This is the area where an outside marketing agency can most help an SMB IT provider. Precise targeting, compelling messaging, attractive design, etc. won’t result in more qualified leads if they’re never implemented.

Proactive Not Reactive

This is going to sound like advice from your Dad, or your high school coach, or your spiritual mentor – because it is. It’s common sense and it applies to many facets of life. You have to know what you want. You have to have goals and direction before you launch any endeavor. When you have goals and direction, you can put together a step by step plan to get from here to there.

If you don’t have that plan in place, you’re vulnerable to the influences of many. To put it in terms of a marketing plan for an IT vendor, (this is just an illustration) the desired goal might be to secure face to face meetings with five bank CIOs to brief them about a new SaaS back office banking application. You know your close rate is 40% when you meet with qualified prospects, so these meetings will net you two new accounts.

How do you get from here to there? You might:

1. develop a demographic description of the bank CIOs most likely to be interested in this solution.
2. rent a list of 200 CIOs who meet your criteria, containing their physical addresses and phone numbers.
3. send each of the 200 a letter on company stationary introducing yourself, listing the benefits of the solution, and giving a landing page address where they can learn more.
4. post the landing page where 20 of the 200 find more detailed information about the solution.
5. include a registration box where they can input their first name and email address to receive a case study re the solution.
6. send the case study as an attachment to an  email to the 10 who registered. The email thanks them for their interest, and tells them that a ‘solution consultant’ will be calling them within 48 hours to answer any questions they may have. The case study outlines an installation of the solution at a bank similar to theirs. It’s clear by the testimonials and ROI quote, that the case study CIO is a hero at that bank.
7. call the 10 CIOs and secure meetings with five of them.
8. meet with five of the CIOs, and eventually close two deals.

It seems like a lot of work to get from here to there, but consider the alternative. Cold calls, advertising, golf tournament sponsorships, etc. – all shots in the dark. You may or may not be reaching an audience that can actually buy what you’re selling. You’re messaging is generic and irrelevant, because you don’t know who you’re talking to. You’ll spend a lot of time qualifying and educating people who are never going to buy.

This is a typical scenario that I see every day. It’s wasteful. Just as much money is spent, maybe more, with little or no results.

Why Does This Happen?

There are five main reasons:

1. It’s nobody’s job to do the work described.
2. The skill set needed isn’t on the payroll.
3. There’s no plan, process or roadmap in place to provide direction.
4. You don’t want to spend the time necessary to source qualified external professionals (and don’t know where to begin).
5. You can’t afford the fees charged by full service agencies.

Most SMB IT companies can’t justify the expense of having an internal Marketing department. Those that are serious about gaining market share, even in a down economy, are finding external marketing consultants who understand their products, services and marketplace; and can quickly put together a team containing just the right skills and talents for a specific project.