B2B Companies need to ditch the pitch and start helping

Six out of ten B2B buyers say a sales pitch would cause them to abandon content they started to explore. I was frankly surprised at how low this number is – I thought it would be 110%!

The truth is, nobody really likes a sales pitch. But what is a B2B marketer supposed to do when their whole job description is to lead people to buy what their company offers?

Ditch the pitch and lead with consulting.

Data from the Momentum ITSMA CBX® survey indicates two key facets of large enterprise buyers today:

• They value engagement with your account team
• They have specific expectations of what they want from that team

In short, your accounts are looking for less selling and more of a consulting approach. It’s a “we’re in this with you,” not a “we’re doing this to you” approach – creating a feeling of empathy and understanding while the customer retains agency over decisions.

Top ways an account reps add value

Source: CBX®, wave 1 2022

Buyers want help understanding what good looks like. Ideally, they’d like a point of view that is different from everything else they are hearing. They would like your account rep to be the conduit to subject matter experts and reference case studies.

Sales cannot always do this on their own. They will need help with marketing to ensure they are well-positioned to respond to these sorts of expectations.

Not all salespeople will feel confident here. They are often used to talking to technical decision-makers but less comfortable engaging business stakeholders. Part of marketing’s remit here is to enable sales and boost confidence.

Back to our original question: What can account-based marketers do? Start by:

• Equipping your sales team with the right content for the right moment
• Considering how you step up sales enablement – for example, by developing a Point of View that your account rep can share with their account
• Helping sales understand when and how to best use the content

This is just one step from our publication, Prospering in an Age of Volatility, Ten recommendations for your ABM program in 2023. The full document is available as part of membership in Growth Hub, a community that empowers account-centric teams to drive productivity and effectiveness. To find out if your company is a member or to inquire about membership, contact luisa.jones@momentumitsma.com.