Herzberg two-factor theory; We’ve looked at how Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory can be applied to workplace motivation and sales. His thoughts on the elements that motivate workers by their presence and those that de-motivate by their absence can also be applied to lead generation marketing and can help managers of lead generation marketing activities get the best from their data.
Herzberg’s theory has broad applicability to any process or activity that involves people, so naturally, it can be applied to sales. However, by reflecting on the motivating factors and the hygiene factors he identifies in his theory, we can see how companies can motivate a customer to buy a product from their business instead of from a competitor, and how qualifiers can be used to differentiate in a noisy market.
We all want to believe we’re completely responsible for the decisions we make at home or in the workplace. However, anyone who’s interested in the workings of the human brain will know there is a myriad of subconscious factors influencing our psychology and therefore our decisions.
According to brand specialists Clutch Marketing, understanding the psychology of your buyer is the secret of great marketers. They say Marketing is about persuasion, creating the impression you want to make, eliciting a specific feeling or response, and then enticing a person to take action.
The keys to success are bound up in clever marketing which manages to create an alluring proposition, that stands up to competition, then surrounding it with compelling messaging that picks out its differences.
Hygiene factors in lead generation
In his motivation theory, Herzberg discusses the need for hygiene factors to be present in order to maintain entry-level consideration. They are the qualifiers, the basic must-have features. These hygiene factors are the essential things that a potential buyer will be looking for, and as markets evolve the list gets bigger, for example nowadays all mobile phones have cameras, and so all customers will expect to benefit from one.
When you translate the herzberg motivation theory to lead generation marketing you can see that hygiene factors are essentially qualifiers – the features that buyers expect to be present in a product or service. Although the presence of these qualifiers won’t necessarily help to push decision makers into responding to your sales message, their absence will discount you from the selection process completely.
Understanding these qualifiers can influence your potential buyers, and working this theory clearly into your sales messaging could help your business to improve the results of its lead generation marketing.
Motivators in lead generation marketing: Herzberg two-factor theory
Herzberg two-factor theory ‘Motivators’ are the second component of Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory. They are the extras that help motivate potential buyers to select a particular product or service above a competitor. Usually associated with benefits, these factors are designed to differentiate and position.
For the purposes of B2B lead generation marketing, benefits are almost always to do with time, effort, money, or security. So again, building your messaging around the elements of your product or service that are exclusive to you, and which provide one or more of these benefits, will really help motivate buyers towards your product or service and power up your lead generation marketing.
Herzberg Motivation Factors; Motivating factors include extra guarantees, the number of customer service touchpoints, endorsements, testimonials, and accreditations. In lead generation marketing, these motivating factors can be directly compared with Order Winners.
The little extras help to make a product or service more compelling for the decision maker and can easily swing a deal. If marketers know how to use these Order Winners correctly, and how to combine them with qualifiers, they should be able to make their lead generation marketing more persuasive and encourage a higher number of decision makers to opt for their brand.
To find out more about sales and telemarketing techniques that really work, like the Herzberg two-factor theory – we approve of, or to learn how we can help you to improve the quality of your sales calls, take a look around our site or get in touch with a member of our team today.
