing.

As the B2B sales expert and an advisory council member of HBR, Mark Osborne states–

“Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your revenues come from just 20% of your clients. This is even more pronounced when expanded to the percentage of leads that become your best clients.”

It’s crucial to adapt to the times. So, it might not be a stretch to say that brands that leverage the “see-what-sticks” rule are losing opportunities.

Lead scoring realigns your brand’s priorities.

With a robust scoring strategy, marketers can amalgamate promising leads. It helps rank leads based on their sales readiness.

What are the particular aspects that are considered to rank leads? – their place in the buying cycle, interest illustrated through specific actions, personal attributes, and whether they’re an ideal fit for the company.

However, a lead scoring system isn’t meant for all.

Fundamental limitations and requirements for strategic lead scoring

For businesses with standalone marketing processes, those ignoring the lead database except for hot leads and searching for a quick fix aren’t the ones for whom lead scoring could prove effective.

Lead scoring requires focus and sales input to identify the perfect lead. It’s a long-term strategy that works when modified to the business’s working models. Hence, it’s not merely a superglue that will disperse all lead generation and qualification concerns in one go. The effectiveness might take time.

The same goes for ignoring the entire database except for hot leads. Cold and warm leads still carry intent, even if it’s not as high as the hot ones. This is why nurturing is also a crucial facet of marketing.

Just because a lead shows minimal interest doesn’t mean it cannot be nurtured. Time and resources are significant, and directing these to subpar-quality leads is potentially a waste of time.

But is this always the case? Not quite.

High-intent leads are significant and should be prioritized, but low-intent ones aren’t entirely irrelevant. Meanwhile, some leads can be handed over to sales, and others can be nurtured further rather than ignored.

Lead Scoring: Where’s the real focus?

Lead scoring spotlights all the leads in the database – cold, warm, and hot.

Every integral sales pipeline activity is at the center rather than only the leads. Overall, lead scoring fosters meaningful and relevant conversations. This is crucial for developing interest, irrespective of the intent they hold initially.

Lead scoring has specific intentions – to make marketing more convenient for marketers and offer relevant experiences to the leads. This boosts conversion rates, allowing teams to work more efficiently and speed up sales.

Common lead scoring methodologies: from BANT to data types

One of the common lead-scoring tactics has always been BANT – budget, authority, need, and timeline- used by almost every business at some point.

This is a conventional approach to lead scoring where marketing automation software plays a crucial role. This methodology leveraged two types of information to assign scores:

  • Implicit: Form fill-ups, website visits, email click-throughs, and other online behaviors.
  • Explicit: Revenue, company size, industry type, job title, etc.

However, there’s another type of data which should be accounted for – spam.

Junk or fake data is always clustered with the essential ones, especially on a company’s landing pages and forms. This data type should be negatively scored or filtered out to ensure that the lead-scoring model is working effectively.

Moreover, a strategic merger of implicit and explicit information can foster a comprehensive angle to a brand’s lead-scoring tactics.

One of them is implicit lead scoring.

Implicit (behavioral) lead scoring

Implicit lead scoring entails behavioral scoring. It tracks a prospect’s online actions to evaluate their intensity of interest in an offering. It also involves scoring leads on the quality of data marketers hold, such as the location of their IP addresses.

Behavioral scoring, like any scoring model, gauges the prospect’s intent to buy. Behaviors such as responding to emails, whitepaper downloads, website interaction, and getting back on offers demonstrate high interest.

However, online behaviors aren’t easy to determine – they are multidimensional and ambiguous. So, a scoring system can be outlined based on two behaviors – passive and active. Passive behavior indicates a low engagement rate, whereas active buyer behavior means hot leads demonstrating high engagement.

Examples of implicit lead scoring –

Imagine one prospect visiting a brand’s website, downloading a whitepaper and eBook, and signing up for its newsletter. Whereas the second one likes and shares the same brand’s LinkedIn post, clicks on a link, and browses the website. But they don’t take any further action.

Even though both prospects engage with the brand, their behaviors carry different weight. Lead scoring has to take this into account, too. The first prospect might actually be interested in the brand’s solution if they download “how-tos” and significant resources.

However, the second one might require nurturing, i.e., more persuasion into how the brand’s solution is right for them. But even for the nurturing process, qualifying them as fitting the target market is crucial. Or the efforts are truly wasted.

Sometimes, a lead-scoring model might assign the same score to active and passive prospects.

So, what’s the solution here?

Evaluating the total score against the score from the last few months. Using certain flags to mark more active actions or assigning different scores for distinct products.

This lead scoring depends on the information the marketing teams collate through marketing automation software and tools.

However, there’s another means – leveraging data that prospects offer.  

This is explicit lead scoring.

Explicit lead scoring

The data for this lead-scoring process comes through registrations, form fill-ups, newsletter signups, etc. It entails demographic and firmographic data outlining how well the prospect fits the brand’s ICP and if it aligns with the buyer persona.

Some of the most common data that marketers should consider are job title, company size, industry, revenue, and geographical location.

With explicit lead scoring, it’s straightforward to deduct scores, too. When a prospect unsubscribes from the newsletter or emails, has an entry-level job, or shows no interest in adopting new services.

Sometimes, this prospect data also relays how well they fit the ICP. But it’s more prominently used to attribute negative scores or deduct them. Data-based scoring is quite a simple lead-scoring method. Including this with the existing lead scoring model can elevate the comprehensiveness of the process.

This is highly beneficial to:

  • Enhance communication quality
  • Scale marketing efforts
  • Help map a complete prospect profile

But one lead-scoring model might not be enough.

As a business scales, it might expand its service line while entering new markets. So, a one-size-fits-all lead-scoring model wouldn’t suffice.

Comprehensively assigning scores focuses on both implicit and explicit methodologies. It tracks whether the prospect rightly fits and has the relevant interest.

By developing a model that prioritizes both these attributes, it’s easier to highlight prospects with high scores in both categories and demonstrate quite a high conversion potential.

Additional lead scoring models to find the right fit for your business.

Lead scoring models min compressed

1. Manual lead scoring model

In a manual lead-scoring model, marketers assign lead scores based on their experiences and judgment. Most often, this is also based on some qualitative data, not pre-set rules or algorithms.

How does this model work?

Typically, your SDRs or marketers evaluate each lead using a checklist, attributing how valuable or sales-ready they truly are.

But there are more nuances –

1. The primary step in lead scoring is setting a benchmark.

To highlight this, analyze the newly acquired customers against the total number of generated leads. This is the lead-to-customer conversion rate and gives your brand a measurable objective.

2. Second, underline and select the different attributes of leads you think were high-value ones. Not every available criterion can be used for the lead scoring model. It should align with the sales objectives and fit the current business model.

The chosen attributes depend on having detailed conversations with sales and what truly matters to your brand.

3. Third, evaluate the closing rate for each attribute. This underscores the marketing team’s actions while figuring out how many people convert based on their actions.

4. Lastly, compare the close rate of individual attributes with the overall sales team closing rate.

In manual lead scoring, points are assigned from 1 to 100 based on the outlined data types. In the final evaluation, the points are then added – the higher the final score, the more likely the lead is to convert.

