What’s B2B? No… not the hip-hop boy band from the early 2000’s
In the immortal words of the iconic Snoop D-O-Double-G, “What’s Good Thrive Nation?”. I’m excited to be sharing another knowledge bomb with our business coaching readers. This past week I’ve actually been workshopping a fan club name for any of you readers out there that keep coming back to my fringe business coaching blog posts. How do you feel about Jason’s Argonauts? Do I have any fellow Greek mythology buffs out there? No? Okay… Moving on! We just had yet another powerful morning business coaches meeting with Mr. Clay Clark. This one started promptly at 5:30 am as we are on the eve of the December 2019 conference and needed some extra time to get set for the epicness to come. In the meeting, a fellow coach had a great question about B2B focused marketing and how best to approach it. For those of you not keeping score on abbreviation definitions, B2B is the commonly used abbreviation for “Business to Business”. It is a powerful marketing strategy that encourages leads to be received from or by fellow business owners. Another great example of this would be Chet Holmes’ Dream 100 philosophy. While defining what exactly B2B marketing meant to us coaches, Clay said something that seemed obvious but was more of an atomic knowledge bomb once I really stopped to consider it. He said, “Business to Business marketing isn’t as hard as people want to make it. You’re not trying to market to the literal business, you’re marketing to humans. So why don’t you find something that appeals to humans?” Cue audio clip of an explosion and that video of Obama dropping the microphone. Taking a look back at successful companies that have nailed the art of B2B marketing, I further learned that Clay was absolutely correct. Whether you’re a Wes Carter type that drops of a Christmas slay filled with gourmet chocolates and other extravagant goodies or a Dr. Tim Johnson type that hand delivers the always popular Krispy Kreme donuts, all you need is something that will be remarked about to wow your ideal and likely business lead prospects. Appealing to humans might seem difficult, but page 126 in your Boom books has an incredibly handy checklist to help you put together anything and everything you’d need to dominate the business to business marketing game.
The B2B Utility Belt
Before you get started on your caped crusade around the city to round up businesses, you’re going to want to make sure that your utility belt and business mobile are fully stocked with the appropriate items. First and foremost you’re going to need to know what to say when you get there. Don’t be afraid to work out a simple script . Focus on building rapport and providing benefits to peak your prospect’s interest. Second, you need something to leave behind that contains your contact information as well as an outline of details and benefits about your business. A one-sheet and business cards are a classic go to and are highly beneficial. Last but certainly not least is, of course, the drop off items. Again, you want to make sure that you are appealing to human interest. People will remember and appreciate things like gourmet popcorn, fresh baked cookies, or any of the various types of edible goodies. Having a plan and delivery route paired with making sure all of your items have been secured will aid you in looking well prepared and professional which in turn will also impress your B2B targets.
You’re not trying to market to the literal business, you’re marketing to humans. So why don’t you find something that appeals to humans?”
Have Your Reputation On Lockdown
I know we spend a ton of time talking about reviews, but for the love of all that is holy, they are extremely important! If you are trying to convince another business to accept or promote yours, wouldn’t it be a good idea for them to believe in your products and services? If only there was a way for you to provide future prospects with an unlimited supply of referrals… Oh wait, I believe Google has an app for that. When a business looks to do partner up with another business, they go through the same vetting process as customers. They hop onto the old Google reviews and see what people are saying about you. Having a stream of reviews from actual business owners and business pages has proven to help credibility when trying to market to other potential businesses. It also helps to have a steady supply of Video Testimonials. These are powerful as they come across as truly genuine. Having a documented video of a real customer or business praising your company is great for your conversion percentage. Take it from the King of Carpet Cleaning himself. Our shampooing Czar saw amazing growth when booking new clients as a result of his video testimonials alone. It’s all about selling whoever you’re marketing to on your business before you meet with them.
The Art Of The Drop Off. Be Intentional, Don’t Be A Cheapskate
We discussed earlier the business coaching tools required for a successful B2B marketing strategy, but let’s get a little more specific on the actual drop-offs themselves. The whole point is to wow your new potential business client into accepting your product or services. Anybody can stroll into an office and say, “Hey you, I want your business!”, but the ones that make the biggest impression leave behind something to show their appreciation. It’s important to know who you are visiting and what they enjoy so that your drop-offs always appear intentional. You want to make them feel important and special in order to secure their business. We’ve had plenty of clients have epic B2B wins using various sweets, gourmet snacks, or interesting product samples. Whatever works to wow them needs to be repeated weekly as well. Catering to the relationship between your companies furthers you chances of keeping them as a forever client!
Go Make Chet Holmes Proud!
Now that we’ve covered the basics on B2B marketing all that’s left is to determine when you’re going to do it. Set that calendar action item to repeat weekly and be passionate about never missing your drop-offs. Remember what Clay said at the beginning of this article, business to business marketing is JUST marketing to humans. Don’t overcomplicate it. Find out what it’s going to take to get in front of those humans and repeat those actions until your brain explodes. Your business and your wallet with thank you for the consistency.
