6 audiences every B2B business needs to have

I can probably count on the fingers of one hand how many founders told me they have more than 1 audience for their sales processes.

And I’m not talking about customer segmentation — eg: early-stage startups, enterprise businesses, etc.

I’m referring to the way a potential client is “classified” during a sales process so they would get the best content.

And… the company is spending its time and money in the most efficient way possible.

So, most of the time I heard the words “prospects”, “leads”, or something similar. The goal was to reach as many as possible and get them on a meeting.

The problem? They were all put together, in a single basket, and all the communication was… identical.

Btw, by replacing a name, probably giving some “personalized” context, but having the same sequence for everyone, that’s still identical for me.

The solution? 6 audiences, tailored to their situation, so they would get the most relevant content.

1st audience — Matches ICP, but no engagement:

These people match your ICP, but you have no engagement with them. They basically don’t know you.

The goal at this stage is to generate awareness and engagement, definitely not trying to sell something.

2nd audience — 3rd party engagement, but no 1st party:

These people gave you some hints they knew you, but nothing serious. For example, liking your LinkedIn posts.

The goal at this stage is to generate 1st party engagement, which I will describe in the following stage.

3rd audience — Demonstrated 1st party engagement:

These people already know you and they show it on purpose. Like thanking for a freebie you sent them.

The goal at this stage is to “marketing qualify” them through scoring systems, so you can intensify the sales efforts.

As a side note, the first 3 audiences are more marketing-oriented, and the communication is done 1-many or 1-few.

The following 3 are more sales-oriented, and the communication is done 1:1, for better personalization and higher converting chances.

4th audience — Account is marketing qualified:

These people showed a high-intent during your interactions. For example, they opened all your emails and sent you a DM on LinkedIn.

The goal at this stage is to “sales qualify” them and understand if they are interested in your services.

5th audience — Account is BANT qualified:

These people are the best fit for a sales closing process. They have the budget (B), authority (A), need (N), and the timing (T) is right.

The goal at this stage is to book sales meetings, so you can dive into the latest step of the sales process.

6th audience — Account is ready to be closed:

These people are ready to work with you. They are in the exact same situation you would dream of.

The goal at this stage is to make a proposal, sign the contract, and onboard them as new customers.

By having these 6 audiences set, you spend your time and money in the best way possible.

Because you can engage with each audience strategically through marketing and sales efforts.

Oh, and your overall sales process is much more clear, improved, and more efficient.

You will use marketing tactics to generate awareness, engagement, and intent. Then, you will use sales tactics to identify and capture intent.

And when marketing and sales work together, and not against each other… your growth engine is unstoppable.