The overall process of assigning scores is somewhat linear –

Blog infographic 1 1

However, manual lead scoring has two limitations: it’s laborious and prone to human error. This traditional process is based on salespeople’s historical experiences and “gut feeling.” It decreases the accuracy of the entire model, allowing hot leads to fall through the cracks.

2. Demographic lead scoring model

The demographic lead scoring model is based on the aspect of ICPs, from job titles to industry size. It considers not merely who the leads are but also what they do.

But this model has an inherent complication: there are several demographic traits, so it’s crucial to gauge how they interplay and evolve.

Think: a fintech company’s marketing manager may score differently than a retail business’s CMO. The buying stages, needs, and budgets are obviously different – one size doesn’t fit all.

Demographic traits are static, but the overall lead scoring model can’t depend on these immobile numbers. It also has to gauge the fluidity of businesses and the marketplace – how quickly they pivot. The industry shifts every three years, titles change, and goals meander.

Without consistent updates to the collated data and proper data hygiene, your lead scoring methods are outdated. The leads that once fit and were deemed relevant might not be anymore.

This is a crucial aspect to factor in to avoid wasted efforts and resources.

But this lead scoring model has a significant limitation: it heavily relies on demographics. By only focusing on these traits, your business can overlook emerging segments or unconventional buyers who don’t fit in but hold genuine interest.

This could lead to several prospective opportunities just slipping through the cracks.

While the demographic lead scoring model is optimized to filter the right fits, it could potentially blindside teams. Especially when detached from the behavioral context. The framework you follow here shouldn’t be too rigid and should be streamlined to find a balance.

A balanced framework: coupling demographical statistics with real-time engagement insights.

3. Negative lead scoring model

Negative lead scoring is quite a subtle but highly underappreciated segment of lead qualification.

There’s one thing every marketer must understand: not all leads are relevant and worth pursuing. While some undertake spammy actions, others are not interested and actively detract from any interaction.

In this model, you deduct scores/points when leads portray low-intent behavior. It asserts that not every click is a green light, something most marketers often forget. A lead could be interacting with content that has nothing to do with buying your solutions – zilch, not the slightest interest in your brand.

While some others may illustrate a decline in interest, such as unsubscribing to your newsletter, unfollowing you on social media, or downloading reports for academic purposes.

Negative lead scoring takes these behaviors into account. It ascertains that your teams aren’t spending time than required on leads that showcase unfavorable actions, especially to avoid lead score inflation.

Overall, this model works for two scenarios: to remove non-prospects and streamline the scale for leads with unfavorable attributes.

So, the focus is solely directed towards nurturing high-quality leads.

Deducting points is as necessary as adding them. It identifies the non-prospects amidst a pool of potential ones, saving your time. You’re deprioritizing irrelevant leads quite early on and cleaning your sales pipeline. This is a strategic step to:

  • Avoid misleading and inaccurate metrics
  • Wasting resources on leads that you know won’t convert
  • Adjust messaging only for nurturing high-priority leads
  • Elevate overall sales performance and efficiency

4. Predictive lead scoring model

Lead-scoring has now shifted to predictive lead-scoring.

Even though the purpose remains etched in stone, the tidbits have significantly evolved. Today, modern marketers leverage the prowess of AI and machine learning to predict high-quality leads.

Adopting predictive lead scoring is imperative across today’s dynamic business landscape.

Developing a model is just not enough. Tweaking it regularly to ensure its accuracy is crucial.

But what if your team doesn’t have to do that anymore? Technology has made this convenient.

Predictive lead scoring utilizes machine learning capabilities to sort through thousands of data points and highlight the best lead. It assigns scores using predictive modeling algorithms.

How does predictive lead scoring work?

Predictive lead scoring is a step ahead. It leverages implicit, explicit, and historical data.

In the initial phase, the business integrates predictive lead-scoring software like HubSpot with its CRM. This allows the software’s machine learning capabilities to assess the data points across the business’s contact base and discover the perfect leads for conversion.

It studies the website and email behaviors, interactions logged in the CRM, and demographic and firmographic data to identify the leads. The software sifts through data from multiple sources, offers real-time insights, and reroutes the high-scoring leads to the sales reps.

Overall, in predictive scoring, the model looks at the information that customers have in common and those who closed but didn’t have anything in common. This is developed into a formula where prospects are sorted, beginning with those with the highest potential to convert.

Technically, it automates the entire manual process. The advantage is that it’s scalable, effectively expanding the business’s database, leads in the pipeline, and sales team.

Another benefit is how the software improves itself as it gains more data from the leads. The machine gets intelligent as it works and collates data points, and the lead-scoring strategy automatically streamlines and optimizes as required.

Lead scoring best practices.

To effectively qualify leads that truly align with your business requirements, you need the best practices.

The focus shouldn’t be merely on data. Of course, data is a goldmine, and integrating predictive lead scoring is all about convenience. However, such processes require a lot more than this.

Lead scoring best practices aren’t about setting up a machine and letting it do its job. Marketing and sales still have to lend a helping hand.

And even if that’s not necessary, the teams must understand how this process aligns with their lead-nurturing roadmaps.

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1. Understand what led a customer to start as a lead or even make a purchase. Highlight the analytical information and map how it slowly transforms at each marketing funnel stage – what made an impression on the prospect?

2. Leverage the sales teams’ insights and experience. They are adept at reading the audience and are the ones who interact with them.

By outlining their buying behavior, your teams could identify which campaigns have the most influence. This will allow marketing to refine the leads’ exposure to key information and content.

3. Hearing from the buyers themselves can never go wrong. It’s advantageous to hear from those who use the services to underscore the whys. Their perspective can offer enormous value to the sales and marketing processes.

Why did they make a purchase? Map out the patterns in the buying behavior of different clients.

4. Prioritize the prospect data available. Predictive lead scoring is objective. The data it collates might not entirely be incorrect. At least 80% of it might highlight the prospect’s interest.

So why not leverage this? Only particular trial and error can help understand whether it’s working as it should.  

5. But data isn’t always the champion. Sometimes, inauthentic or even stale data can create problems while initiating contact with prospects. The conventional approaches don’t consider market trends, the industry’s shifting dynamics, or inconsistent buyer behavior.

To stay ahead of the revenue curve, implement real-time adjustments.

In reality, lead scoring is a mix of observable and immeasurable components.

Assigning scores isn’t merely about attributing numbers to prospects. As outlined beforehand, the nitty-gritty of scoring must be understood comprehensively.

Truthfully, predictive scoring models have taken the labor off marketers’ and SDRs’ hands. But their role in the process hasn’t been entirely diminished; only their labor has. A strategic and robust lead-scoring demands an alignment between marketing and sales.

Any disjointedness will only create issues further down the pipeline. What good is a contact list of hot leads if marketing and sales don’t even see eye to eye on what a “lead” means?

Further down, how will anyone establish who are quality leads and who aren’t?

When the point scoring system isn’t aligned and based on a shared vision, how can it be expected to give the desired results?

The sales pipeline could get leads who aren’t interested in a purchase.

What sense does quantity make without any quality?

