Will the Revenue Marketers Please Stand Up?
Lots of B2B marketers are talking about it – getting revenue focused. In fact, according to the 2018 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey Report, 28% of marketing orgs report having specific revenue-based quotas, with nearly half stating that their marketing teams are expected to source more than 25% of closed-won revenue. But for many marketers, this idea of generating revenue feels like a lofty goal in the far distant future.
Fortunately, some are making phenomenal strides in this area, growing their organizations’ capabilities by leaps and bounds. They’re defining what it means to be a ‘revenue marketer’ and leaving a trail for others to follow. And we’re on a mission to recognize their work.
Integrate produces an annual recognition program – B2B Game Changers – that shines a spotlight on marketing leaders & pros who are making exemplary contributions within specific marketing disciplines. Past years have showcased the work of exceptional Demand Marketers and Marketing Ops pros.
With the growing pressure today’s B2B marketers face to influence pipeline, it’s time to highlight the folks making revenue generation look easy – so the rest of us can learn from their example.
Nominations are now open for the 2018 B2B Game Changers | Revenue Marketers Spotlight. And we’re looking for the best of the best. Who do you know that we should consider?
6 Traits of a Revenue Marketing Game Changer
On the surface, revenue marketers look just like everyone else. When you dig deeper though – into the way they approach their work; the tools they use; and the outcomes they deliver – you’ll find they possess a common set of characteristics that shape their thinking and strategy.
We’ve come to find that game-changing revenue marketers are:
- Growth Drivers
- Customer Lifecycle Maestros
- Full-Stack Operators
- Credible & Trusted Advisors
- Masters of Precision
- Industry Pacesetters
These attributes – when combined and applied to marketing strategies from conception to execution – are the foundation for stellar revenue contributions.
Growth Driver
#B2BGameChangers aren’t intimidated by accountability to a revenue number. To the contrary, it’s their beacon as they take their organizations by the helm and steer through the shift to become revenue-focused, crushing goals in the process.
Revenue Marketer Tip: Revenue is only a piece of the equation. You can’t sacrifice user experience or the needs of the customer for the sake of dollars.
Customer Lifecycle Maestro
#B2BGameChangers have a deep understanding of the entire customer journey, including renewal, cross-sell and upsell – thinking beyond ‘new customer’ to ‘lifetime customer.’ They know that delivering an integrated customer experience across all touch points is tantamount to scaling revenue.
Revenue Marketer Tip: The customer journey spans well beyond marketing to include sales, CS, product, even accounting. An orchestrated approach is essential to engage buyers across the entire lifecycle.
Full-Stack Operator
#B2BGameChangers leverage technology to build better, faster, smarter marketing organizations. They know that tools, systems and processes must be connected to deliver integrated marketing experiences, and enable the seamless flow of customer and prospect data. They’ll settle for nothing less than integrated.
Revenue Marketer Tip: Remember that you’re marketing to people and not everything should be automated. Know when to personalize.
Credible & Trusted Advisor
#B2BGameChangers are more than just ‘data-driven.’ They’re data storytellers, leveraging insights to paint the whole picture, not just to understand first or last-touch attribution. Then they develop a plan of action to improve outcomes.
Revenue Marketer Tip: Let the data be your guide, but don’t let it hinder your creativity or instinct.
Master of Precision
#B2BGameChangers are hyper-focused on targeting only the prospects and decision-makers who will have an impact on revenue. At the same time, they know that the net they cast today must be wide-enough to support tomorrow’s growth.
Revenue Marketer Tip: The target is always moving. Revisit this work constantly to ensure that you continue to engage the right people.
Industry Pacesetter
#B2BGameChangers take on strategic work without batting an eye, often creating templates for others to follow. This includes core exercises like developing buyer personas & ideal customer profiles, mapping the buyer’s journey, dynamically identifying target accounts, etc.
Revenue Marketer Tip: Be open to sharing your revenue creation strategies, tools and processes with fellow marketers. This is how we advance the industry at large.
6 B2B Experts to Choose the Game Changers
We typically receive several hundred nominations annually for B2B Game Changers Spotlight. There’s a ton of data, examples and stories to sort through and narrowing it down to a small handful of honorees is no easy task. Fortunately, six industry experts have come together to serve as the judging panel for the 2018 B2B Game Changers Spotlight.
Spotlight nominations will close on July 13th and In late July/early August, these expert marketers will assess and score the nominees to identify the pros they deem most worth of recognition. A big ‘thank you’ in advance to our esteemed 2018 judges.
- Robin Ritenour – Strategic Advisor, B2B Marketing & Technology
- Andrew Gaffney – Content Director, Demand Gen Report
- Anand Thaker – AI, Data & Growth, MarTech Advisor
- Patrice Greene – President, Inverta
- Kerry Cunningham – Sr. Research Director of Demand Creation Strategies, SiriusDecisions
- Scott Vaughan – CMO, Integrate
We’ll announce the 2018 B2B Game Changers on August 21st. Stay tuned for updates. And in the meantime, don’t forget to nominate the marketers on your team who are helping you crush your revenue goals. And if you’re the one at the helm, please stand up.
