Why SMBs Struggle to Modernize B2B Marketing and Sales Strategies

The past few years have brought about major changes to the way businesses operate, but SMBs that sell to other businesses are largely still reliant on the same B2B marketing and sales strategies they’ve always used. In the part one of this blog series, we discussed why the traditional approach to B2B marketing and sales is no longer effective for many organizations due to outdated buyer’s journeys, lack of buyer-centricity, and the prioritization of leads (read part one of this series here). While larger companies with ample resources can tailor their efforts to the modern buying journey, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face a greater challenge in making this transition to B2B marketing and sales modernization.

Let’s discuss some of the most common challenges we see:

1. Affordability

SMBs often have budget constraints that prevent them from adopting efficient customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation systems (MAS). The software can be costly, and the implementation and training process can be complex and time-consuming, which can make it daunting to invest in new systems.

2. Lack of Defined Process

SMBs often lack a clear lead-to-revenue process and find it difficult to keep up with the changing B2B landscape. In addition to this, ensuring processes are up to date can be challenging, which is another factor that often leads to unsuccessful CRM implementations.

3. Limited Resources

SMBs often undervalue the importance of B2B marketing compared to sales with 60% of SMB marketing budgets due to be slashed or remain static in 2023, which results in a lack of marketing resources to drive successful marketing efforts. Marketing teams in SMBs are often understaffed or lack the necessary skills to launch and monitor initiatives.

4. Barriers to Adoption

SMBs often face significant barriers to technology adoption, including budget and time, as discussed above, as well as dissenting opinions across departments which can impact the perception of new initiatives and impact their effectiveness.

Recommendations to Successfully Modernize B2B Marketing and Sales

While SMBs face many challenges when modernizing their B2B marketing and sales efforts, laying some groundwork can increase the likelihood of success, and we recommend:

Building Support

• Communicate the value and benefits of implementing a modernized sales and marketing approach, such as Simple Account-Based Sales and Marketing, to stakeholders.

Simplifying CRM

• Streamline your CRM system by focusing on contact and account-based processes, rather than just leads, to get a full picture of the buying process.

Customizing Tactics

• Use an assessment matrix to help guide recommendations to customize your sales and marketing tactics and modernize the lead gathering process.

Building Confidence

• Give the C-suite level staff and other executives a well-defined plan for the new approach and be transparent throughout the process, keeping track of results for reporting.

Modernize your B2B Marketing and Sales Strategies with Ease

While it can be extremely challenging for SMBs to modernize their B2B marketing and sales strategies due to the numerous barriers they face, adopting our new Unified Sales and Marketing Approach makes the process less complex.

Learn more about the Unified Sales and Marketing Approach by accessing our special report.

In the final part of our simple ABM series, we will discuss why exactly Simple Account-Based Sales and Marketing is a better approach for SMBs.