The B2B (business to business) sales process often takes longer than B2C (business to consumer) sales. Have you ever wondered why?
A lot of the reasons for this are related to the sales process. For example, if the client doesn’t have adequate information about the product, they’re going to be less interested in making a purchase. The same is true if they don’t understand the benefits of the product or how it’ll provide them with a return on their investment.
Refining your B2B sales strategy can help you to overcome these hurdles and have more satisfied customers. Read on for some tips that will help you come up with a bulletproof B2B sales techniques and level up your business.
Common B2B Sales Mistakes
There’s a lot that can go wrong in the B2B sales process. The following are some of the most common B2B sales mistakes you might be making:
Not Building Relationships
It’s true that you’re working in the B2B sales world. If people feel that you’re only trying to sell them something and don’t care about them or their business, though, they’re going to be less inclined to actually work with you. It’s imperative that you focus on building relationships with potential clients, not just trying to push your product or service on them.
Focusing Too Much on Features
It’s also common for B2B salespeople to focus too much on the features of their products and not enough on the benefits those features provide. At the end of the day, the client with whom you’re meeting doesn’t care that much about what the product can do. They’re way more interested in how the product will benefit their business and help them make more money.
Giving One-Option Proposals
People don’t like only have one option. We like to have choices. If you only give clients one option when it comes to buying what you’re selling, you’re likely going to have trouble sealing the deal.
Rushing the Client
People also don’t like to be rushed. If a client feels like you’re being pushy or aggressive with your sales techniques, they might decide not to work with you, even if they are interested in your product or service.
Giving Deals and Discounts
This one often surprises people. At first, it seems like a good idea to offer someone a deal or discount to get them in the door. It can set a bad precedent, though, and make it harder for you to ask for full price in the future.
Creating Your Perfect B2B Sales Strategy
Okay, you understand what not to do when it comes to B2B sales. What should you be doing, though? Start with these tips to create a better B2B sales strategy:
Research First
The first part of any B2B sales strategy (or any sales strategy, period) should be researching. You need to know who your target customer is.
What kind of industry do they work in? What are their pain points? How can your product help them?
Know the Product and the Industry
Next, you need to make sure you have a thorough understanding of your product and the industry as a whole. Remember, one of the key differences between B2B and B2C sales is that, with B2B sales, you’re selling to experts.
These people are less likely to be fooled by gimmicks or traditional sales tactics, and they know the industry like the back of their hand. If you want to appeal to them, you need to show them that you’re just as knowledgeable as they are.
Ask the Right Questions
Once you have a better understanding of your target audience, your products, and the industry, make sure you’re connecting with your most qualified leads. This is a key part of a good B2B sales strategy. It gives you an opportunity to learn more about them, the specific challenges they’re facing, and the goals they have for their company.
Listen More Than You Talk
When you’re connecting with a current or potential client, make sure you’re listening more than you talk. No matter how excited you might be to tell them about your product or service and how it can help them, talking over the client or talking more than them can cause you to look like a stereotypical salesman. If you’re so eager to talk that you’re not listening, you’re also likely to miss out on valuable information.
Create Quality Content
Make sure you’re putting out high-quality content on a regular basis, too. Gear your blog posts, videos, and social media posts to your target audience and use this content as an opportunity to pique their interest and start building a relationship with them.
Offer Multiple Options
When you sit down to meet with a potential client, be sure to offer them multiple options. Remember, people like to have a choice. Give them various packages or product options to choose from and be clear about the pros and cons of each option.
This helps you avoid the mistake of offering deals and discounts, too. Instead of cutting the price, you can get them in the door with a more affordable package. This way, they’re still getting a deal, but you’re not setting the precedent that that’ll always be the case.
Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, either, especially when it comes to your sales and marketing content. According to the experts at Motion, working with a content marketing agency can help you make sure you’re putting out quality material on a regular basis. It can also help you avoid wasting your time on projects that don’t help to boost your sales and move the needle forward on your business.
Start Increasing Your Sales Today
Now that you know more about how to improve your B2B sales strategy, it’s time to get to work. Give these tips a try today and watch how your sales start to increase.
Do you want to learn more about making more sales and growing your business? If so, check out some of the resources in the Business section of our site today. You’ll find lots of helpful information here that you can reference to see long-term business success.