In today’s competitive B2B landscape, pipeline growth remains an essential yet challenging objective for businesses striving to scale. In our latest episode of Predictable B2B Success, we are joined by Avetis Ghazaryan, CEO of Growth Hunter, who delves deep into innovative strategies to achieve reliable and repeatable pipeline growth. Avetis, an expert in momentum marketing with a wealth of experience in aligning marketing and business development with buyer preferences, shares invaluable insights that can help your business cut through the noise.
Throughout the episode, Avetis discusses the importance of understanding buyer perspectives and the consistent need for market research. He also elaborates on the role of high congregation moments and momentum marketing—explaining how these concepts can be leveraged to create compelling and timely engagements with prospects. This conversation is a must-listen if you’re keen on breaking barriers and achieving predictable growth. Dive into the article to discover how to harness the power of proven playbooks and cutting-edge B2B strategies for your business success.
Watch the episode
About Avetis Ghazaryan
Avetis Ghazaryan has spent over five years honing his expertise in momentum marketing, transitioning from one company to another to fine-tune this innovative concept. He attended the SaaStr event two years ago, a significant gathering for B2B (business-to-business) experts and like-minded professionals. His primary goal was to share his momentum marketing concept and gauge its reception among peers.
The event proved to be a pivotal moment for Avetis. Engaging in numerous enlightening discussions, he discovered that many found his concept intriguing and were eager to explore its potential. Inspired by this response, Avetis and several interested attendees reconvened post-event to create a dedicated resource hub for momentum marketing. Their mission was clear: to challenge the concept, test it across different companies, and encourage others to do the same.
They aimed to compile their collective findings into a centralized online repository, thus providing a valuable resource for anyone interested in leveraging momentum marketing. Through this initiative, Avetis Ghazaryan continues to foster innovation and collaboration in the marketing community.
Understanding B2B Marketing with Avetis Ghazaryan: Key Strategies for Pipeline Growth
In the latest episode of the Predictable B2B Success podcast, host Vinay Koshy welcomes Avetis Ghazaryan, the CEO of Growth Hunter, to explore critical aspects of B2B marketing. Ghazaryan shares his valuable insights on understanding the buyer’s perspective, leveraging momentum marketing, and building predictable revenue growth.
Here, we unpack the key discussions, strategies, and tools Avetis highlights, providing actionable steps for B2B marketers to achieve sustainable success.
Understanding the Buyer’s Perspective
One of the fundamental principles that Avetis Ghazaryan emphasizes is the critical importance of understanding the buyer’s perspective. This involves consistent market research to uncover what buyers are thinking.
Knowing the Buyer
Understanding your buyers’ concerns, priorities, and preferences is essential for tailoring your marketing and business development strategies. Avetis shares that businesses often face a significant gap in understanding their buyers, leading to communication challenges and competitive disadvantages.
Consistent Market Research
Avetis suggests using various tools and methods to gain insights into buyers’ top-of-mind concerns. These include:
- ZoomInfo Data: Providing detailed information on existing and prospective customers.
- Third-party Intent Data: Offering insights into buyer behaviors and interests.
- First-party CRM Data: Utilizing internal customer relationship management systems to track and understand buyer interactions.
- Customer Interviews: Direct customer discussions to gather first-hand insights.
- Conferences: Attending industry events to observe trends and network with key stakeholders.
By doing so, companies can align their offerings with what buyers truly value, bridging the communication gap and enhancing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
The Role of Playbooks in B2B Marketing
Avetis explains the indispensable role of playbooks in achieving consistent and predictable pipeline growth. These playbooks should be proven and tested to ensure reliability in their application.
Challenges and Implementation
While playbooks are essential, Avetis acknowledges that they present challenges regarding time and implementation. Developing and fine-tuning a playbook requires significant resources, but the investment pays off by providing a reliable blueprint for future marketing activities.
Leveraging High Congregation Moments
Avetis’s key strategy is capitalizing on “high congregation moments” to effectively engage prospects and introduce solutions.
Defining High Congregation Moments
High congregation moments are significant events or themes that are strategically important and top of mind for buyers. For instance, Avetis references Amazon’s acquisition of 1 Medical as a high congregation moment relevant to certain sectors.
Momentum Marketing
Momentum marketing involves:
- Identifying these high-congregation moments.
- Aligning your messaging with them.
- Executing marketing strategies within that context.
This approach allows you to leverage the heightened attention on specific topics, positioning your company as a thought leader and capturing buyer interest when they are most engaged.
