I've written before about how today's B2B buyer avoids interruption marketing and uses the Internet to take control of the buying process. I've also talked about how the modern B2B marketer's job is to enable and facilitate the buyer's research by providing the right thought leadership, the right product information and the right tools at the right time.

Not surprisingly, at Marketo we try follow this advice in our own marketing. That's why I'm pleased to announce the availability of the Marketo B2B Marketing Test Drive.

The B2B Marketing Test Drive gives our prospects the opportunity to play with a fully functional demo version of Marketo, pre-loaded with sample data. It gives them a hands-on experience so they can see directly how Marketo provides tangible improvements in pay per click management, landing page creation, keyword management and more.

Prospects can sign themselves up for a free Test Drive any time via the Marketo website, and there's no need for a credit card and there's no impact to their existing IT systems or AdWords accounts.

The reason I'm excited about the Test Drive is that it gives our prospects the power to control their own buying process. It lets them choose when and how they experience Marketo's PPC campaign management and landing page optimization solutions, and see for themselves what kind of value it can provide.

I think this is pretty unique for our industry. The number one thing a prospect wants to know is whether the solution meets his or her needs. The best way to get that information is simple: just use the product. All too often, this is only possible after they've made a purchase, and the only thing a buyer can do before making that commitment is watching a demo.

Watching a carefully scripted demo may be good for the vendor since it keeps the power in the vendor's hands, but it is not what modern B2B marketing is about. Modern B2B marketing is all about giving the power to the buyer, letting them control the experience on their own terms. And that's exactly what a hands-on test drive is meant to do.

Do any of you use a Test Drive in your marketing process? What kind of success have you had?

Additional Links:

• Check out the test drive yourself at B2B Marketing Test Drive.
• Play B2B Marketing Podcast: Hear Marketo's CEO Phil Fernandez discuss why the Test Drive is an important way to synchronize marketing activities with the buyer's process (6:30 min). Download B2B Marketing Test Drive mp3
• Read the press release about the Marketo Test Drive.