B2B technology organisations often face a unique marketing challenge. Their products or services are often complex and technical, making it difficult for many marketers to truly grasp what they are tasked with promoting. Marketing these offerings effectively hinges on a fundamental understanding of their technical intricacies.
In this blog, I will delve into the critical importance of ensuring your marketing team fully comprehends your product or service. I will explore how lacking technical knowledge within your marketing ranks can have far-reaching consequences, from lost revenue and stalled growth to a diminished competitive edge. I will also compare the challenges of providing technical training to your marketing team versus the advantages of partnering with a technically competent marketing team.
Eight reasons why tech knowledge is crucial to your marketing team’s success
1. Ineffective representation of your product or service
Your marketing team represents your product or service to the world. If your team lack a deep understanding of its technical nuances, conveying its value proposition becomes challenging.
2. Inability to translate complexity
For your marketing to be effective, you require a team adept at translating intricate technical features into clear, customer-centric benefits. Your marketing team will not be capable of crafting compelling messaging without a thorough understanding of your offering. This limitation may result in potential customers struggling to grasp the actual value of your offering.
3. Overlooking of unique features
When your marketing team lacks a deep understanding of your product’s technical aspects, they may unintentionally overlook unique features or capabilities that set your offering apart from competitors. These unique selling points are essential for attracting potential customers seeking specific solutions.
4. Underemphasising competitive advantages
Without the ability to grasp the technical nuances of your product or service, your marketing team may not effectively communicate your competitive advantages. This neglect can result in missed opportunities to position your business as a market leader or innovator in your industry.
5. Ineffective targeting
A marketing team without technical expertise may struggle to identify and target niche markets that could benefit the most from your product, leading to inefficient marketing campaigns that fail to reach the right audience.
6. Lost trust
Potential customers often have technical questions or reservations before making a purchase decision. It erodes trust if your marketing team cannot provide accurate and insightful responses. Customers may question the reliability of your product or the transparency of your company.
7. Perceived incompetence
The inability to address technical inquiries may make your organisation appear inexperienced or unprepared, even if that is not the case. This perceived incompetence can deter potential customers who want to feel confident in their choice of product or service provider.
8. Negative word-of-mouth
Customers who have a poor experience with your marketing team’s inability to handle technical matters may share their frustrations with others, both offline and online. Negative word-of-mouth can significantly harm your brand’s reputation.
Training your marketers vs. partnering with a technically competent marketing team
With the understanding of why your marketing team must understand your technology offering, you now face the decision: is it best to provide technical training to your existing marketing team, or is it more effective to commence working with a technically competent marketing team?
Here are some points worth considering in your decision-making process:
Challenges of training non-technical marketers:
- Non-technical marketers may struggle to understand the technical nuances of complex B2B tech products or services.
- Communicating complex technical features in a customer-centric manner can be challenging for non-technical marketers.
- Identifying specific knowledge gaps within the marketing team can be time-consuming and require meticulous assessment.
- Non-technical marketers may not be interested in investing their personal time in effectively overcoming the significant learning curve.
- Creating a customised training program tailored to address knowledge gaps demands careful planning and resources.
- Ensuring continuous learning and development for non-technical marketers to keep them up-to-date with evolving tech products and industry trends can be an ongoing challenge.
- Misunderstandings or inaccuracies in conveying technical information can lead to ineffective marketing campaigns.
- There is a risk of non-technical marketers misrepresenting complex technical features, which can harm your brand’s credibility.
Advantages of partnering with technically competent marketers:
- Technically competent marketers possess an in-depth understanding of complex B2B tech products or services.
- They can clearly communicate technical details and the product’s value proposition, reducing the risk of misunderstandings.
- Marketers with technical expertise can develop targeted and effective marketing strategies.
- There is no learning curve for technically competent marketers; they can immediately apply their knowledge.
- Their technical knowledge allows for efficient utilisation of resources and faster time-to-market.
- Externally engaged, technically competent marketers can bring fresh perspectives and innovative insights to marketing strategies.
- They can identify untapped opportunities and potential areas for improvement.
- Technically competent marketers can help bridge the gap between complex technical products and effective marketing strategies.
Conclusion
The success of your organisation’s marketing efforts hinges on your marketing team’s understanding of your complex technical products or services offering. Lacking technical knowledge within the marketing team can lead to lost opportunities, diminished credibility, and stalled growth. While training your existing marketers can be a viable option, it is essential to consider the challenges involved. Alternatively, partnering with a technically competent marketing team offers a strategic advantage. The choice ultimately depends on your organisation’s specific needs, but one thing remains clear: technical knowledge is vital to marketing success in the tech industry.
Partner with Resonate for your technical marketing needs
In the B2B tech space, it is crucial to understand that your product or service offering is complex to ‘non-tech’ outsiders. Most marketers fall into this category and do not have tech-specific knowledge. The absence of foundational technical knowledge severely impacts the average marketers’ competency levels in this space. Therefore to gain the best results from your marketing spend, you have two options… One is to train your marketers in the technical capabilities and applications of your offering.
Alternatively, you can engage a specialised marketing team, such as Resonate. Our team has the technical expertise to understand your business, offering, and technology itself. We also have the capability and domain expertise to strategise new channels to market and additional revenue opportunities to further grow your business.
Resonate can competently guide your organisation from a Strategy, Marketing and Sales perspective. If you feel your organisation could benefit from the technical expertise Resonate offers, please do not hesitate to contact me (rk@resonate.com.au or 0412 517 237) to discuss further.
