The Five Things That B-to-B Marketers Must Know

From the many ways buyers can easily access information, to more sophisticated data and the seemingly endless rollout of new technology enhancements, the challenges facing b-to-b marketers have never been greater. With this change has come a need for marketers to keep their skills and knowledge current.

Here are five key requirements that we see as imperative for all b-to-b marketers:

• Foundational elements. Every b-to-b marketer must possess the following: a fundamental understanding of the b-to-b buyer’s journey, the importance of accountability for metrics, comfort with marketing automation technology, understanding of lead nurturing, and basic knowledge of what comprises a lead.

• Mission/execution. Marketers should take responsibility for creating their own training and improvement plan. Map out what you hope to achieve in your role and exactly what skills and knowledge will be needed to make it happen.

• Sales alignment. SiriusDecisions is built around the importance of aligning marketing with sales. However, this alignment requires more than just an organizational commitment. Marketers must arm themselves with insight and knowledge into what the sales organization is doing and how marketing can help impact, support and ultimately drive revenue. Take the time to learn, ask questions and participate in what sales is doing.

• Nomenclature. Organizations and teams are more successful when they can rely on a common language and mindset to drive marketing and sales alignment.

• Interlock. Marketers can only succeed by being aware of what their internal counterparts are doing. It’s imperative to have a complete view of how others in the organization are working, understand what is important to them and what drives their success. This ties into the concept of “the well-rounded marketer” that we see as being crucial to successful marketing teams. By broadening your knowledge of other functions within the company, you’ll be better equipped to succeed in your own role.

Create a marketing training roadmap for yourself  and take a proactive approach toward keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date. If you're looking for on-demand training,  SiriusDecisions has online marketing courses that can help drive your growth.