In my role as an industry analyst, I specialise in 'context,' focusing on how various technologies fit into the broader landscape of IT strategy, investment, and transformation. This perspective puts me in a good position to connect the dots between what IT vendors and service providers are saying and the evolving needs of the tech-buying community. This in turn means I often spot opportunities that vendors have missed.
The hidden potential in latent needs
When you have a product that excels in a specific category, it's natural to focus on customers explicitly seeking solutions in that space. However, this approach often overlooks latent needs that arise in seemingly unrelated areas. These overlooked opportunities can provide a chance to tap into alternative budgets and piggyback on existing investments.
Let’s take the real-world example of a company selling next-generation wide area networking (WAN) solutions. While they were struggling to meet revenue goals through traditional RFP-driven routes, they discovered that their target market was experiencing issues with the quality of videoconferencing calls and meetings. Once this was recognised, a whole new stream of opportunity opened up. In this new context, the proposition was not WAN modernisation, but alleviating Microsoft Teams related pain.
The lateral thinking advantage
Once you start thinking laterally, you'll find it's often easier than you might expect to identify projects and initiatives that your solution can enhance. For instance, how could your product add value to the numerous SAP migrations currently underway? This question has led vendors selling everything from employee engagement tools to advanced analytics environments to unlock incremental opportunity.
Another benefit of contextual outreach is the opportunity to capitalise on other vendors' marketing efforts. For example, while SAP heavily promotes real-time analytics, customers often look to other suppliers for solutions in this space. The same goes for Google with Kubernetes and Microsoft with AI. Let someone else create the appetite; you step in to fulfil the need.
Putting contextual outreach into practice
Success with this kind of approach requires research, planning and preparation as you may have to engage different roles in different ways. Here are the basic steps:
Identify synergies: Take a step back to identify ongoing investments and initiatives that your solution could enhance or accelerate.
Tailor your proposition: Choose opportunities large enough to warrant a campaign or the development of targeted marketing assets.
Speak their language: Ensure maximum credibility and impact by using the vocabulary and frames of reference of your target audience.
On that last point, the principle is to explain your proposition in their terms, not yours.
Final thoughts
Contextual outreach allows you to create your own sales opportunities rather than merely responding to existing ones. This proactive approach often leads to more sustainable and mutually beneficial business relationships. So, as you plan your next marketing campaign, consider the untapped potential that contextual outreach could bring.
