Technology in the SMB is sold as either want, need, or required:

• Want; the product or service allows the prospect to exploit advantages in the market.
• Need; the product or service allows the prospect to reduce cost or increase efficiencies to remain in business.
• Required; compliance is required to remain operational.

Non-technical buyers make up 90% of the $5.2 Billion SMB market; whose technology purchase motivation is always for more cash, customers, and credit.  SMB technology Buyers are always motivated for more cash, customers, and credit because they are essential for them to compete against larger competitors for the same customers.

The SMB technology market is made up of the target market, customer, and persona for Buyers, Providers, and Technology.

Target Market-

The Target Market exists because of the positive impact Technology and Providers have on the market’s bottom line; known as the monetized value proposition (MVP).  Specifically:

1. Technology promises more revenue for a better today and a greater tomorrow known as quality of time.
2. Providers promise cost and expense reduction from best practice service as a value.

The monetized value of more revenue and lower cost, delivered through the Technology Provider, is essential for the Buyer to know because this monetized value motivates the Buyer’s buying behavior that creates demand.

Customer-

The Customer has four quadrants: operational and production technology types, and the non-technical and technology buyer.

Operational and production technology types are distinguished from each other by the role technology plays in the revenue generation cycle for each type.  For instance:

• operational: Technology is not embedded in the revenue production of company products or services.  These types are general–purpose technology users with non-technical buyers.
• production: Technology is embedded in the revenue production of the company products or services.  These types are specific technology buyers who are technology buyers.

Generally speaking, operational types are non-technical buyers, and production types are technology buyers, but not always.  

Persona-

Curiosity is the predictable human motivating behavior behind video games, game theory, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and reinforcement learning because they are all based on predictable human behavior: satisfying curiosity is a powerful basic human motivation that can’t be ignored.

Curiosity is a powerful human motivation that can be stimulated by value.  The curious people persona consists of three (3) predictable Persona based on curiosity: the Fascinated, the Problem Solver, and the Empathizer.  Importantly these Persona predict behavior based on interest, attention, and attraction toward a valued goal.

Bait Marketing:

Most Non-Technical Buyers don’t recognize they need a technology service, and don’t know Technology Providers exist or care about them.

When the value isn’t obvious, Providers must create a way for Buyers to discover for themselves, the monetized value proposition of the Provider to motivate Buyer buying behavior.   Value is the key to consistent growth regardless of industry or buyer.  If you need attention to sell your product or service value motives buying behavior by Persona.

Bait Marketing is a demand generation strategy that combines your monetized value proposition with the predictable behavior of curiosity to create demand from new customers.

This strategic form of marketing was developed specifically to sell technology to SMB customers.

Bait Marketing is cheaper and more effective than pay-per-click, search engine optimization, sales reps, bulk email, and social content development because the prospect’s curiosity does the qualifying and converting for you; allowing you to focus on closing new business and not prospecting.

Bait Marketing is sent through digital marketing channels as curiously smart messaging your Personas can’t ignore because it contains curiosity for more cash, customers, and credit.

The benefits of Bait Marketing are:

• Curiosity does the prospecting, qualifying, conversion, and presales for you!
• The MVP places you as an industry expert and leader from the beginning.
• Eliminates the need for direct salespeople to prospect for customers.
• Is affordable and optimized for the most lucrative customer types.
• Is persistent, customizable, and scalable.
• Is not pain-focused and thus has the largest appeal.

Summary:

• Providers must create a way for buyers to discover their value for themselves to create interest when value isn’t obvious to the Buyer.
• Curiosity is a fundamental human motivation that can be predicted and can’t be ignored.
• Bait Marketing is specifically designed to sell technology services to SMB buyers
• Improving business in financially impactful ways is the technology and service Provider’s monetized value proposition.
• The MVP promises more cash, customers, and credit that Buyers can’t ignore.

Conclusion:

Because of the limited revenue size of the SMB, they can’t afford to pay attention to the strategic value of technology; therefore Providers should monetize their value proposition as value and use Bait Marketing to create demand to grow their business. 

The result is more naturally attracted customers based solely on your Monetized value proposition for more cash, customers, and credit.

T. Sean Teague

Steague@Resoucedomain.com