It will come as no surprise that I have talked to a number of people in marketing and sales recently. (That’s literally half of my job.) Sometimes, those conversations all seem to point in the same direction. This month is one of those times.
The theme that has arisen spontaneously is how potential customers become customers. And the assumptions we make around that.
The assumptions are that:
Potential customers know who we are.
We have the product or service they need.
Our product is demonstrably better (on some criteria) and will win the day.
We also assume that we know why our customers buy, and even that they would know, if we asked them, what got them on the path to purchase our product or service.
Some of the things I heard:
Most people who could buy from us are not in-market at any given time. How do we get into their consideration set when the time comes?
Our customers are only interested in specifications. Stories shared on social media have little value. (I disagree.)
A very large, new customer found out about us through a podcast (dark social, I heartily endorse).
Many companies have no process for leads (contacts?) to be systematically converted to sales. - I suspect many of you feel better about your efforts now, huh?
Someone needs to set the frame to have a productive conversation. (Thank you Brian Morgan.)
That all leads me to corporate communications. Given all of the ambiguities, even after mapping out customer journeys and measuring every possible interaction, we need to start the conversation somewhere. And the earlier the better.
There is no way every potential customer, investor, etc. knows who you are, why you exist or what you do. Assuming otherwise is leaving money on the table. As is assuming that your specifications can overcome whatever rationale the customer already has in their mind at that very late stage in the buying process.
What are you leaving on the table by not subscribing? Insights? Connections? Fascinating conversations?
Thanks for being here.
Ryan Flinn is a corporate communications expert who knows what makes an interesting story. As a former Bloomberg reporter, his performance was measured on the ability to gather eyeballs.
The fact that people make decisions based on emotion is well established. Those emotional engagements can happen very early with good corporate communications. It happens by sharing memorable stories about how people use your products and services. For example, you could explain who designed them along with why and how.
Or show how the founder’s hobbies relate to the company. Ryan explained that Bloomberg had reporters covering large companies on a daily basis.
I had to find articles that they didn't deem important enough to cover for like a news beat, but that I could kind of twist into an interesting angle. So, like for one, I did a profile on Autodesk, the CAD software company because I found this angle of the CEO… He has the woodworking shop in Berkeley, and he carves tables and chairs and, you know, it's the analog to the digital version of what the software does.
…looking beyond just again, the bullet points of what makes a product interesting or important to consumers. What is the angle that will help the reporter write a story about it or somebody going, “Wow, what a cool example. I wanna learn more about that”?
Ryan shared his insights on what makes an interesting story, how they can create a competitive advantage and how to build relationships with reporters that can lead to earned media opportunities.
As I reflect on this episode and my recent conversations (you’ll hear from more of those folks soon), I think of how assumptions about our audience get in the way of our marketing at one stage or another. We need to do well at every stage. And just because we can’t measure something doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.
What activities grab a person’s interest? If that person isn’t a potential customer, what might make them share it with someone else who could be?
Is our content memorable enough to get us into the consideration set when the customer has a need? Have we made an emotional connection that provides an advantage? Will we deliver a story and an experience that makes the customer confident in choosing our solution?
Marketing is kind of like hosting a cocktail party. It’s a conversation we are having simultaneously with a lot of people joining in over a long period of time. We are continuously inviting new people to that conversation while at the same time introducing some of them to our dear friends in sales.
Your deepest insights are your best branding. I’d love to help you share them. Chat with me about custom content for your life science brand. Or visit my website.
Intro Music stefsax / CC BY 2.5
Corporate Communications: Setting a Frame for Conversations