So you’ve studied the books and put in the effort, but do you have it takes to be a good B2B marketer? Different then just any marketing job, B2B requires a mix of marketing skills.
Some people are born with it, most of the time they are trainable. Here are a few of the skills list a career-minded marketer should possess.
- Strong communication skills
Every aspect of a B2B marketer consists of communication, whether with colleagues or clients. A good marketer should know how to give out clear messages to different target audiences. This incorporates all forms of communication. A marketer should know the right language to use in emails, in a meeting room presenting ideas to different clients or during a meeting with their team. Tones are just as important. Clear communication ensures work gets done on-time and at an expected standard. In order to improve, practice on your writing and presentation skills, and always take criticism well.
- Research, research, research
A good B2B studies what is needed of him, but a great B2B marketer knows his industry at the back of his hands. Always allocate time to learn about the new changes in technology, or the current market situation in your respective country. When networking, identify the key leaders of your industry, and always take notes. A great marketer should know how to get information in a timely manner. Yes, the internet is helpful but Google alone is not enough. Try to widen your resources with books and even old reports.
- Forecasting skills
This is where your research skills will come in handy. A marketer’s ability to predict changes in the future market is important to every business, and this comes with thorough research. Clients would want proper reasoning to any changes or any new ideas and these are only doable with proven research and numbers. Brush up on your maths and PowerPoint skills as they will help you to present the sales, revenue and growth projection of a company.
- Understanding technology
There are a lot of tools today that helps marketer do a better job. Take advantage of that. Learn about these tools and how to use them. Tools like Hubspot and Google Analytics helps marketers collect data and derive appropriate metrics correlated to campaign goals and key performance indicators. These tools also help with Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
- Understanding Social Media
No, using social media is not understanding it. Learn the marketing side of social media. What are the appropriate contents for different platforms? How do social media measure success? Social media is the new faster way of getting your business to your clients however you want to target the right target audience at as minimal cost as possible. Most platforms provide a simpler options for advertising, Like Facebook, however a good marketer should know how to manoeuvre his way around it without taking a short cut. There are a lot of articles and Youtube videos available online on how to deal with social media marketing, take a time out of your day to learn it.
- Writing skills
In today’s world, marketers are needed to do everything. Including, at times writing contents. Brush up on your story telling skills, and also grammar. Remember that whatever that is put out there to the public represents your company. There is no other way to improve on this except by practising. If you are not a confident writer, ask a few of your peers to help you edit your contents. You can also improve by reading as much as you can.
- Problem solving skills
Marketing is there to help solve problems and answer questions. A good B2B can come up with a creative solution to a curve balls that is thrown at them, and they can solve it fast. If you are not yet good with this, have a back-up plan for every ideas you have. Identify the SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunity, threat) of all your suggestions and come up with the solution before a problem even occurs. This way, you will always be ready for whatever curve balls that are thrown at you.
- Be emotionally stable
Never make a decision based on your emotions. Every communication needs to be done at the right tone with the right language in order for information to be clear. Do not take any feedback as a personal attack, instead use it as part of your SWOT assessment and improve it for future use. It is important to remember that every decision made by a marketer effects the business process of a company, and bad decisions means bad financial outlook.
At times of crisis, remain calm and come up with a rational solution. The best way to do it is to prepare a crisis management report and execute it accordingly if it is needed.
ThunderQuote is the most comprehensive business services portal in Singapore, Australia and ASEAN , where hundreds of thousands of dollars of procurement contracts are sourced every month by major companies like Singapore Press Holdings, National Trade Union Congress and more.