Building Unique Positioning
Avetis recommends identifying 2-3 high congregation moments where your buyers and prospects are engaged each quarter. Developing a unique positioning within these moments aligns your marketing efforts with the company’s major strategic narrative, enhancing relevance without jeopardizing brand consistency.
The Importance of Thought Leadership
In a crowded market, standing out is crucial. Avetis emphasizes the importance of thought leadership in establishing a unique perspective that differentiates your company from competitors.
Momentum Mapping and Thought Leadership
Momentum mapping involves identifying high congregation moments in the industry, examining the stories covered by recognizable publications, social media conversations, and thought leaders addressing specific challenges. This comprehensive analysis lets you pinpoint optimal moments for deploying your marketing strategies.
Case Study: Instagram Automation
Avetis shares a compelling example of a company capitalizing on a high congregation moment around Instagram automation. By positioning itself as a thought leader during this industry conversation, the company quickly differentiated itself from competitors, establishing trust and building awareness more rapidly than traditional inbound marketing methods.
Addressing SaaS Professional Challenges
Avetis offers nuanced strategies for SaaS professionals to navigate the unique challenges they face in implementing momentum marketing.
Distinguishing Trends from Momentums
Understanding the difference between fleeting trends and sustainable momentums is critical for SaaS professionals. Avetis notes that while trends may offer short-term opportunities, focusing on lasting momentums can drive long-term growth and stability.
Commitment to Resource Allocation
SaaS companies must consistently allocate resources to understand their buyers, channels, and messaging. This enables them to stay current with industry dynamics and ensure the effectiveness of their marketing strategies.
Overcoming Low Awareness for Startups
One significant hurdle for early-stage startups is overcoming low awareness and building trust with potential buyers. Avetis highlights how momentum marketing can help in this regard.
Accelerating Thought Leadership
Startups can quickly establish themselves as thought leaders by focusing on high congregation moments and top-of-mind topics. This approach accelerates the trust-building process compared to traditional inbound marketing methods, helping startups gain fast traction in the market.
Disruptive R&D
Avetis points out that startups are incentivized to engage in disruptive research and development due to their limited resources. Coupled with effective marketing strategies, this can lead to breakthrough success.
The Key Takeaway: Know Your Buyer
The paramount lesson from Avetis Ghazaryan’s discussion is the profound importance of knowing your buyer. Companies can achieve predictable and reliable pipeline growth by deeply understanding buyer preferences, investing in consistent market research, and leveraging momentum marketing. Avetis challenges teams to continually focus on buyer relevance, driving actionable insights that lead to sustained success.
Unlocking B2B Growth: Insights from Avetis Ghazaryan on Predictable B2B Success
Let’s unpack the episode’s themes and provide detailed, actionable takeaways.
1. Understanding the Buyer’s Perspective
Main Theme: At the heart of effective B2B marketing is a deep understanding of the buyer’s mindset. The ability to view the market, challenges, and solutions through the buyers’ eyes is paramount.
Key Points Discussed:
- Knowing what is top-of-mind for buyers is a recurring challenge for businesses.
- Primary tools like ZoomInfo and CRM data can provide insights, but regular customer interviews and attending conferences are indispensable.
- A data-driven approach should be balanced with qualitative methods to form a complete understanding.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Regular Customer Interviews: Schedule bi-monthly interviews with your customers to discuss their main challenges and what solutions they are seeking.
- Leverage Technology:
- Use tools such as ZoomInfo for demographic and firmographic data.
- Implement third-party intent data to understand buyer signals and behaviors.
- Stay Active in Industry Events: Attend at least two major industry conferences annually and engage in genuine conversations with prospective buyers.
- Routine Market Research: Allocate a specific budget and resources each quarter for in-depth market research to stay updated on buyers’ changing priorities.
2. The Crucial Role of Proven Playbooks
Main Theme: Playbooks are essential for predictable and repeatable pipeline growth. These must be proven and tested to be effective.
Key Points Discussed:**
- Playbooks offer a structured approach to marketing and sales but can be time-consuming to develop.
- Consistency is critical; these tools should be revisited and refined regularly.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Develop Playbooks: Start by creating comprehensive playbooks that document step-by-step processes for different customer journey stages.
- Refine Tactics: Quarterly reviews of the playbooks should be done to integrate learnings and optimize strategies.
- Incorporate Real-World Data: Ensure that real-world data and case studies back playbooks.
