When you communicate with your target customers - do you speak the same language? Do you use terminology that they use internally to describe projects and issues? Have you researched the business and the challenges that they face in its market? Have you put the effort in to make sure that your marketing and sales communications resonate and demonstrate that you understand the contact, the company, the market, and the industry?
Speaking the same language is a major differentiator. It shows you spent the time to understand them. It means you can show empathy. It can give you some common ground.
Part of our work at Viewpoint Analysis is about helping sales and marketing teams - imaginatively it is called 'Sales Team Services'. Interestingly, one of the most popular services is our ABM (Account-Based Marketing) Research and Account Research - where we investigate a company and the key contacts that should be part of any ABM campaign or standard target marketing strategy. We do this so that their ABM efforts land as effectively as they possibly can.
A central part of our research is understanding the customer's business from top to bottom. The more we know them, the more effective the marketing team can be in any communications. We are looking for things like:
Internal language (e.g. how they refer to their employees).
Messaging from the CEO - what are they focusing on?
What projects are active.
Acronyms they use to refer to different parts of the business.
Key customer groups.
The technology they currently have installed.
Partners they work with.
Case studies.
PR and news.
External commentary.
.....and more.
In order to speak the language and land your marketing and sales communications, it does take some effort - there is no way around it. But, if you put the hard yards in, it can be a major differentiator.
If this is an area that interests you, take a look at our ABM Account Research Whitepaper - it details all the areas you should investigate, who should do the work, and what they might look for.
Find out more about our Sales Team Services and our ABM Account Research and Strategic Account Research