Marketing and sales both bring unique insights to the lead-scoring process. Before any other step, lead scoring best practices ensure a synergy between marketing and sales.

This will build a high-quality pipeline and ensure leads convert on time, resulting in a boost in revenue stream for a long time to come.

Rethink: Importance of Brand Identity
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Rethink: Importance of Brand Identity

Rethink: Importance of Brand Identity

Brand identities remain timeless. But organizations keep on turning a blind eye to their importance. They shouldn’t.

One word bounces around a lot in boardroom meetings, interactions with buyers and vendors, and internal communications.

Brand.

The reverence the word holds is immense. And why wouldn’t it be? Brands are giving people a sense of belonging, appeasing our tribal nature in all the right ways.

That’s why every great leader speaks of their brand with reverence, love, and care. They have to! Because that’s what people are buying for— they are buying from the brand. The saturated marketing is full of similar products, and the only thing standing between the buyer and the vendor is the perception.

The brand image, so to speak of. And brand images are formed only through an identity deeply rooted in the organizational mission.

As time passes and our computing powers evolve to create content with autonomy, this brand identity will become crucial to survive. Without it, companies will find themselves adrift, competition racing ahead of them.

But what can organizations do about it?

There are many options, and the short one, the tl;dr, is to embrace your process, your mission.

That is your identity.

Your brand.

However, for those who want the long answer. There are two vital ones that we’ve been able to find.

Before diving into the meaty parts of the discussion— let’s reintroduce the concept.

The identity of a brand is what it does.

What is brand identity?

Generally, brand identity is the visual and contextual cues your brand represents. However, brand identity is not limited to such a definition— this is just one side of it. Brand identity, as a more inclusive definition, should mean:

  1. The unique activities a brand performs are its identity
  2. The experience they deliver to their users
  3. The mission they embody
  4. How well they embody that mission
  5. The impact of the actions of the user
  6. Perception of the user

Many think that brand image and brand identity are two distinct concepts; they are not. The perception of the audience— is brand image, which is an intrinsic part of the identity.

Brands are never disconnected from what they do.

Average brands fail at this.

There is a reason so many organizations lose face value with their customers— they lack this authenticity. They show something they are not, and their buyers quickly grasp this fact.

Their identity isn’t forged in their mission. Fortunately, the modern buyer is more aware than ever. And they are actively looking for markers that foster trust. Their brand interactions, especially during consideration, are done with a fine pick comb.

Any sign of distrust will thrust brands to the bottom of the barrel.

First in, last out.

Brand identity is forged in the heart of the organization.

The question is, what can you do about it? A lot of organizations usually peddle inauthenticity— they simply cannot walk their talk because, well, they aren’t doing what they are saying.

It’s disingenuous. However, brands with strong identities may fail, and an inauthentic brand may not. That is the truth.

Yet, brands that drive revenue through inauthentic means begin failing sooner or later. And if the buyers decide enough is enough, the business will run dry. That’s why so many organizations pivot. They have lost the battle with the buyer and need to save face.

Time and again, brands with a powerful identity and reputation manage to survive even the harshest of critics— it’s because they align with their goal and deliver on it, even if sometimes the process might be messy.

The question is: Can you replicate it?

Possibly not. The answer to this is easy. Every brand has to discover itself through an arduous and creative process.

While no one can walk your hand through crafting your brand identity, there are frameworks you can use. Here’s one:

  1. Why was the organization founded, and what is the vision driving it?
  2. What roles do your employees play in your organization?
  3. What do you do to make sure the vision is realized?
  4. Deeply understand what you’re offering the buyer.
  5. Why are you offering it?
  6. What’s your opinion on the industry you’re serving— essentially, what are the holes you have noticed?
  7. What are you doing to fill these gaps?
  8. How are you doing it?

Reflection of such kind will help you gain clarity. As Ciente has echoed many times, strategy is about performing unique activities. And these unique activities are the ones that give identity and meaning to your brand.

It gives a non-living thing the properties of personality and charm.

The two answers and the importance of brand identity.

There is a lot of data that answers why brand identities are so vital. But there are two pieces of literature that we must draw our attention to.

The first is HubSpot’s 2024 Sales Trends Report, and the other is Barry Schwartz’s Paradox of Choice.

While they may seem disconnected, they discuss consumption and the role of choice in these habits. The report outlines what B2B marketers have known for a while— 96% of B2B prospects do their own research before speaking to SDRs.

They advise that organizations form a consultant-consultee relationship with their prospects by educating and delighting their buyers. Essentially, brands will have to add value to buyers’ lives.

But will they trust any brand?

No. And that’s why brand identities are important.

They will trust the brand they feel familiar with and the one that has made them feel heard. Without this identity, organizations won’t be able to gain buyer mindshare.

HubSpot suggests adding more choice in the mix, giving power to the buyer— letting them self-buy and serve. However, a severe problem arises here: 60% of software buyers experience regret.

Why is that? It’s the paradox of choice— faced with many choices, people experience fatigue and enter analysis paralysis. And to escape from the discomfort, make choices that might not be aligned with the overall goal.

The paradox of choice outlines that facing an overwhelming number of options can lead to decision paralysis, increased effort, and dissatisfaction.

It’s a logical fallacy.

And here, in this messy fallacy, lies the ability of brands to survive by crafting an identity that helps buyers break away from this paralysis.

So, what can brands do here?

Their identity, the core, must speak to their intended buyer. But you may think that it might limit your impact. Not at all.

When you speak to one group of people or speak their language, you start creating value that is timeless. And people favor such timeless wisdom— they enjoy knowledge that helps them tackle multiple scenarios at once.

The importance of brand identity isn’t limited to knowledge. It’s also about reducing choice by giving people a sense of belonging and security.

In the always-on world, brand identity is a survival metric.

If you provide multiple options to the buyer, their fatigue will guide them towards a brand they know. However, some brands don’t get it.

They do everything yet forget to form an actual personality. Dull and uninspired messaging will not work. Look at AI and its replication quality and speed— nothing can match it.

But AI systems will not replace personality, charm, and voice— things that require originality.

Understand that your brand identity stands between you and the loss of your business. Explore Salestech.

It’s the driver of economic certainty.

Consumer Decision-Making: Purchasing Value and Experiences
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Consumer Decision-Making: Purchasing Value and Experiences

Consumer Decision-Making: Purchasing Value and Experiences

B2B buying isn’t linear or predictable. But brands can grasp the nuances by dissecting consuming decision-making. Decode the nitty-gritty.

Studying consumer behavior, especially the psychological factors behind a purchase, is crucial to a business’s success. Selling to potential customers isn’t as easy as exposing them to products and services and hoping this ends in a purchase.

Businesses need to know how and why consumers buy particular solutions against others. While psychological factors are inherent in B2C and B2B buying structures, the motivations significantly differ. B2B buying decisions comprise companies with groups of individuals (buying committees) from different backgrounds and motivations.

However, understanding fundamental factors that drive decisions in the buying landscape can offer a better base for exploring purchasing motivations.

Sales-Free Experience and Buyer Challenges

According to a Gartner study, over 75% of buyers prefer a sales-free experience. These are the new-age consumers – highly aware and self-driven. But, Gartner’s research also asserts that self-service purchases online are also most likely to turn into regrets.

