Deal-Based Marketing, a Strategic Approach

Deal-based marketing is a strategic approach that involves creating and nurturing targeted marketing campaigns specifically designed to support and close individual deals within the sales pipeline. This methodology focuses on tailoring marketing efforts to the unique characteristics and needs of specific prospects or accounts rather than applying a more general, broad-reaching marketing strategy. In the context of a sales pipeline, deal-based marketing aligns closely with the various stages of the sales process. Here's how deal-based marketing relates to different stages of the sales pipeline: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Prospecting: During the prospecting stage, deal-based marketing involves identifying and targeting potential clients or accounts that fit specific criteria. This may include companies with a particular size, industry, or specific needs that align with the products or services offered by the business.

2. Lead Generation: In the lead generation stage, deal-based marketing focuses on creating targeted campaigns to attract and capture the interest of key decision-makers within the identified prospect accounts. Content and messaging are customized to address the unique pain points and challenges of these potential customers.

3. Qualification: Deal-based marketing supports the qualification process by providing relevant and personalized content that helps prospects understand the value proposition and benefits of the products or services. This stage often involves more targeted communication and nurturing efforts to move leads closer to becoming qualified opportunities.

4. Proposal and Presentation: As prospects move into the proposal and presentation stage, deal-based marketing continues to play a crucial role. Tailored content, case studies, and other materials are provided to reinforce the value proposition and address specific concerns or questions raised during the sales discussions.

5. Closing: Deal-based marketing efforts intensify as the sales team works towards closing the deal. Customized promotions, discounts, or incentives may be part of the marketing strategy to sweeten the deal and overcome any remaining objections. The marketing team collaborates closely with the sales team to provide the necessary support and materials.

6. Post-Sale and Retention: Deal-based marketing doesn't end with the sale. Post-sale, it involves efforts to enhance customer satisfaction, gather feedback, and promote upsell or cross-sell opportunities. This contributes to customer retention and long-term relationship building.

Top 10 B2B Resources for 2024

The economy may not be great right now, but the opportunities to drive revenue growth and efficiences are better than ever. Marketing automation and ad tech providers have made it easier to get sales and marketing teams in alignment, while new competitive marketing services providers are challenging the traditional agency model to reduce costs and associated campaign investment risk.

Therefore, if you're gearing up for 2024, then here are 10 Programmatic B2B resources to help you invest wisely, get organized and gain control in the coming year.

---

#1 ABM Audience Builder

Traditional B2B digital advertising relies on targeted industry segments, but does not provide insights into specific target accounts. With account-based marketing (ABM) audiences, you can target specific accounts and report on the advertising effectiveness based on reach, frequency, engagement, conversions and more. This enables close alignment of sales and marketing teams as the common objective of winning targeted new business becomes a reality.

This fully automated, free online interface enables B2B marketers and new business development executives to create digital advertising audiences with the ability to measure results by account domain, job title group, job seniority and much more. The resulting engagement data is then handed to sales managers and account managers to prioritize prospecting and other new business development efforts. With proper pixel tracking on landing pages, you can map out the online journey of a prospect based on viewable impressions, ad clicks, landing page views, website engagement and conversions!

#2 Programmatic B2B Digital RFP Builder

Before you take on that next big project--try this! The new RFP builder enables B2B marketers get started with a comprehensive solution at an acceptable cost.

The interface supports uploading lists of accounts, contact titles, intent keywords and creative assets. Targeted digital media selections include display, native, video, social, mobile, email, retargeting, CTV and more. The reasons this is voted a top B2B resources is based on the fact that it covers everything from audience selection, to creative assets and digital advertising channel selection. Traditional B2B advertising agencies handle much of this setup offline and it can also increase costs as hourly rates often apply. However, there is no cost to use the Programmatic B2B Digital RFP Builder.

#3 Fortune 1000 Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Would you like for your next 'whale' to be a Fortune 1000 account? The new account-based marketing (ABM) prospect databases are now available for cross-device targeting on the open web with thousands of content and creative options for real engagement by job title group, seniority and account domain.

The top companies for each industry are selected for each list with specific audience sizes based on digital advertising channel. The program includes any combination of targeted online display advertising, native advertising, Linkedin account-based marketing and prospect email marketing. Account-based reporting (ABR) is also available for any B2B digital advertising campaign.

Just watch for your industry to appear on the screen and review the list of Fortune 1000 companies and contacts for your next ABM campaign.

#4 B2B Digital Advertising Lead Gen Forecast Template

Don't put a dozen digital eggs in one marketing basket. Instead, structure your B2B digital advertising investment like a mutual fund to reduce risk and maximize return on advertising spend (ROAS).

Branding or lead generation? That seems to be the most common question amongst marketers who are trying to serve two masters (CMOs and CROs). If only there was a way to get the best of both worlds where branding and lead generation worked together for a positive return on advertising spend (ROAS).

The B2B Digital Lead Generation Forecast Tool will help bridge the gap between marketing and sales with a process for measuring the average cost for MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads).

#5 The Official MQL-CPL Calculator

The true cost of a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) or a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is often underestimated.

In order to be sure you are getting the right prospects in the funnel, you need to start with a precise target audience. This means you preselect the industries or companies, job titles or function and seniority, and structure the lead capture process to include the right qualification questions. There is always a trade-off between asking too much (fewer leads captured) or too little (poor lead quality).

This Cost per MQL Calculator is built with the right balance in mind.

