Marketing Segmentation: Reaching Technical Decision Makers and Influencers

In case you’re like me and want to skip to the good part about marketing segmentation to reach technical decision makers (TDMs) and technical influencers (TIs), let me save you the scroll: Reach decision makers with psychically startling creative that hits on their weaknesses without actually pointing out their weaknesses; Reach influencers by having a great product and providing relevant information they need.

Here’s how I got there…

Technical Marketing Segmentation: Decision Maker Versus Influencer
Let’s introduce you to who you want to reach.

Technical Decision Maker (TDM)

• CIO, CTO, VP/Director of Technology/Engineering/Networking/IT
• Likely reports to CEO (relationship with CFO is probably strained)
• Strongly influenced by senior staff and tech gurus all the way down the org chart
• ROI bar is sky high; if you’re selling profitability through efficiency you better have rock-solid proof
• Hired for communication and leadership skills; not hands-on anymore
• Weaker business background than CxO colleagues
• More tactical that strategic

Technical Influencer (TI)

• IT Manager, Sr. Engineer, Software/Web Developer, Business Analyst
• Gurus of their respective fiefdoms
• Easily found through tech sites (ZDnet or Slashdot)
• Easy to reach—no gatekeeper
• Approach as if they’re seeking decision-maker role
• Have the CIO’s ear about products like yours

How to Market to Your Segmented Market
TDM

In order to elicit a response from the TDM, you must immediately capture their attention. Once you have that, dole out condensed nuggets of highly relevant expertise to keep TDM engaged. TDM doesn’t want to be sold. TDM wants to be smart.

Hit on the TDM’s weaknesses: poor delegation skills, no time to be strategic, and not as business savvy as CxO colleagues. TDM wants strategy in a can. And, believe it or not, a sweepstakes for a small cool item will entice the fence straddlers. It always does.

TI
Fluff won’t work. TIs pride themselves on getting to the hard facts.

Build TIs a personal portal. Fill it full of technical AND business case information (remember, many want to be a TDM). Entice TIs with inexpensive personal gadgets, the more leading edge the better. Don’t waste time with discounts because they don’t manage budgets and they don’t care.

Headline Tests
Here are a few headlines from highly successful campaigns we’ve used to target these audiences.

TDM: high level, strategic, clever but not intrusive

• Now Arriving: Ethernet Architecture
• Just 3 Words: Enhance. Adapt. Simplify.
• ImpacT Department: Add Impact to IT

TI: ego-centric, pain-point specific

• You Hold the Power to Connect the World
• Show What You Know
• You Can’t Choose Your Users, but You Can Choose Their Projector

Thanks for sticking with me until the end. This is just the first cut of marketing segmentation we make for our clients. From here, we would segment further by industry, prospect versus customer, location, etc., but that’s a tale for another blog.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them!