One day that will save you months of trial and error
Most CEOs and owners of B2B companies are grappling with how to drive sales and marketing forward. They often consider a new website, a campaign or attending a trade fair. Yet there is one activity that can deliver far greater value – and it costs you just a single working day.
That is an in-depth conversation with customers.
According to Bain & Company, 80% of companies believe they provide an excellent customer experience, but only 8% of customers agree. This gap clearly shows that most companies make decisions based on assumptions, not facts. And interviews are precisely the way to bridge this gap quickly.
Why interviews work better than campaign data
Marketing campaigns give you numbers – clicks, traffic, leads. But they won’t tell you why a customer made a purchase, what convinced them, or, conversely, what put them off.
An in-depth interview goes beneath the surface:
- it reveals motivations and concerns,
- shows who really makes the decisions,
- identifies the factors that accelerate or hinder a purchase.
Just talk to ten customers and you’ll uncover 80% of the key insights that will influence your sales and marketing strategy.
Examples from B2B practice
Manufacturer of industrial compressors
The company was convinced that customers were primarily interested in performance and energy efficiency. Interviews revealed the exact opposite – the key factor was the speed of service in the event of a breakdown. For a manufacturing company, every day of downtime represents a loss of millions. When the company shifted its focus to after-sales services, demand increased by 25% within a year.
Lighting manufacturer (foreign market)
The company invested in promoting the design and quality of its products. However, customers were most critical of the communication regarding delivery delays. Process improvements and more transparent customer information led to increased satisfaction and repeat orders.
Czech manufacturer of engineering components
The sales team emphasised price and technical specifications. However, interviews revealed that customers particularly valued supply reliability and flexibility with unplanned orders. Based on this, the company changed its sales pitch and shortened the sales cycle by weeks.
One day vs. years of trial and error
How much time and money does an annual marketing campaign based on flawed assumptions cost a company?
In contrast, a single day spent on in-depth interviews will provide you with clear answers that you can utilise in sales, marketing and development.
According to Gartner, up to 77% of B2B buyers describe their last purchase as complex or challenging. If you want to simplify this process for customers and speed up your own sales cycle, you need to understand their real motivations.
Why entrust interviews to an agency
Customers often do not open up to their supplier. They fear that their criticism will be taken personally. When the interview is conducted by an independent third party, they are more candid and share things they would never say directly to your sales representative.
AITOM Digital conducts interviews systematically, analyses the results and translates them into specific recommendations. This means you know not only ‘what the customer said’, but also ‘how to act on it’.
Summary for CEOs and owners
- One day of in-depth interviews will tell you more than years of assumptions.
- You’ll uncover the gap between what you think and what the customer is actually dealing with.
- You’ll gain facts on which to build your business and marketing strategy.
How to get started
Check out our webinar on YouTube, where we share specific real-world examples: Webinar recording on YouTube.
And if you’d like to find out what you could learn from your customers, get in touch.
AITOM Digital helps B2B manufacturing and industrial companies build strategies based on facts, not assumptions.