Future of B2B Sales is Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation is one of the fastest growing segments in the CRM market. It wasn't that long ago that people weren't even sure what marketing automation was or how it functioned. Now, marketing teams are aggresively seeking out these systems. Marketing automation vendors such as Eloqua, Marketo and Genius are reaping the benefits and growing as fast as the segment they support. Clearly, the marketing automation industry has a strong tailwind at its back. But where is it coming from? The B2B sales environment has changed drastically. Sales professionals are finding that it is increasingly challenging to reach potential prospects, and they are changing their business tactics in order to cope. At my company, Software Advice, we have experienced this first-hand through our phone calls with the thousands of software buyers we interact with each day. There are several specific trends that are changing the way buyers purchase, making marketing automation an essential addition to any organization. The following are seven macro trends that I believe are pushing the growth of marketing automation. 1. Buyers want valuable content. The traditional marketing jargon needs to be replaced with original content that provides value and education to the buyer. 2. Buyers are hesitant to engage over the phone. Sales professionals are constantly facing the issue of decreased sales engagement. 3. Buyers require marketing accountability. Traditionally, marketing ROI was difficult to measure on positioning, collateral and brand building. 4. A down economy results in longer sales cycles. When money is tight, people are less inclined to buy. Sales professionals are faced with more and more prospects that are more risk-averse than ever. 5. Consumerization of B2B sales processes. B2B buyers want their sales process to mirror that of their B2C exchanges. They demand clear and concise pitches, simplified pricing, quick implementation and ease of use. They also want to interact with sales as little as possible. 6. Marketing channels have transformed. With the advent of the Internet, the way we communicate has drastically changed. This means that companies also have to change the way they market. 7. SaaS is the preferred deployment method. Due to the high number of relatively new entrants to the marketing automation space, many of these vendors are built on a modern, software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture. This deployment method enables users to get up and running faster than with traditional on-premise models. Also, with subscription pricing, the marketing team can easily add a digestible line item to their budget, as opposed to getting approved for a big capital expenditure. This is just a brief overview. You can visit the original post on the Software Advice blog for a more in-depth look at each trend and to leave your comments on the topic. What trends do you think are responsible for driving the adoption of the newer segment of CRM? What can we expect to see in the next couple years?