So, what is the actual root cause? A hiccup on the sellers’ part or the buyer’s difficulty in making a purchase?

“As hard as it has become to sell in today’s world, it has become that much more difficult to buy. The single biggest challenge of selling today is not selling, it’s actually our customers’ struggle to buy,” states Brent Adamson, the Distinguished VP at Advisory, Gartner.

The underlying motivation for a purchasing decision is – buyers want value.

However, complex and lengthy buying processes, uncertainty, and other disruptions overshadow potential customers from seeing it. These end up undermining buyers’ confidence and clarity.

Complexity of B2B Buying Committees

And in B2B, marketers sell to a whole group of decision-makers rather than individuals. There are so many layers to break down here. Even the group of decision-makers entails distinct levels of expertise, influence, and authority.

Thus, they influence the purchasing process differently. B2B buyers reflect a complex set of needs as compared to B2C ones. There are emotional and rational requirements that operate on two different levels – personal and organizational.

Even the alternatives available that buying committees can consider are increasing, owing to the fast pace with which the market is expanding. From new tech and startups to suppliers and services – the market has become an overflowing basket saturated with options.

How can a buying decision be simple when the choices aren’t?

As humans, we make conscious choices every step of our lives. We intuitively understand that we are making a choice, but psychologically, it’s not a straight road. It’s a cluster of decisions.

Making a decision or a choice is an amalgamation of alternative courses of action – ones preceding the final choice and carrying a sense of conflict and uncertainty.

This is prevalent in B2B buying processes.

Meanwhile, for B2B buyers, this decision-making process is a loop where they revisit certain decisions again. It comprises a lot of back-and-forth discussions, convincing decision-makers, re-strategizing, etc.

So, to say it’s unidirectional would be untrue.

The Six Buying “Jobs” in B2B Decision-Making

According to Gartner, there are six buying “jobs” in a decision-making process. Unlike “stages,” these don’t need a sequence or a fixed order.

semrush 3

Source: https://www.gartner.com.au/en/sales/insights/b2b-buying-journey

Gartner uses the term “jobs” to demonstrate the B2B buying process where each job has to be completed before moving on to the next one, irrespective of the order.

Identifying the problem:

The buying committee recognizes the pain points that lead to several online searches. During independent research, it’s easy to disagree on the actual concerns. Hence, regrouping and discussions become necessary.

Exploring different solutions: 

What could be the possible solutions? The buying group then surfs the net for whitepaper downloads, supplier website visits, form fill-ups, outreach, etc. During this stage, buyers may also consult external experts.

Building requirements:

What would the ideal solution look like? Here, the buying committee aligns its expectations and develops criteria for the solutions it seeks. From requesting proposals to scheduling meetings with potential suppliers, data is integral to deciding on a solution.

Selecting the solution:

Evaluating between sellers that ideally fit their defined criteria. It often includes buying committee discussions, requests for more sales information (such as case studies), legal flats, and capital review boards.

Validation or confirmation:

Is this the right choice for our business?

Creating a consensus:

A buying group has different stakeholders with their own expectations. Hence, an alignment between them is vital to finalize a decision. This is requisite at all stages because every decision requires approvals.

    Decision-making is non-sequential and complex. So, the sequence of these six “buying jobs” isn’t set in stone. As disagreements or new information arises, the decision-makers visit each job numerous times.

    It highly depends on the buyer’s satisfaction in completing each job so that they can move closer to making a purchase.

    The Nature of Consumer Decision-Making

    Overall, consumer decision-making isn’t about choosing between objects but specific behaviors or attitudes. From selecting a particular information source in their research phase and “when to make the purchase” to “from which business” and payment channels – every decision involves choice alternatives, as mentioned before.

    These choice alternatives have transformed into a dizzying array. Market congestion has coerced buyers into extensive research and information processing so they could make informed decisions.

    Decision-making is a paradox.

    On one hand, buyers wish for control over their challenges, but they also want simplicity. In the age of tech paralysis, these two rarely go hand-in-hand. Every option is an added benefit to the buyers – if one doesn’t meet their requirements, the other might.

    It’s still another choice buyers have to consider making. But how often do buyers know what they want?

    Every decision is a series of behaviors that rely on contextual influences, such as economic factors, peer pressure, social roles, or cultural attributes. This underlying theory mirrors how every marketing strategy is a chain of actions intended toward a specific outcome.

    In short, the choices are directly reliant on the context within which it takes place.

    The ‘context’

    The psychoanalytical consumer decision-making model asserts that buyers have underlying motives for a purchase – unconscious and conscious. They are driven by a mix of conscious and subconscious desires, which is why buyers might be drawn to specific products or brands without entirely understanding why.

    Decision-making is rudimentarily influenced by external factors known as contextual influences. They highlight the information available to consumers and how they process it to make decisions.

    In B2B, one of the crucial contexts required for purchasing decisions is collating necessary information.

    Think of whitepaper downloads or case studies. Why are case studies such a vital step in sales? It’s value-proof, detailing how reliable, authentic, or an ideal fit a brand’s solution is. Additionally, such pieces of information are a support for decision-making.

    Information is crucial at every step of B2B decision-making. This varies from tangible ones, such as pricing structure and meeting ethical standards, to intangible ones, such as brand awareness and reputation.

    More often, a brand’s reputation is likely to take priority over price in high-risk purchasing situations. But if a decision is low-risk, cost and convenience take the front seat.

    The ‘risk’ factor

    In the B2B landscape, buyers are assumed to be more objective and focus on the purchase risk before making any decisions. Risk is a crucial determinant in choice decisions.

    What will the business risk losing (adverse consequences) if it makes an incorrect decision?

    Predicting the outcome of a decision or a choice is not easy – it’s never accurate. So, how can the buying committee navigate significant purchasing risks?

    They focus on the importance and complexity of a purchase. Mapping the importance of a purchase for the organization helps ascertain its impact on the business goals. This facilitates buyers to focus on the brand with a positive reputation in sailing through potential problems.

    Whereas, with the lesser complexity and higher sophistication of the purchasing process, the decision-makers are likely to oblige. In complex or excruciatingly long sales cycles, buyers find it tasking to weigh the choices or even predict the offerings’ performance.

    This increase in ambiguity might also lead to significant risks, compelling the buyers to move on.

    Today, B2B is commoditized. This has embedded specific tangible (price and scalability) and intangible (cultural fit and aesthetics) elements in brand offerings, fostering choice paralysis.

    Thus, B2B buyers must engage in complex decision-making processes to grasp brand offerings. Subsequently, it’s the brand’s responsibility to offer sufficient cues that highlight the intangible attributes.

    In simpler terms, decision-making crucially depends on the brand information communicated to the buying centers. It permeates the overall process, but to what extent? This is questionable.

    With market saturation, complexity in decision-making has become the norm.

    It’s about predicting what, as buyers, we truly want from weighing the choice alternatives and evaluating the information in our hands.

    But, the truth of organizational buying is that even the most thought-out decision-making processes are susceptible to errors.

