Our book club is all about exploring unconventional approaches to B2B marketing. So, a lot of our time is spent reading books that spark our creativity, from science fiction novels to big-idea books on AI.
This month, we’re diving into the weeds of marketing strategies and the mechanics of how businesses operate, refreshing ourselves on the principles that help us create unforgettable, results-driven campaigns.
Our latest edition of the book club is hand-picked by our Strategy Director, Adam Greener, one of our resident experts at this sort of thing. These books are his B2B marketing bibles, made up of insights and ideas that no self-respecting B2B strategy could do without.
You can read our January recommendations here – and, as always, let us know what you think at hello@digitalradish.co.uk.
The Challenger Sales by Matthew Dixon & Brent Adamson
What’s it about?
“The Challenger Sale” has a controversial position: that successful salespeople not only nurture relationships, but also seize the initiative in conversations with customers. That can mean shaping conversations on the salesperson’s terms – or challenging customers beyond their comfort zones. “It’s spicy stuff!”
How does the author sum it up?
“What is the thing that [customers] couldn’t learn on their own? This is the core of the Challenger Approach… Customers are learning on their own and sales leaders are seeing a declining effectiveness of traditional sales approaches in light of these changes in customer buying behavior. The book came out right as those two things were kind of colliding.” – Matthew Dixon
Why we love it
“The book says, ‘Yes, relationships really matter, but you’ve got to challenge the person on the other side of the table – in a nice way.’ It comes from a place of saying that some B2B buyers may not know what they can do for their business because they’re not always up to date or they have preconceptions about technology.” – Adam Greener
What we learned
With so many decision-makers in a business, varying levels of knowledge about a product or service landscape is inevitable. That’s why these authors encourage professionals to show more confidence about how they position the sales conversation.
B2B Marketing Strategy by Heidi Taylor
What’s it about?
In the words of an inexplicably famous woodstain commercial, “B2B Marketing Strategy” does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an extraordinarily practical guide to everything you’d need to know about our world and how to do it well, with insights, case studies and actionable strategies to set us all right.
How does the author sum it up?
“The leaders who become most successful ask themselves some fundamental questions: ‘Do I create the new or do I maintain the status quo? Am I doing marketing, managing the doing of marketing, or am I leading the marketing function throughout the organisation? And what further skills do I need to become an even better leader?’” – Heidi Taylor
Why we love it
“To me, it’s the go-to for any foundational framework that’s gonna help you in B2B marketing – the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ve read it more than once! In 2017 Heidi was talking about the seismic shift in the marketing environment towards personalisation and the customer – she was way ahead of everyone else.” – Adam Greener
What we learned
Though the book was published several years ago, “B2B Marketing Strategy” has lots of timeless lessons that we keep front of mind – namely that, as marketers, we need to nail the strategy before we even think about tactics or “trends.” And of course, being relentlessly focused on customer thinking over being product-centric.
Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur
What’s it about?
Having a copy of “Business Model Generation” on your shelf might be like owning one of those Haynes classic car manuals. Essentially, it’s a comprehensive breakdown of what business models actually are, mapped out in nine constituent parts the authors refer to as the “Business Model Canvas.”
How does the author sum it up?
“The Business Model Canvas is, simply said, a way of visually depicting business models. It can be used both by startups and major enterprises like GE, Gazprom or P&G. [Yves] was asking himself the question [of] how a business model could be simplified to only one page. The goal was to model a business model.” – Alexander Osterwalder
Why we love it
“The reason I find this so interesting is, if you can understand what a business model is as a B2B marketer, you can not only understand the organisations that you work with, but the organisations they’re selling to and their business models. It really helps because it gets you to the nitty-gritty of stuff.” – Adam Greener
What we learned
Having a handy visual reference for how businesses operate is extremely useful for us B2B marketers. Alongside having a deep understanding of our clients’ needs and who their customers are, books like “Business Model Generation” also help us get to grips with the forces shaping the environment those businesses operate in. It’s nerdy yet essential stuff!
Share your favourites with us
Do you have any podcasts, videos, blogs or even documentaries that you’d recommend to the Radishes? We’d love to hear from you – email us at hello@digitalradish.co.uk.
Selbey Anderson Group of agencies