B2B sales relationships aren’t like traditional marketing connections – B2B sales usually focuses on a specific subset of businesses, while an average marketing ploy focuses on a large mass of people. These two forms of marketing share similarities, but they aren’t always in sync.
This explains why you won’t always find that B2B sales opportunities are fruitful when you use the same tactics you would when marketing to a large, global audience. Some things might match up, but the two forms of marketing have nuances that need to be addressed. If you want to achieve B2B sales success, you’re going to have to play by B2B-specific sales rules.
Get More Personal
Because B2B businesses are a smaller subset of the global marketing audience, you have the opportunity to market to them in a much more specific way. While global marketing trends require a much more general approach, B2B sales success lies in connecting with a B2B business in a personal way.
You can do this by focusing on the service your business provides – if you offer credit card services to businesses; use this to appeal to a business’ specific purpose, like how they’ll need to diversify their payment options because their business’ focus is becoming a bigger trend, etc.
Learn how to Prioritize Clients
If you’re trying to reach out to lots of businesses at once with your B2B products and/or services, you have an issue of priorities on your hands. Some businesses are very eager to finalize a sales deal, while others need more time. Focus your attention in a pyramid format – the accounts with the least amount of work at the top, with the accounts that need more convincing at the bottom.
When you do this, you clear your sales more quickly. Sign accounts with those who are more eager as soon as possible and get them out of the way. This way you have more time to focus on clients who need a little more pushing. You’ll also leave less money at the door this way.
Lead Recycling is Your Friend
Recycling is a big deal in marketing. You’ve likely heard of content recycling, but what about lead recycling? This process involves an account that isn’t quite sure about a full sales commitment yet. Instead of pushing and pushing to try and get them to convert, focus on pushing them back to the marketing stage. There’s no point in trying so hard and wasting time on your calendar when a marketing department can give them a better basic sales pitch than you can at the moment.
Stay Cohesive from Within
Sales and marketing operate in different ways, but you’re on the same team. Your company’s marketing and sales department operates very much like a Mobius strip, fluidly flowing from one side to the next. Because this relationship is such a close one, it’s wise to always keep informed about what your marketing department is doing.
Stay connected to marketing team members in order to have a cohesive sales strategy. Talk frequently about what each department is doing, and report on what you think could be improved – they’ll offer the same. A marketing team that works in tandem with a sales team is one that wins, so you’ll both reap the rewards.
Never Lose a Sense of Personality
Being genuine is one way to increase your chances of a true sale going through. In a B2B setting, the atmosphere is one that’s more personal, so being genuine is how you’ll truly shine through as a person and as someone representing a company entity.
Being unique in your voice and offering a bit of yourself in every sales pitch you craft can both be ways of connecting more with who you’re pitching to. You are something the competition doesn’t have, so milk that for what it’s worth. Remember that forging connections in any sales setting is never a bad idea.
Get Good Info
Never go into a sale unprepared. In order to maximize your chances of selling to a client, make sure you’ve got up to date info and intel on said client. Marketing and sales pitches that are geared towards B2B businesses need to have a lot of data – you’re selling your business to another business, so having hard numbers on your potential relationship is how you ensure that other business that your purpose is one that’s worthwhile.
Going back to credit card services, present information to the client about how many consumers use credit cards daily and negative stats about businesses without credit card capabilities. You can also attach some sales data about yours and your client’s companies for an even more specific power punch of info that can help convince them that you’ve got something of value on your hands.
Don’t Fear Creativity
Sales is equal parts science and risk – there’s numbers to back up how sales pitches should work, and psychology to back this info up, but sometimes being creative and playing by ear is what it takes to make a lead follow through. Always experiment with B2B marketing and sales tactics that you think might work, and then analyze your results. You won’t get anywhere strictly playing it safe – be a trailblazer and improve upon your sales numbers every day.
Have questions about how to increase your chances for success in B2B sales? Call 1-800-531-8575 x 100
