Have You Discovered the Hidden Sales Cycle?

ARE YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HIDDEN SALES CYCLE?Leading businesses track customers’ online movements to predict their buying behaviour. It’s easier than you think...

WHAT IS THE HIDDEN SALES CYCLE?

Copyright © 2013, Oracle Eloqua and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.02

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Before, Customers had to talk to you.

Today, Talking to you is the last thing they do.


CUSTOMERS ARE MUCH BETTER INFORMED THAN THEY USED TO BE

By 2020, Gartner predicts

data volumes will grow to

20 X what they are today

x20 Gartner

75% of digital information is generated by

individuals75% IDC

On average, B2B buyers are 57% through the purchase decision

before engaging a supplier sales rep.

57%Joint Google and CEB research project, 2011

Joint Google and CEB research project, 2011Sources:

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/20006http://uk.emc.com/about/news/press/2011/20110628-01.htm

http://www.executiveboard.com/exbd-resources/content/digital-evolution/index.html


http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/20006

http://uk.emc.com/about/news/press/2011/20110628-01.htm



Your challenge is to ensure that prospects find your company during the online research stage.


READING ‘DIGITAL BODY LANGUAGE’

Reading ‘Digital body language’ involves knowing where each prospect has been online.

What content have they read on your blog?

Which emails have they opened?

Where have they been on your website?

1

2

3e-Strategy Trends 2012

76%

34%

While 76% of marketers believe

“They know what their consumers want” in terms of social media

content and interaction, only 34% have actually

asked those buyers.

Source:http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2012/09/07/how-social-consumers-see-it-vs-how-social-maketers-see-it-infographic/3609


http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2012/09/07/how-social-consumers-see-it-vs-how-social-maketers-see-it-infographic/3609

FOUR STEPS TO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HIDDEN SALES CYCLE

STEP 1 Know who they are

STEP 2 Know where

they’re looking for information

STEP 3 Develop the content that will attract their attention and send it

automatically

STEP 4 Start thinking

real-time


STEP 1Know who they are

What is their job role?

What business pains do they need to resolve?

What does a day in their life look like?

What do they want to achieve by investing in your products or services?

1

2

3

4


STEP 2Know where they’re looking for information

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn groups and forums

Industry analyst websites

Trade magazine and association websites


STEP 3Develop the content that will attract their attention and send it automatically

Katapult10%

Companies that automate lead management

and send new content automatically based on digital body language

signals typically see a 10% increase in revenue in just

6-9 months.

Source: http://blog.katapult.co.uk/inbound/11-reasons-to-nurture-your-leads-with-marketing-automation/


http://blog.katapult.co.uk/inbound/11-reasons-to-nurture-your-leads-with-marketing-automation/



STEP 4Start thinking real-time

“In general, how soon after you contact a brand, product or

company on social media do you expect to receive a response?”

Within 15 Minutes

11%

Within 30 Minutes

12%

Within 5 Minutes

9%

Within one hour

10%

Within few days or so

33%

More than one hour, but later same day

25%

Source: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/the-social-habit/42-percent-of-consumers-complaining-in-social-media-expect-60-minute-response-time/


http://www.convinceandconvert.com/the-social-habit/42-percent-of-consumers-complaining-in-social-media-expect-60-minute-response-time/



TAKEAWAYSTo start making the most of the opportunities in the hidden sales cycle, you need to:


Get the sales and marketing departments to work together to identify exactly who they’re targeting. 1Get online and start developing relationships in forums and groups to grow your reputation as a value-adder and thought leader.2Get the sales and marketing teams to work together to develop the content that your prospects need and want3

Use the real-time reporting functionality of your lead management system to see how your prospects are interacting with your emails, website and web content so you can engage with them at the right time.

4


As you may have guessed, this is all much easier

with Oracle Eloqua Marketing Automation software!

Follow these steps and you will net more customers and convert more leads into sales.


DON’T MISS!

See how you shape up with the Modern Marketing scorecard eloqua.com/scorecard


Have You Discovered the Hidden Sales Cycle?

Marketing

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