    For example, too much information can derail the purchase, overwhelming the decision-makers. This overload could result in poorer decisions or purchases by increasing deliberation, complicating the processes further.

    In B2B, every decision-making process involves six to 10 decision-makers. These hold their own sets of information and contextual cues for the different solutions available in the market.

    While the modern buyer is self-driven, they still require brand support. Instead, this disjointed and fragmented buying environment demands a shift to a more relationship-focused alignment between prospective buyers, sales, and marketing.

    Organizations need to keep up with the times. Adopt parallel and channel-agnostic roadmaps and execute buyer enablement strategies.  

    Asking the right questions: BANT frameworks and beyond.
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    Asking the right BANT questions: BANT frameworks and beyond.

    Asking the right BANT questions: BANT frameworks and beyond.

    Strategies are based on asking the right questions. Any successful business leader understands that inquiry in the right direction opens channels for a positive outcome.

    But, framing the correct questions can be challenging, as is the norm for strategy. There are a lot of considerations a business and its teams must understand to enquire in the right direction. For SaaS companies that mainly work on a B2B model, asking the right question means the difference between success and failure.

    After all, lead generation is anticipating problems (questions) of potential buyers and presenting solutions for them. And a major roadblock for most teams is prospects that go nowhere.

    Why does this occur?

    There is a good chance that the leads your teams are chasing might be losing points in the qualifying round.

    The Role of Qualification in the Sales Funnel

    Here, the value of asking the right questions is apparent. From marketing to sales teams, your campaigns should be designed to qualify your leads and push them through the sales funnel.

    Frameworks such as BANT, MEDDIC, and ANUM help sales teams qualify their prospects. And it is necessary to implement them to help sales teams close more deals.

    But there is a caveat: sales prospects also go beyond these basic frameworks to tailor their pitch for the prospect.

    And that begins by listening.

    Qualifying Frameworks Overview

    BANT and other frameworks that help sales teams close more deals.

    Qualifiers are vital for a lead generation strategy to work. A rich sales pipeline is based on the quality of leads generated.

    But all leads are not the same. While some leads may be window shopping, others might not be relevant at all. MQLs can be generated in quantity, but if they are not up to the mark on quality, they will hamper future sales and profits. For any organization, that is a blow.

    Marketing and sales are the gatekeepers of an organization’s success. These two teams are in charge of the qualifying questions.

    As we know, there are a few methodologies that organizations should use to qualify the prospect.

    Understanding the Key Sales Qualification Frameworks

    First, let us touch on the basics. These frameworks are: –

    What is BANT?

    BANT is the most famous framework. It is a simple yet powerful concept developed by the sales team at IBM in the 50s. Sales teams can quickly identify if their lead meets the criteria. And it is easy to remember. For those who do not know, BANT stands for: –

    1. B- Budget
    2. A- Authority
    3. N-Need
    4. T-Time

    It helps an SDR understand if: –

    1. an organization can afford its product
    2. the person they are speaking to has the authority needed to buy
    3. the organization has a need
    4. and if the requirement matches both organizations’ timeframes.

    It is an exceptional and old qualifier, still used today and accepted by large organizations as a gold standard. All other qualifying frameworks are variations of BANT.

    What is MEDDIC?

    MEDDIC is a newer framework that adds more dimensions based on the BANT framework. It helps sales teams open up more possibilities for inquiry.

    It stands for: –

    1. M- Metrics.
    2. E- Economic Buyer.
    3. D-Decision Criteria
    4. D- Decision Process
    5. I- Identifying Pain
    6. C- Champion

    The MEDDIC framework goes a step beyond understanding the buyer with more depth. Essentially, it helps your SDR identify: –

    1. The KPIs the buyer wants to meet and if your product can align with that vision.
    2. Is the prospect you are talking to an economic buyer (or decision-maker)?
    3. What are the make-or-break decision criteria for the buyer?
    4. The decision process of the buyer and the people involved in the buying
    5. A champion within the organization. Someone to vouch for you inside the target account.

    MEDDIC offers a view into a different structure of asking questions. SDRs and Chief Sales Officers have realized the value of asking varied questions.

    As the buying process becomes more complex, the need for such frameworks has become necessary.

    What is NOTE?

    Another effective yet simple framework is the NOTE. Coined by Sean Burke, this method takes on an empathetic role in selling.

    It stands for: –

    1. N – Need
    2. O- Opportunity
    3. T- Team
    4. E- Effect

    The NOTE framework helps SDRs by identifying-

    1. If the buyer need our services at this point?
    2. What are the potential opportunities and growth levers that your product will offer?
    3. Who or which teams will be affected by the integration of the product?
    4. What are the effects (economic) of this strategic partnership?

    The NOTE framework presents a shift in the dynamic between SaaS organizations. Towards a more customer-centric approach. The market has been shifting towards the customer’s side for a while now.

    And it will continue to do so as buyers self-direct themselves through the buying journey. Complexities are a norm in the SaaS market. The saturated snapshot of the current landscape has made the buyer cautious.

    They cannot help but be overwhelmed by the choice. Frameworks are integral for SDR success. But what happens when the number of qualified leads drops, and sales teams find that MQLs will not go anywhere?

    It is time for marketing to step up.

    Marketing’s role in sales

    High-quality content is said to be the biggest draw-in for a potential buyer. Yet, according to HubSpot’s 2024 sales report, SDRs have reported low-quality leads as their biggest problem.

    MQLs are not up to the mark. Or the nurtured leads were not properly qualified before being handed into sales.

    Marketing teams must improve their attribution if they see success. It means going beyond the basics and understanding the intent behind prospects’ behavior.

    While CDPs and marketing automation tools have become beneficial in doing so. There are three things marketing teams must do:

    1. Orchestrate buyer experiences to attract a relevant audience
    2. Identify the behavior of most likely candidates by analyzing past behavior
    3. Defining a lead with sales.

    Sales and marketing alignment has been a buzzword for a long time. The two teams cannot work in silos anymore. It is expected of sales teams to listen to the buyer, and that has given them an edge over marketing.

    Marketing teams must listen, too. And not just for sales but also for the buyer. When decision-makers interact on socials and on content, what do they look for?

    For marketing teams, the best qualifier is their gated content and the rich history of data use. Data will reveal whether a buyer will qualify. Lead scoring can go a long way in helping marketing and sales align their goals together.

    The main question here is: What matters?

    Asking the right questions is crucial.

    What are the right questions? Once marketing and sales teams have aligned and understood the buyer, they will have questions beyond the obvious.

    The questions only come by enquiring into the industry they are selling to and learning everything possible about their ICPs.

    One of the most important questions we have identified is: In their opinion, has their organization reached its potential?

    It opens up all possibilities because every organization has room for further growth and improvement. And it lets you know where the organization is headed in terms of leadership and vision.

    A potent indicator of growth.

    With the right questions, SDRs can craft a personalized pitch for the right buyer and save time from the irrelevant ones.

    On the other hand, marketing teams can craft market-resonating messages by asking the right questions and understanding the audience they are providing content.

    Sales and Marketing is about listening.

    BANT, MEDDIC, and NOTE are all designed to listen. The buyer has their needs and wants a remedy or risk-mitigating solution that will empower them to avoid risk in the market.

