Flip the Perspective to the Bottom of the Funnel – 3 Ways Marketing Can Deliver Immediate Value

I’m a big fan of the show Empire, and Cookie once said to Jamal as she listened to a new song he was working on – “flip the perspective.”  Jamal’s song was nice but it was too slow and it just didn’t give Cookie the vibe she wanted to hear.  See Cookie is a musical genius and she is brilliant at turning artists and their songs into gold.

So it made me think.  As a marketer, often the things we are doing are good but, are they delivering the “vibe,” or in this context, the impact they should?

It’s interesting to me to see how much content comes across my desk on a daily basis about every topic under the sun related to marketing -  digital marketing, demand generation, content strategy, CX - you name it.  I read lots of it; and I do gain helpful insights and practical tips that are very useful.  It’s also a direct parallel to what we as marketers do through our content strategies and engagement platforms, so I get it.  But, what I haven’t seen in a while is some practical guidance about where and how marketing can drive immediate value in the sales conversion process.  In other words, flipping the perspective to the bottom of the funnel.

Based on my experience, I think there are 3 key focus areas where this value can be immediately seen, measured, and demonstrated:

• Proposal Process
• Sales and Deal-based Marketing
• Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Intelligence

In the proposal process, marketing can and should play a lead role in helping to craft and articulate a clear and consistent message that communicates the what, the why, the how, and what’s different, and why should the customer believe you.  Sounds basic because it is.  You’d be surprised at how often a simple, compelling message gets diluted and restructured by the time the proposal is read by the customer.

In pursuit of deals and strategic opportunities with new or existing customers, marketing can facilitate and help create a compelling messaging platform, define a unique and differentiated value proposition, and optimize communications across a mix of narrowcast and broadcast channels to reach target buyers and influencers.  Communicating that same compelling set of messages and unique value proposition consistently and in a way that is most meaningful and relevant to the unique characteristics of the audience segments.  Again, basic but it takes collaboration and discipline to make it work.

The role that marketing plays in CX is continuing to evolve at a rapid pace and there are at least two concrete ways to have an impact.  The first is through intelligence – analyzing and optimizing real-time data from automation platforms including those that monitor the company website, social media, influencer groups, and media. There’s no shortage of data but there is a shortage of rapid analysis and sharing of the data available in understandable and usable ways with the sales and customer account teams.  A second impact is through collaboration with the account teams and use of effective account-based engagement and communication platforms, processes, and tactics to architect improvements or enhancements quickly and seamlessly into all the touchpoints comprising the CX.

Based on proven success, I am a huge believer in “Full-funnel” marketing where attracting, nurturing and converting target buyers into qualified leads is paramount, but I also recognize that the more clearly and timely we can draw a direct line to near-term revenue growth, the sharper and more effective we’ll be at the top of the funnel.