8. HOW SERIOUS IS THE VENDOR-BUYER
DISCONNECT?
“The B2B
Buying
Disconnect”
“B2B vendors focus
on providing material
that buyers don’t find
very useful or
trustworthy.”
“The
Disconnect
Between
Marketers &
Buyers”
“Tech marketers
invest in areas that
IT buyers don’t
consider important in
the decision
CMOs Admit
They Don’t
Understand
Their Target
“Just 50% of CMOs
felt they understood
customers well &
35% understood
prospects.”
“Companies
Are Talking
Past Their
Customers”
Themes that brands
consider important
appear to have
minimal influence on
buyer perceptions.”
9. “So what? Can you solve my
problem better than anyone else?”
“We can solve a bunch of problems!”
@chief_listener
Not Statistically
Significant
“We’re a leader, not a follower!” (yawn)
10. DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR
SOLUTION.FALL IN LOVE WITH THEIR PROBLEM.
11. CURIOSITY CALLS
Open-ended conversations with
customers and prospects solely
to learn what the world looks
like from their perspective……Business priorities, challenges and
rants
…Views on your industry and vendor
landscape
…Perceptions of your company and
solution
TARGET LIST
EMAIL
INVITATION
DISCUSSION
GUIDE
LISTENING
TIPS
12. JUST
SHUT
UP &
LISTEN
TO
THEM
Relax. Breathe. Smile.
It’s a conversation not a survey.
Drop filters, biases &
defensiveness
Be authentic
& human.
Stay agile & iterative
@chief_listener
Be curious
What do you
mean by that?
THE
CURIOSITY
CALL
Start with their
big picture
Go where they want to go.
No selling.
Listen for
“elevator rants”
Ask disruptive
questions.
12
13. Subj: A quick favor if you
can
Dear (name):
I hope this note finds you
well. I’m touching base to
see how things are going
and also to ask if you’d be
able to participate in a very
brief research project we’re
undertaking.
As background, things are
going very well at
(organization name). To
make sure that continues,
we want to make sure we’re
aligned with our
customers—and that means
getting real-world
perspectives from folks like
you. We’re just looking for
your candid thoughts on a
few things.
Would you be able to have a
20-30 minute, one-on-one
phone conversation with
me?
If so, please reply with a
couple dates/times when
you’re free. Or you can use
this scheduling link to find a
date and time that works
for you: (use
TimeTrade.com or
Calendly).
Your involvement would be
greatly appreciated! If you
have any questions, please
feel free to reach me at
(phone) or (email).
Best regards,
(Your name)
E-MAIL INVITATION (TEMPLATE)
13
15. 1. What’s on your white board?
2. If I asked someone who works
for you what their mission is,
what would you want them to
say?
5. If you started a company in our space
today, what would you do differently?
6. If you had a free hour with a leading
industry expert, what would you ask?
3. What do you and your
team need to get better at
4. What’s the first think you
think of when I say _____?
7. What would
make you a
customer for life?
16. • Don’t assume you understand
your customers’ real priorities
or context
• Avoid biases.
• Ask questions your
competitors haven’t asked
(yet)
• Listen without an agenda or
filters
• Embrace rants
• Emphasize the problem you
solve best & prove it
• Use customer’s real language
not yours
• Deliver insights vs. content
• Be “transparent & absorbent”
vs. “opaque & impermeable”
• Help their research: Provide@chief_listener
LISTEN FIRST MARKET BETTER
17. Free Customer Re-Discovery Playbook
www.chieflisteningofficers.com/free
Bob London / Founder & CEO
bob@chieflisteningofficers.com +1 (240) 994 7644
www.chieflisteningofficers.com
THANK YOU!
(AND HAPPY LISTENING)
Notes de l'éditeur
You aren’t alone.
No such thing as a tangent
Tie your product or service to their goals & budget priorities.
What value do you add to their business?
------
If you started your job yesterday, what would be your first observations?
What would be your first priorities?
Everyone has a thought bubble when they meet with a sales person.
This is the elephant in the room that your positioning needs to address.
You don’t need names, just rants. Like, “The partner sells me and then hands off to a junior person to do the work.”
What is it? Positive? Skeptical? Exasperated? Excited?
You don’t need names, just rants. Like, “The partner sells me and then hands off to a junior person to do the work.”
Drill down for specific complaints.
There’s always at least 1 juicy industry complaint you can position against.
-----------
Buyers don’t want all things to all people.
They want “a job done right.”
Your sweet spot is the foundation of your positioning.
If you lose a sweet spot customer or deal, always find out why.
“WHAT’S ON YOUR WHITE BOARD?”
“WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR TEAM NEED TO GET BETTER AT?”
“WHAT’S THE MOST SATISFYING PART OF YOUR JOB? THE LEAST?”
“IF YOU HAD A FREE HOUR WITH A LEADING INDUSTRY EXPERT, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK?”
“IS THERE SOMETHING WE DO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE?”
“WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT BE IF OUR PRODUCT WENT AWAY?”
“HAS YOUR JOB CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED USING OUR PRODUCT?”