The B2B world is going to get even more exciting in the realm of technology in these coming years.

Today we take a look at the growing trends in the B2B technology market in the coming year.

From the growing role of influencers to the next big things that marketers should keep an eye for. Let’s walk you through the trends of next year!

 

Influencers Will Be Used to Market B2B

It’s not just B2C that influencers will be dominating in the coming years but the world of B2B sales as well. This fact is most especially true for the technology industry where everyone that is a player is expected to be connected and updated.

B2B industry influencers have the same impact as those in B2C, especially if they are industry or thought leaders. Simple recommendations or mentions on platforms like LinkedIn or more direct ones such as those in ads can drive up the goodwill of B2B companies that want to make moves in driving up their market share.

Some companies have already been moving on to this trend of using industry influencers, so the best time to start making connections is probably now.

Influencer applications and software is also on the rise with many more companies taking advantage of these apps. This alone is enough indication that the role of influencers and industry thought leaders would continue to make ground in the years to come.

It said that there would be macro and micro-influencers with different roles in promoting a company’s brand.

 

Event Marketing

People are still going to be relatable and interpersonal as the years come by, and it is crucial that event marketing always takes up a role in your marketing plan. The use of tradeshows, conferences, and general marketing events connects people, and this is the best way to relate.

Event marketing also allows you to showcase your current range of products making it a great way to demonstrate your product or service’s capabilities in their full light.

 

Customized Content for Each Part of the DMU

It’s not just tech specialists who are making decisions in the company, but there exist finance people and other executives who are not too familiar with the technical jargon.

This is something that sales teams forget to note when preparing content that is suited to their prospective buyers. A sales team needs to start selling to all parts of the organization in order to increase the potential adoption rate.

Most decision-making units (DMU) are built from different members of prospective companies, each with a different goal and purpose.

IT sales teams need to understand that there is democratized influence in each company that they are prospecting and all these levels need to be catered to.

 

Interactive Content Will Be Commonplace

If an IT sales company is not taking advantage of the power of video, they will have to start upping their ante because there are a lot more types of content that should be taking the limelight in the years to come.

From AR pieces of content that allow the end-user to engage with it to webinars that need to be done to educate and increase perceived adoption rates, there is no substitute for interactive content.

 

Omnichannel Marketing

The omnichannel marketing experience is one that all companies have to achieve especially the ones that deal with technology. Being able to start the sales experience on a smart device, then moving on to a sales rep is an experience that should be seamless. It is marketing that a tech company shouldn’t do without.

Omnichannel marketing provides an experience that is focused on the buyer, and it helps nurture them through any pipeline.

 

Marketing Automation and AI

From automated chatbots to lead nurturing emails that make sure a lead is maintained in the pipeline, given today’s technology, there shouldn’t be a lag in applying them to IT sales processes.

Artificial intelligence is being used to communicate and auto prospect with potential clients, and it also helps with analyzing data that one can harness to build sales. There should be a strong emphasis on utilizing the technology that is available to maintain sales processes and free up humans to do other work.

Even though one may argue that AI technology is still in its infancy, installing a chatbot that minimizes the load of a customer care team is enough to start taking advantage of the technology.

 

By being able to capitalize on these growing trends as early as now, you will be able to properly position your marketing and sales efforts for maximum gain in the coming years.

Singapore’s rapid growth rates and global market reach made it as one of the four “tigers” of Asia, along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. Its economic prowess emanates from being keen on exports, an educated populace and high savings rate, which makes it the center of trade and financial business in the Asian region. Although these economic potentialities were not inherent to the people, a leadership so motivated to rise from the aftermath of colonization and recession brought Singapore to its global stature. 

From a poor fishing town, Singapore opened its doors to industrialization in the 70s which paved the way for economic, cultural and political globalization. The government’s thrust on economic growth, support on business and limitations on democracy, transformed the city-state into a core nation that is safe, free of corruption and low taxes, and the main attraction to foreign investors.

As it started to embrace technology innovations in the 2000s, the city state’s business sector boomed. It was a breakthrough which drew giant players like Facebook, Alibaba and Google, and many other big-time players to open regional offices in the lion city. On the other hand, local brands found their way to take a leap across continents in a wide range of industries including food and beverages, retail, financial, hospitality, tourism, healthcare, and business professional services. 

Out of the waves and vacant lands, Singapore now cradles beautiful skyscrapers and grandiose architectures that are mostly headquarters to many global industries.   

Marina Bay, then and now.

Benefits of Expanding Your SG Business in the US

Singapore was recognized by The World Bank as the second easiest place to do business in the world in 2018. Such high standing enticed first world countries, like the United States, to consider the lion city as a strategic partner. The following attributes are the main reasons why they welcome Singapore brands in their respective markets:

• Open and corrupt-free business environment
• Prudent monetary and fiscal policies
• Transparent legal framework
• Active industrial policy that targets fiscal incentives, increase public investment, promotes the development of skill sets attractive to foreign investors.
• Focuses on economic diversification 
• Well-secured property rights
• A good trading post

Singapore’s keen economic freedom score of 89.4 is the second-highest among 43 countries in the APAC region in the 2019 index, which sums up its financial success.  

