Just over a week ago I had the pleasure of hosting an interactive workshop with Matt Heinz of Heinz Marketing. We covered the elements of the predictable pipeline and the foundational marketing elements you need in order to create a predictable pipeline and sustain it. The group conversation and participation were very lively and I wanted to share some of the key takeaways from the predictable pipeline polling that we held during the webinar.
- One-third of marketers are feeling prepared for 2021. Of course, these results may have been skewed by the audience that was eager to participate in a workshop that would be setting the stage for 2021, but when we polled the audience one third reported feeling prepared for next year. Considering we still have a full quarter of 2020 to go, this is a positive result. Marketers have managed some tectonic shifts this year but are learning from those experiences to prepare for the next year.
- Marketers feel under-supported and understaffed. One point that came up in the questions and in the polling is that marketers don’t feel that they have adequate resources to support growth and create a predictable pipeline. Sixty-three percent of attendees reported that they didn’t have the number of team members, resources and budget to support the ongoing growth of their organization. While not all marketing teams have experienced budget cuts, there has been a move to do marketing in a different way, leading them to feel unprepared to strive for growth in a world that has changed so much.
- Buying signals present an opportunity. With a digital-first marketing future, marketers need to have the sensors in place to capture buying signals and have the internal processes in order to act on them. 76.8% of respondents reported that they were neutral to not confident in their ability to easily and expediently act on buying signals. This needs to be a priority for marketers when it comes to their predictable pipeline strategy and one that we’ll explore more in future blog posts and webinars.
- Q4 priorities are back to marketing fundamentals. To close out the session, we asked the audience what three areas they would be prioritizing to get prepared for 2021. The top three results were: buyer and customer journey mapping, campaign planning and content. So much has changed in 2020 from the buyer and seller perspective, so returning to the basis from which all content and campaigns are built is a strong indication that marketers will be set up for success in 2021.
The other thing that stood out to me during this session was the attendees’ eagerness to help each other with questions and find creative solutions to their challenges regarding the predictable pipeline. I’m perpetually encouraged to see how marketers are willing to share their tips and best practices. With so much in flux this year, we’ve all had to go back to the drawing board when it comes to navigating internal and external situations.
If you’re interested in learning more about creating a predictable pipeline, watch the on-demand workshop.