Pat Spenner, Strategic Initiatives Leader at CEB and author of The Challenger Customer, shares insights from his book on how personalization isn't all it's made it out to be – especially if it's done poorly.

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2. Patspenner

3. The Problem with
Personalization in B2B
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The (Unhappy) Reality
Median MQL
Conversion Rate3%
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Personalization Conventional Wisdom
1. Identify key customer decision makers and stakeholders
2. Build personas that capture their demographic profile, goals,
pain points, motivations, fears, etc.
3. Use personas to guide more relevant content creation and
delivery
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Serves to Reason…
• Persona-informed (i.e., personalized) content à higher engagement
• Higher customer engagement à better lead quality
• Better lead quality à higher conversion rates, higher quality deals
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7. © 2015 CEB. All rights reserved#ChallengerCustomer
n = 3,000.
0%
50%
100%
81%
55%
53%
31%
1 2 3 4 5 6+
Size of Buying Team
60%
Purchase
Likelihood
60%
Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases
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8. © 2015 CEB. All rights reserved#ChallengerCustomer
n = 3,000.
0%
50%
100%
81%
55%
53%
31%
1 2 3 4 5 6+
Size of Buying Team
60%
Purchase
Likelihood
60%
5.4
Average Buying
Group Size
Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases
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9. © 2015 CEB. All rights reserved#ChallengerCustomer
n = 3,000.
0%
50%
100%
81%
55%
53%
31%
1 2 3 4 5 6+
Size of Buying Team
60%
Purchase
Likelihood
60%
6.8
Average Buying
Group Size
Bigger Groups, Fewer Purchases
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Stakeholder 1:
CIO
Engagement Angle:
Minimal work-flow disruption
Positioning: Seamless
integration with legacy
systems
Stakeholder “Closed”
Stakeholder 2:
Financial Analyst
Engagement Angle:
Cost savings
Positioning: Write-off of
existing platform
Stakeholder “Closed”
Stakeholder 3:
Marketer
Engagement Angle: Deeper
customer segmentation
Positioning: Develop effective
segmentation targeting
strategies
Stakeholder “Closed”
1. Accessing Individuals2.ClosingIndividuals
Track Them All down, Win Them All Over
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0%
8%
(8%)
4%
(4%)
ChangeinLikelihoodofMaking
aHigh-QualitySale
Access to
Stakeholders
Evaluating Purchase
Positioning Offering on
Value to an Individual
Stakeholder
Surprising Findings
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Stakeholder 1
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 2
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 3
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
The Lowest Common Denominator
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57%
Customer Due
Diligence Begins
Customer
Purchase Decision
Customer Engages
Sales Reps
Delayed Engagement
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57%
Customer Due
Diligence Begins
Customer
Purchase Decision
Customer Engages
Sales Reps
Peak Conflict
Peak
Conflict
37%
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Revisiting Conventional Wisdom
• Persona-informed (i.e., personalized) content à higher engagement
• Higher customer engagement à better lead quality
• Better lead quality à higher conversion rates, higher quality deals
Individual engagement is not the same as collective consensus
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What Now?
Stakeholder 1
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 2
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Stakeholder 3
Mental Model
Goal
Priorities
Metrics
Means
Make this blue
triangle bigger,
earlier
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The Teacher The BlockerThe ClimberThe Guide
The Go-Getter The FriendThe Skeptic
Seven Types of Customer Stakeholders
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Mobilizer™ Customers Get the Deal Done
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Mobilizer Defies Title/Role/Function
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Senior Decision Maker Distribution by Stakeholder Type

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Mobilizer Dog Whistle
General Information
Accepted Information
Thought Leadership
Insight
Commercial Insight
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Xerox Commercial Insight Example
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Which One Calls to a Mobilizer?
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White Paper:
How Cartridge Free Printing
is Reducing Waste
in Modern School Districts

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Source: Skillsoft; CEB analysis.
Skillsoft’s toolkit provides
guidance on how to navigate
internal change and purchase
processes
Equip Mobilizers to Create Consensus
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CEB Marketing Solutions
■ Create Commercial Insights
■ Map customer consensus buying behavior and verifiers
■ Create Challenger/consensus-building marketing programs
and sales enablement
Learn more: www.ChallengerCustomer.com
Challenger™ and Mobilizer™ are trademarks or service marks of CEB Inc. These marks may be registered
marks® in various countries. CEB Inc. claims all rights to control their usefor goods and services within their field.
Inquiries concerning these trademarks and servicemarks should be directed to support@cebglobal.com.
CEB Marketing Solutionsprovides arms & legs
execution supportto:
CEB’s Execution Partners
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