What is it about selling to companies and B2B clients?
It feels a little daunting, right? Especially when you’re the “small fish.”
I know it was intimidating to me, and I spent my career at large companies!
There are so many unknowns. How do you get connected to the right people? How do you find the decision makers? How do you price yourself? Why does it take so long to make a decision?
And it’s not just large companies. Sometimes small companies, or even companies of 1, can be hard to sell to.
The key is that even with companies, you’re still selling to people. And those people are dealing with a number of priorities, personalities, and stakeholders.
Once you how all those moving parts work together, you can start to unravel this complicated sales process.
It just takes time. Until now.
I’ve put together the 5 secrets that your B2B prospects wish they could tell you about how to sell to them. Enjoy!
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1) I have 1,000 things on my plate
“I’m juggling my own work, fire drills, my boss, the latest company initiative, and my direct reports. Not to mention my own personal life. I want to work with you to solve a critical problem in our company, but I’m at capacity.”
What it means for you:
As the provider, your job is to make it as easy as possible for your prospects to move forward in the sales process. Lead the client by anticipating the next step and deciding how you’ll make it easy for your client to take it. You’ll see the sales process go faster.
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2) There’s more going on here than meets the eye
“I know I said we’re looking for a new provider to [do something], but really there’s more to it than that. The truth is that morale is low because of XYZ, and my boss is under a lot of pressure to turn things around. There’s a new VP who wants to make a splash quickly. And we can’t have another quarter like the last one, or my boss’ job will be at risk.”
What it means for you:
Spend time doing great discovery. Go deeper than surface level: uncover the real motivations behind the search for a provider. To do that, create an environment of openness, ask the difficult questions, and continually ask “why” to get to the real issues. Once you know what’s really going on, you’ll have the information you need to position your services to address the real pains.
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3) I need you to follow up with me
“Remember all the stuff I’m juggling? Unfortunately, that means my attention is pulled in a thousand directions. I’m not ignoring you, and we haven’t decided “no”. Please stay on top of me and keep following up!”
What it means for you:
Follow up! Reach out, stay connected, and provide value in every interaction. Remember – fortune is in the follow-up. Ditch the “I don’t want to annoy them…” mentality – that’s not helping your prospects OR you. If you want my 10 best ways to follow up with your prospects, click here.
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4) Help me sell you to the other stakeholders
“I totally see the benefits here, and I want to work with you. But I have to get buy-in from other people. Help me help you: give me the tools to make a compelling case to the other people involved in the decision.”
What it means for you:
Focus on the value to the business. Remember, companies aren’t buying what you do. They’re buying the outcomes that what you do will bring to their business. Reinforce the business value in every interaction.
Also, it means you need to package that value in an easily-forwardable form. Don’t just have a phone conversation that someone has to remember and reiterate to a higher-up; create something that articulates the value you’ll bring to the company.
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5) Please be patient
“I know this is taking a long time. Trust me, I wish we could go faster! Don’t give up on us – we need you.”
What it means for you:
It can be frustrating when opportunities take forever to close. The remedy? Having enough opportunities in your sales pipeline. That means you can move other viable opportunities to close, and you can hit your income goals even if a couple of opportunities stall. Conventional wisdom says to have 2-3 times as much revenue in your sales pipeline as you expect to close.
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Now it’s your turn. Do you sell to companies? If so, what have you seen get in the way of the B2B sales process? Comment and let me know!
If you found this pulse helpful, please give it a thumbs up. And if you found it reallyhelpful, please share it. Thanks!
To your success,
Leah
P.S. If you want to master the sales process and confidently sell to anyone — including B2B clients — check out the free guide: 3 Keys to Selling: The secrets that make selling easier, more comfortable, and more successful.