Exploring B2B Procurement Solutions and Processes | Maya Garcia-Hector from Focal Point

Ernesto Quezada: Welcome to Pathmonk Presents, the place where business owners and marketers share their insights on digital growth. In every episode, we discuss real strategies, why they worked, and also why they didn’t—get insights from real experience and save yourself a whole lot of time and money. Let’s get to it right now.

Ernesto: Before we get started with today’s episode, let’s have a quick look at what Pathmonk is all about. If you are winning leads, demos, or sales through your website, then Pathmonk might be interesting for you. Pathmonk is an extension to your website. It watches each visitor as they’re moving through your page and builds up their interest in your product or service in real time to deliver a great uplift in conversions from your website.

Usually, the buying journey can be divided into three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision-making. Pathmonk figures out in which stage a given visitor is by watching every action they take on the website and provides them with micro-experiences such as notifications, case studies, and introduction videos, helping them move to the next stage in the buying journey towards a conversion.

Ernesto: Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Maya from Focal Point, marketing coordinator with them. How are you doing today, Maya?

Maya Garcia-Hector: I’m so good. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Ernesto: It’s great to have you on today’s episode. Well, curious to learn a little bit more, and I’m sure our listeners are tuning in wondering what Focal Point is all about. So, in your own words, tell us a little bit more.

Maya: Yeah, so Focal Point is a SaaS company. We’re B2B. We create procurement software to help empower CPOs and their teams within procurement functions and organizations—primarily enterprise-sized companies, but we’ve also been exploring the SMB market as well.

Ernesto: That’s very important, always exploring into the markets. And so that way our listeners can get a good understanding of Focal Point here, what would you say then is the key problem that you guys like to solve for clients?

Maya: Yeah. So, we talk about ourselves as a procurement solution made for procurement by procurement people. Our founder and CEO, Avi, worked in procurement as a CPO for over 20 years. After seeing the increased complexity and the rate at which complexity was showing up in that job function, he decided to start Focal Point. It’s a software that helps bring all the tools procurement professionals are used to using into one place—one focal point—and adds visibility and control through the procurement orchestration process.

Ernesto: That’s super important. So great that they were able to do that. Is there a certain type of vertical segment that you guys like to go for or an ideal ICP?

Maya: Yeah, sure. Procurement is relevant in every single industry inherently, but we do tend to work with financial services, insurance, and even pharmaceuticals. So, we really run the gamut with the corporations we serve.

Ernesto: Definitely, that’s important. Awesome. And so, then how would these industries usually find out about Focal Point? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Maya: Sure. We’re a little bit different than some other industries. People don’t always think about procurement right away, and a lot of people don’t really know what it is. That said, we’re a close-knit community. It’s very small, so there’s a lot of in-person networking we do. But obviously, in 2024, in addition to conferences and face-to-face meetings, it’s so important to have a strong brand identity online. That’s where our website and social media efforts come in. We also host webinars and online events and create thought leadership content for our website and LinkedIn.

Ernesto: Awesome. Great to hear that. And so, that way our listeners can go ahead and visit you guys, you can check them out at getfocalpoint.com. What role does the website play in client acquisition?

Maya: It’s huge. If you look at analysts like Gartner, they talk so much about how the B2B customer buying journey is so self-led. A large percentage of B2B software consumers would even consider buying without talking to a sales representative. From a marketer’s perspective, that can be kind of scary because you want to lead prospects through the journey and make sure they don’t miss anything. But we have to meet consumers where they’re at. The website is a great tool to map out the journeys our customers take on their self-qualification and self-education journeys. It’s filled with white papers, eBooks, webinars, and news to help educate them. And, of course, there’s always a call to action—like scheduling a demo or joining a webinar.

Ernesto: Definitely. It’s that first point where people start investigating. On that note, are there any tools or tips you’d recommend for website lead generation?

Maya: Absolutely. First, map out your customer’s journey on your site. We run a WordPress site, but there are tons of tools depending on your comfort level with development. I’m not a web dev, so WordPress works well for me. Google Analytics is critical for tracking customer journeys, and we also use Hotjar to record and follow visitor interactions on our site. Think about your different customer profiles—what questions would they ask, and what content will resonate with them? Tailoring your site to meet those needs is super important.

Ernesto: Great advice. Let’s switch gears a bit, Maya, and talk about you. What are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Maya: It’s a wide scope. We’re a startup, and now we have a marketing team of two. I manage someone who’s been a great help. My tasks include managing in-person events, creating content, and writing copy. On the dev side, before we had a dedicated developer, I relied on YouTube and AI tools to figure things out. My focus this year is to move into a more strategic role to align our efforts better with our ultimate goal: educating consumers about procurement and procurement orchestration.

Ernesto: That’s important. With so much to stay on top of, how do you keep up with the latest trends and tech?

Maya: I recently attended Social Media Marketing World in San Diego, which was fantastic. LinkedIn is also a great resource. I follow some influencers who share valuable insights. And, surprisingly, I use Reddit to follow subs like r/procurement and r/supplychain. It’s a great way to listen in on real conversations and understand the challenges our audience faces.

Ernesto: That’s a unique approach! Let’s move into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Maya: I am!

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Maya: I’m currently reading Platonic. It’s about understanding attachment styles and building strong, healthy relationships. It’s been fascinating and even ties into relationship-building in marketing.

Ernesto: What’s one thing your company is focused on the most right now?

Maya: Education. We’re working hard to ensure people understand procurement orchestration and what we do.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d fix as a marketer?

Maya: I’d love to handle all dev tasks independently, especially with the help of advanced AI.

Ernesto: If you could automate one repetitive task, what would it be?

Maya: Reporting. Social media, outbound email, and website analytics can be tedious.

Ernesto: What advice would you give your younger self as a marketer?

Maya: Don’t be afraid to fail. Mistakes are inevitable, but they’re also the best way to learn and grow.

Ernesto: Great advice. We’re wrapping up here, but before we go, if someone forgets everything about today, what’s the one thing they should remember about Focal Point?

Maya: Procurement is super important, and we aim to empower procurement professionals. If you don’t know much about it, visit getfocalpoint.com to learn more.

Ernesto: There you have it. Check them out at getfocalpoint.com. Thank you so much for being here, Maya, and to our listeners, thanks for tuning in. Looking forward to our next episode of Pathmonk Presents.

Maya: Thank you!