Why Thought Leadership Doesn't Work

 

Trouble with Thought Leadership

“B2B marketing leaders tend to get trapped inside a sales cycle in the way they execute,” says Bruce. “That’s not the kind of thinking that’s going to generate brand equity and certainly not thought leadership. [Thought leadership] is a long-term strategic investment and journey that you need to go on as a business.”

Thought Leadership Doesn't Work

When we asked B2B buyers what they think about the content they receive from vendors, over 60% of respondents to Forrester’s 2021 Content Preferences Survey gave these unflattering opinions. Buyers are drowning in a sea of sameness. They fail to find any value in the content they receive, because much of it is myopically focused on the vendor and its products and services — not on the cares and concerns of the recipient.

Why Commercial Insight instead of Thought Leradership

“Rarely will thought leadership alone cause customers to change their views or prompt immediate action,” says David Anderson, practice leader at Gartner. “Instead, sales leaders must arm reps with commercial insight to push beyond presenting a new idea to actually undermine an existing one.” Commercial insight is typically developed by combining information, such as facts, data, industry trends, experiences and observations with customer needs, like business growth, increasing profits and reducing attrition, to create a unique conclusion. Organizations that effectively deploy insights to deliver effective messages increase the likelihood of closing high-margin deals and improving long-term customer loyalty.”