- Training and Implementation: Thoroughly train your team on the playbooks and continually implement a feedback mechanism to refine the processes.
3. Leveraging Momentum Marketing
Main Theme: Momentum marketing involves identifying high congregation moments—significant events or themes strategically important to target buyers—and aligning marketing strategies to these moments.
Key Points Discussed:
- High congregation moments, such as Amazon’s acquisition of 1 Medical, are fertile ground for engaging prospects.
- Aligning marketing strategies with these moments can accelerate trust and establish thought leadership.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Identify High Congregation Moments: Identify 2-3 key events or themes that resonate with your target buyers each quarter.
- Use industry reports, news, and social media trends to uncover these moments.
- Align Messaging: Develop contextual marketing messages that align with identified high congregation moments.
- Execute Campaigns: Create campaigns that leverage these high congregation moments. For example, if sustainability is a top concern, back your products/services with eco-focused narratives during Earth Day.
- Timeline Planning: Plan your marketing calendar around these significant moments to maximize impact.
4. The Importance of Collective Communities and Thought Leaders
Main Theme: Staying connected to thought leaders and joining collective communities are critical for staying current and relevant in the dynamic B2B market landscape.
Key Points Discussed:
- Communities offer a platform to exchange ideas, strategies, and playbooks.
- Thought leadership can significantly differentiate a company from its competitors.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Join Communities: Actively participate in professional networks and online communities related to your industry (e.g., LinkedIn groups and industry-specific forums).
- Engage with Thought Leaders: Follow and interact with industry thought leaders on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Create Content: Publish blogs, whitepapers, and case studies to establish your thought leadership.
- Host Webinars and Panel Discussions: Organize and participate in webinars that address top-of-mind concerns for your industry. This not only helps in staying updated but also builds credibility.
5. The Dynamics of SaaS Market Trends and Momentums
Main Theme: Differentiating between fleeting trends and sustainable momentum is crucial in the SaaS market.
Key Points Discussed:
- Trend chasing can be distracting; instead, focus on recognizing and leveraging sustainable momentum.
- Momentum marketing can help SaaS startups position themselves effectively during significant industry shifts.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Trend Analysis: Conduct thorough analyses to distinguish between passing trends and genuine momentum.
- Longterm Strategy: Develop long-term strategies that align with sustainable momentum rather than just trends.
- Flexibility: Maintain adaptability to tweak marketing strategies as the momentum evolves.
- Case Studies: Refer to successful case studies in your industry that have effectively leveraged momentum to guide your strategy.
6. Demand Generation in High Congregation Moments
Main Theme: High congregation moments present unique opportunities for demand generation by providing a contextually relevant platform to introduce solutions.
Key Points Discussed:
- Such moments help to build trust and catch the attention of prospects quickly.
- They are critical for early-stage startups struggling with low awareness.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Event-Based Campaigns: Craft marketing campaigns around significant events or news items relevant to your industry.
- Trust-Building Content: Generate content, such as blogs, videos, and case studies, that aligns your solution with the high congregation moment.
- Engage Influencers: Collaborate with industry influencers to amplify your message during these high congregation moments.
- Follow-Up Strategy: Develop a follow-up strategy to keep the conversation going post-event and ensure sustained engagement with your prospects.
7. Overcoming Resource Constraints in Startups
Main Theme: Early-stage startups face unique constraints and challenges, particularly in marketing and customer acquisition. Limited resources necessitate focusing on innovative and disruptive R&D coupled with strategic marketing.
Key Points Discussed:
- Trade-offs between product development and marketing can impede growth.
- Resource allocation must be strategically planned to balance these crucial areas.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Resource Allocation: Create a well-balanced resource allocation plan for R&D and targeted marketing initiatives.
- Disruptive Innovations: Focus on developing disruptive innovations that respond to high congregation moments and top-of-mind concerns.
- Customer Acquisition Strategies: Invest in scalable and cost-effective customer acquisition strategies, such as SEO, content marketing, and social media advertising.
- Partnerships and Alliances: Form strategic partnerships to extend reach and leverage shared resources for greater market impact.
8. Building a Reliable and Predictable Pipeline
Main Theme: A reliable and predictable pipeline is the cornerstone of B2B success. This involves continuous refinement of strategies based on buyer insights and high congregation moments.
Key Points Discussed:
- Consistent market research and a deep understanding of buyer preferences are paramount.
