Given the understanding that most B2B organizations offer high end products or
services, we know that the time that it takes to qualify a lead, nurture the
relationship and convert the lead into a sale can take months or even years. The
thing is, there is one more step involved in this marketing process for B2B
marketers to consider and that is to make your customer an evangelist for your
organization.
If you have done your job and provided a service/product that your consumer
truly appreciates, and the consumer is sincerely pleased about the entire
experience, the chance of making this consumer an evangelist for your company is
great. On the other hand, if the consumer’s experience is successful but they
are not entirely sold that the experience was all that they anticipated, then
turning your customer into an evangelist for your company becomes more difficult
if at all possible. Consumer evangelism is simply the process of taking a
customer who is thrilled about your product/service and their experience and
getting them to become outspoken "evangelists" or glorified promoters for your
company. These “greatly satisfied” consumers can become a powerful tool for
marketing and growing your business in addition to other leads that you have.
Whether traditional B2B marketers like it or not, power has shifted to the
consumer. In essence, it’s always been there. It is the consumer that seeks a
solution to a dilemma. It is the consumer that initiates the research into
vendor selection. It is the consumer that ultimately decides which potential
vendors will become a “rung on the ladder” as part of the selection process. It
is the consumer that conducts more research and finally it is the consumer that
decides on the perfect solution for their needs. If you are lucky enough to be
the “Chosen One” then why not have your consumer evangelize you? Understand that
the consumer has selected you on criteria that would not only satisfy their
needs, but give them a competitive advantage over their competition. The fact
that they selected your organization means that they understand how your
solution works and that it will work for them. They will have researched, tried
demos, and integrated your solution as a part of theirs. So who better to
promote your organization? Provide a solution and experience where the consumer
will want to become an evangelist for your company. Keep in mind that your
solution has to provide an extraordinary experience for this to happen. Your
solution needs to have been perceived (by the consumer) that it has elements
that other solutions do not, that the experience that your consumer has been a
part of is unlike any other… your solution has created the basis for a lifelong
relationship.
Having loyal customers is one thing, converting them into influential and
enthusiastic evangelists for your organization is another. Loyal customers are
not necessarily promoting you to others, consumer evangelists do. Consumer
evangelism should be practiced by any B2B organizations that want to grow their
company and make a real difference in their industry. It’s been reported that
“organizations that focus on building word of mouth into full-fledged evangelism
grow faster, are more profitable and have big-picture ideas that somehow change
the world.” If this sounds too good to be true, it’s not. There are a number of
successful companies in various industries that are using consumer evangelism to
grow their business and improve their position in the marketplace. I recommend
reading
Testify! How Remarkable Organization are Creating Customer Evangelists.
This study is by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba authors of Creating Customer
Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force. The study
provides examples of companies who have successfully turned loyal customers into
consumer evangelists for their organizations. The study mentioned some key
factors in defining consumer evangelists:
- Consumer Evangelists purchase and
believe in your product or service
- Consumer Evangelists passionately recommend you to friends, family and
colleagues
- Consumer Evangelists provide unsolicited feedback or praise
- Consumer Evangelists forgive dips in service and quality
- Consumer Evangelists are not bought they “extol” your virtues freely
- Consumer Evangelists feel part of something bigger than themselves
Effective B2B marketers understand that traditional marketing principles are
not as effective as they once were, they are being replaced by customer-driven
demand and referrals. For B2B organizations to experience ongoing success, they
must make evangelists out of their customers. If your organization has a mandate
to generate more qualified leads, then why not use your satisfied consumers to
bring in additional leads. Consumer evangelists will do this, what you have to
do is make evangelists out of your consumers.
Original Post: SEO-Space |
enquiro research
Jody Nimetz