Tapping into the US Market

Expanding business operations in foreign markets is invaluable. It lets you create a direct relationship with your target customers, efficiently provide after-sales support, control pricing, and distribution, and gain accurate market insights. On the contrary, direct exposure to the market’s rules, profit repatriation restrictions and corruption may impact expected results.

But for the fearless and more creative, having the right tools and strategies are weapons that can battle the torments of business expansion in foreign markets. VeganBurg, CreAtive, Grab, Omni and Millenium Hotel and Resorts are just a few of the APAC companies that made America great again.

Callbox, one of Singapore’s top telemarketing firms, is also a trusted B2B lead generation company in the United States and has a wide range of database in Canada, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the Middle East.

If you’re targeting the US to market your SG business like Hyflux, Raoul, TWG and all other locals who made it big in America, here are some steps:

1. Figure out the reason why you want to become a global brand by developing a literal “playbook” of ideas of what you are trying to achieve and what expectations do you have for the future.
2. Come up with a strategic plan on how to achieve real results which may be done in five different approaches. One is Local or Concentric, a process which starts with thinking within 100 miles radius around your home base, and widens 100 more times eventually.
3. Develop a precise timetable for necessary approvals, meeting the distributors, complying with legal and federal regulations and getting all the paperwork done.
4. Put together a portfolio of products you can offer.
5. Pick the right distributor by doing a market survey of who does the job well. Look into their portfolios, what are their national accounts, and familiarize yourself with the language that they use
6. Choose your accounts by taking into consideration your on-premise and off-premise strategies. Know your business partners and what business will you be doing with them.
7. Tell your story via roll-out events, social media, local press and at the point of sale

The road to success was not easy for the lion city to trek, but perseverance, respect, and compassion drove Singapore to survive the inequities of life, gain economic repute and become a global brand.

The best B2B companies are the ones with the best relationships with their customers. However, what some don’t realize is that sometimes business is not working as well as they would hope it to work because of the customers that they have. When it comes to account-based lead generation, the first crucial step is account selection and profiling, and when you know who you want to target, the next steps of finding and engaging them should go smoothly as expected.

So how do you find and determine the golden standard for a best-fit customer, company or account?

1. Ranking Your Best Customers

The first thing that you have to do is to rank your current and previous customer list in order of what they have benefitted from you juxtaposed to what you have gained (as a solutions provider) from them.

However, before you do this, you have to realize that this is not an exercise to check who’s been paying your company the most.

This helps you check the state of your own company and find out how you have been performing as a “solutions provider”. It also allows you to analyze insights on what you’ve been getting from your customers such as:

• Have they allowed you to create a better product?
• Are they easier to deal with on the second sale?
• Do you want to continue working with these customers in the future?
• What has your company learned by working with them?

By honestly answering these initial critical questions you get a feel of what you’ve been working with so far.

2. What Do They Have in Common?

Needless to say, once this list is compiled you’ll start to find the real image of the particular attributes that they share as companies.

• How many employees do they have?
• What are their industry commonalities?
• What is their turnover?
• How do they handle their sales?

This allows you to start building a picture of your current appeal to your clientele. Take note of their individual similarities and notable differences.

3. Your Ideal Customer

This is the third task that is also introspective in nature because it deals with allowing yourself to envision what kind of customers do you want to form partnerships with and sell your goods or services to.

We all know that we’d rather deal with certain types of people than others, and it’s the same in any company whether it is B2B or B2C. This time instead of dealing with individual people you deal with complex organizations.

You want to be able to gauge the types of organizations that you want to work with. Not only does this facilitate sales, but it also allows you to be able to paint a picture of your organization and its network to other potential customers.

You have to understand that DMUs (Decision Making Units) in other B2B organizations also research whom they want to work with and due to this you really have to come through as a great company that works with other great companies.

4. What Do I Want To Get and What Do I Want to Give?

Transactions can form long-lasting relationships, especially in the B2B world. However, you have to set the standard of what you want to give your customers and what kind of customers do you want to deal with.

If relationships are too toxic they cost a strain on your sales and support teams, which you cannot afford because it is detrimental to the growth of your organization.

Customers that complain too much, that can’t pay their dues, or those who you can’t grow with you aren’t really the best customers if you ask us. Do not be afraid to let them go.

At the same time, you should also make sure that you are giving your current customers the best value that your company can give. Remember at the end of the day, we are judged by the value that we give to our clientele.

5. Proper Segmentation and Building a Matrix

Now we enter to the lead generation aspect of the conversation of best-fit companies and accounts. You’ve already determined the customers that you attract, what kinds of companies you want to avoid, and the value that you want to give out; your next step is scrubbing your prospect list.

Every company has a prospect list, but if you are just building a new one from the ground up this is a great opportunity to start using the criteria for best-fit companies as a start to your client hunting and prospect listing.

Once you’ve started eliminating customers that you do not want to work with it is time for you to start applying the similarities of the customers that you’ve worked with before towards your prospect list.

Segment your leads by industry and size, and build a matrix of how your next customers should be like.

As you can see, it’s not just enough to have customers, but you need customers that are a great fit for your business as well. This allows you to be able to strategize lead generation and properly provide for a need. When both the customer and the vendor are happy, the business world becomes a better place.