Q: What is Nudge Software all about? How do you help your customers?

SW: Nudge helps you build a strong network of weak ties. We help our customers by giving them a reason to reach out to weak connections, which is typically where your next opportunity will come from. Business today is all about relationships. Marketing has evolved and offers many solutions to help us deliver facts and figures to our buyers, but it still can’t deliver those personal relationships. That is where Nudge comes into play.

Q: You might be called a serial entrepreneur at this point…what does that mean to you?

SW: If I think about why I do it – creating a new solution – it has to do with the challenge of creating something new that adds value to the world of business. As far as the experience of founding a company the second time around, I think it offers more time to focus on the creation of the new idea and product, which is what I really love, as opposed to the mechanics of operating a business day to day. Creating something new will never get easier, but things like raising money or building a team do become easier after the first time. It’s the challenge of building something to help customers, something new that is exciting.

Q: What’s the most important business lesson you’ve learned in the past few years?

SW: The most important lesson I’ve learned is to focus on and take care of your customers. It may sound obvious or trite, but the way business, especially SaaS businesses have evolved, if you are not delighting your customer all the time, building advocates for your solution, you may lose them come renewal time. Customers can easily walk away. The beauty of business today is that it’s not only for existing customers, but also for new revenue, that having delighted customers matters.

The former buzz phrase of keep your customers happy is really the lifeblood of business today.

Q: What makes B2B marketing so challenging?

SW: B2B marketing is challenging because decisions are based on two things- first, on facts and figures of what you offer, and second on the emotion of trust. Of course you need to deliver what the buyer needs (facts and figures to solve their problems) but you also have to help them make a decision based on trust.

Buyers need to have a confidence level in your solution and your organization. You’ll have more success as a sales or marketing professional if you can deliver the facts and figures your buyers need to make their decision while building and demonstrating trust. The facts and figures are the easy part, the trust needs to be developed.

Q: Where does Nudge fit into an overall Demand Generation Strategy?

SW: Nudge is focused on the relationships in B2B – we help turn a lead with a good fit but no engagement into a lead with a good fit and engagement. The engagement is what makes the difference.

Nudge helps form or develop those relationships that are so critical in B2B demand generation. We can help customers find and nurture either the buyer or an internal coach, the person within an organization that is influential to the buying process. Through internal coaches or relationships, B2B marketers can ensure their messages of facts and figures make it through the noise, to the right people at the right time.

Q: What do events like LeadLove offer today’s modern marketers? Are all events the same?

SW: Events are definitely not all the same. Events like LeadLove offer a great opportunity to learn and network with those peers and industry leaders that you trust. Again, it is back to trust and relationships. We attend events to learn and engage with people that can help us in some way solve our challenges; you only attend events that you trust will deliver that. I am looking forward to being a part of my first LeadLove event.

Want to hear more from Steve? Join Lattice-Engines, Influitive, FactionMedia, ReadyTalk and Vidyard and ANNUITAS at LeadLove Boston Monday, October 27^th. Think it might be time to learn more about how Nudge can help you build better relationships to drive more revenue? Visit NeedNudge.com. See you in Boston.

Original post: http://annuitas.com/2014/10/21/building-relationships-trust-for-b2bs-qa-with-steve-woods/#sthash.160XAZn0.dpuf