12 Best Practices for getting the most out of your b2b customer acquisition efforts

1. GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES
B2B CUSTOMER ACQUISITION
1. ACQUISITION IS A SPORT
Since most customers are multi brand users or brand switchers, the
game is rough. Prospects don’t care about your graphic standards or if
your standard brand font is Helvetica Neue. Your goal must be for the
prospect to see, hear and act upon your message and value
proposition. Spend as much as your investment strategy allows getting
the right customers.
2. LEVERAGE YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE
If you have one, flaunt it. If you don’t, create one.
3. DETERMINE AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Devise a model that provides guidelines for how much to spend to
acquire each type of customer over a specified period of time. It starts
by understanding customer value by segment, then using this for
prospect selection to optimize ROI.
4. UTILIZE A DISCIPLINED PROCESS
It is unlikely in B2B acquisition that you will land high value customers
with one contact. A disciplined ‘target-lead-nurture-acquire-activate-grow’
must be developed. Then, be sure to learn from your efforts and
change accordingly.
5. MAP AND UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER (PURCHASE) JOURNEY
Some purchase decisions are based on impulse, others on week or
month+ long evaluations. Find out what stage your prospect is in and
hit them with the right message at the right time.
6. EARN & LEARN
Acquiring new customers and gaining new actionable insight should be
ongoing efforts. Think in terms of long-term customer relationships, not
start and stop communications.
7. UTILIZE MULTIPLE CHANNELS & TOUCHPOINTS
Explore all components of where the prospect lives, works, plays and
shops. Customers aren’t waiting for your next banner or remarketing
effort to make a purchase decision. They decide on their time and their
terms. Be where they are

2. 8. LOST CUSTOMERS CAN BE PROFITABLE
Winback can often be more profitable than cold acquisition. These
customers used to like or love your brand, then were either tempted
away or had something interrupt their relationship with you. Use
what you know about them to win back their affections.
9. CREATE AND LEVERAGE ADVOCATES
Brand ambassadors and various referral ‘engines’ play an ever-increasing
role in qualified acquisition
10. QUANTIFIABLE OBJECTIVES & PRE-DETERMINED METRICS
If you don’t know where you going before you start your efforts, you’ll
never know if you got there.
11. MESSAGING SHOULD EMPLOY BOTH HEAD & HEART
B2B prospects and decision makers require rational and emotional
basis for their purchase decisions. Make sure you appeal to both.
12. CREATE CONVERSATION WITHIN TARGETED COMPANIES
Decisions are seldom made without various involvements from
influencers and other decision makers. Provide the ‘tools’ that
create/facilitate conversation within your prospects organization.

3. ACQUISITION IS A SPORT
LEVERAGE YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE
DETERMINE AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY
UTILIZE A DISCIPLINED PROCESS
MAP AND UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER (PURCHASE) JOURNEY
EARN & LEARN
UTILIZE MULTIPLE CHANNELS & TOUCHPOINTS
LOST CUSTOMERS CAN BE PROFITABLE
CREATE AND LEVERAGE ADVOCATES
QUANTIFIABLE OBJECTIVES & PRE-DETERMINED METRICS
MESSAGING SHOULD EMPLOY BOTH HEAD & HEART
CREATE CONVERSATION WITHIN TARGETED COMPANIES