#6 The Official ABM-ROI Calculator

ar too often, return on advertising spend (ROAS) and return on investment (ROI) are 'casually calculated' with textbook formulas and generic responses.

Most calculations simply take an advertising investment and compare it with revenues from resulting new client acquisitions, with little or no consideration of contributing factors, multichannel attribution, long-term value and inflation.

While this ABM ROI calculator does not guarantee a precise accounting of every dollar invested, it does add a few layers of reality to the resulting equation. This is really important for managing expectations, regardless of how large or small your marketing budget may be.

#7 Top 10 B2B Digital Campaign Checklist

For many businesses, the sales cycle and customer journey can feel like a double-marathon. After all, you're not selling a six-pack of ice cold beer on a hot summer day.

More likely, you need to educate the market, align your solutions to the client's needs and address real obstacles that can stall or kill a deal at any stage in the sales process. For this reason, it makes sense to leverage technology and do everything possible to streamline your account-based marketing process.

This top 10 checklist can help. This checklist will help you get organized and make sure you have the ingredients and recipe for a winning B2B digital marketing campaign.

#8 SIC Codes and B2B Data Dictionary

This downloadable B2B data resource provides a detailed SIC description and code listing of every niche industry from Airlines (A) to Zinc (Z) Mining. Programmatic B2B has a network of 15+ business data partners for an objective approach to constructing quality audiences.

Download the B2B Data Dictionary for a comprehensive list of over 14,000 niche industries.

#9 Subscribe to Programmatic B2B

Get notified when new content is published, read it or re-use it. Topics include B2B thought leadership, ad performance indices and more! Have something to contribute? Please contact us at www.programmaticb2b.com.

With projected global digital marketing expenditures closing in on half a trillion US dollars in 2022 alone, it is no surprise that demand for programmatic business-to-business (B2B) advertising is increasing fast and early adopters are reaping the benefits. This global digital marketing marketplace has three pillars—hardware, software and content, where integration finds its foundation. Innumerable problems created by this colossal mass of digitized communications between humans and machines are yet to be identified, especially as it relates to the social, emotional and relational reality of our connected world.

#10 The Book: Programmatic B2B, a ChatGPT Story

Take control of your B2B lead generation programs and digital account-based marketing (ABM). Order your copy today.

"From one of the great practitioners of B2B marketing, DeMartine's AI-assisted resource is a key guide for any B2B marketer looking to master programmatic advertising and account-based marketing in the 21st century."

"This is not AI -- it's much smarter than that. If you are looking for a comprehensive and reliable resource for B2B digital advertising, then this is it." ​

"Join me in celebrating the union of human ingenuity and technological innovation, as we embark on a quest to unravel the boundless realms of knowledge together."

Catch and Release, or Retain?

Fishing techniques can serve as an analogy for various aspects of the B2B sales process, highlighting key strategies and principles that can be applied to improve sales effectiveness. Just as successful fishing requires careful planning, the right equipment, and a solid understanding of the target species and environment, a successful sales process involves similar considerations. Here's a short series of steps from one angler to another that may help you with your new business development efforts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Research and Preparation (Bait Selection): Just as a fisherman researches the habits and preferences of their target fish, sales professionals should thoroughly research their target audience. This includes understanding their needs, pain points, and preferences. This information helps tailor the sales pitch and offering to appeal to the potential customer's specific interests.

2. Casting the Line (Initial Outreach): In fishing, casting the line is the first step to attract the fish. Similarly, in sales, the initial outreach or contact is crucial. This could be through cold calls, emails, social media, or networking events. The goal is to capture the prospect's attention and spark their interest.

3. Setting the Hook (Engagement and Interest): Once a fish takes the bait, the fisherman sets the hook to ensure the fish doesn't escape. Similarly, in sales, once you've captured a prospect's interest, you need to engage them further. This might involve sharing more detailed information about your product or service and addressing their specific needs and concerns.

4. Reeling In (Building Desire): As a fisherman reels in the fish, sales professionals must continue building desire and excitement in the prospect's mind. This could involve showcasing the unique features and benefits of the product, sharing success stories, and demonstrating how it can solve their problems effectively.

5. Landing the Fish (Closing the Deal): Successfully landing a fish requires finesse and careful execution. Similarly, closing a deal in sales involves skillfully addressing objections, negotiating terms, and guiding the prospect towards making a purchase decision. It's about converting interest into a committed customer.

6. Post-Sale Relationship (Catch and Release, or Retain?): Just as responsible fishing includes releasing undersized fish to ensure their future survival, maintaining a strong post-sale relationship is crucial for customer retention. Providing excellent customer service, ongoing support, and delivering value post-sale can lead to repeat business and referrals.

7. Adaptation to Changing Conditions (Market Dynamics): Fishermen adjust their techniques based on weather conditions, fish behavior, and location. Similarly, sales professionals need to adapt to changing market dynamics, customer preferences, and competitive landscapes. Flexibility and the ability to pivot your approach can help you stay successful.

8. Continuous Improvement (Skill Enhancement): Like mastering different fishing techniques, sales professionals should constantly seek to improve their skills. This could involve refining your pitch, learning new sales methodologies, staying updated on industry trends, and seeking feedback to enhance your performance.

By drawing parallels between fishing techniques and the sales process, sales professionals can gain a fresh perspective on how to approach their work strategically and effectively, ultimately improving their chances of success.