    This need for growth can be fueled by marketing and sales teams listening to their ICPs and providing the right questions for them. By asking the right questions, marketing and sales teams will create intrigue in the buyers’ minds and help them break free of analysis paralysis.

    By using the frameworks, sales, and marketing open up possibilities that go beyond the obvious.

    Inbound Lead Generation: Break Through the Noise, Win Buyers Who Matter
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    Inbound Lead Generation: Break Through the Noise, Win Buyers Who Matter

    Inbound Lead Generation: Break Through the Noise, Win Buyers Who Matter

    Many marketing teams have an outdated vision of inbound lead generation. In this version- the buyer is attracted through SEO, social media, blogs, and the traditional methods that keep the glue of B2B marketing together.

    But with the self-directed buyer and AI tools on the rise, this glue has peeled off. There is no semblance of the old inbound lead gen left anymore.

    Embers, yes. But the rest has vanished away. Yet, many organizations create content that speaks nothing and has no voice.

    Even great companies do this- to rank, they create blogs that are full of content that has no real value, and they know it. All of the value they are creating lies in the product they are selling. All they want is for their buyers to buy their product.

    And the propagation of misinformation continues to exist because the companies that rank for these terms have gained authority through their products. But companies who are starting out need to be careful.

    These content pieces will introduce you to basic concepts but will not give you the answer.

    But there is a clear answer: Inbound lead generation is about attention and standing out.

    The question is: Are you creative enough to take that risk?

    What is Inbound Lead Generation?

    Inbound lead generation is nothing but attracting a group of individuals that are interested in your product or services. This can be done through traditional means like putting out content and hoping search engines rank you for them or putting out ads.

    Essentially, you reach potential buyers (a.k.a. your intended audience) and hope they like what they see and keep coming back for more. Then you use this audience to convert them beyond the TOFU stage and into consideration and eventually the buying stage.

    However, the modern buyer does not follow the logic dictated above. They have changed slowly over the years and now completely. The buyer is self-directed and needs high-quality marketing assets that provide real value to them.

    And creating content that says something is a high-risk high-return strategy.

    Inbound Lead Generation and the Modern B2B Buyer’s Journey

    However, there is a reason risk-taking is seen with caution. Many organizations have to think beyond marketing campaigns. They must think about their reputation.

    1. What if this message is ill-received?
    2. What if we get canceled?
    3. And worse, what if there’s no buzz?

    These are all logical and vital questions to ask before running campaigns. Brand reputation is what sets most competitors apart.

    But there is a loop here. To stand apart from your competition and gain a brand reputation, organizations have to learn to take creative risks. But why is that?

    Why are risks such a deciding factor? It’s because of the buyer.

    Before everyone went digitally native, the buyer had no choice but to turn to Google for information. And SEO wasn’t as stringent as today— but that is also because Google has been intentionally killing organic reach to make companies spend on advertisements.

    Now, buyers have changed their attitudes. After the virus, everyone has become cautious of their spending. And importantly, they have become wary of whom to trust.

    Unfulfilled promises and buyer regret have jaded the modern buyer. Now, they trust themselves to make the right decision.

    And the numbers reflect this bright as day.

    1. B2B buyers are done with 80% of their buying journey.
    2. Buyers have a preferred vendor ready
    3. They know their requirements.

    It’s clear that buyers have bias. There are many reasons for having these biases— maybe they have formed deep relationships with their partners or know that they will get the job done. However, these biases are difficult to navigate.

    Not impossible, but there are many obstacles standing in your path.

    Leveraging Inbound Lead Generation Through the B2B Buying Committee

    The average B2B buying committee is made up of 11-13 members. Each member has a bias, and they bring that to the discussion.

    However, the reasons behind these biases may not matter. The main point is there is one. And there are three things that are happening: –

    1. The bias is helping you
    2. The bias is not helping you
    3. You’re not part of the buying list.

    The third option should be your least preferred one.

    But then you ask, how do we market our products and services if we’re not even going to make that list?

    That’s the question.

    And the harsh truth is, if you don’t trust your product to be different or the service to provide something unique— even if it’s price or quality or process— no amount of marketing will fix that.

    However, the assumption here is that your product/service solves a problem, no matter what that is.

    In this case, you leverage the buyer committee, which is made up of diverse individuals. And as these people are leaders, they will have an opinion.

    You must sway these opinions in your favor.

    Inbound lead generation today is about swaying this opinion. Becoming part of this bias.

    That brings us back to risk-taking.

    Power of Value in Driving Effective Inbound Lead Generation9k=

    Ciente has created a value framework. Through observing high-quality posts, our traffic, and countless social media posts, we’ve realized that content that speaks to its intended audience follows this framework.

    However, many organizations and individuals teeter on the line of safety. Never really say anything of substance and value.

    For example, let’s look at this blog.

    image 17

    Who is this written for?

    It’s for SEO purposes, yes. But beyond that, what purpose does this serve? The definitions offer no new insights and provide no value.

    image 18

    This is the AI score of the entire blog. And this is one of many. Tens of thousands of these blogs have the same structure and say the same things.

    And the buyers have caught on to this.

    Whether it’s an agency or a product company, B2B buyers are looking for depth and quality— not quantity. Their industries are full of risks, and they want mitigators, not imitators, to help them bridge the gap.

    How can an organization help others if they don’t create original ideas?

    Value is in perspective.

    What if an organization promised you a product that can give you research on your ideal buyer?

    They tell you: –

    1. They are AI-powered
    2. They do all the research and give you insights.

    Floored by the app, you buy it and realize that the insights are not real-time and the AI is just a ChatGPT clone.

    You complain and ask for a refund. But the organization tells you they did not promise real-time data. Just insights and the research.

    If the data is outdated, it’s not their fault. You got what you paid for—research, insights, and an AI.

    And this has happened to many organizations and buyers. Faced with unmet promises, they have had to evaluate the value of the organizations they are buying from.

    They now look very closely at what you say. And what value you bring.

    And a good metric of value is the perspective you offer.

    1. Why did you create the tool?
    2. What does it do for its users?
    3. How does it do it?
    4. What has been the effect of the tool after people have used it?

    Such introspection helps you create messages that move the audience to action. It also provides clarity and authenticity— something buyers will be craving a lot more of.

    There is a reason organization like G2 and TrustRadius have become successful. They peel the layers of authenticity and help buyers make sense of their buy.

    However, the perspective has a catch: your product and services must embody it.

    Alex James, one of LinkedIn’s upcoming B2B stars, believes that your perspective is your product, quite literally.

    Without this perspective, without this unique take, your service will be white noise. But it need not be grand— differentiate on price, on process, or on delivery— but differentiate and provide what your buyer is looking for.

    Value is in building trust.

    This is the crux of this entire blog. The Tl;dr.

    Trust in your brand is what modern marketing teams should be fostering. You must have heard about a common pain point that affects the B2B industry— there is no single definition of a lead.

    While there can be no specific definition, marketing teams should broadly define the lead as an entity that shows interest and has begun trusting your brand.

