Over the years, the dynamics of sales have changed completely. Salespersons are not in charge of the buying process anymore — customers are! Why? That is due to the advancements in technology and the internet, making information accessible to everyone in real time.
The same is true in business-to-business (B2B) sales. Gone are the days when B2B buyers engaged suppliers early in the purchase process because they required information. Nowadays, business buyers perform their research and acquire information before approaching a provider. 57% of B2B clients have already decided what they want to buy before even speaking with a supplier.
These changes in consumer behavior have also accelerated changes in the B2B sales landscape. For instance, both B2B sellers and buyers prefer:
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Remote engagement over face-to-face human interactions
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Quicker and convenient digital transactions
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Closing B2B sales with video and live chat
So, now you might think if these changes imply that closing B2B sales have become more complicated. That’s something I’ll be talking about today.
It simply implies that you must adapt to changes in consumer behavior patterns and rethink how you reach out to prospects and conduct business with your B2B customers. That way, you can give them the kind of experience they want.
Today, I’ll be sharing five insider tips that can help boost your B2B sales. Keep reading to know more!
1. Do Your Research
The first thing to focus on is the research. Simply study your B2B prospects/customers to know who they are, what are their needs, what they value, and gain insights into the challenges they face. When you do so, you’ll be able to come up with value-driven solutions that can fulfill your users’ needs.
Skipping the research part is relatively easy. Yet, it’s quite important and can’t be stressed enough. Utilize your resources to gather the information that benefits you and your prospects. After all, who has time to waste reaching out to a company that they ultimately have no chance with?
Explore sites like LinkedIn and Twitter regularly to stay up to date on the current trends. Begin by following and reading industry news. Also, listen to the podcasts of people your clients might be interested in.
2. Discover More Quality Leads
Next, when you know who your prospects are and what they value, it’s time to discover more of them. But, how can you discover and identify leads that are interested in what you have to offer? Thanks to technology, here are a few ways that can help.
- Use website analytics to gain insights. Find the ideal contact person, establish a consumer profile, and tailor a company pitch to their interests and problem areas
- Ask for referrals from clients. Don’t hesitate to ask your clients to spread the word about your products or services
- Host a webinar or speak at any other digital forum to showcase what you do. By doing so, you’ll be able to build trust with your targeted audience
3. Don’t Shy Away From Social Selling
Social selling refers to using social media to find and engage with prospects. According to research by IDC, 91% of B2B customers are active on social media. It offers plenty of valuable opportunities for boosting your leads and sales. LinkedIn has become one of the most effective B2B lead generation platforms. For example, almost 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn.
By regularly connecting with your prospects on social media, you may gradually but steadily create a relationship with them and convert them into brand advocates.
4. Use Account-Based Marketing Strategy
Account-based marketing strategy greatly increases the ROI. For this strategy to be effective, you must first align your sales and marketing team. If both teams conflict, you’ll end up struggling to meet your goals. Whereas, companies whose two teams are tightly aligned enhance their chance of turning leads into clients by over 67%.
To achieve alignment with ABM, both teams work together through the whole process of:
- Identifying the targets
- Developing buyer personas
- Creating the right content
- Integrating ABM
- Overseeing content distribution across the website, emails, and social platforms with the help of the marketing team
- Sales team incorporates content into personal calls, emails, and meetings
- Measuring results and making required changes
In short, when your sales and marketing teams are on the same page, it will be easier for them to close more deals.
5. Create Genuine Long-Term Relationships
If you want to increase your B2B sales, you must focus on retaining your current customers by developing long-term relationships with them. Furthermore, if your consumers have a personal connection with you, they are more inclined to continue doing business with you. You may prevent them from switching to a competitor by paying attention to their needs and cultivating a positive relationship with them.
A few channels that can help nurture your relationship with B2B customers and prospects include email marketing, social media, webinars, referral programs, podcasts, and blog posts, among many more.
Do you want to increase your B2B sales?
The B2B sales landscape is rapidly changing. To survive now and grow tomorrow, you must be able to adjust to these changes.
The tips I’ve mentioned above can help you identify more quality leads, provide them with what they want, and keep them happy so you can start closing more B2B sales!
Got more amazing tips in mind? I’d love to know them. Share them in the comments below.
Also published here.