It’s no secret that selling to other businesses is tricky. You simply won’t succeed if you don’t take B2B selling for what it is: A high-stakes selling game that requires an entirely unique approach from direct-to-consumer selling.
When done right, B2B sales have the potential to be both extremely lucrative and deeply rewarding. The following eight selling strategies are real-world tips from insiders who routinely close huge B2B sales. Implement these tips, and you’ll develop an approach that helps you close more B2B sales - right away.
1) Skip straight to the real decision makers.
Most businesses put their buyers and purchasing managers on the frontlines of buying situations - but they’re not actually qualified to make any buying decisions. That’s why the most successful B2B salespeople skip right over those folks, and straight to the real decision makers.
Don’t waste your time developing relationships with buyers or purchasing managers, no matter how convenient or comfortable it may feel. They simply don’t have the budget - or the power - to make an actual investment in your product or service. Instead, sell only to high-level decision makers who have the power and budget to actually tell you "yes".
2) Sell actual business results and outcomes.
Businesses aren’t interested in your product or service. They’re interested in the results and outcomes you can help them achieve.
In the past, salespeople could close B2B sales by pitching the benefits and features of their products. Not anymore. Today, you need to focus on selling tangible, bottom-line business results if you want to dominate your competition in B2B sales.
3) Be crystal-clear about your value proposition.
If you’re going to sell to a multi-million dollar business, you’d better be prepared to quickly and clearly articulate your value proposition. Many B2B sales go down the gutter simply because salespeople fail to clarify what sets them apart from the competition - and what value they bring to the businesses who buy from them.
The most successful B2B salespeople script and memorize their value propositions, so they can easily rattle them off at any given moment. This preparedness is key to winning over the big businesses that will help you close more profitable sales than ever before.
4) Get face to face with decision makers.
We’ve already talked about selling directly to decision makers, and skipping over those buyers and purchasing managers. But now it’s time to talk about how you should sell to decision makers.
The answer is simple: Sell to them in person, whenever humanly possible. Hop on a train, get on a bus, book a flight, drive a few hours. Do whatever you must to get a face-to-face meeting with decision makers at every business you’re trying to sell to.
When you’re selling high-end products or services that require a serious investment, you have to go the extra mile to meet your prospects face to face. Most of your competitors are still trying to close B2B sales over the phone. A quick trip can make all difference between closing your sale - or losing it.
5) Stand behind your premium pricing.
Successful, profitable businesses don’t care about your prices - in fact, they only care about the value you provide and the results you help them achieve. If you lower your prices when selling to businesses, you’ll only attract prospects who can’t afford to invest in valuable solutions.
To dramatically improve your B2B sales, stand behind your premium pricing, and watch as you close bigger sales more often - with better prospects.
6) Dig deep to discover challenges.
Seek to truly understand what’s going on at the business you’re selling to. What key frustrations are they dealing with? How much do those challenges cost the business on a monthly basis? How about on a yearly basis?
The answers to these questions can propel your B2B selling strategy to be more lucrative than you can imagine. It’s as simple as that.
7) Keep your emotions in check.
Selling to successful businesses is tough. Dealing directly with powerful decision makers at those businesses is even tougher.
That’s why one of the best tips for closing B2B sales is to keep your emotions in check. Don’t take things too personally. Stay calm, and don’t be intimidated when you’re inevitably face-to-face with a pushy customer. If they sense you’re scared or nervous, it’s over.
8) Give three options in your B2B proposals.
Don’t make the crushing mistake of only offering one option in your proposal to B2B prospects. If you do this, decision makers are exponentially more likely to shop around looking for other options, better prices, and different services.
Instead, give each business three options that vary in price and value. Let them choose whichever one fits with their budget and best addresses their needs. You’ll be surprised by how many go with the priciest option.
By Marc Wayshak
Article from Hubspot