    Even if they don’t buy from you immediately, this trust will be that mindshare. If you’re selling a manufacturing plant, your ideal buyer should think, “Hey, I know XYZ, I like what they’re doing. Let’s contact them.”

    And make no mistake, attracting the buyer so that they call you is what you want.

    Value is in diversification.

    A significant shift in marketing is the transformation of content and online platforms into assets.

    These assets are: –

    1. Owned media (Your website, email list, apps, software, etc.)
    2. Paid media (Ads, sponsorships, influencers, etc.)
    3. Earned media (Word of mouth, press mentions, UGC, et al.)
    4. Borrowed Media (Social media, YouTube, platforms like Medium and the like)

    While having owned media that has authority is the dream, lead generation campaigns must give value by creating content with all these four assets in mind.

    Repurpose great content to deliver value across each channel. It creates authorities of different types and attracts a diverse pool of leads that can help you.

    But there is one hiccup that marketing teams fall under.

    Creating low-quality content. For a lot of teams, repurposing content means low effort.

    While creating an inbound lead gen strategy, teams must repurpose content for various media.

    However, while creating a multi-channel strategy, the delivery for each channel is different. Maybe your blog breaks down the principles of design: –

    1. For LinkedIn, it could be a carousel with eye-catching graphics.
    2. For YouTube, it could be a ‘director breaks down a scene‘ type of video.
    3. For Instagram, it could be a quick reel.
    4. For your newsletter, these could be actionable items.

    Imagine such a strategy and the leads it would deliver you. Remember, lead gen focuses on giving actual value to your prospects.

    But why, you ask?

    Because lead gen is increasingly about mindshare, diversification, and providing business value when and where your prospects need it.

    Value creates mindshare

    Mindshare is crucial for businesses to survive. Peep Laja, the CEO of Wynter, published research on LinkedIn. It is an interesting piece. Wynter surveyed 300 C-suite buyers and found out:

    1. Top of mind determines if the buyer will consider the vendor.
    2. 75% of buyers turn to peers when creating the shortlist.
    3. Famous brands are automatically qualified for consideration.

    There are a lot of valuable insights in the post, but for this section’s sake, these three will do.

    They tell the story of mindshare not just between your ideal buyer but also the industry they are in. And valuable pieces bring in this mindshare.

    Of course, you will need channels to deliver your content. But they should be eye-grabbing. That can be through some radical new message or speaking of your perspective clearly.

    This process has to be done again and again. Your perspective needs to be synonymous with what you’re trying to sell.

    Multi-Channel Strategy for Modern Inbound Lead Generation

    When we speak of diversification, it is essentially the multi-channel strategy to build assets.

    For lead generation, the traditional methods, while helping you stay discoverable, do not help much in brand building and trust. By this point, it should be apparent to you— that trust and relationship-building drive real growth.

    But how do you use these four types of media to get mindshare?

    1. Owned media (Your website, email list, apps, software, etc.)
    2. Paid media (Ads, sponsorships, influencers, etc.)
    3. Earned media (Word of mouth, press mentions, UGC, et al.)
    4. Borrowed Media (Social media, YouTube, platforms like Medium and the like)

    Of course, investing in SEO and SEM should still be a priority. According to industry buzz, marketing teams will now need to create copies optimized for LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

    But, they still don’t have the lion’s share for service-based searches— Google retains that.

    So what is the multi-channel strategy here?

    1. It’s creating content around your buyers’ needs and problems.
    2. Repurposing it and making yourself synonymous with the solution.
    3. Using paid media to increase brand-audience surface area.
    4. Earning testimonials and word of mouth
    5. Using different channels to spread your solution.

    This has to be a continuous and patient process. And young brands need to realize the power of effective adverts very early — it helps them.

    But for inbound lead generation to work and for the multi-channel approach to be successful, your brand has to be your service and product— it cannot be different from your process. Every piece of content must solve a problem your buyer has or might have in a way that you would solve.

    As Elsa Dithmer of Auvik says, “High-value content—whether in the form of thought leadership, case studies, or interactive tools—should provide actionable insights that empower buyers. When content is well-optimized, highly relevant, and consistently delivers value, it establishes authority, nurtures prospects, and ultimately accelerates [sales] pipeline velocity.”

    Inbound lead generation example

    One really amazing example that we found was SAP. Everyone knows SAP as the creators of the ERP suite.

    In 2020, when fear had reached its fever pitch, SAP, inspired by an exchange between two 7-year-old children, decided to inspire hope. They created a podcast series following a 12-year-old girl and her eccentric aunt. They complimented this with stop motion videos, blogs and traditional assets— all carefully mapped to specific industry pain points.

    According to Ginger Shimp, Global Content Strategist, Sr. Marketing Director, SAP, this resulted in:

    • 48% higher engagement than all other SAP social campaigns in 2020
    • 22,000+ podcast listeners (industry benchmark for top 2% is 18,000)
    • 10,000+ views for industry-specific YouTube videos within 30 days
    • Significant pipeline generation (EUR924.4M) and projected revenue (EUR266.15M)
    • Global expansion to LATAM, India, China, and Australia/NZ markets
    • Partner co-investment from major firms including Capgemini

    Inbound Lead Gen will help you make the shortlist.

    And everything you do culminates here. For a while now, B2B marketers have lagged behind. But now, they can’t afford to.

    Buyers have a list of vendors and, on average, choose from 3. But many teams are busy bottlenecking themselves- marketing to every buyer available in the hopes that they buy.

    That is not your function- marketing is not sales.

    Marketing is directing the buyer and priming them for sales.

    Your job is to increase the surface area of your product/services and your brand. To build trust with your buyers.

    Give them what they want, and the buyer will come to you. But make sure to increase that surface area time and again. Market to everyone in your ICP, even if they are not buying. Because they will buy tomorrow and you need to be there to be remembered and to be called.

    Change the way you do lead generation, and only then will you make the shortlist.

    Business Storytelling: Fostering Action with Intent
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    Intent in Business Storytelling: Fostering Action with Intent

    Intent in Business Storytelling: Fostering Action with Intent

    Data persuades, but strategic storytelling influences behavior. Explore the magnitude of impact it can have on business communications.

    Data persuades, but strategic storytelling influences stakeholder behavior. To what extent does influence communication?

    The business landscape involves quite an intriguing sequence of actions. But they don’t merely materialize into a consistent revenue stream on their own. From decision-making to closing a sale and subsequent follow-ups – these actions follow a defined structure.

    What gives them this definition? Intent and vision. Action is a catalyst, transforming intent and vision into desired outcomes – from boosting revenue to elevating brand awareness.

    In the business world, if the ideas and thoughts weren’t acted upon, brands such as Apple and Amazon wouldn’t exist. It illustrates how deciding to undertake a task and seeing it through to completion are two very different functions.

    A business vision requires the right hint of intent in storytelling to foster real impact and success.

    This reaction works both ways.

    One cannot achieve a desired outcome simply by holding the intent to do so. As mentioned before – intent to complete an action and actually completing that action are contrary concepts. Intent in business storytelling has to be driven by an action, such as developing the project from an intangible to a tangible entity.

    For example, a stakeholder has a specific direction for a business – it’ll cut down on manual human-led tasks and be significantly driven by AI. This is a mere vision that they hold.

