Looking for the IT Buyer On Twitter

Posted in: Small Business Online  |  January 14, 2009 at 10:50 am
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Vinnie Mirchandani of the Deal Architect blog recently wrote a very interesting post about finding the IT Buyer on Twitter.  You can read my response to him here:  Response to Looking for Mr. Customer.  In some ways I totally agree with what Vinnie had to say.  The majority of CIOs and CFOs are not on Twitter and perhaps never will be.  These roles require a keep-your-guard-up type of mentality.  They’re typically not hanging around the water cooler at work – so why would they do it online?    The C-Suite positions (CEO, CIO, CTO, CFO, CMO)  are so sought-after and so inundated with continual requests from employees, board members, etc. that they have to shield themselves from  as much info-clutter as they can.  This is true online as well as offline.  You can’t get through to them when you call. Their mail is screened.  Their email is filtered. So why would they close all the windows, and then open the door?  They probably wouldn’t.   But here’s the secret.  You don’t have to reach that person in the marketing cycle.  You need to find the person with the most pain.  Many IT decisions begin with business decision makers screaming loudly for help.  “We keep getting charge backs on our EDI!”  “Our customer list in accounting is completely different than the one we have in marketing!”  “The inventory we sold through our website isn’t in our warehouse.” Find the person with the pain.  The marketing manger. The warehouse manager.  The accounting manager.  Market to them.  Get them to open the door and walk you into the CIOs office with a warm introduction.  That’s the person who is begging for your help and will become your “internal champion” in the sales cycle.  Is that person is on Twitter? or on FaceBook?  That’s what you need to find out. I’m on Twitter. If you want to connect to me, I’m at http://www.Twitter.com/Amachina.  Yep, I’m on FaceBook too.  You can find me at: http://profile.to/adriannemachina/ And if you skipped the link at the beginning, you might want to go to  Response to Looking for Mr. Customer now to read the reasons you may want to be on Twitter – whether your end customer is there or not.
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Adrianne is the Chief Velocity Officer of Tornado Marketing, Inc. and a partner in The Art of Online Marketing. Adrianne has spent over 15 years helping small businesses find their niche and systematically grow their businesses through effective marketing programs and persuasive messaging. Adrianne provides valuable insight into how to market complex solutions. Her clients appreciate her practical advice and business value-driven approach to marketing. With Adrianne on your team, you’ll differentiate from your competitors; consistently draw in your best prospects; and close more deals. When not working, Adrianne is usually found cheering on her kids’ sports teams, reading, or playing games (Scrabble anyone?). She is continually seeking work-life balance and the answer to life’s larger questions.