Today, the customer is 70% through her buying evaluation before an in-person sales interface happens. This is the age of digital marketing and its influence & efficacy will only expand over time. A direct outcome of this is that products & services are increasingly becoming commoditized, with a constant challenge for sellers to differentiate their offerings and also themselves. This need to perpetually differentiate is even more pronounced in the information technology domain as the seller-buyer relationship doesn’t end with a sale. It tends to be long term and becomes consultative & solution oriented with possibility of enhanced scope of engagement. It is a win for both.
If I have to imagine what could be the next level of differentiation, it is the ability of the seller to establish herself as a thought leader whom the customers trust and look up to for guidance. Over the past 5 years a large number of IT companies & their channel partners have leveraged the power of content and channeling the content through digital media to position and differentiate themselves effectively with their targeted buyers. I strongly believe that simple, relevant & persona-centric content is at the core of every successful digital marketing campaign aimed at differentiation. Sellers need to prioritize and focus on getting their content right before investing time, efforts & energy on creating investment heavy digital marketing campaigns.