    What are the specific steps required to transform this vision into reality?

    1. Outline clear objectives
    2. Conduct a feasibility study to integrate AI into the ideal segments
    3. Build an AI-dedicated team of experts
    4. Design, develop, and test different AI solutions according to business requirements
    5. Invest in the required infrastructure
    6. Deploy the developed AI solutions and track their performance
    7. And keep up-to-date with the latest AI trends

    Unless a roadmap is built and successfully executed, it’s quite puzzling to state whether the business will be backed by artificial intelligence. Obstacles such as a misplaced resource allocation or a lack of time could negatively hinder the curated vision.

    This is where business storytelling proves to be crucial.  

    Not only does business storytelling drive smooth stakeholder relationships, but it also highlights the potential barriers and different variables. By understanding the direction a project might take beforehand, it becomes easier to elevate its success probability.

    Storytelling helps produce a clear framework for outlining the vision, mapping the intent, and executing it through impactful actions.

    This peculiarity is ingrained in the narrow crevices of businesses.

    From boosting profit and solidifying business development to providing a competitive edge and maintaining organization-wide momentum – storytelling persists everywhere.

    Achieving a distinctive outcome in businesses is complicated. Unknown and unforeseen market elements often derail specific projects, resulting in financial losses, reputational damage, and blemished client relationships.

    But business storytelling can help negate these to a significant extent. It engages and mobilizes all individuals towards the same objective by inspiring and motivating.

    Business storytelling is not about adding a twist or garnish to an already solid strategy. But its prowess should be implanted within to transform storytelling intent in business into actions.

    Here, intent in business storytelling works as fuel to ensure the storyline remains on its rightful path.

    But before a project’s implementation or development, there are factors to consider. This includes raising capital, acquiring investors, ensuring alignment between diverse stakeholders, and instilling a positive media reception, among others.

    Why should your project vision be approved as compared to others? How do you convince a plethora of different individuals to be involved?

    You’ve to formulate a compelling story that spotlights how the strategy will be beneficial and create immense value.

    But is business storytelling as easy as we think? Just by following Freytag’s Pyramid, could a story be deemed impactful? No.

    Even though storytelling also across businesses is all about flow and tone, it requires a meticulous approach to create lasting impressions. A carefully laid out strategy for business storytelling gives it a clear framework, i.e., what it may be attempting to accomplish.

    So, businesses must initially create a strategy approach for gripping and effectual storytelling.

    The primary thing to remember is that not every story is the same. Each blog, podcast, and graphic is different. Brands catering to similar audiences and offering similar products don’t even hold the same story.

    Each narrative depends on the details. Hence, curating a business or project story is equally meticulous and vital as creating a brand.

    But the truth is no one straight-up wants facts. They need triggers, vulnerability, and consistency. How can business storytelling ensure it’s scratching the right surface?

    1. First, it’s about the audience, not the story per se.

    In businesses, a strategic approach to business storytelling begins with identifying the effect you want your story to have on your audience. It focuses on who they are – investors, stakeholders, or prospective customers.

    The story has to include an angle that relays the benefits to the audience. What is in it for them? The climax embedded in the content has to convince them.

    This is known as the audience-first approach:

    • Will the circumstances the audience is placed in will allow them to resonate with the context of the story?
    • What specific action do you want them to undertake after hearing the story?
    • Amplifying which emotion will propel them to take a specific action?
    • What is the main message you wish for them to understand?
    • Is the curated story enough to propagate these feelings and thoughts and eventually inspire the actions you want them to undertake?

    A story centered on the teller takes away the limelight from the audience’s pain points and experiences. Stories are meant for them. And it’s the audience who’s supposed to relate and resonate with the rooted messaging.

    2. To develop the right story and message, define the content beforehand.

    The difference between corporate jargon and business storytelling is the dash of humanness. Stories generally involve characters who evoke particular emotions.

    It’s not about listing down the events but voicing what happened, to whom, and its consequences. This comprises emotions they felt, their experiences and thoughts, and what was heard and spoken. Every factor has to be relatable.

    Storytelling means grabbing attention, and without the relatability factor, your audience wouldn’t understand the crux.

    While communicating with external investors, you highlight Michael Jordan as the most definite example that success and greatness aren’t just handed over. Every setback that he faced has fueled his determination to become better. His never-give-up attitude and work ethic have not only inspired the sports landscape but echoed through the business and investment world too.

    Jordan’s story highlights perseverance, action, and upholding a vision.

    One can imagine the investors and external stakeholders resonating with this story of resilience. The protagonist here went through ample transformations – the road to success was murky and unstable. But the underlying message is that the road ahead is brighter even if it takes a while to reach there.

    This story delivers the need for change and transformation by creating an emotional impact.

    While not every business requires a transformation, certain shifts are a requisite for sustainable success. It’s more about adapting to revenue curves and focusing on continuity.

    3. Embed captivating hooks and engage certain creative liberties in the story.

    Getting the audience to think in a particular direction is the goal of good business storytelling, but manipulating them isn’t.

    The story has a purpose, right? So, it has to be genuine and honest in its objectives. Every facet of the characters and plot should lead in a specific direction rather than reflect dishonest cues.

    One way of doing this is by adding inner dialogues and personal anecdotes. It helps make the stories more reflective and also connects them with what your audience might be wondering.

    For example, while developing content, marketing teams should crucially consider the ebbs and flows of their content. It should tug at the reader’s heartstrings while entailing value for them.

    Creative liberties add an engaging hook for these readers and listeners. From quotes and different content formats to infographics, differentiating elements help speak the latest industry trends and highlight the necessary information.

    4. But consistency is the key here.

    Fragmented and disconnected stories (narratives) can adversely affect client relationships and brand reputation. Hence, the story has to be consistent across all the channels and platforms.

    Any gaps in the elements could disenchant the audience, lessening the impact. Hence, lime lighting the details that might elevate the cognitive or emotional impact in your audience’s eyes could facilitate success and a positive brand image.

    Especially for marketing, consistency in business storytelling means consistent branding – colors, logos, values, and taglines. Consistency will foster brand recognition and awareness over a long period, building trust and credibility in your messages and keeping your brand atop the buyer’s mind.

    This is also possible by asking and allowing your audience to ask rhetorical questions, building back-and-forth communication. By facilitating audience members to become a part of the storyline, you’re building a common ground for pain points and experiences alike.

    Business storytelling is all about accentuating a business’s values and mission.

    “People are attracted to stories,” Quesenberry tells me, “because we’re social creatures and we relate to other people,” pens down the Executive Coach, Harrison Monarth, in this HBR article.

    Storytelling isn’t new to the business landscape. It’s always been a resourceful tool to inspire action.

    What happens when specific motivations and thoughts holding intent aren’t followed by an action? On the other hand, what if the action doesn’t entail any direction or lacks impact? It lacks intent.

    This is why intent in business storytelling is leveraged vastly across businesses – from brand building to project management. It fills in the cracks and crevices businesses wish to eradicate and fosters impressionable dialogue between two parties.

    Amidst the technological disruption and market noise, business storytelling foregrounds the uniqueness of a business.