In the world of B2B, who has the majority responsibility to circle back with a prospect—marketing or sales? In my experience, they are two separate entities. Yet, I find B2B marketing professionals must act knowing that sales will need to react. Basically, one cannot exist without the other. And truly, both parties must circle back to the prospect or end-user for a company to be successful.

What many people don’t realize is how important it is to circle back and have something meaningful to circle back with—and something that reiterates the original marketing message.

In your marketing program, it’s important that the follow-up and communications strategies by the marketing and sales person are decided before hand. And, the method—whether it‘s a personal phone call, a targeted e-blast that follows an initial direct mailer or a simple reply Tweet—must be uniquely thought out ahead of time and support your brand.

Are you looking to add value to a lead or customer through circling back? Read this great article on the power of circling back with something valuable and brand-enforcing. It’s perfect for the sales person and marketer in you.

The market place is getting more competitive and if you are searching for something that can differentiate you from your competitors, creating a compelling video may be your answer. Video has a place in every marketing and communications plan from testimonials and product launches to educational summits and demonstrations. And the best news is that it is now more affordable than ever. With evolving technology and the recent shift in distribution, video can play a key role in reaching your target audience and can be easily adapted to all platforms.

The release of products like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the NewTek Tricaster allow video to be produced at a fraction of the price that it used to be. For example, the Tricaster provides you with the opportunity to go live with a web broadcast for your next customer experience or sales training event. Because the editing is done live you save the money and the time you would have otherwise spent in an edit bay. You still need to be prepared to do the work on the front end with preproduction, but by taking advantage of new technology in the marketplace you can now afford to deliver your message through video.

How have you used video in your B2B communications?

What if I told you, the key to success in marketing these days is a series of letters? No, it isn’t ROI, CMS or SOS (for days when a deadline is looming). These days, the key to successful marketing is B.A.N.T.

B.A.N.T. is a lead qualification criteria that stands for:

Budget

Authority

Need

Timing

You may be asking why B.A.N.T is important to you as a B2B marketer. The answer is that B.A.N.T. should be considered whenever you’re creating a project, communications piece or concept. B.A.N.T. helps determine the audiences you should cater your communications to, what ROI will come from your campaigns and it helps sales and marketing departments integrate more seamlessly. It’s more important than ever to justify marketing budgets with clear ROI, and sales and marketing alignment is a vital part of this.

Here are some important questions to ask yourself to ensure you’re keeping B.A.N.T in mind:

Budget: Will this marketing effort help us determine if the audience has the budget to invest/purchase/engage in what we’re selling?

Authority: Is this marketing communications piece going to the correct person? Can they make a direct decision regarding what we’re selling or are they an influencer?

Need: Does this marketing effort help us determine if our audience has a need for our solution? How quickly does this need have to be filled?

Timing: Can we determine if this audience is ready to purchase/invest in what we’re selling? Can we create urgency to act?

If you answered YES to at least three of the above questions, you’re on your way to creating a near-perfect marketing communications piece that will lead to sales opportunities. Congratulations!

To find out what B.A.N.T. marketing means for marketing and sales team alignment, check back for part 2 of this blog.

Despite theories that direct mail will one day cease to exist, I’m still a firm believer that print – when properly executed – is far better than using digital media alone. I was recently forwarded this article from the Wall Street Journal that echoes the same feelings.

Marketers are discovering the value in coupling print with digital media. While digital media may be less expensive, it lacks the personal touch that can be added to a printed piece. When combining the two, they can compliment each other and prove to be a more effective solution.

We have used this approach for our “Name that Super” campaign currently running for our client Phoenix Environmental Care. We found that combining a website with several e-blasts and direct mail has resulted in a great response we might not achieve by just e-mail or direct mail alone.

What do you think? Is snail mail on the endangered species list or will it always have a place in the marketing mix?