B2B sales reps understand their challenges ahead. For one, the sales process is much longer. One reason for this is the fact that you’ll be engaging with more than just one person in every company—sometimes a whole department even—and the decision-making process can be torturous.
But when you do make a B2B sale, the long, tedious process becomes worth it. Of course, most sales reps still want it to be an easier process. Well, we can’t promise to make it easier but we can make it smarter with these B2B sales tips.
Strategic Techniques in B2B sales
1. Sell results
What do businesses want? Results. While selling your product’s features is the norm, there’s a smarter way of selling them. Talk about the results these features produce. And we don’t mean generic results like “it increases productivity.” Sell it with numbers and data that underscore specific business outcomes. What’s the actual percentage increase in productivity and how does this affect the bottom line?
This is why case studies are important in B2B sales. Case studies show the results of your product, and that’s what B2B clients want to know. Make sure you create convincing case studies that help convert leads.
Focusing on selling results also helps avoid overselling a product, which is a bane for some B2B customers. They always want to cut to the chase. They don’t need a lot of information; they only need THE information they need. And that, again, is results.
2. Streamline the sales process
It already takes time to sell to B2B clients. Make it more efficient by streamlining the sales process and incorporating as few steps as possible. You already know what you should sell (results), so focus on how you can easily communicate that to your prospect—as quickly as possible.
Also, you’re dealing with business people. They are busy. Adjusting to their schedules and timelines is favorable to them and, in the end, will be favorable to you as well.
3. Meet with clients
B2B sales usually involve products that are more expensive, more complex, customizable, and require bigger investment (in terms of money, time, and resources). These would greatly benefit from the in-person interactions of outside sales. Besides, any buyer paying a substantial amount on a product or service will most likely request for a demo or presentation.
So do not limit client interactions to just phone calls and emails. In-person meetings help build more trust in the sales rep and confidence in the product. The personal touch can also differentiate you from competition who will take the easier route and just make calls.
4. Meet with decision maker
That said, if you are going to invest time and resources scheduling in-person meetings with the client, make sure you’re meeting with the decision maker. You don’t want your message to be just passed on to them; you want to deal directly with the people making the decision. This way, you can address all their specific concerns, issues, hesitations, and doubts.
5. Invest in intel
Research is so critical in sales. You can’t make any initial contact with a prospect without knowing important things about them. Gathering intel on prospects through high-level research should be a priority in B2B sales. And one-time research is not enough: you have to stay updated on the developments on your prospect’s business to know if their needs, pain points, and motivations for purchasing change.
Social media is a good place to start for research. Brands’ accounts are constantly updated and you’ll learn significant developments from their posts. (The prospects themselves use social media to keep tabs on their competition.)
Following brands’ social media channels, particularly LinkedIn, also allows you to do social selling, which is an important element in sales today. You can expand your network, connect with key people, and even learn best practices from thought leaders you follow.
6. Differentiate from competition
Competition in B2B sales is tough. You have a lot of other providers eyeing your prospect. The only way you can win over competitors is to differentiate yourself from them. Hone in on the value proposition that makes you stand out from competition. Leverage on features that bring the most optimal results. It’s not always easy to do this, but sales and marketing managers should always keep differentiation and uniqueness from competition a priority—and find ways to establish this.
7. Prioritize sales enablement
We’ve mentioned marketing and that brings us to the next point: prioritize sales enablement. We cannot stress the importance of sales enablement: Over 75% of companies using sales enablement tools indicated that sales increased over the past 12 months. Make sure that you employ the best sales enablement practices within the organization. Aligning sales and marketing efforts is also a must.
8. Always think long-term with clients
B2B sales do not survive on quick sales that also end quickly. They have bigger wins when they have better customer retention. These stats are on-point: 80 percent of your future profits will come from just 20 percent of your existing customers and 65 percent of a company’s business comes from existing customers.
While we want to speed up the sales process, it's still not smart to always go for the quick sale. So when you’re servicing clients, always think about how you can service them for a long time. Draw up long-term plans for them. Seek to establish strong, lasting relationships with all clients—even if it takes time and patience.
9. Don’t be timid about premium pricing
Price is always a factor in a sale. In B2C, it’s a major consideration. In B2B, you can relax about your premium pricing for a bit. Companies are after value. They have businesses themselves and they do know that high value can sometimes come at a high cost.
And if you follow tip #1 and focus on selling results, it will be easier for you to higlight the value you bring to the prospect’s business.
10. Ask for the sale
Unless extremely motivated to buy, most B2B clients will not tell you when they’re ready to make the purchase. This is why follow-ups are crucial. But you know what else is crucial? Asking for the sale. A B2B sales rep should always be highly motivated to make the sale and ask for it. There are ways to know when it's time to ask—keeping up with the buyer’s journey helps, for one—and practice helps you “read” scenarios more accurately. A simple “How would you like to move forward with this?" is already an ask.
These 10 steps won’t guarantee that you will make that B2B sale. But they will surely help create a more strategic and efficient B2B sales process for you—and help increase the likelihood of closing the deal.
Photos from Pexels. Main image by Visual Tag Mx
