Truemag

  • Newsletters
  • Thought Leadership
  • Mobility
  • Safety
  • Work Trucks
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Who We Are

A Call to Action: The Importance of Storytellers, Substantiators, and Derailleurs in Today’s Market — Part Two

A shift in the buying cycle means the sales representative is no longer an exclusive expert and the marketer is no longer the exclusive promoter. How are fleet service providers adapting to today’s buying cycle?

Ed Pierce, ITA Communications. Fleet

December, 2020

As we approach 2021, a shift in the traditional B2B buying cycle has created even more interdependency between sales reps and marketing. Today’s sales reps must have a higher level of discovery conversations with prospects. They need more tailored sales tools and content to map potential buyers’ needs and determine the best course of action at each stage of the buying cycle.

Only together can sales and marketing effectively fill the roles of Storytellers, Substantiators, and Derailleurs. We addressed storytellers in the last column. Let’s look at Substantiators.

Potent Proof Points

As marketing becomes more and more about content and sales become more and more about expertise, the skillsets shared by both teams have greatly increased. While stories provide a clear picture of the provider’s promise to a prospect, substantiators provide detailed, factual, or demonstrable proof of the promise. They give a customer a reason to believe, and they provide evidence that supports your claims.

Here are some potent proof points:

  • Claims backed by science or expert in the field: Trials and studies support your claims, but they should be independent, unbiased, and come from a reputable source to be believable. Experts in a relevant field can lend credence to a company’s approach rather than its end-product or service.

 

For example, a behavioral scientist that has conducted an NHTSA study on the best ways to affect driver behavior change can indirectly reinforce a service provider’s strategy as a trade association conference or webinar guest speaker or as the author of a trade press article.

 

  • Reviews and testimonials: Nothing is more potent than other people who laid down their hard-earned cash for your product, validating the efficacy of your solution. Someone who has no vested interest in your company lends credence to a claim. By the way, the more compelling the message delivery, the better.

 

A company-produced testimonial sales slick is better than nothing, but a trade magazine’s published article brings third-party credibility and is more effective. The medium, too, makes a difference in viewer acceptance. Consider video testimonials rather than long-winded expository.

 

  • Category longevity or expertise: Whether you are the market leader or you’ve been in business for 100 years, sustainability, viability, and expertise can be proof points in and of themselves.

 

In the final column of this series, we will look at Derailleurs’ importance in today’s changed B2B market. I invite you to reach out to me at 215-839-1306, or [email protected] , if it’s time to revisit your company’s sales & marketing strategy in light of today’s changed B2B market.

Last but certainly not least, I wish you a very Happy & Healthy Holiday season and a peaceful, prosperous & soon-to-be-pandemic-free New Year!

 

Dec 6, 2020Janice
Insurance Losses by Make and ModelWhite Paper: The New Value Chain in Auto-Mobility
Recent Posts
  • Manual Windows And No Big Screens: How Slate’s Electric Pickup Will Cost Only $25k
  • Hertz AI Complaints are Spreading Faster Than the Damage it Flags
  • General Motors is Going All-In on Affordable LFP Batteries
  • RTA: The Fleet Success Company Takes a Bold Approach to Software, Consulting, and Thought Leadership
  • RoadFlex and Carahsoft Partner to Bring Modern Fuel and Expense Management Solutions to the Public Sector
  • A Call to Action: How Social Media Posting is Transforming Marketing for Fleet Product and Service Providers in 2025
  • One U.S. State May Start Billing Drivers By The Mile
  • Automakers Are Pushing Hard to Sell EVs Before Tax Credit Expires
  • New-Vehicle Affordability Sees Modest Rebound in June After Tariff-Driven Decline
  • Cox Automotive Auto Market Weekly Summary
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Join Us in Paradise at AFLA 2025
NAFA Names Inaugural Class of Fellows, Honoring Visionary Leaders in Fleet
NAFA Essentials of Fleet Management Seminar Coming in October
2026 AFLA Canada Summit: Early Bird Registration Now Open!
Green Fleet Awards: Join the Ranks of the Top Green Fleets!
AFLA Education – Fleet Safety Module Now Available!
NAFA Webinar: Federal & State Policy Developments Fleet Managers Need to Know
TECHNOLOGY
Automotive Electronics Market Outlook Report 2025-2034: AI Systems and Smart Cockpits Gaining Traction
Stop Putting Out Fires. Start Preventing Them.
From Diagnostics to Predictive Intelligence: How Connected Vehicles are Redefining Uptime
Volvo Reinvents the Seatbelt Again: Smart Safety Tech Debuts on EX60
‘Who Are My Safest Drivers?’ Fleet Managers Turn to AI for Safety Insights
EVAI Survey: Opportunities, Challenges with GPT Interfaces for Fleet Management; Adoption Still in Early Stages
Fleetio Launches Advanced Analytics to Help Fleets Turn Data into Action
CONFERENCES & WEBINARS
Join Us in Paradise at AFLA 2025
Early Bird Ends Soon! Register Now for the 2025 NETS Conference
Registration Opens for 2025 NTEA Commercial Vehicle Upfitting Summit
NETS Conference: Share Your Expertise. Celebrate Safety Success.
NAFA Essentials of Fleet Management Seminar Coming in October
2026 AFLA Canada Summit: Early Bird Registration Now Open!
NTEA 2025 Executive Leadership Summit: Registration Opens
INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS
NAFA Essentials of Fleet Management Seminar Coming in October
2026 AFLA Canada Summit: Early Bird Registration Now Open!
Element, Samsara Partner to Launch Comprehensive Fleet, Ops Management Offering Across Canada, US
NAFA Webinar: Federal & State Policy Developments Fleet Managers Need to Know
Applications are Now Open to the 2025 Green Fleet Awards!
Wheels Honored with Multiple Stevie Awards: Innovation, DEI Achievement, and Corporate Social Responsibility
Vincentric Announces 2025 Best Fleet Value in America™ Awards: Ford, Toyota, and Stellantis Outperform the Competition

Fleet Management Weekly Newsletter Archive
Access to back issues of the FMW newsletter.

FMW Mobility
How mobility is rapidly changing the fleet management landscape.

Newsletter

Subscribe

FMW Fleet Videos
Video clips of industry leaders speaking on a variety of engaging hot topics in fleet.

2014-2020 © Fleet Management Weekly