As my hometown prepared to host the supermoon on January 1st, I spent the hours identifying how to turn my clients into Super Clients. As the moon grew bigger, I designed engagement plans to exceed my clients’ objectives in 2018.
At DemandGen, the Client Engagement Manager (CEM) is the client’s main point of contact once they engage with us. As a CEM, it’s my belief that not only do our clients deserve the best service and delivery, but they also deserve to shine within their organization.
Four tips to strengthen your DemandGen partnership and become a marketing superhero
The following four suggestions are my best tips for building a strong partnership so you can get the best return on your investment. I’ll focus on my own experiences here at DemandGen, but these tips apply to just about any organization you work with.
- Share your marketing plans and permit access to your team
When starting out with DemandGen, educate your CEM on the current state of your business and where you’re headed. No plan is too rough, or too sophisticated. Chances are, we’ve seen it — or something like it — and we’ll be able to better provide guidance. Not having the bigger picture can cause challenges down the road when it comes time to operationalize.
In that same spirit of disclosure, integrate DemandGen into your organization. Your CEM and consultant are experts in synthesizing information from various sources, and we’re able to coordinate the right resources as we fully come to know your business and its goals. Say you’re implementing a lead scoring program, but for whatever reason it has been defined without visibility and buy-in from your sales partners. Getting feedback from your salespeople after a new lead scoring goes live can be risky. We’ve even seen complete do-overs take place in this scenario.
That’s why one of DemandGen’s mantras is “Sales and Marketing Alignment.” On a recent project, we sat down with the sales VP and the marketing director up front, and crafted the demand funnel together. Every stage, handoff, and service level agreement (SLA) between sales and marketing was agreed to before it was implemented so there was no confusion later on. Even if you’re just making incremental changes, it makes a world of difference when it comes time to put your efforts into the hands of your sales partners.
- Provide feedback on a regular basis
An open, two-way channel of communication lets your DemandGen team better understand the nuances of your organization, share project successes, address questions or feedback, and identify any opportunities or areas for improvement. Your CEM will create a plan to share with you on a quarterly or semiannual basis (or more frequently for shorter-term engagements). Consistent visibility of results will help ensure your project gets the attention and credit it deserves, while hopefully providing momentum for future initiatives.
In a recent onsite for a Quarterly Business Review (QBR), not only did we learn more about our client’s shifting business objectives and organizational changes from the executive team, but we also strengthened our working relationship and gained invaluable insight that helped us reassess, fine-tune next steps, and ultimately deliver on our client’s expectations.
One friendly note: while these meetings can take place over the phone, there’s tremendous value in face-to-face communication. Carving out some hours to focus on the initiatives — and people — you made a huge investment in makes good business sense.
- Invite DemandGen early
Have you ever had one of those looming deadlines cast a dark shadow (like the supermoon!)? Even if it’s a complex project you haven’t fully gotten your arms around yet, don’t try to figure everything out before reaching out. We most likely have experience with what you’re trying to do, and we can help contribute to those early discussions.
The sooner you bring us into your orbit, the sooner we can talk through all of the variables, map out the deliverables, and create a timeline. Whether it’s merging two different marketing automation platforms, implementing a new CRM, or enlisting our help on a smaller project, try to leave enough time to do it well the first time.
- Share your success!
Whether it’s communicating your project success internally or sharing it with others in your industry, we can help you shine. We’ve had plenty of practice coming up with creative ways to share our clients’ stories, as well as finding the right venues to share them.
We help our clients submit for awards and secure speaking opportunities. Want to speak at a conference? We can co-write your speaker abstract as well as your presentation, and even co-present with you. Our marketing team can also create some stellar graphics. After all, every superhero needs a costume — let us add some glitz!
Even if you’re not a fan of public speaking, there are other ways to share your story. We can help you showcase your success in a case study that can be shared with others in your industry and give your project the visibility it deserves.
Let DemandGen help you become a marketing superhero!
DemandGen launched the Client Engagement Manager (CEM) role after a serious review of how we can best help our clients achieve and exceed their goals.
Hundreds of client engagements over the years have taught us that strong communication and planning are key to a successful project. When we have a deeper understanding of your organization, we’re better equipped to meet and even exceed your expectations. And the more knowledgeable our clients are about what we’re doing, the more value we both bring to the table.
Beyond that, it’s so important to share your results — both internally and externally — to ensure others understand the value of your investment so it doesn’t start gathering dust. Visibility enables management to both understand and appreciate your efforts and the value the solution brings so you can continue to invest in your organization’s success for years to come.
Ready to become a marketing superhero? Let’s get started!
As a Client Engagement Manager, Linnea Alvord helps DemandGen clients meet their strategic objectives through the use of marketing technology and services. Linnea’s passion for client success has been honed over 20+ years in technology consulting and marketing. She believes that marketing and sales alignment is possible and wants to help all of her clients become marketing superheroes.
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