Accountability and the Engineering Marketer

Adrian and I got back last night from a tour of New England.  While we were there, we visited with more than a dozen very savvy engineering marketers on their home turf.  We also scooped Jolly Ranchers from their reception areas.  And we drank some beer after hours. 

At every stop, planning for 2014 is underway.  In every case, these marketers know what they are looking for.  They know the industries that their sales forces are targeting.  They know the size of the companies that are most likely to buy their products.  And they know what roles in those companies are the decision makers and the influencers. 

While we didn’t delve into personas of their various buyers, I wouldn’t be surprised if those are also well developed in these marketing teams.

All of them have some form of marketing automation tools, from home-grown to full enterprise systems.  They are using these systems to move prospects along the decision path from contacts to MQL (marketing qualified leads) to SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) and then to quoted prospects.  They measure themselves on quoted pipeline in sales, as well as on traditional marketing metrics.

The marketers we met are open to testing new things, but the days of “spray and pray” are over.  As they become more accountable for sales metrics, they are driving their marketing departments to become ever more important to the success of their enterprises. 

It was a great trip.  We learned a ton.  It would be awesome if there was way for these otherwise competitors to compare notes, maybe over some Jolly Ranchers.