- Alignment of marketing and sales efforts is critical for pipeline predictability.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Pipeline Audits: Conduct regular audits of your sales pipeline to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
- Integrated Marketing and Sales Efforts: Ensure seamless integration between your marketing and sales teams through regular alignment meetings and shared goals.
- Buyer Persona Development: Develop comprehensive buyer personas and update them regularly to reflect evolving buyer preferences and behaviors.
- Technology Integration: Use advanced CRM systems integrated with marketing automation tools to track and manage your pipeline more effectively.
9. The Role of Data in Understanding Buyer’s Top-of-Mind Concerns
Main Theme: Accurate understanding of what’s top of mind for future clients requires a combination of data sources, including ZoomInfo, CRM data, customer interviews, and conference attendance.
Key Points Discussed:
– Data from multiple sources offers a more holistic view.
– Consistent gathering and analyzing this data are necessary for actionable insights.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Data Integration: Integrate data from various sources (third-party intent data, CRM, customer feedback) into a unified system for comprehensive analysis.
- Analytical Tools: Use analytical tools and dashboards to track and visualize top-of-mind trends among buyers.
- Continuous Learning: Create a culture of continuous learning within your team to stay on top of changing buyer priorities and market conditions.
- Feedback Loop: Establish a robust feedback loop system where insights from customer interactions are regularly fed back into your strategy development process.
Conclusion
The episode featuring Avetis Ghazaryan offers insights and practical strategies for driving predictable B2B success. Businesses can achieve reliable and repeatable growth by understanding the buyer’s perspective, utilizing proven playbooks, leveraging momentum marketing, and engaging with collective communities and thought leaders.
Startups, in particular, stand to gain from these strategies by overcoming resource constraints and maximizing their marketing impacts. Ultimately, the key takeaway is the importance of consistently challenging your team to understand buyer relevance and drive a predictable pipeline.
Some topics we explore in this episode include:
- Understanding the Buyer’s Perspective: The importance of consistent market research in B2B marketing to understand buyers’ top-of-mind concerns.
- Role of Playbooks in Pipeline Growth: The significance of using proven and tested playbooks to achieve reliable and repeatable pipeline growth, along with the implementation challenges.
- Staying Connected with Thought Leaders: The need to stay updated and adapt strategies by connecting with thought leaders and joining collective communities.
- Resources Provided by Growth Hunter: How Growth Hunter serves as a resource hub for B2B experts to exchange playbooks and ideas, aiding in understanding buyer preferences.
- Differentiation Between Trends and Momentums in SaaS: How SaaS professionals can navigate the difference between trends and significant market momentums.
- Demand Generation During High Congregation Moments: The opportunity presented by significant events or themes that engage prospects and allow the introduction of relevant solutions.
- Momentum Marketing Explained: The process of identifying high congregation moments and aligning messaging and strategies within that context.
- Primary Tools for Understanding Buyers’ Concerns: Tools like ZoomInfo data, third-party intent data, first-party CRM data, customer interviews, and attending conferences to grasp what is top-of-mind for buyers.
- Launching Growth Hunter: Avetis Ghazaryan’s journey of leveraging momentum marketing before founding Growth Hunter and his focus on aligning marketing efforts to buyer preferences.
- Implementing Momentum Marketing in SaaS: Challenges and steps involved in identifying and incorporating momentum marketing strategies for predictable revenue growth in SaaS.
- And much, much more…
Listen to the episode.
Related links and resources
- Check out Growth Hunter
- Learn more from Mark Osborne – How to Double Your Sales Pipeline And Revive Your Business to Drive Growth (in 90 Days)
- Learn from Brandee Sanders – Data Science Process: How to go From Pilot to Pipeline to Drive Growth
- Learn from Matthew Hunt – 5 Demand Generation Marketing Strategies to Drive Pipeline Growth
- Learn from Jake Lynn – Building a B2B Sales Pipeline That Drives Growth and How to Optimize it: 9 Essential Stages
- Learn from Astrid Kramer – How to Use The Right B2B SEO Strategies to Drive Consistent Growth
- Learn from Mark Phinick – How to Overcome B2B Sales Challenges And Drive Growth With Deal Coaching
Connect with Avetis Ghazaryan
Subscribe to & Review the Predictable B2B Success Podcast
Thanks for tuning into this week’s Predictable B2B Podcast episode! If the information in our interviews has helped your business journey, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review.
Your reviews and feedback will not only help me continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help reach even more amazing founders and executives just like you!