The no-fuss guide to prospecting vs. positioning in B2B channel marketing

Struggling to turn clicks into contracts? You're not alone. Many vendors grapple with the content conundrum: how to attract new leads (prospecting) and convert them into loyal customers (positioning) through channel partners.  

If you’re looking to overcome the frustrating disconnect in B2B technology solutions channel marketing, we’re here to help with advice that will get you on the right path to building a well-oiled machine for generating leads and closing deals. The key? Finding what works to enable and enhance collaboration between vendors and channel partners.  

 
Prospecting vs positioning - understanding the difference: 
Prospecting materials are marketing tools designed to attract new potential customers (leads) for your B2B technology solutions or products. These are tools designed to generate leads and attract potential customers. They focus on creating awareness, highlighting problems your solutions address, and sparking initial interest.  

Some examples of prospecting materials (that you’re likely already familiar with) include: 

• eBooks and white papers on industry trends and challenges. 

• Blog articles showcasing customer success stories. 

• Infographics and webinars on relevant tech topics. 
   

Positioning materials are content pieces that aim to position your brand and solutions within its specific market niche. Once you have a prospect's attention, positioning materials delve deeper. They aim to differentiate your offerings, establish brand value, and convince prospects that your solution is the best fit. They are also the tools you’ll use to establish your expertise.  

 Some examples of positioning materials (that you’re probably already even using!) include: 

• Case studies and success stories: Demonstrating the effectiveness of your solutions with real-world examples. 

• Product brochures and datasheets: Providing detailed information about features, benefits, and specifications. 

• Webinars and demos: Offering interactive sessions to showcase product capabilities and answer questions. 

So, what does your sales team really need? 
Empowering your sales team with the right content for the job is essential to maximise the impact of any channel marketing efforts. Given that sales teams are responsible for turning clicks into contracts, it’s important to ensure they have the right content types in their toolboxes to make it happen.  

Let's briefly unpack some of the specific tools and resources sales pros need to close those deals in a highly competitive market:  

When it comes to prospecting: 

• Targeted content: Sales teams need content tailored to specific customer segments and buyer personas. 

• Lead nurturing resources: Content that educates and engages prospects, moving them further down the sales funnel. 

• Sales battle cards: Concise summaries of key differentiators and value propositions for quick reference during interactions. 

 
When it comes to positioning: 

• Competitive intelligence: Sales teams require access to market research and competitor analysis to effectively position your solutions during sales conversations. 

• Customer testimonials and case studies: Real-world examples showcasing successful implementations are powerful tools for sales reps to build trust and credibility. 

 For internal use, it is important to make sure that sales (and marketing teams) have access to: 

• Partner portals: A central repository for all channel marketing materials, training resources, and sales tools. 

• Co-branding templates: Standardised templates for creating joint marketing materials with channel partners. 

• Sales training: Equipping sales teams with knowledge about channel partner programs, value propositions, and effective collaboration strategies. 

This will give sales teams the confidence they need to take your products and solutions from pitch to profit. 
 

 What are the major differences in prospecting vs. positioning content? 

• Target audience: Prospecting materials target a broader audience with industry-wide issues, while positioning materials focus on a more specific, qualified lead with tailored solutions. 

• Depth of information: Prospecting materials offer a general overview, while positioning materials dive deeper to address specific pain points and needs. 

• Call to action: Prospecting materials aim to capture leads and nurture them down the sales funnel, while positioning materials aim to close the deal and keep customers sweet once they’ve been landed. 
   

 As we mentioned earlier, the key to a well-oiled machine for generating leads (marketing) and closing deals (sales) is a joint effort between vendors and channel partners.  

 How is this done? Here are some of the most important actionable steps, that come from our many years of experience at the frontline of B2B channel marketing:   

• Joint content creation is everything: Develop co-branded content (such as the webinars, eBooks and sales battle cards we unpacked above) that leverage the strengths of both vendors and channel partners. 

• Unify the user experience through content sharing guidelines: Establish clear guidelines for partners to access, customise and share content for prospecting and positioning purposes. 

• Don’t forget the training and enablement: Provide channel partners with product training and sales enablement programs to ensure they can effectively position the solutions they’re meant to push. This is often overlooked.  

Quantifying the positive impact of joint content creation between vendors and channel partners: 

What happens when sales teams have access to the right mix of prospecting and positioning content, created in collaboration between vendors and channel partners? Only good things. You can expect: 

• Improved qualified leads: A significant increase in the number of qualified leads generated through channel marketing efforts, which can be measured by tracking the conversion rate of leads obtained through partner campaigns. 

• Higher channel partner engagement: The right content tools are a powerful motivator for partners to actively promote solutions. This can be tracked through partner engagement metrics like content downloads, webinar attendance, and co-marketing activities. 

• Increased sales and revenue: The most important thing is always money, in the form of higher sales and revenue. Monitor sales figures attributable to channel partnerships to quantify the positive impact. 

 Achieving true channel marketing success - the outsourcing advantage  

Creating impactful prospecting and positioning content for B2B technology channels can be daunting. This is where having a B2B specialist content agency step in as your strategic partner can be a smart move. 

Agencies offer a powerful advantage: 

• Content expertise: Leverage their industry-specific knowledge to craft compelling content that attracts and converts leads. 

• Scalability: Ramp up content creation without the headache of additional in-house staff. 

• Targeted content: Agencies tailor content output to resonate with your ideal audience. 

Best of all? It’s their job to ensure channel partner alignment. That content meets both vendor and partner goals. Partnering with a B2B content agency frees up internal resources while guaranteeing a steady stream of high-quality content. It's the missing piece to your B2B content marketing puzzle, guaranteed to help drive more leads, build stronger partnerships, and ultimately, sales success.