B2B sales present unique and challenging situations for sales teams to conquer. In most cases, you’ll need to win the hearts and trust of several decision-makers, then wait for the outcome after they have weighed your offerings against your competitors.
Today’s decision-makers are an informed bunch. They may resonate with what you’re saying but won’t take your word for it. They will research viable solutions and pit your product or service against others.
Even with these challenges, there are many opportunities for you to meet your sales goals. Next, experts from saleshive.com share 5 best B2B sales techniques that can help you cross more sales.
1. Understand Your Market
In the wake of shifting customer needs and an evolving market, this is arguably the best and most important step you can take.
Go back to the drawing board and critically review the relevance of your products or services to the target customers. Make sure to consider both existing customers and new leads. Some questions you can ask include:
- What challenges are our customers/leads facing presently?
- Can our products/services solve these problems?
- Is solving these problems a priority for the customer?
- What solutions do the target customers have presently? Are they working?
- Would they consider switching to you?
For existing customers, this may be as easy as making a phone call or conducting a survey. With leads, you’ll need to dig deeper to get this information.
Gaining information about your target customers’ current situation will increase your understanding of the relevance of your offerings.
You can then tailor solutions that resonate with their needs and provide real value. B2B buyers aren’t hoarders, they want true value from their purchases.
Further, identify who else is trying to solve your prospect’s pain points outside of your company.
It will allow you to see how your solution stacks up against the competition, and what you can do to gain a competitive edge.
2. Cold Calling
Indeed, many business buyers have little patience for cold calls, and as a seller, it’s awkward engaging in a sales discussion with near-zero information.
Your best bet is to turn the call into a warm one.
Warm leads are those that have visited your website. These are businesses that are interested in what you’re selling and are in the market for the solutions you’re offering.
Look up the business, their occupation, location, size, and contact person.
Your cold calls list comprises prospects who have not contacted you but may benefit from your solutions.
Use the “understand your market” strategy we mentioned above to know more about them.
For both cold and warm B2B calls, it’s wise to know more than the contact’s name and designation.
Look up their social profiles to see what they value and other things of interest.
Ask yourself:
- What is my lead thinking about or experiencing presently?
- How can I position myself to get the lead to think that I’m different from other salespeople?
- How can I build credibility and trust?
Ideally, start the call in a way that generates an emotional connection and trust. You’ll have under 20 seconds to win their hearts.
Use the knowledge you possess to break the ice, express a genuine interest in their values, then talk about what you offer.
3. Deliver High Value and Relevant Content
Did you know that many business buyers disengage from brands that dish out irrelevant content? Buyers can identify generic content that’s being pushed out on automated schedules and may not bother looking at it.
Creating valuable and relevant content that addresses your audience’s specific problems gives decision-makers something to chew on.
Your content should contain keywords that revolve around your buyer personas and your offerings.
The keywords shouldn’t be about how you think about your products, rather how your customers describe them.
So, it’s vital for you to listen to how customers speak, and the topics they are interested in.
A photocopying machine seller may want to consider keywords like xerox, duplicator, copier, and other terms that people use.
Social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Quora, and Reddit are great places to fish for popular keywords.
Your results may produce an extensive list of keywords that you can rank for. Consider mixing search volume with difficulty.
Your content should target all the stages of the buyer’s journey. Right from awareness to considering, buying, and retention stages.
This way, you’ll be proactively answering questions at every step before your prospect asks.
Content format includes:
- Blog Posts
- Case studies
- Ebooks and newsletters
- Guest Posts
- Videos and podcasts
- Templates and checklists
- Webinars
- White papers
3. Host Virtual Events
Virtual events have gained a lot of popularity and it’s not just because of public health safety.
They are easy to arrange, not restricted by time, and attract lower expenses compared to in-person events.
Since virtual events aren’t limited by a venue’s capacity, allowing more of your targeted audience to engage with you.
These virtual events can address any aspect of your business, from brand awareness to product information, and Q & A sessions.
It’s a great way to stamp your authenticity, get face time with qualified leads, and build meaningful relationships with would-be buyers.
Further, attendees share information during registration that may include their contact information, preferences, locations.
You can use this information to follow up and nurture leads.
Virtual events offer a variety of choices that you can take advantage of including:
- Webinars
- Virtual conferences and summits
- Livestream presentations
- Branded podcasts
- On-demand demos and exhibitions
Like every effective strategy, virtual events also require planning to succeed.
Here are some things to consider beforehand:
- Define why you want to host the event: are you building brand awareness? Educating your audience? Driving sales or pushing leads down the sales funnel?
- Promote the event: generate excitement by creating landing pages on your website, social media ads, and sending out emails.
- Choose the right platform: there are plenty of options that include Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Big Blue Button, and Webinar Ninja
5. Referral Networking
Does it feel awkward asking your newly converted client for a referral? What will they think of you?
Yet experts state that referral networking is a powerful yet underutilized sales weapon. The best time for you to ask for a referral is immediately after a successful sale.
Interestingly, up to 91% of B2B buyers will provide a referral for good service or if they’ve gained a return on investment.
Naturally, this goes to say that referrals will be pegged on the service you offer.
How do you ask for referrals?
- Ask the right client: this is the client who enjoys a genuine partnership spirit with you. The one who values your input and has benefited from your solutions.
- Be ready to answer why you’re asking for referrals. Make this about solving the problems others are experiencing.
- Set goals: get your plan in motion by starting with one or two requests a week. As you get comfortable asking for referrals, increase this number.
Wrapping Up
B2B sales are tough but not impossible. We’ve listed some of the best B2B best techniques that can help you achieve your goals.
What technique works for you? Let us know.
